Chapter Text
If you were to ask Chenle, he would say it wasn’t jealousy. It was just that...it felt like his best friend was being stolen from him. Yeah, that’s it.
It wasn’t jealousy because he didn’t like his best friend like that anyway. Why would he have a crush on that awkward kid? He’s just a lanky dork, honestly. Sure, it was endearing to see him fumble around with things and, sure, he thought it was cute when he got startled so easily, but he did NOT have a crush on Park Jisung. No matter what Mark says. Jisung and Chenle have been best friends since high school. Jisung pointed out their matching iPods and from then on they were inseparable. They go to the same college now, but most of their friends go there too, so it’s not like it’s anything special. All their friends say that Jisung follows him around like a puppy, but Chenle doesn’t know what they are talking about. They just like to tease them for no reason.
Honestly.
Anyway, let’s go back to where this whole “jealousy” disaster started.
“Hey, did you text Mark to let him know we were on our way?” Chenle looks over at Jisung and shakes his head when he notices the startled look on his friends face “Is that a no?” he asked, not bothering to hide his amusement.
“Oh! I totally forgot, hold on.” Jisung pulls out his phone and starts typing frantically. “Okay, I texted him.” Jisung looks up and smiles at him. Chenle scoffs.
“He’s probably too focused on studying to check his phone, anyway. You know how he is, that kid.”
The laughter that fills the air has Chenle biting back a smile, trying to keep an annoyed look on his face. “Ah, he’s older than us. I don’t know how you get away with calling him your son all the time.”
Chenle let himself grin at that. “Tsk, I am just that great, obviously.” He rolls his eyes as Jisung shakes his head.
The two boys are walking down the sidewalk in town, near their college campus. The afternoon sun making the chilly spring weather a little warmer. Jisung pulls off his jacket, tossing it so that it hangs over his shoulder, exposing his arms as he stretches upwards with a sigh. “The weather is really nice today. It’s a good day to walk to the café. Hey! Do you think mark would let us study outside instead?” Jisung starts going on about where they should hold their study session with Mark, their friend a couple years above them, but Chenle is distracted by something that shouldn’t be bothering him as much as it is.
When did this kid get muscles? Chenle eyes his arms for a second more before looking away, feeling oddly embarrassed. I could have sworn he was just a noodle the last time I checked. Has he been working out? With who? Wait, why do I even care?
"Chenle! Where are you going? We’re here." His friend’s confused voice snaps Chenle out of his thoughts. He looks back to see the taller standing at the door of the café and realizes he had walked right past it. What’s wrong with me today… He shakes his head and walks back to where his friend was standing.
“Yeah sorry I spaced out trying to ignore your nonstop chatter.”
Jisung lets out an offended noise as Chenle pushes past him and opens the door of the café, the taller following behind, trying to defend himself. “Mark!” Jisung jumps at Chenle’s yell upon seeing the older sitting at their table, but turns to the counter, shaking his head.
The guy at the counter, a blonde who looks to be around their age, looked startled and points to himself “Do you know me?”
Jisung tilted his head in confusion before noticing the cashier’s name tag, a bold “Mark” displayed on the silver “Ah, no he was yelling for our friend over there” he juts his thumb over his shoulder in the table’s direction. Chenle turns back to the counter just in time to see the cashier look at Jisung’s arms for a few seconds longer than necessary and then proceeds to check out the rest of him
“Oh, I see. What a coincidence we have the same name then.” The cashier, Mark, smiles at Jisung and leans a little closer. “Anyway, what can I get for you?” Did he just check him out? And is he Flirting with him? I don’t think he’s even bothered to look at me. For some reason, Chenle was really annoyed, probably because he was being ignored. Nothing to do with the cashier blatantly checking out his friend.
“Umm yeah, can I get a chocolate milk tea? What do you want?” Chenle jumps as Jisung turns and puts his hand on his shoulder Seriously, what’s wrong with me?
He huffs and pushes the taller’s hand off. “I just want my usual. I am gonna go ahead and join Mark. You pay.” Jisung gives him a confused look, while Chenle sends the barista at the counter, who seems to have just taken notice of him, a cold look before walking off.
When he turns around, he sees Mark looking at them with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile. Chenle feels his cheeks go red for some unknown reason, but he sits down with a smile anyway.
“My son! How is studying going?”
Mark rolls his eyes with a fond smile. “It’s going alright, what was that just now?”
Chenle looks at the table. “What was what?” He looks back up to see Mark’s unimpressed look.
“Sure” Mark drops it because he knows how stubborn Chenle is. The older’s eyes travel to the scene behind him before grinning and looking back at the younger. “They seem to be getting along well over there.” He holds back a snicker at the annoyed look on Chenle’s face before he whips around to see Jisung laughing along with the “other Mark”
“Sorry about that, he’ll have a chocolate mocha” Jisung rubs his nape awkwardly at his friend’s sudden rudeness.
“Oh, no, it’s okay. I’m used to that type of thing anyway. I would have been more discreet if I had known your boyfriend was with you” The blonde laughs and backs off a bit from the counter.
Jisung tilts his head in confusion, Discreet about what? He wonders before the word “boyfriend” finally registers in his brain, “He’s not my boyfriend! We’re just friends.” He sputters and waves his hands in front of him, turning red in the ears. The barista looks at Chenle then back to Jisung before a look of realization crosses his face and he ruffles his own hair in embarrassment
“That’s embarrassing. I didn’t mean to assume, oh my god.” He drags his hand over his face. “I am so sorry”
Jisung laughs loudly, unknowingly gaining him the attention of two certain boys, and shakes his head. “It’s okay.”
Mark, the barista Mark, not their friend Mark, leans back onto the counter with a glint in his eye. “So what I’m hearing is you’re single?”
Jisung flushes and looks at the counter. “Uh yeah I am, anyway what’s the total?” The blonde nods and looks at the register. “A chocolate milk tea and a chocolate mocha, correct?” at Jisungs’ nod he sets up the cups and hits a button and tells him his total. Jisung pays and stands to the side, just noticing the lack of people in the café.
“Are you working alone?”
Mark looks up at him from where he was making the drink and sighs “Yeah, the others called off today, luckily it’s been really slow anyway.” he smirks “You coming in made it better as well.”
Jisung chuckles and stuffs his hands in his jeans pockets. “That sucks, well I am glad I could make your shift better.”
They continue to make small talk while he stands there and Jisung learns that Mark is in fact the same age as them like he thought and that they go to the same college. After a bit, the blonde hands him his drinks. “Thanks.”
Before Jisung can turn around, Mark lightly catches his wrist.
“Could I get your number?” Jisung makes a confused face before setting the drinks down and pulling out his phone.
“Sure. Why not?”
Mark takes the phone with an excited smile and puts their numbers in both phones. He hands the phone back. “I’ll text you when I get off work?” He looks bashful for the first time and pockets his own phone again.
Jisung grins and picks the drinks back up. “I’ll look forward to it then” He does a little wave, well attempts to with his hands being full, and walks back to the table.
Chenle turns back to Mark, their Mark not the barista, with a small frown. “Odd to see him being social. Do you think they knew each other?” Mark questions Chenle.
“I don’t think so? He hasn’t mentioned anyone” Is he who he has been working out with? I feel like he would mention someone new to me, though. Chenle sees Mark looking behind him with a shit-eating grin and it takes more effort than he’d like to admit to not turn around again.
Soon a cup of coffee is being set in front of him and a certain boy is seating himself next to him. Mark grabs his attention. “Dude, did you just give him your number?” Chenle feels himself freeze. Why was he so bothered by this?
Jisung rubs his nape and looks away. “Ah well, he asked for it, so I figured why not?”
Chenle scoffs and rolls his eyes. “you don’t even know him? You shouldn’t give your number to random strangers.” Both Mark and Jisung give him a look and Chenle looks down at the table. “I’m just saying, if anyone is gonna befriend a murderer and end up dead it’d be this dumbass.” He grins back up at them and smacks Jisung’s shoulder.
Rubbing his shoulder, Jisung sighs. “I know plenty about him... his name is Mark. He’s 19, and he goes to our college. Now that I think about it, I think we share a class” Chenle watches him turn to look at the blonde only to smile and wave.
Was he already looking at him? He’s not subtle at all. The smaller huffs, looking forward, and makes eye contact with Mark, who looks at Jisung and back at him and mouths, “you jealous?” Chenle mouths “fuck off” before looking back at Jisungs, who is looking between the two and making a face that the smaller can’t figure out.
“Anyway, are we gonna study like planned or just talk about Jisung’s terrible social decisions?” Chenle ignores the other’s insistence that he knows what he’s doing in favor of pulling his laptop out of his bag and setting it in front of him.
Jisung slowly grabs his laptop as well and opens it. "Okay, fine, we can get to studying. The boys all quiet down as they work on their schoolwork, with the younger two occasionally asking Mark questions on what he has already studied. After a couple hours the group heads out, Jisung sending the barista a small wave as he passes, and part at the door. Chenle starts walking towards their dorms only to be stopped by Jisung.
“Lele, I forgot to mention, I am going to go meet up with Jeno at the gym, so I won’t be able to walk back with you. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Chenle ignores the small pang in his chest So he has been working out. With Jeno apparently. Can’t believe neither of them mentioned this to me. He smiles and pats the taller on the back
“Alright, have fun with that. I’ll see you” Jisung grins and ruffles his hair ignoring Chenle’s whining about how his hair will be messed up. The taller waves and walks off in the other direction. Chenle watches him for a few moments, before turning to walk back to the dorms alone.