Haechan looks at Jaemin's face from across the table, the blond haired boy was just playing with his leftovers without any care on his surroundings.

They were at the table having lunch, ignoring the gossip for today as Haechan wasn't in the mood. Well, before he wasn't.

But seeing his friend's furrowed eyebrows and slight frown, he might be in a mood for some gossips.

Besides, the gossip wasn't really interesting- to him atleast. Some popular couple broke up and were fighting at the field last Thursday morning.

Renjun, who has kinda wanted to know about the gossip, assumes it was none other than Lee Jeno. It makes sense for him since the brunet boy had just dumped someone recently, again.

"What's on your mind?" Haechan spoke up after a moment and glances at Jaemin's leftovers, "if you don't want them anymore, just say so. Stop teasing." Rolling his eyes at the other.

The blond haired boy chuckles lightly and pushes his plate towards his friend who immediately grins at the action.

"Great, now you owe me an explanation to your attitude today." Haechan points the tip of his fork at him.

Pursing his lips, Jaemin shrugs and says, "I'm just thinking about the journal thing." He murmurs.

Raising a brow, Renjun takes a bite of his pie and asks, "what about the journal thing?"

"It's been two months and a half, we made no process in this whatsoever." Jaemin briefly replies while taking a glance at Haechan.

The tanned male swallows his food and wonders, "but didn't you say you didn't want anything to do with him anymore? He wasn't even helping, he was seducing you."

"Yeah, and you said that you'll just write down random things about him. Some we've talked or gossiped about, some are made up." Renjun jumps in the conversation.

Haechan turns to the boy sitting beside him and snorts, "that's like- almost the same thing." He comments and earns a glare.

"Regardless, what in the world changed your mind? Oh my God, has he brainwashed you? Has he already affected you- goddammit Jaemin, you idiot-"

"Renjun, I literally left his place after one question and a minute or two of him flirting." Jaemin deadpans.

"Well, you still could've fucked him for a second in those two minutes." Haechan comments with his mouth full.

"Haechan, you're not helping." Renjun glared at him, "you're encouraging him to associate with Lee Jeno. I've warned you guys about him since you entered this school." He scolds.

The tanned male rolls his eyes and clicks his tongue, "I'm just saying. Don't take it to heart, Renjun. Besides, Jaemin doesn't fall for my tricks, he has enough common sense for them."

"I think." He soon adds and yelps when he felt pain on his shin. "Hey! I don't know, maybe you will in the future." He defends himself.

The blond haired boy scoffs as Renjun spoke again, "we all talked about staying away from toxicity in this school as much as we can."

"And Jaemin, you're just a few steps away from getting hurt." He knits his eyebrows together, a look of concern written all over his face.

His friend sighs and glances at the brunet boy a few tables away from theirs, a more open and obvious spot in the cafeteria.

He didn't have some hookup letting him sit on the guy's lap or beside him today, but the trio already saw him pecking someone on the lips in the school corridors somewhere around their next period.

Sighing, he runs a hand through his blond hair before mumbling. "Look man, I don't know what I'm thinking of right now, but-"

"Oh no-"

"I think I should do this project with Jeno." Jaemin says despite Renjun's obvious answer.

"You're crazy." As he expected, the oldest boy amongst them shakes his head almost in disbelief. "What did I just-"

"I know, he's toxic. But this project can possibly help me give a boost on my grades in this class," Jaemin explains.

Renjun scoffs and bit the inside of his cheek. "Renjun, you know how bad my grades are in art." Jaemin brings up, earning a groan from the said boy.

"And you know how bad he is for everyone. Even you." The oldest boy argues, truly upset at Jaemin's decision today.

"He has tricks Jaemin, he makes it seem like he's a harmless person with many charms, but those charms are never lucky." He adds, trying to convince his friend to not make this move at all.

"Ren-"

"Injunnie, sorry to not be on your side on this today, but I think Jaemin's allowed to do this and maybe- just maybe, you're overreacting a little bit." Haechan interrupts them.

The oldest boy turns his head to Haechan with wide eyes, "excuse me?" Appalled, placing a hand on his chest while leaning back.

"Renjun, Jaemin just wants to not fail and make the best out of this project, besides, why does it bother you-"

"It bothers me that you two aren't listening and are completely disregarding the fact that it's Lee Jeno who we're talking about." Renjun scowls at them.

Jaemin clicks his tongue and presses his fingers against his palm, sure that he'll leave a mark there due to his fingernails.

"We aren't, all I'm saying is maybe I'll have to do this properly with Jeno. We're partners in this project after all, and not just that, Jeno doesn't even know me."

"So if the teacher asks him on what he knows about me so far, he'll obviously either doesn't say anything or rats both of us out for not cooperating." He snaps.

Renjun fell silent and looks at his empty plate, completely ignoring the obvious fact that Haechan took his half eaten pie in the middle of their argument.

"I'm just worried for you guys, you two might be the next victims of Jeno's shenanigans." He mumbles.

"I wouldn't be surprised of myself, I can see it happening, honestly." The tanned male beside him says out loud.

He earns their attention with raised eyebrows, making him raise his hands on the air as a sign of surrender.

"Hey, I'm just saying... Jeno's kinda cute anyway..."

"Oh my goodness, you too?" Renjun groans and pinches the bridge of his nose.

His friend shrugs nonchalantly while Jaemin rolls his eyes this time. "Renjun, if anything, you should be looking over Haechan more than me." He comments.

"You guys are unbelievable." Renjun mutters and ponders in thought.

Seeing the oldest boy amongst them having a hard time of whether or not he should keep this argument going or give in to Jaemin's words, the latter clears his throat.

"Hey, if it makes you feel better, I'll still keep that promise I did when this first started. I'm only doing this for the project, not a hookup." He softens.

Renjun hums, biting his lip as he stares off, "I'm just reminding you," he pauses and looks up to meet Jaemin's gaze.

"Never fall for his tricks, no matter how harmless and little it looks, it's going to help Jeno make you fall for him before hurting you." He said.

"Jeno knows what he's doing, hell, he's done this to multiple guys and some of those idiots still took him back when he came up to them out of boredom." He scrunched his nose.

Jaemin laughs in amusement as well as Haechan who chokes on his water, he calms down and smiles at Renjun reassuringly.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing too."