NOTE: jeno's case is serious here. dont take it lightly just bc it's a fanfic. it happens irl so pls...
it was awkward. it's been... seven years? yeah, more or less. renjun found it awkward to see his childhood friends and sit with then inside the zhongs' fancy house.
renjun never wanted to go back to korea. maybe a year or two after he came back to china, he wished he never left his friends. but after that, it all faded. everything went fine for him and he almost forgot how much he cried on the airplane when he was twelve years old.
really, that was embarrassing. now that renjun graduated high school and is now meeting with his childhood friends, all the memories came back to him like a surge of wave and he couldn't help but to laugh.
kids will be kids, and the nineteen years old renjun couldn't believe he was that sentimental back then. disgusting, he thought.
he's sitting beside donghyuck, chenle and jisung across them. his heart was pounding erratically against his chest, nervous on how he should react.
after graduating high school, renjun's parents suddenly announced that they'll be heading back to korea for their business, and renjun must continue his studies there too. he tried to protest, complained how hard it would be to adjust again, but his parents made their minds up.
two weeks after staying at korea and spending his summer on his room, missing his friends in china, he got a follow request from chenle, which he never talked to online since he left.
and that brings him there. chenle notified him about a small reunion between them, the seven kids who used to eat lunch together and go home together.
he contemplated whether to go or not. after all, he left without any words or any proper goodbyes. plus, the six might be still close to each other, and he can feel out of place because he's been missing for seven years.
yet at the end, he chose to go. he somehow, somehow missed them.
"we really thought your family just went on a vacation during the summer, that's why you aren't meeting us at the park. then poof, even when school started, you were missing," jisung huffed, remembering how the six kids kept visiting renjun's house to check on him during summer break.
renjun cannot be wrong, jisung is their youngest friend but why the hell is he built like a tower now? but he still has the same eyes, and the same squishy cheeks.
he already explained what happened while they wait for the other three to arrive. they said it was fine, because it's something that happened unexpectedly, but it would've been better if they're still aware that they won't see their best friend until now.
"i'm really sorry," the chinese almost whispered. it was still unfamiliar to him. time changed everything and that includes how comfortable he used to be with them.
hating the drama, donghyuck butted in, "that's totally fine. what matters is that you're here! i heard you're staying here now? where are you planning to enrol to?"
on their middle school and high school lives, the six kids who were left in korea became more inseparable. they entered the school and kept their promises that they'll stay together.
but of course, they'll never forget how they used to play with renjun. renjun was like... the person that keeps them balance.
jaemin loves showing affection to him. out of all his friends, renjun was the closest and the most comfortable to jaemin.
donghyuck is in a love-hate relationship with him. they were seatmates who always fight over the smallest things.
he is jisung's favorote hyungie because he always took his side. of course, renjun would. jisung is too cute for renjun decline him.
he is mark's go to friend because they're mostly the matured ones. like, when everyone went crazy, the two would sit next to each other shake their heads in embarrassment.
chenle– don't even start with chenle. renjun was literally his world before, maybe because they both came from the same country and they understand each other the most.
then there goes jeno. renjun was jeno's– come to think of it, he was nothing to jeno. and jeno was nothing to him. they were just acquaintances.
"my parents are still processing it. i don't really mind which university i'll go to," renjun retorted, hands rubbing at his clothed thighs as he doesn't know where to settle it.
to be honest, when renjun knew that he'll be returning to korea, he felt his excitement for college faded into thin nothingness. like, what's even the point? he has to go back to the start where he'll need to approach people to be his friends.
he never even expected that he'll be invited to chenle's house again. he thought they forgot about him, just like how he forgot about them.
chenle, who was the one who contacted renjun and was only staring at him in astonishment, finally said, "since you're staying here, i hope we could all hang out again."
he cherishes his friends more than anything. and having renjun back, means having another friend he loves. chenle still couldn't believe that they will be complete again.
that would be nice. but... but renjun just doesn't really feel comfortable anymore. maybe it was the amount of time they parted. but they can work it out, right? renjun can get use to them again. because what choice does he even have, he'll have to live in a foreign country for the second time.
"i'll try my best," renjun smiled.
they continued to chat about the basic stuffs, when renjun heard his name being loudly called by the door frame, "renjun!"
renjun's lips curved into a gleaming smile when he saw a familiar person, "mark!"
the two greeted each other with a hug. the canadian sat beside renjun as he removes his jacket. "oh god, i thought chenle was joking when he said you're coming," he quoted in disbelief.
"don't underestimate my powers," chenle giggled and poured a glass of iced tea for the older. "it's kinda hard to find him on social media. he's running on private," he playfully rolled his eyes.
well, renjun just doesn't like other people (people whom he never interacted with) seeing his private life. his accounts are mostly for his art and his trips, anyways.
"let's follow each other now," mark wriggled his brows and they all busied themselves on their phones to exchange usernames.
as renjun types down on his phone, he felt weird. why are they conversing with him so easily? don't they feel a little awkward? why does it seemed like they never parted at all? why are they so cool about it?
but it was all answered when jisung and chenle chorused, "we missed you."
renjun would say the same. renjun's childhood was beautiful because of them. yet instead of voicing out, he smiled at the two. he couldn't bring himself to put it in words.
"guys, i'm sorry. damn, i woke up late!"
they weren't close. they don't talk often. they haven't heard each other's voices for years.
but renjun somehow remembered who possessed that voice that doesn't sound too rough nor too soft.
the last time renjun heard his voice was when they were twelve years old. nonetheless, he doesn't have to look back or spare him a glance to know he's lee jeno.
"you've been playing games all night again?" donghyuck chuckled and motioned jeno to sit next to them.
jeno half pouted and made his way to the chair across mark. "had to grind to improve my rank," he mumbled and roamed his eyes to mark, only to land at renjun's face.
if it's awkward with chenle and donghyuck, whom renjun was really close with, what more to jeno? there was a lump behind his throat that refrains him from rolling out a simple hi.
and not at the fact that jeno grew up as a young man who's always shy and unsure of things. he used to be playful and loud as a kid, but he grew so differently. it wasn't that normal kind of shy. jeno is really, really, really scared of socializing. he never befriended anyone beside his childhood friends and he never left jaemin's side because he's afraid to be alone, but scared to meet new people at the same time.
they all tried to help jeno about that matter, inviting him to parties and arranging blind dates for him, but jeno couldn't stop panicking. he's getting anxious every time. jaemin almost thought he has communication apprehension.
when neither of the two spoke, chenle cleared his throat and said, "you must've not recognized him. it's jeno hyung!"
absolutely not. renjun easily recognized him, with the help of his famous under eye mole.
jeno knew it was renjun, his friends informed him beforehand. but he still can't look at him straight. jeno can't look straight at anyone unless they're close, to be exact.
everyone knew about jeno's situation– the boy being selectively social. he wasn't clearly reclusive, since he enjoys mark or jaemin's company. he's just like that. and his friends gave up on forcing him to thrive relationships with people.
almost a minute passed, still no one initiated the conversation. the comfortable silence earlier fell into a stiff one, leaving the others to shift glances at each other.
oh please, not with renjun, donghyuck groaned mentally. they used to be friends, isn't renjun exempted too for his anti-social ass? "jeno, say hi," he smiled at the older, giving him signals.
still, jeno kept his mouth shut. the deafening silence scared renjun. what if they're killing the vibes from being distant? with a tiny winey hesitation, renjun cracked an awkward smile. "jeno, hi! it's been a long time," he babbled, cautious if he sounded so fake.
and mark almost shouted hallelujah when jeno finally replied. "hello. how have you been?" his robotic voice almost made chenle cackle but jisung was quick to pinch his thigh to stop him. now is now the time to make fun of the situation.
"good, really good. how about you? i see, you still like playing games," to show sincerity on opening up a conversation, renjun strike a smile.
jeno's fingernails started digging into his jeans as he let out a short series of 'uhm'. "i was... uhm... i was also doing fine, i guess? it's nice seeing you again, anyways," finally, jeno had the ability to form a decent reply.
phew, maybe that was the longest conversation jeno ever had to a non-friend without feeling nausea creeping into his guts.
in order to escape the wrath of the cumbersome atmosphere, donghyuck clapped his hands to gather their attentions. "should we go and dig the capsule? i'm super excited!" he exclaimed. it was the main purpose of their get together, after all.
"tell me about it. let's go!" chenle took the lead of heaving but was cut off by renjun.
rubbing his nape, renjun shyly asked a question he's been itching to ask since earlier, "where's nana?"
as they expected. of course, renjun will ask for the lovely na jaemin. "he'll be late. really late. he has some schedule to finish, so yeah," chenle explained as they all started heading to the zhongs' backyard.
"schedule? isn't summer? is he working?" renjun bombarded them with questions. as far as he can remember, jaemin grew up in a wealthy family. if ever, why would he work?
jisung draped his arm around renjun's shoulder and chuckled, "he is working," he meaningfully said.
"oh," was all renjun could mutter. what happened when he was gone? did jaemin's family went bankrupt?
noticing the genuine worries plastered on his face, jisung continued, "as an actor, renjun hyung. he's an actor now," he cleared.
now that's interesting. "really? that's so cool," renjun almost giggled. who would've thought that jaemin would pursue an acting career? he thought the sweet boy wanted to be a doctor.
"yep. he started last year and he's quite making a name," mark proudly said, as if talking about his son's achievements.
renjun can't wait to meet jaemin and personally congratulate him.
when they all arrived by the backyard, in front of the old tree that held an old swing, renjun smiled at the scene.
just like the old good times.
"are you guys ready?"
renjun was ready. what's there not to be? they'll just open the time capsule and reminisce their childhood.
what he didn't knew, was that opening the capsule means opening another chapter of his life he never thought was written on his book.
📦
im so excited for this book, lIEK REALLY
jeno's character is so interesting here, believe me
and ive alr decided how the ending will go and i mentally patted my back bc wow,, im actually capable of making a good ending uwu