The thin wisp of smoke spiraled from the open cup of coffee as it warmed the palm of his hand. Sweat rolled down the back of his neck in the warm coffee shop. The window revealed green grass that swayed with the spring wind and the seasonal trees shimmered as they just finished filling out in vibrate shades of green.
Much more vibrate in the midday sunlight than the sunless evening that rolled over the campus.
The smell of coffee beans filled his nose as the steady thrum of music filled his ears, absent of any side conversation. The only sound in the otherwise empty shop and the soft guitar were the whispered murmurs between Johnny and Jaehyun behind the counter.
The lip of the cup pressed slightly against his chapped lips as he sipped the caffeine, something he shouldn't have been drinking so late in the day.
He wished he asked for a colder drink, the warm beverage not helping the thirst that crawled up his throat. He licked his lips to provide easement as he placed his cup back down on the lonesome table.
The two chairs that normally occupied the table had been pulled away earlier to join other, more crowded tables. Jeno's phone lay face up in front of him, teasing him as his unanswered texts repeatedly flashed onto the screen.
Junnie:
Jaemin and I can't make it
Busy day at the parlor
Jeno tried to ignore the ache in his chest and the sickening feeling that was beginning to form in his gut.
His other hand rested comfortably on his thigh as he continued to stare blankly out the revealing window.
The soft music flitted in and out of his ears as the smell of coffee beans flowed through his nostrils.
Spring had taken over the campus, blessing the students with warm weather, cooling winds, and sunny days to combat the stress that college so often brought with it. Many students chose these bright and cheerful days to race outside with their friends or partners, traveling to the mall and other various events that the campus hosted.
Except for Jeno.
Jeno stayed behind and watched as Mark was constantly seen laughing with Haechan, the two quickly becoming the most popular couple on campus due to their radiating happiness they brought everywhere with them.
He had oftentimes said a teasing 'have fun' to Chenle and Jisung as Chenle usually comes to Jisung and Jeno's dorm to take Jisung out to enjoy the weather together. His facade falling as the door closed time and time again, shutting him into his own mind.
Jeno watched as he lay in his own form bed, phone lighting up with apologetic texts that soon became regular texts.
I have to stay longer than usual
I'll see you soon my love
Jae has to stay longer so I'll just wait for him, don't wait up for us
Sorry, I didn't realize I would be so late
You'll just have to stay at your own dorm
I'll just start giving you the key instead
Sorry we'll be late
Go to bed
don't expect us back early
sorry.
We have to cancel our plans to go to the fair
A good opportunity came up for us and we need to take it
We have to stay late at the parlor
Just ask Mark or Jisung to take you to the food festival
Jaemin and I can't make it
Injunnie and I can't make it.
We can't make it.
Can't make it.
Jeno tried to ignore the aching in his chest as he took another sip of his coffee that increased his need for a cool drink. He licked his lips again, trying to suppress the heat that began to form behind his eyes.
He wasn't needed anymore.
Jeno had spent his entire day at the shop. From waking up in his own cold bed and making his way over here as the sky slowly started to display color. To now, sitting at their table that lacked two chairs, two drinks, and two very important people.
Jeno tightened his hand on his clothed thigh.
It had been several months since Christmas, the last time he thinks they actually loved him.
He cherished the memory of them sitting on the kitchen floor, Renjun willingly letting Jeno give him affection as Jaemin curled around his back.
But the more Jeno thinks, even then they seemed to separate from him. He was reaching towards them. And now they slipped out of his grasp.
After winter break ended the teachers began to pile on work and Jaemin and Renjun slowly became more and more involved with the tattoo shop. At first, it wasn't much. Just the occasional 'I'm going to be a couple of minutes late' where Jeno would be rewarded and peppered with kisses, cuddles, and apologies at the tardiness of his lovers.
He hadn't seen Jaemin or Renjun in two days.
He supposed he was being clingy and they just wanted space. But if they wanted space, why did they spend that time together?
Jeno has never felt so sick in his entire left. Not only was school slowly getting more stressful but his two stress relievers, his two happiness bringers, abandoned him.
So Jeno was sitting here alone, hand curled around his warm cup of coffee as soft music swirled around his head. The soft murmurs of Johnny and Jaehyun continuing over the counter.
He felt tears leak into his eyes, threatening to spill, as he thought more and more about Jaemin and Renjun.
The most painful fact wasn't the immense amount of pain that he was feeling at the unrequited love.
It was that this heartbreak seemed familiar to him.
Drawing him closer to the eventually mental break as he thought about the familiarity between the three. He posed the hypothetical situation that if they had been in some relationship before, and only if they had, how had it ended?
Jeno amused the idea that they had left him in a very much similar fashion.
So was it him?
Was it him that was the problem?
The hit sting of tears brought him back, but only slightly. He didn't move as the tears began to roll down his face. His hand stayed on his cup, the other resting on his thigh, and his eyes staring out at the now dark campus, light only by spread out street lamps.
The soft ding provided a change of pace to the soft music that taunted his loud and painful thoughts. Jeno didn't look at the person much less care who it was.
Not until they noisily pulled up a chair to sit across him at the table. Jeno shifted his tear-stained face to look at the newcomer and he stilled in surprise.
"Jeno, what the hell are you doing?"
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Sorry for the slightly depressing chapter
I hope you guys still enjoyed though!
Take care! I love you all! :)