Renjun couldn't help but shoot a look towards his classmate who was chowing down his lunch. "I can't believe you pushed your way through the crowd for that."

Donghyuck glares while chewing, "what? I'm hungry, and this was freshly cooked!" He replies in his defense.

"You pushed a 9th grader to the side, gave an 11th grader a stank eye when he took the last piece of chocolate bread, and almost argued with his classmate." Renjun deadpans.

"So? What's your point?"

Sighing, Renjun face palms at his words, "you're seriously going to ruin our reputation as ICT students and as 12th graders." Earning an amused chuckle from Jaemin sitting across from him.

"Not to mention you're a class officer." Jaemin adds, earning another glare from his friend.

"Whatever, you're a class officer too."

"And yet I didn't act aggressively towards lower graders." He replies, lips curling up into a smirk.

"Stop with the guilt tripping." Huffing, Donghyuck takes a long sip from his soda, eyebrows furrowed.

Their conversation was soon interrupted by Ryo running towards their table. Upon seeing his little brother with the absence of Jeno, Renjun immediately asks. "Well?"

"He says he's busy and can't join, maybe next time." Ryo replies shortly. Sakuya quietly waving at his friend's older brother.

Renjun acknowledges him with a smile, before asking Ryo again, "did you tell him to meet us by the school fountain?"

Ryo widens his eyes, making a faint hissing sound as he exchanges a look with Sakuya. "Uh..."

"Ryo!" Renjun couldn't help but face palms, "you forgot?"

"I was rushing and, there were so many people in that area, and– it just slipped my mind..." His younger brother answers sheepishly.

Renjun then lets out a long sigh, "I'll just message him myself." He tries to brush it off, Ryo mumbling an apology for his mistake.

"Wait– who are we talking about?" Donghyuck butts in, wiping his mouth with a tissue after finishing his food.

"None of your business." Renjun was quick to shut him down, receiving a pout from his classmate. Standing up, he picks up his containers, "let's head back to the classroom, and bring your trash with you."

"Awh man!" Donghyuck whines, reluctantly doing as told and cleaning up the table. "I told you we should've ate in the classroom, or at least in the reading avenue!" Suddenly blaming Jaemin who was the one to suggest by eating at the table beside the stage this afternoon.

Jaemin furrowed his eyebrows, "it's literally the same thing," he replied as if it was obvious.

It was. And Donghyuck only huffs at his words in defeat.

Jaemin initially wanted to play basketball with their friend, Mark, from the STEM strand after he finished his lunch, but turns out, the latter was busy this afternoon with a group project and it was slightly too hot outside to play some sports at this hour.

"Ryo, wait for me later after school okay? Don't go running off somewhere without letting me know." Renjun strictly says to his younger brother as they leave the area.

Ryo nods and waves him off, "yeah yeah, I'll immediately head to the fountain once the flag retreat is over." To which Renjun replies with a sigh.

✮

"This is all my fault!" Ryo dramatically exclaims, hands clutching his hair.

Renjun rolls his eyes at him, checking on the phone screen before looking up to check the area between the TVL and HUMSS buildings where Jeno will most likely walk out to.

"Junnie, what if–"

"He hasn't replied to my message since." Renjun shushes him, "I should've just went up to their classroom when there was still time left." He says, almost like he's talking to himself rather than to anyone else.

Suddenly, a girl walks out to the field, her long hair in a tight high ponytail, carrying a brown folder between her arms. Renjun recognizes her.

Well, it's not that hard to recognize a few people in this school, despite having thousands of students attending; especially when you've been attending this school since 7th grade and being an active learner, joining a few clubs, being a classroom officer, it's guaranteed you'll have several acquaintances from it.

"Hey, Dani!" He calls out, jogging towards the mentioned girl, his little brother trailing behind him.

"Oh hey, Renjun." Danielle flashes him with a friendly smile. "What's up?"

"Have you seen Jeno?"

Danielle hums and points to the main gate, "he left a few minutes ago after we double checked the classroom. Why? Did he leave something? I have the key if–"

"Oh no, no." Renjun stops her with a free hand, "we were supposed to walk home together," flashing Ryo a quick glare, the younger boy chuckles in embarrassment. "I sent him a message at lunch but he didn't respond to it."

"Oh, Jeno doesn't usually go through his phone in class hours." Danielle says.

Renjun then sighs, "maybe he just went home straight away," she attempts to reassure him. "Jisung invited him to go to the internet cafe with Chenle after school, but he turned down the invitation."

"Ah, I see... I'll go check on him, thank you, Dani!"

Danielle waves them goodbye before walking off. Seconds later, Renjun's friends approach him and Ryo, "hey, wanna walk home together?" Jaemin asks, Donghyuck lazily draping an arm around his shoulders.

"Sure." Renjun tiredly smiled at them, placing a hand on Ryo's shoulder as they all walked out of the school grounds.

✮

Renjun knocks on Jeno's bedroom door, hearing a few shuffles before the door opens to reveal Jeno already changed into comfortable house clothes, glasses perched up on his nose bridge.

"Oh hey, Renjun." He greets nonchalantly, Ryo peeking over Renjun's shoulder.

"Oh my goodness, you had me worried!" Throwing his arms around Jeno's figure, engulfing him in a tight hug with Ryo soon joining in.

Once they pull away, Jeno raises a brow at them, "huh?"

"We thought you were missing or something and tried looking for you, we waited by the school fountain for about 20 minutes and Renjun wouldn't stop scolding me!" Ryo dramatically cries.

Jeno laughs in amusement as Renjun pinches his younger brother's side, "of course I scolded you, you forgot to tell Jeno to meet us after school to walk home together!"

"Well, you could've gone up to his classroom in your free time, just like you said a moment ago." Ryo sticks out his tongue, recalling what his older brother had said.

Before Renjun could bite back, Jeno stops their argument, "no it's my fault, I should've just went to join you at lunch or waited for you."

"I even messaged you too!" Renjun exclaims before exhaling.

"Oh." Jeno blinks, Ryo giggles at him. "Sorry, I had my phone on vibrate and I wasn't using it the whole day. You could've called me too." Smiling innocently at his stressed out friend.

"Well, at least you're home." Renjun tries to look at the brighter side, getting tired of arguing with them. "And luckily we bumped into Danielle, she told us you left early after the flag retreat and turned down the invitation from your friend."

"Oh yeah," Jeno shrugs his shoulders, "again, I'm sorry, Junnie and Ryo, I should've just waited for you guys too." He says gently pinching Ryo's cheek.

The younger boy smiles, "it's okay, Jeno! Let's try again tomorrow!" He replies with enthusiasm.

The two older boys couldn't help but laugh, silently agreeing at Ryo's words.