[ cнapтer eιgнтeen ➛ ѕтarт ]

▬▬▬▬▬▬♢▬▬▬▬▬▬

"You're tight with Jaemin again?"

The day after Jaemin was at Renjun's apartment, Renjun's family had gone to visit Chenle's for dinner, an easy arrangement because they lived in the same apartment building and only one floor apart. While the adults chatted in the glamorous living room, the two boys were sprawled out on Chenle's bed, the door closed so they wouldn't have to hear to their parents' incessant talks about business and other boring topics.

Renjun smiled at Chenle's question. "Yehet. I have eaten Jin and opened my eyes and rice so I don't like Jeno that way anymore and Jaemin's not heartbroken."

The younger scoffed. Unlike Jisung, he didn't touch up the roots of his dyed hair, so there was some black peeking through on his head, with a majority of it still blonde. "You change your fucking stupid mind like Katy Perry said a girl changes clothes."

"So what if I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed? I'm still an Allstar."

"My dad, Shrek, begs to differ."

Renjun snorted, then he sighed, closing his eyes. "The Dreamies are dying faster than my will to live because everyone hates each other." The older Chinese male suddenly turned over to the younger as well, eyes flying open. "And what the hell happened to you and Jisung? School makes everyone so uncultured, I don't even know shit about my little brother."

"For the last time, we're not fucking related, I'd cry if we were" Chenle hissed. His stare turned soft as he thought of Jisung. "And... nothing's happening. We're fine."

"Wrong," Renjun announced. "Incorrect. False. Fake. No. Not today. Stan BTS. But don't be a toxic ARMY."

The younger shrugged, not saying a thing under Renjun's suspicious stare.

"Ugh," Renjun sighed. "I'm sick of this shit. Jeno and Jaemin always hated each other, fine. Markhyuck had a short fight 'cause they're both naturally salty pissy petty annoying-ass bitches, whatever, they made up. But you and Jisung are tighter than your assholes. You're partners in crime! You can't be drifting apart when the rest of us are dead and can barely talk to each other normally. Except Markhyuck."

"Liar. Liar, stan Oh My Girl."

"How?"

"It's simple, watch one of those 'unhelpful guide' videos and binge on their MVs and live stages and learn their blood types and--"

"No, you fuckbutt, I know how to stan groups, but how am I lying?"

The younger Chinese boy huffed. "Us Dreamies have reconnected again, some of us have beef but we're still Dior!"

Renjun groaned as a response, the sound of frustration lasting for at least a whole minute until his voice cracked and it turned to a yodel.

"Fine, just stop disrespecting the Walmart yodel kid," Chenle ordered, pursing his lips. "Jisung and I... some stuff happened."

"I figured," Renjun commented dryly.

"We're good friends! Like you and I. Like brothers." Chenle furrowed his brows at this part, slender fingers drumming silently on the soft blanket. "But... weird shit happens to me when I'm around him."

Renjun modded, encouraging the younger to continue. Truthfully, he already had a gut feeling of what his "lil' bro" was going to say but wanted the younger to admit it and confirm his theory.

"I... We— uh. I kissed him."

Chenle paused for a while, and Renjun knew not to talk, to let the younger collect his thoughts and feelings and choose his next words carefully.

"We were fucking around. We were hiding in the storage room fucking around with the kazoos. He got a recorder and did a beautiful emotional heart-wrenching tearful rendition of the Titanic song... and when he was done I was hyping him up and he did that cute thing where he scrunches his nose and cocks his head to the side real quick because he's cute and I kind of felt high so I tripped on him and we were on the ground and he was quakething and our lips touched but we kept them touching cause we just gotta touch y'know and I felt strange and kind of good but then he bolted up like Sasugay when he doesn't wanna admit his gayness for Naruto and I fell back on the ground and he ran out of the room and— yeah, that's it."

The only thing running through Renjun's mind during Chenle's rant was that them and the Dreamies appeared all cool and savage, always swearing and having the time of their lives, but in reality all seven were just dorks.

"So y'all could be fucking right now if Jisung didn't dashi run?" was what Renjun concluded after he shook himself of his thoughts.

Chenle frowned, then rolled his eyes, but ended up nodding in agreement.

"Talk to him!" Renjun practically screamed, leaping up off the bed with sudden energy and dragging Chenle up with him. "This isn't The Fucking Fault in our Brain Cells or Dear Juan or Titty-tan-dick or a lame fan fiction on What-the-fuck-pad, grow a dick, grow a brain, and solve your fucking problems rather than laying around and being like Meg from Hercules claiming you're an independent woman who won't say she's in love but still sings a song where the words 'I'm in love' are repeated more times than I've got disappointed looks from my parents."

"Mommy Renjun's current status: activated."

"That sounds kinky, you small-donged shit."

"You're fuckin' weird."

"Says you?? But I give the best advice. Now go get some chocolates and sneak the fuck out of here before my parents try and rub in how successful you are compared to my lazy ass."

"Actually, it's my parents who compare me to you and say you're Jesus while I'm an unworthy peasant."

"They're not wrong," Renjun pointed out.

"Oh, fuck you."

"No, you fuck Jisung."

"I'm—"

"—going off to fuck Jisung, now get going!"

▬▬▬▬▬▬♢▬▬▬▬▬▬

"They're going to cut off our dicks. It's Christmas."

"Well you know what, I'm Jesus, today is my birthday, my cute ass could care less if I get a little circumcision."

Jeno and Jaemin had been talking with Renjun at the Christmas party held at Chenle's apartment and decided to take charge of the Chensung situation, locking them in a closet so they could sort out their shit and not stain bedsheets when they were done.

Chenle had ended up taking Renjun's advice, just without the chocolates and physically leaving the apartment. He called Jisung and they talked about the kiss, settling on an unsatisfying decision that they'd forget it and continue being partners in crime.

Of course, Renjun was immensely disappointed but couldn't just give up on "Operation Chensung's Young Love Lmao What Losers", so he needed help.

It was Christmas Eve, the Zhongs' apartment filled with people chatting and laughing and eating and drinking non-alcoholic drinks because children were present.

Markhyuck were off doing each other, which left the three boys to have to properly take care of Chensung. They hatched an elaborate plan to get the two to sort out their shit and reveal why they broke up and then get back together again, but ditched the plan last minute and just shoved the two into a closet, bolting when they heard angry shouts and punches to the door from the inside ensue.

Renjun waved goodbye as he got whisked away by his parents to greet other guests, which left Jeno and Jaemin standing in the hallway.

Jeno glanced at Jaemin, whose eyes were longingly trailing Renjun's retreating figure. "You can finally clap cheeks with him now."

He learned from Jaemin's jumpy and excited behavior when he came back from Renjun's house about how the older Chinese boy no longer liked the younger raven-haired. Jeno didn't really care, just smiled because there was one less reason for Jaemin to act like a dick to him and not let him play Fortnite on his TV.

The raven-haired would admit that he found Renjun cute when he first met him, but he never had any romantic feelings for the older. As they spent time studying, they became close, but only as friends, a chaste bond between them.

Jaemin nodded, eyes glittering, maybe as a reflection of the fancy chandeliers hanging from the ceiling or from his strong feelings for Renjun. "You're out of the way, so yeah! But now you gotta help me get closer to him. He needs to fall for my charms."

"What charms, and hell to the no," Jeno shook his head, "ask Chensung or Markhyuck — if Chensung gets their shit together. Actually, how do you think they're doing right n—"

"Focus on Renjun!" Jaemin hissed, flicking the older's forehead which Jeno winced at. "You owe it to me, you know. You basically caused my first heartbreak ever."

"I'm a heartbreaker, what can I say," Jeno shrugged.

"No, stan Twice, be a heartshaker."

"They do Chaeyoung so dirty, her hair never looks good and she's the main rapper and is actually talented but is never given atten—"

"Focus on Renjun."

"Fuck a zombie."

Jaemin blinked, confused.

Jeno just walked away to rejoin the party. "Uncultured swine that doesn't even stan Ariana Grande. 'Focus on Me' was a bop even though the chorus sung by that old crackhead guy sounded kinky."

Jaemin still needed a moment to register Jeno's reference, but smacked his hand to his own forehead when he did. "Fucking Min Yoongi pronounces English words better than that hoe."

"Min Yoongi. Genius. What else is there to say?"

▬▬▬▬▬▬♢▬▬▬▬▬▬

[ cнapтer eιgнтeen ➛ end ]