"I’m sorry. You're cute but I don't have room in my heart for you."

"Okay but what if I really like you and prove myself?"

What in the ever loving heavens?

The next time Jaemin opened his eyes, he was in an infirmary with Kunhang speaking to another boy rather loudly. Unfortunately, the boy didn't get to respond because Jaemin's shifts were noticed.

"Oh dude! You're awake!" Mark exclaimed, walking forward to help him up. "What even happened to you?"

"Fainted," Jaemin responded weakly, his throat dry.

Then he noticed it was Mark, Kunhang, the three ex-potential friends, and two others. So many people in one spot. So many people he wasn't supposed to mingle with.

"You'd never guess what happened!" Mark laughed, unaware of the rising tension from Jaemin. "I was with Hyuck doing an errand but then when we returned, you were both iced out which made us think you died! So Hyuck went to find someone and for some reason, got Jeno and Renjun and turned out it was Renjun's brother so he got Dejun who wants to be a doctor to make sure you were still alive and now we're here."

Hearing the story made everyone snicker quietly, mostly at each other and even Jaemin couldn't help but smile lopsidedly at the wacky story.

Mayhaps everyone wasn't that bad when it came to helping someone out. But still. He was never supposed to get close to them in the first place. His Mother had told him when he was younger. She had made sure he'd always remember that but Jaehyun had told him differently. 

Sometimes, an individual was placed on Earth to take advice from an elder for they were given a parent or guardian to guide them through life for a reason. Sometimes, the advice given may seem horrible at a certain age and sometimes, it’s horrible at any age but only does a mind fully mature by the age of twenty-five and fully develop at the age of thirty. In such a case as Jaemin's, was his Mother really bad or was it good to a certain extent? Was his Mother fully conscious of what she was putting her youngest son through or was she just doing it because he was the youngest. Some Mothers treated children differently according to age and if this was one of those cases, Jaemin really couldn't tell if it was out of immense love that she had made him believe like that or if it was because of some grudge that he figured she probably hid.

The main thing really keeping Jaemin from trying to change his thinking was the fact that everything he believed in was instilled in him from a young age. Situations as such were what really set humanity back several years, for one doesn't unlearn a habit or belief in one day but instead over a pace of days or even years. This was a habit of belief that he would have to gather the right tools to deconstruct and produce a shell that could be built up again with new material.

This was what really changed a person from others. The will to make a difference and try, even if it took long.

"What time is it and when can I leave?" Jaemin asked, reclining himself on his arms as he awaited an answer, everyone turning to face one of the new people he had never seen before.

"Oh. You can go if you want to. I won't hold you back anymore."

Jaemin nodded, getting up before bowing a little although he didn't really want to. It was more a bow of gratitude than anything else that he did before he made his way out, Jeno following behind.

"Why are you following me?" Jaemin asked a bit uneasily.

"I’m accompanying you so you don't fall. We don't even know why you fainted and it could happen again."

"Oh."

If it were someone else, Jaemin would have explained truthfully but Jeno was a Wiccan and he feared being laughed at or cursed.

"It was weird. We just found you hanging head down off your bed with legs up."

Jaemin really couldn't answer to that but as what had happened with Kunhang, the tenth chapter of Matthew flashed in him and he felt himself nearly cry. He had to tell. His morals he had placed in himself slowly melted as he felt guilt eat him. Getting it out really had to happen or else he'd beat himself over it.

"Can I tell you how it happened?" Jaemin asked quietly, his fingers twiddling as he awaited an answer.

"Sure."

And so the boy started from when Kunhang fell through the window to when he knocked him out, rapidly trying to explain the guilt he felt and the mind flashes of the Bible verses. All throughout, Jeno did nothing but listen and nod.

It was relieving in a way and Jeno, a Wiccan since birth, who knew jack shit about the Bible, could really do nothing more. His hand ran through his hair that was slowly turning black, a soft smile on his face as Jaemin looked at him.

It was at that moment that the caramel haired realized two things.

One, how and why were they standing in the corridor that led to the non-Christian dorms? And two, what was that feeling that just coursed through his body so strongly the moment Jeno smiled at him?

No, really. The feeling after seeing the soft look made him want to cry in, what was it? Fondness? Attraction? Sudden want? All of them to be prexact.

He suddenly felt scared, blinking as if he were just waking up and took a step back to give them some space.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't realize I led you right to my dorm," Jeno apologized, having the decency to look sheepish.

But really, did Jeno really accidentally do it or was it a form of gauging Jaemin's reaction once he realized where he was? Was it to see if he had changed or was it just a simple mistake? Well, it seemed no one would ever know except possibly Jeno's subconscious but it didn't matter because at the end of the day, it was night.

"It's fine. I just need to go now. You were kind enough to listen to me and I appreciate that."

Spinning on his heel, Jaemin rushed to the abandoned library, the feeling within desperately wanting to sort themselves out and for once, he dreaded ever liking someone.