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“Okay, guys!” Renjun stands up from the front row of seats and slowly walks to the edge of the stage. “That’s all for today! I know all of you must be tired by now but I promise this will be worth it. We just have a few days until the opening night, let’s do our best to make it unforgettable, alright?”
He’s right.
The whole crew is tired not only because of the daily rehearsals they have by now but also because of the new load of work they all have to do for school; but even then, with tired smiles on their faces, they all manage to give a big and cheerful round of applause as soon as Renjun finishes talking.
They all are excited. It’s the first time one of the members of the crew gets to show his hard work as a director. It’s the first year the school allows the theatre club to present an original story and it's Renjun who had the chance to present his own.
So, since one of their people is who guides them for the season, it’s kinda obvious all of them will give their best.
Jeno especially.
He cannot let his best friend down.
As he approaches Renjun, his eyes linger for a little bit longer than usual on him. With pretty bubblegum hair and a smile that could certainly heal the whole world, the boy who has Jeno’s heart, Jaemin, laughs with some of the stagehand people.
“You should either approach him and talk to him or stop with the withering looks.” Donghyuck, another of his few friends, mumbles near his ear and palms softly his shoulder. “It’s getting kinda obvious.”
Jeno sighs and gives him a side look, shaking his head as he walks forward until he’s standing next to a busy Renjun. Donghyuck stops next to him too, arms making their way around Renjun’s waist as the director finishes talking with one of their classmates.
“I’m happy with the two of you.” Is the first thing that slides from Renjun’s lips. “Thank you for your hard work.”
Before Jeno can say anything, Donghyuck starts to give his boyfriend as many kisses on his cheek as he can before he pushes him away. Jeno tries, but he can’t help to hear the sweet nothings Donghyuck mumbles in between kisses. The need to roll his eyes is so strong that Jeno has to look somewhere else to avoid the extremely cute couple next to him.
And again his eyes land on Jaemin.
Na Jaemin, the lovely makeup artist for this play, and one of the most popular kids in the entire theatre club. He’s the kind of guy you can’t help but notice, the kind of guy who will make you look his way even if you don’t want to. There’s something about Jaemin that charms every single person he meets. Jeno is not a stranger to this.
“You should really do something with that crush of yours.” He hears Donghyuck say and this time Renjun nods his head too. “It’s been more than a year and you barely talked to him.”
“Let’s not forget you had plenty of opportunities to do so and yet…” His best friend follows his gaze to Jaemin and lets out a sigh. “Yet you’re still looking at him from far away.”
Jeno knows they’re truly worried about his love situation, but there’s a little backstory his friends are not aware of and he’s not sure they’ll ever find out about it.
Truth is Jeno knew about Jaemin even before he decided to join the club.
Back in their freshman year, when Renjun first tried acting, Jeno was captivated by a pair of doe eyes, caramel hair, and sweet smile.
The first time Jeno saw Jaemin was during the winter season. After that first encounter, Jeno found himself as one of the many people in their school who would steal glances of the popular theatre boy Jaemin, but it was actually during the spring season the next year that something happened.
For some people, this can be nothing.
For Jeno, it meant the whole world.
First of all, the spring play was meant to be a disaster. An allergic reaction to pollen, or something similar, made it difficult for a big part of the crew to attend the rehearsal and needless to say, the show itself.
In need, and not wanting to cancel the season, everyone tried their best to help. The acting crew got to cover the empty spots that were left with some stagehand people that were interested in taking the roles, which then left them in need of some help backstage.
That’s where Jeno finally appears. With Renjun constantly asking him to help and Donghyuck doing the exact same thing with less care, he didn’t have any more options than to offer himself to help.
And that’s what brings Jaemin into the scene again. At that time Jaemin offered his help with makeup and props, and since his character for the play was more a supporting one rather than a main character, the rest of the crew agreed instantly.
For over two and a half hours Jeno (and some other people) got to spend time with Jaemin. And he talked to him. Like a full conversation. Jeno fell in love with him not only because of his looks but for his ideas too, with the unique way Jaemin has to see the world.
And, after the whole mess ended up as one of the best plays they ever made, Jeno knew this was something he wanted to try more than just like a props guy.
That night he fell in love not only with Jaemin but with the theater as well.
Of course, the beaming smile Jaemin gifted only to him when they said goodbye that night had nothing to do with his eagerness to apply for the club as soon as the applications were open.
Haha, sure.
The rest is history.
“You really should do something before someone else shoots their shot,” Donghyuck adds, furrowing his eyebrows when another boy from the club walks near Jeno’s boy. “Even more when said someone could be Kihyun.”
Jeno doesn’t need to look in his direction to know Kwon Kihyun is the one who approached Jaemin. “I don’t think I’ll do anything.” Jeno mumbles, trying to focus his attention on the lines written in the script he carries everywhere. “If someone else has the guts to ask him out and he says yes, well, then that’s it.”
He knows his answer is not what the couple expected, but being friends for almost five years now makes them keep their opinions to themselves, knowing nothing they could say will make the boy change his mind.
“Can someone help me with the moon, please?”
In the distance, Soyeon’s voice echoed, making the people who still were there to run backstage to help the petite girl with the huge moon figure they would need for some scenes.
In the rush of the moment, Jeno placed his script near the sound desk, at one side of the stage.
**
“So where are you heading to now?”
The few people that stayed after rehearsal are now walking back home. In his case, Jeno is crossing his fingers to be lucky enough for Donghyuck to give him a ride.
“Renjun’s mom invited me over for dinner.”
But he’s not that lucky.
“We’re already late,” Renjun adds. “But since it’s Donghyuck, my mom surely won’t mind. She loves you way too much.”
“Still, the faster we get there, the better.” The luxury car Donghyuck owns soon appears in front of them. “I would give you a ride, Jen, but we’re going to the other side of the city.” A subtle tone of guilt in his voice makes Jeno shake his head.
“It’s okay.”
“Keep practicing your lines, mh?” Renjun says with guilt too as he gets inside the car.
“Will do.”
Like that, with the ghost of a smile, he sees the couple drive away and starts his own journey to the bus stop.
There’s still a few of his club members there. He recognizes Soyeon and Yeji, both girls talking animatedly when he stops next to them.
“You did a great job today, Jeno!” It’s Yeji who greets him.
“You too!” He replies, a tired smile crawling on his lips. “Everything will look perfect thanks to your hard work.”
Soon, the girls include him in another trivial talk about the improvement some props need.
“Especially the mirror,” Soyeon adds with her eyebrows furrowed. “I think we can do something more sophisticated.” To that, Yeji nods. “By the way, did you find the owner of the script?”
“Sadly no.” She says, a pout forming on her lips. “I figured they would realize they forgot it so I decided to leave it back next to the sound desk.”
Instantly the memory of Jeno himself leaving his own script and never picking it up again flashes in his head. His hands move by themselves to check if the mentioned one was his. At the notorious absence of the book, Jeno curses under his breath.
“Is everything okay?” Yeji asks, eyes slightly widen upon Jeno’s sudden change.
The blond guy nods and places his bag on his shoulders. “It’s mine.” He mutters as he starts running back to school.
As Jeno disappears, Soyeon and Yeji give each other a high five.
**
The main lights are out and just some dim light makes it not entirely difficult to walk around the place.
Jeno used the back door to get inside the auditorium, so instead of walking around the school at night, he just needs to cross a long hallway to get there.
As he makes his way to the main stage, he walks past the room they use to save their stuff. The light is on and the door slightly open, but Jeno still can see a bag he knows way too well. But even if Jaemin’s bag is there, there’s no trace of the boy inside, maybe he’s still in the auditorium? he wonders.
The idea makes Jeno furrow his eyebrows. There’s no reason for him to be there when it’s so late.
With a slight nod, mostly to himself, Jeno moves his feet forward until he’s pushing the big door to the auditorium.
Behind the curtains is dark and, if it weren’t for the lights coming from the stage, it would be an impossible task to move around without colliding with some props. Of course, Jeno doesn’t want that, an angry Soyeon is a dangerous Soyeon.
Carefully, and after a few minutes, Jeno is finally just a couple of steps away from his script. Or so he thinks because as soon as he reaches the desk, there’s nothing there.
“Didn’t she leave it here?” He mumbles and looks around just to make sure his script is somewhere else.
After noticing nothing, Jeno takes his phone out of his pocket and unblocks it to call Yeji to ask her again where she left his book, but before he can even press the contacts button, a soft voice coming from the stage makes him turn his head around.
Jeno can recognize that voice anywhere.
It belongs to Jaemin.
The blond gives slow steps as he sees the other one standing in the middle of the place, with a single light shining on him.
And it leaves him breathless.
Jaemin, with his hair in that extravagant color that not anyone could make it work but that looks so perfect on him, with his soothing voice reciting the lines Jeno knows too well, just Jaemin in general, being everything Jeno wanted for himself.
It takes him a few seconds to recognize his book in between Jaemin’s hands, but right at that moment, the script is already in second place.
“And so I wonder,” after a quick glance to the lines, Jaemin says, “if someday my place will finally be in your arms and not so far away from you.”
Something clicks in Jeno’s mind, something that he can’t completely control, but that makes him walk all the way to his crush. “If only… if only once I could’ve seen the love in your eyes, I would’ve given my everything to have you here.”
Jaemin, startled, turns around and faces him. His eyes soon are filled with something Jeno can’t completely describe, but it’s enough to make him smile as soon as the pink-haired boy smiles too.
“It’s not too late for us.” He whispers after taking another glance at the script. “I’m here with my heart open just for you. If you’re willing to take it, this chance, promise me we’ll only find happiness in our way.”
“I promise you a life filled with love and my word to make you the happiest person alive.”
It’s right there when a kiss between Jeno and Elly, the leading actress, is supposed to happen. But with Jaemin, the big smile he’s giving him is as breathtaking as he always thought the scene would be like.
“Hey.” Jaemin greets and his smile remains intact. “You forgot this here.” He slowly lifts the script to hand it back to its owner.
“Yeah.” Jeno nods, too overwhelmed to think of something better to say.
“You know,” Jaemin starts to speak again, this time he looks away. Maybe it’s Jeno’s imagination but light pink dust paints the younger’s cheeks. “I think you’re doing a great job.”
“T-thank you.” He stutters and that’s enough to make himself feel his cheeks slowly flushing too. “You’re also doing a great job, but it’s sad we won’t be able to see you acting in this.”
“I guess I needed a change.” Once again, Jaemin’s eyes are focused on him. “I actually enjoy working backstage, it makes it easier to look to a certain someone I’m really interested in.”
...oh.
So there’s already someone.
Jeno doesn’t want to show his disappointment but it seems like Jaemin is way better to read his face, and especially his eyes because shortly after he finished talking, his voice sounds again. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”
“Huh?”
“I…” Jaemin doubts.
It’s fascinating to Jeno. The way he bites his lower lip as his cheeks get redder, how his eyes instantly left him to stare at the floor, it’s fascinating to see a Jaemin he didn’t know also existed. A nervous Jaemin that quickly makes him feel nervous too.
“You never talked to me after that time.”
Jeno understands the meaning behind his words and oh, boy , his face is feeling really hot out of nowhere.
“Well, I…” He starts, scratching his nape as the coping mechanism to deal with a sudden wave of agitation. “I figured you were busy and I–”
But before he can say anything else, Jaemin clicks his tongue, and Jeno shuts. “I thought you didn’t like me.” He mumbles and a pout, one too adorable for Jeno’s sanity, appears on his lips. “And it’s sad because I like you.”
I like you.
I like you.
I like–
What?
Jeno’s eyes widen after a few seconds. “Excuse me?”
“I like you.” Jaemin repeats, still pouting and it’s way more than what Jeno can take. “I like you and I’m sad we never talked again. I thought that maybe we could be friends and then something else but you started to ignore me that I just…” as Jaemin’s voice fades, Jeno rushes to explain himself. What a big misunderstanding they had there.
“I didn’t ignore you.” It’s the first thing that comes out of his mouth. “I just… I just…” Jeno takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
It shouldn’t be hard, right? Since Jaemin did the most difficult part already. Jeno knows Jaemin likes him so he just has to open his heart too… but why is it still so difficult?
The answer comes from his own mind, a single voice that echoes maybe it’s a dream, maybe it’s a dream , and it’s too easy for Jeno to believe that voice rather than the boy standing in front of him with expectation in his eyes.
But Jaemin’s magic on Jeno is powerful and he soon realizes it when a little smile makes its way onto Jaemin’s face. His smile is enough for Jeno to give it a try.
“I joined the club because I wanted to see you more often.” He blurts out of the sudden. “And I got so scared of embarrassing myself in front of you that I thought it was easier to just look at you from afar, but I never ignored you. Not even once. I just… I didn’t know what to do because I like you too, a lot, that I didn’t want to do something you could feel uncomfortable with and…”
But Jaemin shuts him up.
With a single finger pressed against his lips.
That little smile he had become a big grin. That something in his eyes again shined, and maybe Jeno recognized it as pure excitement when he held his hand and his eyes shined brighter.
He doesn’t let go of him until it’s completely necessary.
“Go on a date with me?” Jaemin asks once they’re inside his car.
The younger didn’t hesitate to drive him home as soon as he knew Jeno would have to wait for an hour to take the bus.
“Sure,” Jeno replies, taking his time to finally, and without guilt, detail Jaemin’s features.
If his heart pumped hard inside his chest when Jaemin held his hand and placed a soft kiss on his cheek as a goodbye, it’s entirely Jeno’s problem.
**
“So, how did it go?”
History class is, by far, Jaemin’s less favorite course, and that’s why talking to Donghyuck is not a big deal for him.
“We’re going on a date after the opening night.” He mumbles, not trying to hide the excitement in his voice.
“Really?” Donghyuck eyes widen. “Did he ask you out?”
Jaemin shakes his head. “I did. I’m happy he said yes.”
“Well, I’m glad you guys are finally getting there.”
The pink-haired nods, eyes fixed on the board for a few seconds after they return to the boy sitting next to him. “Remind me to buy something cute for Soyeon and Yeji. They helped me a lot.”
“And what about me? If Renjun and I didn’t say we couldn’t take him home it probably would’ve never happened.” Donghyuck whisper-yells.
“You wouldn’t have done it either way, right?” Jaemin replies. “Renjun’s mom really invited you over.”
The tanned boy frowns. “Still.”
“We’ll go on double dates once Jeno and I start dating, is that okay?”
Donghyuck doesn’t need to answer cause Jaemin already knows that’s enough to make him happy. He and Renjun, along with the whole theatre club, witnessed a full year full of a terribly whipped Jaemin and an oblivious Jeno.
The two of them finally dating will be the news of the year.