Hate | Nosung

8

Jeno was surprisingly easy to work with. Once Jisung explained the principle and how it functions in the sequence of the equation, he could understand and do it just fine on his own. Slowly, his paper began to fill up with notes.

"Then you switch the outside one with the inside one." Jisung demonstrated what he meant on his own paper, and Jeno scrunched his brows.

"Does that always come after? If you're trying to find the opposite-"

"Then you switch it before you multiply."

"Ah, okay, I get it."

On top of it, Jeno let go of his teasing, and just focused on the task at hand. He was really motivated to pass math. It was almost like Jeno was more interested in the homework than in Jisung, which he definitely was not about to complain about.

It took the full hour to get through the whole lesson, and Jisung sprawled his limbs when they finally finished. Jeno grinned and neatly put his paper back in his folder.

Jisung got a text from Jaemin and started rapidly shoving his things into his backpack. He was ready to get out.

When he stood up, Jeno's hand shot out and held Jisung's wrist. The boy spun his head to see what the heck was happening, and what he was met with absolutely threw him.

"Hey," Jeno's expression was sincere with a humble gratitude that Jisung had never seen him wear. "Thanks for helping me."

Jisung was speechless.

Lee Jeno was thanking him.

It didn't feel real, and Jisung's eyes flickered to the hand that held his wrist with a squint that matched his frown.

Jeno released after noticing the discomfort, and pursed his lips.

What Jisung wouldn't give to understand what was going on in Lee Jeno's head.

"Uh, sure?" The boy had no idea how to navigate the situation, so he just put up a front and left after excusing himself a little too loudly. "My ride's here, so I'm going."

Jisung sprinted out of the library before Jeno could get another word out. Down the stairs, through the hall, and out the doors he flew.

There was Jaehyun's minivan in all its soccer-mom glory. Jisung had never been so relieved to see it, and he pulled the door open inhumanely fast.

"That bad?" Jaemin asked.

Jisung slammed the rolling door shut. "Just drive."

******

"You know, running out on me while I was bearing my soul to you wasn't very polite, Lovey."

Jisung sent Jeno a warning-glare as the jock sat at his desk in the morning.

"You call that bearing your soul?" He retorted, incredulously. "And I gave you a response, so don't get all butt hurt about it."

Jisung continued after having another thought. "I even was kind enough to tell you I was leaving before I actually left, so I'm still not seeing why you're so butt hurt."

Jeno laughed, putting the attention of their classmates all on them. "I'm not the one that's butt hurt, it seems. You panicked because of your conflicting feelings for me." The smug grin on his face made Jisung fume.

Jisung lowered his voice and leaned in to Jeno, but it wasn't as romantic as it looked.

Threatening words flew out of Jisung's mouth rapid-fire. "Don't say crap like that around people or I'm going to end up dead in an alleyway, and you'll get kicked off basketball because I won't be there to teach your stupid ass-"

"Okay class, open your english books!"

Jeno physically had to stop himself from bursting out into laughter, pressing his lips into a thin line and closing his eyes.

"Oh get over yourself, I'm not that funny," Jisung scolded, and Jeno firmly disagreed.

"You, my dear, are hilarious." He brought out his english book and pulled the Jisung-card by ignoring the other boy to listen to the lesson.

Jisung let his head fall back as he regretted every life choice he's made up to this point.