Ever since that party, Jaemin's been feeling weird and acting weird.

He's starting to feel anxious around his friends, scared that they'll eventually find out and confront him about it while obviously filled with anger and disappointment.

He always hopes not to bump into or atleast not interact with those people around the school, even if it's in class.

Not just that, but it's really weird how he keeps randomly meeting eyes with Jeno.

In the hallway, cafeteria, classroom – hell, even outside of school. Like when he's walking home, or just happens to pass by the younger boy.

Speaking of, he snaps out of his now usual stupor when he feels a hand shaking his shoulder. He blinks several times and looks away from the dark brown eyes looking straight at him.

He meets his friends' faces, different looks on.

Haechan looked like he was about to make fun of him again, while Renjun just stared at him as if he had said something unusual.

"What?" He croaks, eyes blinking as he tries to focus on his friends rather than something else.

That something else is the same dark brown eyes still looking at him, gaze heavy as Jaemin feels like he either wants to run away from it or look back and walk over.

"You've been spacing out a lot recently, are you sure you're doing good?" Renjun raises a brow.

Nodding, Jaemin suddenly felt like he couldn't let out any words. So when the elder boy touches his forehead to feel his temperature, he gently swats the hand away.

"Dude, are you that bumped out you couldn't join us last time for a gaming night?" Haechan assumes, actually very off than anything.

"Well, if it is, you really don't have to feel upset about it. In fact, be grateful you weren't there because it was a stressful night, honestly." Receiving a pinch on his side at the end.

Rolling his eyes, Renjun turns back to Jaemin and pats his shoulder. "Tell us if you're not feeling too well, although we joke around, we still look out for each other."

"Pfft, yeah right. That's lame –" Haechan snickers when the elder boy glares at him.

"I feel fine, guys." Jaemin soon finds the senses to pronounce words again. "I just have a lot in mind lately, you know, personal life." He reasons for his odd behavior nowadays.

Shrugging, Renjun says, "even if it's just that, you can always tell us. That's what friends are for, right?" Haechan nodding beside him in agreement.

Giving a small smile, Jaemin nods as well. "Okay," he says, but deep down, he knows for sure he's not going to be honest with his friends about everything just like before.

But he reluctantly says it and make himself sound as believable as possible, just for the other two boys to get off his back and not suspect anything anymore.

He feels bad, of course. Not reporting to his two friends like he'd normally do, especially when it's about Lee Jeno.

However, he brushes the thought off. Convincing himself that it's just not the right time and he'll be honest to them again soon enough.

He then hears the tanned male announce, "since it's free period, usually I'd have us three gather to hangout. But I have partner work to do."

"Eh, it's alright. I have to head to the library anyways." Renjun said, as they look at Jaemin this time.

Clearing his throat, the blond haired boy merely smiles and shrugs his shoulders. "I have stuff to do too, see you later." And then he was off. The first one to walk away, actually.

𖤈

While washing his hands after doing his business in the bathroom, Jaemin grunts when someone suddenly pulls him by the back of his shirt before he and this random person were locked up in a cubicle.

The said boy turns around after securing the lock, back against the door just in case Jaemin tries to escape– literally who the fuck wouldn't?

Furrowing his eyebrows, Jaemin eyes the younger boy and was the first one to speak up. "What the hell is all this?" Not hesitating to just get straight to the point.

The brunet boy chuckles at his hostility, what the fuck is wrong with him is what Jaemin's wondering.

"Saw you looking at me from the hallway and in class." The younger boy brings up.

Pursing his lips, Jaemin shakes his head. "You sure are that stuck-up to think I wa–"

"Don't even try to deny it, Na Jaemin." Jeno cuts him off, a sigh escaping his lips. "It's not just a coincidence nor just nothing. You look at me as if–"

"Oh don't even try to sound all lovey-dovey and shit, Lee Jeno." Jaemin sneers at him, mindlessly leaning in to Jeno's face a bit.

"I'm not." The younger boy says, quite amused as he huffs out a laugh. "I'm just saying you don't really look at me before, why look at me now?"

Not getting a response from the elder boy, he clicks his tongue. "Is it because of what happened in my party?" Guessing, almost knowingly.

But then again, it's highly expected since what they did was so out of the blue and out of their own character.

They've lost their minds.

They didn't think at all about the aftermaths or other choices, and right now, it's just nearly the same thing.

"I'm leaving." Jaemin tries to push him to the side, reaching out to the lock of the door but fails when he was pulled back.

"This is the reason why I brought us in here." Jeno says, meeting Jaemin's eyes. Gaze intense, much more when they're this close instead of a few feet away from each other.

Jaemin swallows dryly and pulls his arm back from Jeno's grip, "what the fuck is it? Can't you see you're wasting my time?" He hisses.

Just then, Jeno grabs him by the jaw and pulls him towards himself in such a harsh way, that he smirks when he hears Jaemin groaning in pain from the force.

"I'm amazed how you can still act like a total fucker to me when I didn't do anything after what happened." He muses.

Not able to speak due to the grip Jeno had on his jaw, he huffs when the brunet boy pulls him closer by his shirt with his free hand.

"Now, I'm not going to tell you my reasons anymore because of your behavior." Jeno says, almost drawling out a frustrated noise from Jaemin.

But then he adds, "however, if you're that curious." Pausing to lean in to Jaemin's ear, "come over to my place after school," planting a short kiss on his earlobe.

Pulling back and letting go, Jeno bites his lower lip as he watches the blond haired boy rubbing his aching jaw while scowling at him.

Reaching to unlock the door, he pushes Jaemin aside to head out first, "see you later, I'll be waiting." He winks and walks out the bathroom, leaving the elder boy deep in his thoughts.

And not to mention, that awful fluttering feeling in his stomach.