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The bus is packed and Jaemin already regrets sleeping over his alarm for the third day in a row, this time his excuse is that yesterday was his sixteen birthday and both his parents had taken him to a nice restaurant to celebrate, causing him to sleep later than he usually does.
He just got on the bus by a lucky strike, arriving on time to catch somehow on the last bus to school, boarding as quickly as possible, careful of not bumping into someone, the last thing he wants to do is upsetting someone and being yelled at for it.
He sighs relieved once he is there in the middle standing with his hand up firmly on the rail above him, waiting for the bus to move. He is so lost in thoughts that the movement startled him a bit, losing his balance and pushing an old lady that he doesn't remember seeing.
"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to push you" Jaemin says, balancing himself with his left hand on the rail while trying to help the old lady with his right.
"Oh don't worry dear, I am fine, this old body is stronger than you think" The old lady says, giggling at it, her bright and cheerful smile putting Jaemin at ease.
"But you are the one I am more afraid of" She said with an odd look in his face, something between concern and uncertainty, the pink accessories sparkling a bit, it is probably the sunshine reflection, "Lucky for you there is going to be a pair of big eyes and high cheekbones to catch you forever"
Jaemin swears that he saw how her eyes sparkled with a pink dust for a second, opening his mouth to comment on it but he is interrupted by her again.
"Oh this is my stop, see you around Jaeminie"
The old lady leaves the bus and Jaemin finally notices her all pink attire, still confused at what she means about high cheekbones and big eyes.
It's late in the day when Jaemin remembers that he never told his name to the old lady.
💘
Jaemin is late.
It's the first day of school and he is late, just because he decided to sleep five more minutes. So he is running for about ten blocks because he didn't catch the bus, skipping through the pedestrians there, jumping over a Chihuahua dog while its owner yells at him and he yells back an apology.
He is dripping in sweat, only two more blocks until he reaches the school, he is just too close when he sees a girl walking in front of him, unaware of him running to her.
Jaemin tries to slow down but it's too late, he barely skips the girl to fall into the grown, scratching his hands and knees.
"Oh god, are you okay?" A concerned voice says over him, the sun bright enough to blind him to not notice the girl's face.
"Yeah I am fine, but I think I will miss school" Jaemin says sitting up and dusting himself, a hand appearing in front of him, a help offer, he takes it and lets himself be pulled up.
"Oh you're a student" The girl says, looking him over to see the uniform that Jaemin is wearing. He is dusting his clothes when he finally looks up at the girl, or well, the young woman's face, she is utterly stunning, dark long hair with big doe eyes and a red lipstick on her lips. Jaemin can’t help but mutter a soft wow at the beauty that is in front of him. “I am the new nurse, I can explain the accident so you don’t have to skip class”
“That would be amazing, Miss…” Jaemin says, leaving a silence so she can fill with her name
“Miss Bae, Irene Bae” The pretty nurse, Irene, introduces herself with a smile that Jaemin is sure can win a million won.
Irene didn’t actually catch him up when he fell but she fits the big eyes and high cheekbones category for Jaemin to forget about it.
So he starts making a habit of swinging by the infirmary at least three days a week. He had charmed his way into Irene's good side, showing his natural cuteness until she was rolling her eyes with a soft smile, Jaemin thinks he is in love.
Last period is rolling to the end, rows of tired students counting the minutes until they can finally go home.
The minute the bell rang there was only the sound of ruffled papers and notebooks being thrown into different bags, the rush of the chair from the students living, finally a little bit of freedom.
Jaemin is walking down the hall when Jimin comes running next to him panting "You would never believe what Aeri told me, because Shotaro told her after Soobin told him"
"That sounds very complicated"
"Jaem!"
"Fine, tell me about it" Jaemin says with a sigh"
"Guess who is dating?" Karina ask him, the gossip glide in her eyes sparkling
"Hum, Yeonjun and Yangyang?" Jaemin says, entertaining her question fully knowing that isn't true.
"You know that Yeonjun is dating Beomgyu" the roll of eyes that she gives him is one of annoyance.
Jaemin sighs again before starting saying in the most dramatic voice ever "Oh Jimin, please tell me who is dating?"
"You're so annoying but I'm going to tell you because I'm an amazing friend" Jimin tells him with a shove on his shoulder, he just smiles at her.
"Miss Bae and Mr. Kim"
Jaemin can feel a little shatter inside of him, probably his heart, at the news that Jimin just said. The grimace he has is far from convincing that he is okay but Jimin is too distracted to notice. Walking a step behind her, muting her chatter until they say good bye to each other.
Irene smiles so prettily when he enters the infirmary the next day, the reminder of the heartache from yesterday still fresh but he shakes it and smiles back at Irine, helping her around for a bit before classes start. His eyes catch a small bouquet on Irene's desk, signed by S.K.
"Someone got you flowers?" He asks, trying to sound nonchalant, busing himself by cleaning the already clean tools in the cabinet.
"Oh, yeah. A dear friend" The smile on Irene's face grows at the thought of her friend, while she still arranges her supplies.
"You must like him a lot," Jaemin adds, implying that they have more than a friendship between them, he looks over to see her smiling at nothing in particular and Jaemin naively waits for a deny from her.
"I think I do" the dreamily tone of Irene's voice finally blows his facade.
💘
Jaemin describes his and Donghyuck first meeting like he does with Donghyuck, impredecible and annoying.
It was just the start of the school year, the last one until he graduates and goes to college. The sun shines brightly at the top of their head. It was his free period so he spent it at the side of the bleachers, taking a nap, after Irene had rushed him out of the infirmary saying that he should go to his class.
"Hey, careful" a voice shouts, seconds before from where a ball hits his stomach, bouncing down the field.
Jaemin groans at the impact, holding his stomach and feeling annoyed from his interrupted nap. He opens his eyes to look for the culprit, there running to him comes a boy, dark brown hair bouncing with every step.
"Are you okay?" The guy appears above him, covering the sun from him, making his face hard to see.
"I was until you hit me" The annoyance in Jaemin's voice made the other giggle, he glared at him.
"Hey, I warned you beside why are you laying down in the middle of the fields?" The other guy replies, with an exasperated tone.
"It's a good napping spot" Jaemin explains, sitting up and dusting off his uniform with his hands, and when he sees that the other guy is still in front of him he asks "Aren't you going?"
"I am Donghyuck" that is the answer Jaemin gets, a simple introduction.
"Be quiet" Jaemin grits from his mouth, not introducing himself to Donghyuck, standing up and taking his backpack to go. Donghyuck stops him from going standing in front of him.
"I am not going until you tell me your name" He tells Jaemin, puffing his cheeks out like a tantrum, Jaemin ignores him and starts walking.
"Well if you won't, I will have to guess" Donghyuck says, catching up to him to walk beside him.
Donghyuck proceeds to say all the most terrifying names he can come with, annoying Jaemin not only during free period but one of their shared classes, until Jaemin gives up and tell him his name after three days of torture.
Donghyuck didn't catch him or didn't have high cheekbones but surely, he stays in his life.
💘
Life must hate Jaemin.
His alarm didn't sound, so he woke up twenty minutes to his first class, obligating him to run through campus so he doesn't accumulate his last time delay mark to count as his last absence.
He is just so caught up in a hurry that he doesn't see the guy, until he is practically over him. The big brown eyes, looking at him in shock, a hand holding him by the waist to keep him safe even when he knocked him down, but the most important are the guy's cheekbones, they are high on his face.
It 's him.
"I'm so sorry" Jaemin says when he finally shakes himself to really, standing up quickly and offering a hand to the guy "Are you okay?"
"Hum, yeah, I'm fine, just a little breathless, haha," the guy says, hands shaking the dirt from his pants, eyes fixed on him. Jaemin picks his backpack up and looks at his watch, there is only 5 minutes until his class.
"Hey, I'm so sorry, if you meet me at the cafeteria at the corner I will make it up to you, 1 p.m." He says hurriedly, running to the next building.
He hears the other guy calling him a faint "Wait, what is… your name?" but Jaemin is already too far away to yell back.
💘
It turns out that Mark is really the person that that old lady told him about.
Jaemin knows that he is a bit clumsy but the amount of times he has tripped over himself and into Mark's arms is a little embarrassing. Sure Mark always smiles at him and assures him, saying things like Don't worry, Jaem. I will catch you flustering him every time he says it. And it doesn't help that Mark says it with the most earnest eyes on the world.
Jaemin is down bad.
Also it doesn't help that Mark is a total dork, an absolute sweetheart that always makes him feel comfortable, either if he wants to be loud or quiet, Mark will accompany him with a soft smile and a warm hug.
💘
Jaemin can't take it anymore.
He and Mark had been dancing around each other for months now but nothing happened. Neither him nor Mark make a move into each other, Donghyuck calls them pathetic.
That is why, he is in Donghyuck and Jeno's dorm with a box of bleach and pink dye at almost midnight on a Friday. Nothing better to get your life together that fuck up your hair. That's not really a saying, Jaem, Jeno had said but still helped him with the process.
So two hours later Jaemin has pink hair and a new determination to get his man or that was what Donghyuck has said.
💘
It is too early when Jaemin knocks into Mark and Xiaojun dorm (9 o'clock is a criminal hour to be awake on a Saturday) lucky for him Xiaojun is already awake and lets him in.
"Great, please feed Mark, he will wake up a bit hungry" Xiaojun says as a form of greeting before sliding through the door to God's knows where.
So he helps himself around the kitchen taking the pan and some eggs to scramble.
Jaemin hears a door open, Mark's door, but he continues with his task.
"That smells good" Mark mumbles still far from the kitchen, Jaemin knows that he is probably rubbing his eyes to awake himself, cute.
"Thanks" Jaemin says from where he is still cooking, turning his head to see Mark, smiles growing when he is in sight.
Jaemin can't explain it but something in the air shifts. He sees how Mark opens his eyes bigger at the realization that Jaemin is there. He looks at him a little confused and a little endeared.
"It's you" Mark says, as if he just discovered the fountain to eternal youth, his face illuminating prettily and smile growing bigger.
"What?" Jaemin smiles in confusion, still holding the big spoon he was using to make the breakfast looking as Mark walks around the table getting closer to him.
It's a blur, one moment Mark is walking to him and in another he is standing in front of Jaemin. A hand rests on his cheek pulling him into a kiss, closing his eyes automatically, melting in the warmth of Mark's lips.
Mark kisses Jaemin carefully to not scare him, slowly enjoying the sensation of Jaemin's lips on his tasting his pink lips finally, he kisses Jaemin as if he had waited all his life for this and Jaemin feels just the same.
Jaemin kisses back just as passionaly as Mark, caressing the older lips with his, moving slowly to enjoy the moment of it.
Mark breaks the kiss breathing heavily, forehead resting against Jaemin, hand still holding him by the neck holding him still.
"I am sorry, I just couldn't content myself" Mark says, close to Jaemin's lips, eyes still closed ready to pull off from Jaemin's space but a hand in his wrist and an arm around his neck stops him.
"Don't be sorry, I have been waiting for this too long too" Jaemin says, bright eyes looking directly into Mark, before a pair of lips crashed into his again.