"I don't know what to do," Jaemin quietly murmured to himself, sitting in a public student studying room as he cried over Math homework on a horrible Tuesday evening.

It was a start. Being a failure at Math, trying to be in an environment with different people, stressing over other subjects simultaneously, Jaemin was going to cry.

He really was if he didn't figure out how to solve the next fifteen problems within the hour. Just as he was about to give up and simply tell his teacher he had a mental breakdown and would accept detention, a figure sat down beside him and he swore he nearly gasped out loud at the sudden presence.

"Mind me sitting here?"

Jaemin shook his head slowly and gave a small smile, feeling relieved that he at least knew the one face.

"Hello to you too, Jen. I was just leaving," Jaemin shyly explained, still not used to talking with anyone so casually and especially not used to the fluttering in his stomach.

"Oh? But aren't you struggling with your Math? I noticed you nearly crying so I came to help."

And Jaemin swore that ever since he had set his mind to try and be different, he had been suffering and now, he nearly died on the spot from the adorable eye smile. It was too much.

He really needed the help and although his pride was still kind of high on the line, it was still better to pass than to completely fail.

"Would you really help?" Jaemin asked almost timidly.

"Well, yeah? I mean I came all this way just to help you if you'd let me."

"What an angel," Jaemin stated, staring in his eyes excitedly as he missed the way Jeno's face turned a shade of red, blending in beautifully against his blue hair, a look that an actual angel could really pull off. “I like your new hair, by the way.”

“Oh, thanks,” Jeno said almost shyly. “I got it done over the weekend. Went down to the neighbouring village.”

And really, mayhaps the blue hair and eye smile was what really made him look angelic for everyone could be one with their scapulas as the only source of reminder that humans can no longer be such a magical creation. So the angel settled down and together they went over the equations, Jeno giving silly scenarios to memorize formulas easier. 

It seemed to be working because after forty-five minutes, Jaemin seemed to more or less get the hang of what he was doing.

The hour Jaemin had hoped he'd take went one over but it was okay because Jeno made it enjoyable and as they laughed and chatted, a certain Satanist fumed in his room.

._._.

Renjun was seeing stars.

Not stars of pleasure but stars of a mixture of anger and sadness. He had seen the way Jeno and Jaemin talked, seen how comfortable they were together and seen how Jaemin didn't feel disgusted by the presence of the Wiccan.

Did Jaemin hate Satanists? Did he have favouritism for Jeno? Did they have something going on between them? Renjun would cry if Jaemin had stolen Jeno away from him somehow. He wanted Jeno as his sole companionship and that was it.

"That wasn't part of the plan!" Renjun shrieked into his pillow, his tiny fists banging on his bed in frustration. "That little shit stole him from me and now I'll be single forever! I was still trying to figure out if I actually like him that damn much!"

It was really a problem for his fragile heart. But he couldn't sulk all day. He had to make himself feel better and that's when he remembered that he had stolen Kunhang's card on the first day of school.

"Time to treat myself because I deserve it. Fuck Jeno and Jaemin. And for good measure, fuck Dongfuck as well. Mark’s a good person so no fucks to him."

So off he trudged into the night, a uniform turtleneck on because really, they were comfortable and protected from cool air well. It really wasn’t allowed to go out alone on a weekday but Renjun couldn't care less at that moment. He was out to give himself love after Jeno ditched him and shattered his poor, lonely heart.

That feeling of jealousy within was how he then found himself sitting in a cute café ten minutes from school with a black coffee in front of him. He really had intended to try and max his brother's card but he had no reason to, now that he was out and his mind was blank.

Subconsciously or fully aware, he ordered it because everyone knew Jaemin drank coffee that tasted like the gates of hell. It had become kind of like a competition for a large number of students to try and down the same amount as Jaemin did on the daily. Unhealthy.

He told himself he wanted to experience such a feeling as entering an imitation hell on Earth and not because he still felt attached to the Christian from the first day of school when they were still on good terms. If he wasn’t so upset, he’d probably have ordered numerous sweet desserts and sat alone eating them like the actual loser he felt like.

"What brings you out at this hour and why are you alone?" The person on shift asked, noticing the uniform and the 'child's' saddened state.

Renjun looked up with a bitter face, having just drunk some of the deadly liquid.

"You really wanna know?" Renjun asked, aware that he couldn't just go on a rant.

"I'm here, all ears."

"My crush is hanging out with my ex-potential crush and they look so happy but I'm sad and now I'm drinking this death in a cup but I can't even relax because this reminds me of them," Renjun explained, taking a deep breath right after, bringing the cup to his lips as he nearly gagged again.

"Sounds like you're in a problem," the barista commented. "Why is one of them an ex-potential crush?"

Renjun ran his fingers over the sides of his cups, then shifting his chair to face the counter properly.

"The whole problem is that he's unfortunately adorable but he has an ugly mind," he started, taking another sip of the bitter coffee. "My crush is Wiccan and the ex-potential is Christian and on the first day, he said he'd never talk to one of us again but suddenly he's talking to my crush and now he's all giddy? Wait, I don't even know your name and this feels weird talking to you like an actual stranger."

"My name is Ten," he replied with a small laugh. "And mayhaps the ex-crush is just trying to change. Change isn't impossible, y'know, and the first day of school was nearly three months ago. He's probably becoming a different person and starting with your crush."

Renjun frowned a bit. Had Jeno's plan of befriending succeeded and no one knew? Did Jeno manage to creep into Jaemin's life or was it the books? It was so confusing and yet, Renjun couldn't help but direct all his emotions to sadness when he should’ve been feeling excited that the boy he had thought cute on day one was coming around but it was okay for the time being because when the time was ready, Jeno would have to tell him.

Because the truth would always prevail.

"I know, I know but it kinda hurts, y'know? I grew up in a very supportive house and then I come here, I get called names and then the one person I like, who was also called name, manages to befriend the one person and also get comfortable to the point that they giggle together in the dark? It makes me feel overwhelming sadness."

Ten nodded slowly, watching as Renjun allowed his head to thump on the table, just barely missing the nearly empty cup.

"Ever considered he's just being nice and likes you?"

"No, he doesn’t" Renjun stated stubbornly.

“Fine, fine. But do you ever wonder why the Christian’s get dorms on the other side of that giant building?”

“Yeah. I personally think it’s unfair.”

Ten laughed with a shake of his head, fingers drumming on the counter.

“It's simple. Many of them go through crisis mode like your ex-crush did. They have it on the other side because they’re still getting used to what's going on and how to interact with others. They have it far because it gives them space to think and process and come to their own conclusions without feeling threatened by anyone besides themselves. That's the same excuse why the older students aren't spotted near the new ones. They've already learned how to accept and work together with others. They understand more than the rest what it's like to work with someone that they were taught to never speak to and give the under classmates an opportunity to figure things out themselves,” Ten explained. “Next year, the ones from this year will begin mingling with the older ones because by then, you should've already spent so much time with your new classmates that it won't be a problem.”

Renjun stared at him in awe. Unable to believe that something as suspicious as that all had a reason that actually made sense. Even he, if he were a Christian, would want that type of space that they seemed to literally need as they came to their conclusions. He could assume that if Jaemin had been forced to room with him, he would've been paranoid all the time and never would've come around to accept a change of mind because his mind would tell him that it was all a forced behaviour. Him being distanced was a way to show that he could decide on his own.

“That is amazing,” Renjun whispered as Ten nodded his agreement.

The two remained quiet after that, Renjun thinking deeply as Ten simply watched him. The boy had come in really looking 'blue' if he could be a colour but now, he was just slightly less blue. It was a sad kind of silence on Renjun's part and just as it was starting to be suffocating, someone walked in.

"Hello. How's my- Huang Renjun? What are you doing here on a school day? You'll get in trouble if I tell."

"Mr Seo! I'm sorry! I couldn't think straight and I ended up here to calm down!" Renjun tried to explain to his English teacher, hands flailing around.

"You wanna get detention?"

"Cut him some slack, Johnny. He's been in here near to tears and I don't think you're helping," Ten said, rounding the corner of the counter and placing a hand on Johnny's arm.

"Crying about what?" Johnny asked in irritation, not yet ready to leave Renjun scotch free.

"The same thing we went through when we were in school before I joined you on the dark side," Ten laughed.

Johnny seemed to soften at that, looking at Renjun carefully before nodding.

"Hurry. Go. No one will know if you leave now," Johnny ushered, motioning to the door. "And don't worry. Your Christian someone will eventually soften for you or completely shift belief."

"How did you-"

"Ten was like the Christian someone until he loosened enough and eventually turned Satanist with Wiccan interest. Just don't expect them to completely change religion. Acceptance is good enough." 

Renjun started for a second before a large grin covered his face and he made his way to the door, thanking the two one last time before running out into the night.

Mayhaps things would be okay.