Chapter Text
Renjun’s life as the moonchild was never easy.
His parents were constantly worried about him, especially as a child. They were always trying to shelter him from the outside world because of the curse. Having their child depend on another child was too much of a burden on their minds. They were never sure how strong Jaemin really was and if the younger boy was capable of keeping Renjun alive and serving him.
But Jaemin was perfect, really.
Ever since he was a child, Jaemin did nothing but support Renjun.
He was always by Renjun’s side, even during the hardest moments of his life. When Jaemin’s parents died, Renjun was worried that Jaemin wouldn’t be himself anymore. However, Jaemin remained his bright and happy self in order to please Renjun. He was dedicated to serving Renjun to the best of his capabilities.
They never referred to each as other as a servant and moonchild. Rather, they were just Renjun and Jaemin, the best friends that were never apart from each other for too long. After Jaemin found out that he was a servant, he never brought up the topic of the curse. The two had a mutual understanding that they would not let the curse get in the way of their friendship.
Renjun would always be there for Jaemin when he felt weak. He would be the one to give Jaemin his shots of medicine that supposedly made it easier for the servant to deal with the excessive drainage of energy. Renjun wasn’t sure if the shots even worked. The medication had been passed down in his families for ages and Jaemin responded well to it, even though Renjun knew that he had a fear of needles.
Once the two entered middle school, Renjun could see that Jaemin was slowly starting to change. He was starting to become possessive of Renjun and it got to the point where Renjun found himself with very few friends. Jaemin scared everyone but Donghyuck away, which was the reason why Renjun and Donghyuck were still close friends. Renjun knew that Jaemin was only doing this because he was worried about Renjun, especially on the days when Renjun would be feeling completely drained of his energy. They were both also worried about anyone else finding out about their relationship as moonchild and servant, especially because it would be a very difficult thing to explain. They didn’t want any unnecessary sympathy.
Whenever Jaemin was feeling unwell, Renjun would stay with Donghyuck at school. Donghyuck would complain about Jaemin, but the moonchild would always defend his best friend.
Renjun was all Jaemin had left.
He was Jaemin’s last pillar of support left.
Mark was then thrown into the mix during high school. He had revealed himself to both Renjun and Jaemin was the foreseer of the legend. He was the one that helped Renjun and Jaemin through the times when the curse felt like it was too much. He would tell them stories about the servants and moonchildren before them and what they went through. He was also the one that had told them about what could possibly happen if the servant and moonchild fell in love.
Renjun loved Jaemin, but his feelings for the younger boy were platonic. He tried to convince himself that it was possible to fall in love with Jaemin, in order to keep him alive. He tried his best. He couldn’t force himself to have the feelings that Jaemin had for him. Then everything changed the day Renjun met Jeno.
Jaemin was staying home for the day because he was feeling horribly weak, so Renjun was left to walk to school by himself. To Renjun is felt like it was a lonely walk, mainly because he was so used to having Jaemin next to him when going to school. However, this would happen every few weeks, so it wasn’t like Renjun wasn’t used to it.
It was snowing the day that he had met Jeno. The new student was standing in front of the school, looking completely lost. Renjun noticed that he wasn’t wearing a hat and was only using a scarf to protect him from the cold, so the tips of his ears were turning a pale red.
“Are you lost?” Renjun found himself asking as he stepped up to the confused student.
Jeno had turned to face Renjun, but he stared at him for a moment without giving a reply. Renjun could feel his face heat up due to the intense stare, so he continued to speak, hoping to get a response.
“Is that a yes?” Renjun asked, tilting his head to the side as he stared up at the new student.
“Yes, I guess. It’s my first day here.” Jeno had said, blushing slightly. At that time, Renjun wasn’t sure of it was due to the cold or because of his embarrassment.
Renjun then offered to bring him to the school administration, but not before asking for his name and what year he was in.
“I’m a senior. My name is Lee Jeno.”
Renjun smiled and introduced himself as well, happy to be able to help the new student. There was something about Jeno that felt as if he was magnetic, pulling Renjun in without any reason at all. It wouldn’t hurt Renjun to befriend Jeno, especially since he seemed to be helplessly lost. It was his last year of high school and Renjun wanted to make friends, even if Jaemin was against it. He had very few friends in his year because of his servant’s actions and demeanor.
The two walked next to one another towards the senior building. On the way to the building, Renjun could feel the stares of other students on him and Jeno. It was an unusual sight to see Renjun without Jaemin and the other students were probably all wondering who the unfamiliar face was. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and Renjun didn’t even have to check it to know that it was Jaemin. On the days when he couldn’t make it to school, Jaemin would make sure to text Renjun every hour to make sure he was okay. Renjun replied to Jaemin quickly before turning his attention up to Donghyuck, who was waiting with a small smile on his face.
Donghyuck waited for Renjun every morning, even though he knew that Jaemin wouldn’t let them stay together for too long. On the mornings when Jaemin wasn’t around, Donghyuck always welcomed him with a bright and happy smile and Renjun was thankful for that. Renjun knew that Donghyuck was a reliable friend, he just wished Jaemin would accept him as a friend as well.
The Chinese student quickly introduced Jeno and Donghyuck to each other before bringing Jeno over to the administers office. Renjun wanted to stay longer and help Jeno find his classes, but he himself was worried about missing his first class. As soon as Jeno was seated in the office, Renjun said goodbye to the new student.
As Renjun walked away from the office, he found himself glancing back towards where he had left Jeno.
He hoped they would have classes together.
-
As if fate heard his wishes, Renjun found himself sitting beside Jeno during lunch. Donghyuck had found him waiting outside the cafeteria and had invited him to sit with their normal group. He had even offered Renjun half of his sandwich, which Renjun took gratefully. He had forgotten to bring a lunch as he normally did, because he was too worried about Jaemin being at home alone.
During lunch, thanks to Donghyuck’s natural nosiness, Renjun was able to learn that Jeno had moved to their small outside of Seoul because of his mother’s new job. Before he had the chance to say anything, Mark handed him a bottle of water.
The moonchild glanced at the foreseer, feeling a bit confused at the action, but took the bottle without question. As he drank the water, he heard Mark ask Jeno about his classes. To his surprise, Jeno shared his afternoon classes with Renjun, so there was a chance for the two to become friends.
For the rest of the week, Renjun was able to walk with Jeno to and from their afternoon classes. He learned a lot about the new student during their short walks and even though they had only just met, it was like the two had known each other for much longer. He even let Jeno copy his Physics homework, which Donghyuck was extremely jealous about.
Renjun just wanted to be a good friend.
At the end of Jeno’s first week, the group of friends planned to have a sleepover at Mark’s house. Renjun and Jeno, like magnet, were next to one another almost the entire night.
Renjun felt so comfortable with Jeno, despite the fact that they had just met.
It was a strange feeling.
One that Renjun couldn’t describe.
One that he never felt before.
However, the moonchild brushed it off, thinking that this feeling was only due to the fact that Jeno was his newest friend and it had been years since Renjun made a friend. Instead of trying to understand what he was feeling, he pushed the feeling back, ignoring it for the time being.
As time went on, the feeling that Renjun would experience at the sight of Jeno would become stronger, and he still didn’t know how to deal with it nor did he know what it was even called. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Jaemin or Mark about it because he was so unsure of how to even explain the feeling. He could feel his chest swell up and a strange sensation in both his mind and body whenever he was with Jeno, it was a feeling he had never experienced with anyone before.
Only a week after meeting Jeno, Renjun ended up inviting him to explore their small town’s forest. It was Renjun’s favorite place to go, especially on a full moon. The pagoda hidden in the forest was the perfect place to star gaze.
He rushed out of his house before his parents or Jaemin had the chance to ask him wear he was going. Unfortunately for Renjun, the closest jacket he could grab belonged to Jaemin, so it was slightly too big on him. But the moonchild didn’t mind... Jaemin’s clothes always felt the warmest. He had forgotten to put on his glasses as well, but Renjun was sure he could last a couple hours without them.
Even though Renjun had told Jeno to meet him in twenty minutes, it only took Renjun minutes to reach the entrance to the forest. He wanted to compose himself before Jeno could see him. There wasn’t much to see in the forest anyways, so Renjun had to come up with a valid reason for wanting to go.
“Jeno!” Renjun exclaimed, waving his hands once he spotted the other senior approaching the forest.
Jeno greeted him with a warm smile as he stepped closer to Renjun. The Chinese boy could feel his face warm up, but he brushed off the feeling as his body reacting to the cold weather.
The two then entered the forest under Renjun’s guidance and the moonchild made sure to look back at Jeno, making sure he wasn’t tripping on the dirt path they were on. The full moon was bright enough to shed enough light in the forest, so Renjun didn’t have to worry about losing his way. He did know the forest like the back of his hand, seeing as he’s explored it many times since he was a child.
Within a few minutes, Renjun spotted the pagoda and led Jeno towards it. Renjun took a seat at the center and stared up into the sky, admiring how the full moon was shining on the cold night. They spent a few minutes talking with one another about anything. Jeno brought up Jaemin, wondering why he seemed to be so disliked by Jeno’s other new friends. Renjun was purposely vague with his answer, hoping not to expose his secret to his new friend.
Renjun wondered what Jeno would think if he ever found out about the curse he had inherited.
Would Jeno push him away?
Would Jeno pity Jaemin?
Or would he accept Renjun, no matter what was happening to him?
There was no way for Renjun to figure out the answer, so he wanted to take the risk and befriend Jeno no matter what.
So that was why even after a night of spending time with one another, Renjun invited Jeno out once again, bringing him to his favorite café in town with the best hot chocolate he could ever ask for.
Jeno had made a bad decision by wearing a jacket without pockets, so Renjun gave him one of his Moomin hot packs, which Jeno immediately held up to his cheek to warm him up. Renjun smiled at the sight, thinking Jeno looked awfully similar to a satisfied cat. It was a cute sight.
After reaching the café and settling in their seats, Renjun realized how intimate everything felt. He and Jeno were seated across from one another at a small table. Renjun scooted in closer, resting his elbows on the table as he smiled at Jeno. They were so close; their knees brushed up against each other with the slightest movement. Something about being with Jeno like this made Renjun’s chest swell up with that unknown feeling, yet again. He still wasn’t sure what it was, but it was definitely a nice feeling.
Once the two were finished with their hot chocolate and cheesecake, Renjun suggested they take a look around some of the small shops. He wanted to spend more time with Jeno and luckily for him, Jeno agreed with a smile on his face.
Renjun was glad, especially because he wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet.
He and Jeno ended up buying something for one another, which made the night seem more special. A cat pen and a moon-shaped phone charm for Renjun and a Moomin pen and a star-shaped phone charm for Jeno.
It was nearly 9 o’clock when the two high schoolers decided that it was time to go home. Renjun was reluctant, but Jeno had placed his hand on top of Renjun’s head, causing the Chinese boy to blush. Renjun only hoped Jeno thought it was because of the cold.
“See you tomorrow, Renjun.” Jeno said, petting the top of the boy’s head gently. Renjun nearly melted at the touch before carefully taking Jeno’s hand, pressing their palms together. As if under some sort of spell, Renjun and Jeno interlocked their fingers together. It was like their hands were a puzzle; they fit perfectly together.
“Goodnight, Jeno. Sleep well.” Renjun whispered, pulling his hand away from Jeno’s slowly. As soon as he let the other boy go, Renjun already missed the contact between them. The moon was shining brightly above them, reminding Renjun he needed to be home soon. He smiled at Jeno before turning around to head back home.
He couldn’t hear anything else besides the loud thumping of his own heart.
It was like his heart was trying to tell him something.
-
“Mark, can you tell me a story from your previous life?”
“Moonchild, now is not the time for a story.”
“Fine. Then can you tell me what love feels like?”
A moment of silence passed.
“If you’re asking me this Huang Renjun, you know it’s too late.”
Another moment of silence passed.
“You have a duty as the moonchild to let your servant pass in peace. Don’t waste any more time.”
-
Renjun knew he was in love the moment he held Jeno’s hand.
It was a strange feeling, falling in love for the first time after living for eighteen years. His parents had fallen in love when they were younger than him and the same for his grandparents. They were lucky enough to not have the curse in their veins.
He desperately wanted to ignore the feeling in order to keep Jaemin alive and happy. But with how often Jaemin was falling ill and with the medication failing, it was only a matter of time.
Renjun imagined Jaemin to react negatively. He thought Jaemin might try to pick a fight with Jeno and tell him to back off. But instead he encouraged Renjun to confess his feelings towards Jeno, even if it meant that he would die in the process. Renjun didn’t deserve Jaemin.
They spent the rest of the day together, relishing in what may be their last moments together. All Jaemin wanted to do was hold Renjun in his arms, so they laid together for hours. Renjun would tear up every now and again, but Jaemin was quick to wipe away his tears. Jaemin cried as well.
“Somewhere, down the line, I’m sure we will meet again.” Jaemin whispered as he hugged Renjun closer to him. His words only caused Renjun to cry even harder, the moonchild gripping onto his friend tightly, scared to let him go.
“We might be friends, we might be lovers, we might be completely strangers. But I’m sure we will meet again one day.” Jaemin continued on, feeling his own heart breaking. He wanted Renjun to be his, but there was no use fighting against Renjun’s heart. It was too pure.
“You were my best friend and I thank you for everything you have done for me. Forgive me for trying to keep you to myself for all these years. Tell Donghyuck and the others I’m sorry as well.” Jaemin knew he had made bad decisions, especially when it comes to Renjun and his friends. He wished he could say sorry himself, but there wasn’t enough time left.
“It’s time to call Mark, moonchild. I’m sorry.” Jaemin pulled himself away from Renjun, who looked beautiful regardless of the tears staining his face, running down his cheeks. His eyes were bloodshot and quite frankly, he looked like a mess. But he was still beautiful and Jaemin was thankful for him.
“The ritual will commence at night.” Renjun said softly, not lifting his head to meet Jaemin’s gaze. The servant felt his heart nearly drop at the phrase, but there was nothing he could do. Renjun’s heart had decided for the two of them.
As the moonchild and servant, they still had once last duty to fulfill. In order for Jaemin’s soul and mind to pass peacefully and without malice and in order to protect the next moonchild and servant, the two must complete a certain ritual. This ritual, under the guidance of the foreseer of the legend, ensures that the servant passes without pain and despair.
It had only been performed and completed by a handful of moonchildren and servants; only those that have accepted their fates have gone through with the ritual.
Jaemin had no regrets. Renjun knew what his own heart was now feeling.
No one would know of the ritual, not even the family of the moonchild would be present.
Later that night, after all of the small town had fallen asleep, the moonchild, servant, and foreseer made their way into the forest. Renjun held onto Jaemin’s hand as the servant was being carried by Mark towards the small pagoda. He was already too weak to walk on his own. This didn’t need to be the exact location for the ritual, but Jaemin wanted to be out in the open with no prying eyes around.
They were all dressed in simple, white ceremonial outfits. Renjun and Jaemin were wearing their bracelets, which was the last thing binding them together.
Mark gently laid Jaemin down in the center of the pagoda, and with a heavy heart, started to chant softly in a language both Renjun and Jaemin did not recognize. It was the language of the moon, one that was eradicated and lost through time. One that only one soul could speak.
Renjun stood in front of Jaemin, fists clenched tightly as the moon was shining above them, almost as if it knew exactly what was about to happen.
From the moon, back to the moon
The legend has come full circle, forming the full moon itself
My servant, who has served me well, giving me life
Will now give his final breath, before returning to where he once came
Renjun felt tears coming to his eyes as he said the prayer he was taught to memorize as a child. It was one he never thought he would use, but one he needed in his heart.
The Huang family is served well, the Na family bloodline will continue on
In one hundred years, the roles will be born again
Jaemin smiled, closing his eyes. He had no more tears left. Nothing at all. He could feel his heart slowing down at the sound of Renjun’s prayer.
From the moon, back to the moon
The legend has come full circle, forming the full moon itself
Thank you, servant
Your purpose has been fulfilled
And with the last final words, Renjun smiled at his best friend, laying before him. He then kneeled onto the ground, bowing his head towards Jaemin. He was thanking him with all of his heart. For everything.
Goodbye, Jaemin.
Renjun didn’t raise his head and Mark stopped chanting. They knew Jaemin’s heart had stopped. Renjun couldn’t stop his tears as Mark approached him. He felt a hand resting on his head, as if the gesture would somehow calm him down.
“Renjun, let’s go. The sun is going to rise soon and we have much to do.” Mark said softly as he started to pull the boy off his knees.
-
For Renjun, the next few days were a blur. His parents had taken over, finalizing over what seemed to be official paperwork for Jaemin. Renjun locked himself in his room, not wanting anything to do with anyone. He shut himself away from the world, mourning quietly by himself.
Mark left him alone. His parents left him alone.
From his room, he could overhear his parents talking with Mark. Jaemin wouldn’t have a fancy service. Just a proper burial in the town’s small cemetery. They arranged for it to happen on the same day. Renjun wouldn’t attend. No one else would know about the exact cause of Jaemin’s passing and Renjun knew people at school would think it was due to his poor health.
Renjun wondered how things would change.
Before he had the chance to ponder in his thoughts, a knock on the door interrupted him.
“Renjun, it’s Jeno. Mark asked me to come over to see if you were alright.”
The Chinese boy’s eyes widened hearing the familiar voice and his heart starting racing immediately. He had no idea why Jeno was here and why Mark would let him come over.
“Please let me in, Renjun.”
Hesitantly, Renjun made his way towards his door and he opened it just a crack, seeing Jeno dressed in his school uniform. He opened the door a little wider, staring up at Jeno with teary eyes.
Jeno let himself into Renjun’s room and closed the door behind him before suddenly wrapping his arms around Renjun’s smaller frame, “I’m so sorry.”
Renjun blinked, causing some tears to fall. How did Jeno know? There was no way people at school would already know what had happened.
“Mark told me a while ago about this legend... It took me a while to realize that it was actually about you and Jaemin. I’m sorry I never told you that I knew.” Jeno said, answering Renjun’s thoughts. The moonchild said nothing and wrapped his arms around Jeno, holding onto him tightly as he let himself cry a bit more.
Jeno was silent, letting Renjun cry onto his chest without any questions.
Moments later, Renjun pulled away slightly to look up at Jeno. He let a few more tears escape his eyes before asking, “Am I a bad person for falling in love?”
Jeno shook his head, wiping away Renjun’s last tears with his thumb.
“No, you’re only human. Don’t ever feel like you’re a bad person for falling in love.” Jeno answered, not bothering to ask Renjun who he fell in love with. Renjun let out another sob, starting to cry all over again.
It was going to take a long time for Renjun to heal.
He hoped Jeno would be there along the way.
-
-
-
“Renjun, I know you like drawing but my hand isn’t your canvas.”
“But when we first met you said I could draw on your hand!”
Jeno sighed, watching as Renjun continued to draw on the back of his hand. The sun was shining brightly and the cat charm on Renjun’s pen looked like it was going to melt under the extreme temperature. It was only spring, but the summer weather seemed to be starting early this year.
The two seniors were seated on a bench, outside of the senior building as they waited for Mark and Donghyuck. They had all promised to go to the arcade after school, but Mark had forgotten something in his locker and Donghyuck offered to accompany him.
“Can you believe we’re graduating in two weeks? It’s amazing how fast time went by.” Renjun said, concentrating on drawing a cat on Jeno’s hand.
Jeno tried his best to ignore the feeling of Renjun holding his hand while drawing, so he looked away.
“Did you finally decide what university you were going to attend? You got into both of your choices.” Jeno asked, looking at the entrance of the building, waiting for Mark and Donghyuck to show up.
“Hmm, it depends.” Renjun said, his voice trailing off softly.
Jeno raised an eyebrow, “It depends on what?”
“Depends on which school is closer to the one you’re going to.” Renjun said quickly, finishing up his cat drawing on Jeno’s hand. Jeno blushed at the Chinese boy’s words before taking a closer look at the drawing.
Renjun had drawn a cat and Moomin, sitting next to each other on a bench. There was a small heart above both of their heads.
“Sorry for taking so long.” A voice called from behind the two seniors. Renjun turned around, spotting Mark and Donghyuck walking closer to the bench.
“Renjun, I still can’t get over your dark hair. You look so different.” Donghyuck said, staring at the top of Renjun’s hair. He had dyed it dark brown right before their graduation pictures, trying to keep it more formal than his previous blond hair.
Jeno liked the dark brown hair. He liked Renjun with blond hair as well. He was sure Renjun would look good regardless of what color his hair was.
“Are we still going to the arcade?” Jeno asked, standing up from his seat on the bench. Renjun stood up as well and Jeno passed him his backpack that was on the ground.
“About that...” Mark said, looking away for a moment. Renjun stared at his friend, confused about his reaction.
Donghyuck let out a nervous laugh, “We both have somewhere we need to be.”
“A date?” Renjun and Jeno both deadpanned, staring blankly at the other seniors.
Mark and Donghyuck didn’t answer, which just confirmed what Renjun and Jeno has asked. They let Donghyuck and Mark go, watching as the two hurried off to wherever they had planned to go.
“They’re cute.” Renjun said with a small smile on his face.
“Mhmm.” Jeno hummed, agreeing with Renjun immediately. They two walked together to the small café in town without saying a word. They had an unspoken agreement that they were spend their time at the café after school to work together on homework. However, since it was now the end of the year, the two didn’t have much to work on.
“Whose turn is it to pay?” Renjun said, entering the café as Jeno held the door open for him.
After a moment, Jeno replied, “My turn. You bought the drinks yesterday.”
Renjun nodded his head, making his way over to the table that he and Jeno normally sat at. As he took his seat, he watched Jeno wait in line to order their drinks. Jeno definitely needed glasses, by the way he was squinting to read the menu posted on the wall. Renjun smiled, knowing that Jeno would order the same drink as he always did.
The last few months after Jaemin’s passing had been rough for Renjun. He had many things he had to get used to now that his best friend was no longer around, but thanks to the support of Jeno and his other friends, Renjun was able to make it through. One of the hardest things he had to do was clean out Jaemin’s room. Mark had offered to do it for him, but Renjun knew that in order for him to have closure, he needed to face reality. So, one month after the ritual and Jaemin’s passing, Renjun, along with Mark and Jeno, started to clean up Jaemin’s room. They ended up burning most of his belongings, but there were a few things Renjun kept for himself.
Jaemin had a photo album of his childhood pictures with Renjun. He had kept that and he looked through it with Jeno, trying to remember when every single picture was taken.
He missed Jaemin. He really did. He wondered what it would be like to graduate with Jaemin and to see him go off to college.
Renjun still had not confessed his feelings to Jeno, but that did not stop Jeno from telling Renjun about he felt. Right before their college entrance exams, around two months ago, Jeno and Renjun were studying together at Jeno’s house. It was already late at night, so Renjun was going to spend the night. The two were talking about what schools they wanted to attend and what their majors were going to be. Renjun wanted to major in Art History and Jeno was still undecided.
Jeno admitted he wanted to return to Seoul to attend school, while Renjun was interested in leaving the small town he grew up in to attend a university in another city or even abroad. After hearing that Renjun may be far away from him, Jeno grew quiet. Renjun could tell that there was something wrong with the way Jeno was acting, so he asked what was on his mind.
“I don’t want to be too far away from you.” Jeno confessed, looking down at the notes he was studying.
Runjun blushed, a small smile growing on his face, “Why?”
“Because I like you. More than just a friend.” Jeno continued on, still not looking up at Renjun.
Ever since then, the two had been in some sort of strange agreement. They weren’t exactly dating, since Renjun never confessed his own feelings, but the two did spend more and more time together. It was a rare sight to see the two apart from each other.
Renjun knew he was in love with Jeno, he just didn’t know when to tell him. Jeno knew that his feelings were reciprocated, but he still gave Renjun time to think about it.
“Here’s your gross iced coffee.” As if on cue, Jeno appeared right before him with a glass of iced coffee. Renjun smiled and took the drink, laughing at Jeno’s expression.
“Just because you don’t like coffee doesn’t mean I can’t like it.” Renjun said, taking a sip from the glass.
Jeno placed his usual drink, lemonade, on the table. He didn’t like the bitter taste of coffee and always judged Renjun for drinking it.
“It’s going to stop you from growing.”
“You already know I stopped growing and can’t get any taller.”
Jeno laughed, nodding his head. He smiled at Renjun, sipping his own drink.
The two were perfectly content with one another. There was no awkwardness between them and no problems at all. If they ever fought, it was usually about whose turn it actually was to buy their drinks and snacks. Jeno had a tendency to trick Renjun into thinking that it was always his own turn, because he wanted to treat Renjun.
“Did you and your parents ever decide on what you were going to do about your living situation for school?” Renjun questioned, stirring his drink with his straw. He stared at Jeno, a look a curiosity evident on his face.
Jeno nodded, “It took a long time to convince them, but I’ll be getting an apartment close to the school in Seoul. My parents want to keep living here, since it’s quiet.”
Renjun hummed, nodding as Jeno answered him.
“So, that being said... I’ll be needing a roommate...” Jeno’s voice trailed off, but Renjun knew exactly what he was implying.
“I’ll think about it” Was all Renjun said and that was a good enough answer for Jeno.
That was the only time Jeno brought up living together. The next two weeks were filled with the seniors getting ready for their graduation. Chenle and Jisung were excited, but they were also sad about seeing four of their friends leave the school.
Mark and Donghyuck were excited, even though Mark was going back to Canada to attend a university. Everyone in the friend group knew that Donghyuck was sad, but everyone also knew that the two wouldn’t let distance get in between them. They hadn’t even officially started dating yet.
Renjun had made the final decision to attend the so-called rival university of the school Jeno was going to attend, which made things pretty interesting. Neither of them were competitive, but attending school games would be fun and by deciding to attend a university in Seoul, Renjun also agreed to be Jeno’s roommate. A two-bedroom apartment was big enough for them. Perhaps too big.
On the day of their graduation, the four seniors were all seated apart from each other. Renjun was seated closer to the front and Jeno, Mark, and Donghyuck were spread out two rows behind him. The ceremony was long and boring, as all graduation ceremonies are. As they received their diplomas, they all cheered loudly for one another, with Donghyuck bring extra loud for his friends just for fun.
After the ceremony was over, Renjun rushed back to his three friends and immediately jumped into Mark’s arms, already saying that he was going to miss him as he returned to Canada. Donghyuck joined the hug, and Jeno followed. The four were wrapped in that hug for quite a while, until Chenle and Jisung made their way over.
Instead of joining the hug, the two juniors (now seniors) jumped onto their newly graduated friends, yelling out how proud they were.
“Jaemin would have been so proud of you, Renjun.” Mark whispered, hugging the Chinese boy tighter.
“Thank you.”
After a few more moments of celebration, they all had to find their parents and family amongst the crowd of people that attended their graduation. Donghyuck and Mark said goodbye, promising to meet up in the next few days before it was time for Mark to leave. Chenle and Jisung left as well, running off together with linked arms.
“Meet me in the forest tonight?” Renjun asked, looking up at Jeno with a hopeful look on his face.
Jeno smiled, his eyes forming crescents so similar to the moon, “Of course.”
The two then had to separate and meet up with their families to celebrate their success. Renjun’s parents showered him with kisses, praising him for all of his hard work.
Deep down, Renjun knew Jaemin would be doing the same for him, if he was there.
And of course, Renjun would do the same for him.
-
Renjun had asked Jeno to meet him in the woods, but rather than go inside, he led Jeno to the park that was located outside of the forest. When Jeno questioned him, Renjun stated that he felt like sitting on the swing set.
So that’s how they found themselves in this position, Renjun was seated on the swing and Jeno was pushing him gently.
“What are we going to do now?” Renjun asked, swinging his legs as Jeno pushed him. He stared up into the sky, but the moon wasn’t anywhere in the sky.
“Now we have to go to college and get jobs.” Jeno answered, thinking Renjun was referring to that.
Renjun let out a soft laugh, looking back at Jeno, “I meant about us, Jeno.”
Jeno stopped pushing Renjun on the swing and slowly, Renjun’s movement came to a halt. Renjun looked back again, staring at Jeno who seemed to be deep in thought.
“You know I love you, right?”
Renjun blushed immediately, hearing Jeno’s confession for the first time. He had never said that before, so he was caught off-guard by the statement.
Before Renjun had the chance to reply, Jeno made his way around the swing and faced Renjun, who was still seated on the seat. He smiled when he saw Renjun’s reaction and he had to resist the urge to pinch Renjun’s flushed cheeks.
“I’ve loved you for quite a while now and I’m willing to wait for you, whenever you’re ready.” Jeno finished up, smiling down at the surprised Renjun.
He didn’t think Renjun was ready to talk about his feelings yet. There were so many things going on around them, Jeno didn’t want to push Renjun into thinking that he needed an answer right away. He was content, as long as he had Renjun with him and by his side.
Jeno was about to step away from the swing, but Renjun quickly tugged on his sleeve, pulling him down closer to him. Jeno was about to say something, but he felt a pair of lips against his, effectively cutting him off.
The kiss was brief and gentle, as any first kiss would be. When the two pulled away, Jeno was smiling widely at Renjun, who was looking away with an embarrassed look on his face. Jeno tilted Renjun’s chin up using his thumb and index finger, leaning back in for another kiss.
This kiss lasted much longer, mainly because Renjun’s hands found their way to Jeno’s shoulders, holding onto him as Jeno deepened the kiss, trying his best to convey all of his emotions he couldn’t quite describe. They separated moments later, both out of breath with small smiles on their faces.
Renjun gently knocked his forehead on Jeno’s, wrapping his arms around Jeno’s neck to keep him close to him as he said, “thank you for showing me what love is”.
“You’re welcome, Renjun.”
“And Jeno...” The Chinese boy’s voice was so quiet, Jeno nearly didn’t hear him.
Jeno looked down at Renjun, tilting his head to the side, “yes, Renjun?”
“I love you.”