"How's it going~?" Donghyuck lilts before gasping; mostly exaggerated. When he sees Jeno's whole face. "Why are your eyes puffy?" Crossing his arms, sassily asking.
Renjun behind him looks over his shoulder to see what he's talking about and raises a brow at the tanned male, "he obviously cried, dumbass."
Smacking the back of Donghyuck's head and sits down, ignoring the moan of pain from the younger boy as he rubs the spot.
Placing a hand on Jeno's shoulder, he asks, "now, why were you crying? Did something bad happened?" Voice gentle yet stern at the same time.
Jeno was about to answer him but stops himself when three more boys come over to their table and takes their seats joining them.
Jisung who was the last one to sit down, taking the spot beside Jeno, Renjun eyes them carefully and then sighs. "Please tell me you two are in good terms?" Getting everyone's attention.
"What's happening?" Mark perks up, also looking at Jeno and Jisung. "Are you two fighting?"
"No, definitely not. Don't worry," Jeno croaks with an amused smile as he waves a reassuring hand to Mark.
The latter furrows his eyebrows in confusion and so does Chenle beside him who looks away from his phone screen, "then what's the matter?"
"Jeno's eyes are puffy."
"Yeah, Renjun said he was crying. But I think he was just rubbing his eyes too much because of an itch or something." Donghyuck comments with a roll of his eyes.
"But I was crying." Jeno confidently confirms, looking at the tanned male weirdly.
The others widen their eyes as Donghyuck starts looking around their surroundings, "was it... Jaemin?" He whisper-yells for the others to hear.
Renjun face palms, finding it ridiculous as Jeno shakes his head and replies with, "no, it was because of Jisung." And in an instant, the other three glare at the said tall boy beside Jeno.
"What the fuck?"
"Park Jisung what did you do?"
"His ugliness brought Jeno in tears, how sad." Chenle's comment gets him a kick on his shin from the other side of the table.
"And your stupidity brings Renjun hyung a headache everyday." Jisung barks back with a huff through his flaring nose.
"Thank you, Jisung for letting Chenle know that." Renjun smiles proudly at him, flashing a sarcastic one to Chenle a second after.
Mark snaps his fingers to gain everyone's attention, "back to the main topic, Jisung what did you do?" He asks, impatiently and curious as to what he had missed out.
Jisung glances at Jeno, silently asking him if he should tell them everything in all honesty, fill them in on what the situation is about.
Jeno, fortunately, understood and nods his head in approval. Gesturing for him to get on with it as he then reaches to grab Jisung's hand under the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I confessed to Jeno hyung." Jisung breathes out.
"That you ate his bag of gummies two weeks ago?"
"Wait what?" Jeno blinks several times, both puzzled and a little flustered.
"Oh– nevermind." Chenle sheepishly chuckles whilst scratching his nape.
Shaking his head at him, Jisung pinches the bridge of his nose as Renjun rolls his eyes. "Jisung finally confessed his romantic feelings for Jeno." He tells them.
"Jisung has a crush on Jeno?!" Donghyuck shrieks, "since when?!" Eyes blown wide as he looks from Jisung to Jeno back and forth.
"Ugh, finally." Chenle casually sips on his juice box with a teasing smirk on his face.
"Oh shit, congrats man!" Mark reaches across the table to share a high five with Jisung. A little awkward since Mark didn't really seem to get it.
"We're not together, Mark hyung..." Jeno awkwardly tells him.
Mark slowly sits back down and drawls out an "ohh~" with a sheepish smile. "Oh– are you okay, Sungie?" Gaze showing concern about Jisung's situation.
The younger boy shrugs his shoulders, "yeah, Jeno hyung and I already talked about it and he got emotional because he felt guilty, but I told him it's all okay and he doesn't have to reciprocate his feelings."
"Why can't everyone be like Jisung," Donghyuck mumbles and nudges Renjun beside him. "Am I right?" Exaggerating his wink.
Renjun rolls his eyes and smacks him on the knee, "talk about Jaemin later, Jeno just finished crying." He whispers.
Jisung then tells them everything, including his story and main point of confessing to Jeno. The others shared their opinions and laughed together to lighten up the mood.
As soon as Jisung drapes an arm around Jeno's shoulders with a silly smile that made the elder boy giggle back, a voice made their heads turn away from each other and towards the newcomer.
"Got room for more?"
"Look who showed up," Mark snickers, "where have you been these days, man?" He asks whilst Jeno scoots to give Jaemin space.
Jaemin smiles fondly at the younger boy and takes a seat, "what do you mean? I wasn't away, Mark hyung." He chuckles, oblivious.
"You kinda were," Chenle said.
"Haven't seen you as much as before lately, what's up with that?" Renjun joins in, although he isn't that stupid.
It's sometimes fun to see how the person reacts and tries to get away with something.
"Huh?" Jaemin raises a brow at them, "guys what are you saying? I've just been around school. We still cross paths."
"You haven't hung out with us properly," Jisung says. "Well, when you do, it's not that long before you excuse yourself quite early."
"Not to mention you're being late these days too, when you're usually stuck with Jeno by your side until the day ends." Donghyuck points out, getting a nudge from Renjun.
"I mean, we'd understand if you're busy with other stuff too, Jaem. But sometimes you don't really tell us as to why, at least– not really specific." Renjun calmly adds.
"May I remind you you have to help me with some tasks this week as well?" Mark bitterly brings up. "I had to spend half an hour cleaning in the computer lab, alone."
"It kinda feels like you're not there as much, Min." Jeno pouts in an instant.
"Yeah! Like not to mention Jen–" Donghyuck was quickly shut down by Renjun, pinching the tanned male's thigh to make him quiet.
Jaemin didn't really pay attention to him due to already frowning at Jeno as soon as the younger boy said that.
Sighing, he reaches up to brush Jeno's bangs away from his forehead and smiles apologetically. "Sorry, baby, I've been caught up with some stuff these days."
"We haven't hung out."
"I know, I'll make it up to you today. How about that?" Immediately, Jeno lightens up and smiles at him, happily nodding like a child.
"Great, we'll go to your favorite candy store first and then go to your house to watch a movie." Kissing Jeno's forehead, making the owner blush as usual.
Meanwhile, the others share a look at each other as Donghyuck whispers, "should we tell him Jisung confessed?"
"Do it tomorrow," Renjun waves him off. "Unless Jeno tells him first." Glancing at Jisung who shrugs his shoulders in nonchalance, unbothered by the pair beside him.
"Jaemin should tell him too."
"About what?"
"Why he's been absent." Renjun mumbles and gestures for Donghyuck to quiet down after that as to not attract the others' attention.
Not the time to fuss over this, Jeno already cried once today due to guilt. He doesn't have to shed more tears because of Jaemin, again.