Chapter Text
🦊🐹
hrenj_n: hey jisung i know this is random but do you like laufey?
hrenj_n: i bought tickets to her concert with hyuck but it’d be pretty awkward so i can give it to you for free if you want to go with him.
This was not something Jisung ever expected to wake up to. To explain: Renjun and Donghyuck had been in a relationship for two years and it wasn’t exactly pretty. In short, they fought a lot. It would lead to thousands of ‘breaks’ and would silently get back together. For months they would be a perfectly happy couple, dedicating all of their time to each other. And then randomly, over small disputes that start to pile onto each other, they would go on a break. It happened way too often for anyone to really believe that they were permanently over. Even this time it seems a little hard for Jisung to believe, but if Huang Renjun is in his private messages to give him a Laufey concert ticket for free, then it must be serious.
Donghyuck wasn’t really the type to tell his friends everything. He would never go out of his way to tell his friends anything, really. Only when it got really bad, or if they were all drinking. The first time he pointed out anything about their rocky relationship was actually when they were all getting drunk at Jaemin’s house, a year into dating Renjun. Around this time, the group could slightly tell something was off with the couple but no one had ever mentioned anything. Jisung doesn’t really remember how it started but Donghyuck let it spill that they had actually ‘broken up’ but it was clear that he still missed him and regretted the action. The rest of the night was just tears, more drinks, and secrets from everyone that no one knew were ever kept.
They got back together around a month after that, even if it was quite unconventional. It was never really said out loud when they got back together but Jisung could guess from the eventual multitude of expensive gifts and increasing amount of time they spent together. No one asked Donghyuck about it either. Jisung didn’t know about how it was with Renjun and his friends regarding his own relationship, but it was sort of a sensitive topic with Donghyuck. Since it was rare for Donghyuck to even bring up anything serious about their relationship in daily conversations with his friends, everyone just assumed it was better to leave it that way.
A few weeks ago, they went drinking to celebrate Donghyuck’s birthday and you can guess that they ended up deep in talk. Jisung was an extreme lightweight but he absolutely loved to drink. He just likes fun drinks and friends. He’s a bit romantic. So, out of the four of them, Donghyuck, Jeno, Jaemin, and himself, he was both the one who drank the most and was affected the most. Listening to all of the hardships that Donghyuck was going through at the time, Jisung was flooding with tears and sympathy. Jeno and Jaemin felt bad too, but they just sat, listened, and occasionally sipped. They all listened as Donghyuck described how he was going through another rough patch with his boyfriend.
“I have all this shit going on with my family, college is just getting so stressful, and I basically have work every single day. I just don’t think I can handle being in a relationship right now. But it hurts so bad, guys. It’s so hard to be away from him. But that’s exactly why I need to distance myself a bit. I need to be more independent, right?” Jisung nods eagerly in understanding. “So I bring it up with him, I say that we should break up. And he agrees?! What does he even mean by that? Why is he agreeing? I just— ugh, everything is just falling apart.” Donghyuck calms down with a taste of his drink, not wanting to get too riled up. Jisung can tell that Jaemin finds Donghyuck’s attitude toward Renjun’s response to a mutual break up as a little unreasonable. But he doesn’t let him know. Instead, he hums in agreement along with Jeno. Jisung also finds it weird, but he brushes it off to be his inexperience in relationships.
After that night, he felt a bit similar to when he did after drinking at Jaemin’s house. This weird sense of almost exclusion, but more missing out. He knows it is just his selfishness thinking, but he cannot help it. It is not that he feels miserable and lonely being single his whole life, but he just thinks about how different his friends treat their lives. It is perfectly fine to keep secrets and have privacy regarding your personal life, but Jisung just doesn’t have anything to keep. But even if he was in a relationship, or was struggling at home, he would probably tell his friends. He just doesn’t understand why Donghyuck never seems to tell them anything. It seriously creates a lot of doubt in Jisung’s weak mind.
Jeno and Jaemin have quiet, but strong opinions about Donghyuck’s behaviour in his relationship, leading all the way up to their breaking point. They discuss it in a private group chat, one without Donghyuck. They discuss Donghyuck’s double standards and extreme codependency on Renjun. The both of them make good points, probably because they are in a relationship together, but sometimes Jisung can’t help but side with Donghyuck in his so-called irrationality. Is it wrong to be selfish with your lover? But again, he dismisses it and just listens to his friends’ ramble. Even if they seem a bit harsh and condescending sometimes, the discussion is only out of love and care. Donghyuck is their best friend after all.
As soon as Jisung comprehends the message he received from Huang Renjun, he sends screenshots to Jeno and Jaemin. What does he even say?
🐹🐶🐰
jwi: [sends one attachment]
jen: oh wow
jen: you should go
jwi: yea
jwi: but like
jwi: 🥺
jaem: do you want to go?
jwi: well yea……
jwi: but it’s so awkward 😭
jwi: i know it’s just hyuck but if i was him, i’d probably be thinking ab renjun the whole concert
jwi: 🧍
jen: yea same
jwi: what do i even say
jwi: i’ve talked to this guy like twice
jwi: “oh ok”
jaem: just say sure you wanna go
jwi: 😰
jaem: what 😭
jwi: okay i just said okay i’ll go
Jisung hasn’t really talked to Renjun much, despite being Donghyuck’s boyfriend. He respected him of course, and didn’t hear a lot of negatives about him other than the occasional nag from Donghyuck. But both Renjun and his friend, Chenle, would tag along whenever they hung out sometimes. Whenever it was convenient to have a few more people on hand, they just mushed themselves together and called it a day. It made it easier that there were two couples anyway. Even though they would see each other often, they kept to their own friends and made very little interactions.
So, it’s awkward.
It doesn’t help that Jisung isn’t the best at social interaction in general. Just looking at the message still being delivered had him pacing around his room. He had to distract himself from deleting the message and pretending nothing ever happened. He tried to, at least. Renjun replied back in less than a few minutes, with such a jovial texting voice, that Jisung started to think if he should’ve added at least an exclamation mark at the end of his message.
🦊🐹
hrenj_n: great! i’ll send you the details and everything
hrenj_n: thanks a lot, jisung
pkjwi: no worries
pkjwi: are you sure you don’t want me to pay you?
hrenj_n: it’s okay! don’t worry ☺️
hrenj_n: [sent an attachment]
hrenj_n: just lmk if there’s any problems
pkjwi: thanks!
Should he have sent an i-hope-ur-ok-from-the-breakup message or just leave it be? He doesn’t want to feel like he’s taking advantage of the guy but also doesn’t want to seem like he is comforting the opposition. It would look like that from Donghyuck’s perspective at least. That brought up yet another awkward situation Jisung has found himself in. How does he tell Donghyuck about this?
🐹🐰🐶
jwi: okay guys i got the ticket
jaem: yay!
jen: we’ll see u there then
jwi: wait what do i even say to hyuck
jwi: “hey You Know Who gave me his ticket to laufey so i’m going with you now!”
jwi: “let’s hope they don’t play let you break my heart again!”
jaem: just be normal man
jen: just tell him that renjun gave u tickets and ask what he wants to do with it
jwi: 😰😰
jwi: i’m gonna sleep on it
jwi: i’ll tell him tomorrow
jwi: yea
🦊🐻
Huang Renjun: so i guessed we’re not going to laufey anymore
donghyuck: Stop Talking To Me.
Huang Renjun: so i gave my ticket to jisung
Huang Renjun: so you can go with him
donghyuck: you what
Huang Renjun: what? you don’t like jisung now too?
donghyuck: no bruh
donghyuck: i literally only bought tickets bc YOU wanted to go
donghyuck: i don’t want to go tf
donghyuck: i was gonna sell my ticket ugh
Huang Renjun: just sell it then?
donghyuck: no i can’t leave my baby jisung all alone at a concert
donghyuck: he’s going to Die
Huang Renjun: he’s 24
Huang Renjun: also it’s laufey he’ll be fine
donghyuck: wait hold on Huang
donghyuck: i have an idea
Huang Renjun: can we stop with the Huang thing it’s weird
donghyuck: no we’re broken up that’s literally against the rules
Huang Renjun: okay
donghyuck: can you ask me what my idea is
donghyuck: we’ve only broken up for a week and you’ve already forgotten how to talk to me no wonder we broke up
Huang Renjun: what’s your idea
donghyuck: we bring chenji back
Huang Renjun: the ship you made when we all went to the amusement park together and realised they were the only ones single?
donghyuck: YES UR GETTING IT
donghyuck: i mean
donghyuck: Correct, Huang.
Huang Renjun: are u serious
donghyuck: since you’ve given your ticket to jisung, it’s only right that i give mine to chenle
donghyuck: i’m such a genius
Huang Renjun: but honestly i don’t think chenle listens to laufey all that much
donghyuck: so?
Huang Renjun: so he’s gonna say no??
donghyuck: it’s okay. i will find a way.
Huang Renjun: i can ask him for you if you want
donghyuck: no that defeats the whole purpose
donghyuck: why would chenle go to a laufey concert with jisung if he doesn’t like laufey or jisung
donghyuck: but maybe he’ll get a hint from laufey and start Thinking Things about jisung yfm
donghyuck: but i need him to GET there first
donghyuck: he’ll probably go if he thinks he’s going with you
Huang Renjun: idk…
donghyuck: don’t lie. chenle will do whatever you do. he will say yes.
Huang Renjun: even if it was with me i don’t think he’d go
Huang Renjun: i told you i don’t think he likes laufey
donghyuck: just you wait, Huang.
It had been a running joke between their groups to ship ‘ChenJi’. Whenever they would all go out together, Donghyuck had Renjun and Jaemin had Jeno, so it would leave Chenle and Jisung. Chenle and Jisung themselves weren’t too close. They would have conversations every now and then, when the couples were occupied. It was a cute little duo, the two of them, but it never really went past the group hangouts and ‘How have you been?’.
It was only a harmless joke but it did make Jisung think sometimes. What if they had started something? But neither of the two made any move because Chenle was still recovering from a talking stage bordering on an official relationship for a year, before they broke it off once they just got into too many fights. And Jisung is, well, Jisung. He’s shy and has never even tried being in a relationship. So, they just naturally stayed friends without even stepping into the realm of feeding Donghyuck’s delusions.
🐻🐱
ldhaechn: hi chenle
ldhaechn: can i ask you for a favour
zhcnle: uh yea sure
zhcnle: what’s up
ldhaechn: i was supposed to go to laufey with renjun
ldhaechn: but yk.
ldhaechn: but i know that he really wanted to go and really likes her songs
ldhaechn: so maybe i could give you my ticket and you can go with him instead?
zhcnle: oh but i don’t really listen to laufey tho
zhcnle: i don’t think i’m the right person to ask sorry
ldhaechn: but renjun would probably love to go with you
ldhaechn: two of his favourite people: you and laufey
zhcnle: i don’t remember him liking laufey that much?
zhcnle: and i don’t think i’m one of his top 2 favourite people haha
ldhaechn: he does and you are
ldhaechn: i was his boyfriend for 2 years
ldhaechn: i think i would know
zhcnle: whoa okay lol didn’t doubt you bro
zhcnle: hm
zhcnle: i guess i can go
zhcnle: it would probably make him feel better right?
ldhaechn: YES THANK YOU
ldhaechn: heres the ticket
ldhaechn: [sent an attachment]
zhcnle: okay thanks
🐱🦊
cheollo: renjun i’m gonna go to laufey with you btw
renjeonie: oh okay
cheollo: yea donghyuck gave me his ticket
cheollo: i knew you guys had a bad break up but i thought you guys would’ve just went as friends
cheollo: you okay?
renjeonie: yea i’m fine, i think donghyuck only went for me anyway
renjeonie: its good that you’re coming
cheollo: okay…
cheollo: you can talk to me anytime btw
renjeonie: yea i know that
renjeonie: thanks
🦊🐻
Huang Renjun: whoa you were right
donghyuck: if you said this our whole relationship we would still be together btw
Huang Renjun: so we just lie and pretend we’re going to the concert and then what
donghyuck: they’ll see each other at the venue and then be like “omg what ru doing here” and then it’ll be awk for a bit but then they listen to laufey like she’s the priest spreading God’s word and then they get Ideas and then they kiss and then get together
Huang Renjun: will this even work
donghyuck: see this doubt is why i can’t talk to you anymore
Huang Renjun: okay