"Let's hangout."

"No thank you, Yangie." Almost instantly, Jeno replies with a sweet smile. Causing his friend to frown.

"Oh come on, Jen. School's over today," Yangyang practically whines, trying to convince the raven haired boy who's too busy arranging his locker.

Still smiling, Jeno shrugs his shoulders. "Exactly, it's a Thursday, I have to study." Zipping his backpack while at it.

Groaning quietly, Yangyang pushes the metal locker door closed, startling Jeno as he blinks up at him with his smile now gone.

"Jen, who cares? There's no test tomorrow–"

"Yes there is," a chuckle escapes Jeno's lips while Yangyang turns confused. "in our History class, Mr. Kim is giving us a test." He said.

Rolling his eyes, Yangyang crosses his arms and deepens his frown. "Like I said, who cares?"

"Me?" Jeno shakes his head and slings his backpack straps on his shoulders. "Anyways, go have fun with the others, maybe next time?"

"Jenjen, you always say that but you never turn up on our hangouts." Yangyang remarks about, obviously sulking.

As if getting caught red handed, Jeno merely smiles. "Oops?" Although he giggles as he then says, "bad timing, I suppose."

"You've got to be kidding me," Yangyang deadpans. "We ask you almost everyday, though."

"Come on, Yangie. Don't pretend you don't know why." Jeno then changes his demeanor a little bit as he intently gazes at his friend.

Scratching his nape awkwardly, Yangyang chuckles and snaps his fingers before pointing at him. "You said next time? Ah yes, next time!"

Clicking his tongue, Jeno doesn't comment on his friend's antics and turns on his heel. "Don't come knocking on my door later!" He said without glancing at Yangyang.

𑁍

"Wait, hold on a second–" Donghyuck flails his hands around, almost knocking both his and Mark's slushy drinks.

"You're saying, Jaemin– our tattoo artist friend– likes our little goody-two-shoes Jeno?" Pausing for a bit as Yangyang quietly nods at him.

"And he wants to give it a go, even though Jeno's like really, really uptight?" Another nod was received in response.

Blinking, Donghyuck then cackles loudly. Not failing to earn them awkward and unwanted attention from strangers– customers in the place.

Mark beside him snickers too, but he's not as loud as the tanned male who's now tilting his head back, finding the story quite ridiculous.

"You're shitting." Donghyuck finally manages to speak up after calming down from his laughing fit.

Yangyang calmly smacks his lips, shaking his head as his fingers were playing with the straw. "I'm deadass not, ask Jaemin for yourself."

Although furrowing his eyebrows, Mark can't hide the amused smile on his lips. "But you said Jeno got mad that Jaemin gave him his number and went off at him?"

"Fine, you bitches don't believe me. But it really did happen and this is fucking real," Yangyang grunts on his seat as he munches on the chips they've ordered to sadly share.

Hey, they didn't bring enough money because they're heading to the arcade– Jeno's usually the one scolding them about wasting it other than food and clothes.

"Jaemin likes Jeno, I don't know how much or how serious, but he said he wants to try cracking Jeno's shell."

"He did by giving his number, he got rejected– isn't that a sign for him to give up? No offense, but that's how Jeno's past admirers do." Mark comments on.

"Well, I don't really know what Jaemin's planning or when he'll give up. But all I'm asking is," drawling out and looking up to meet his friends' gazes.

"You guys in?" On cue, all three of them share wide smirks– creeping out the staffs and other customers nearby.

"Oh hell yeah!"

"About time we get to be cupids."

𑁍

"Well, he said no–"

"No shit, Jeno's not with us." Donghyuck interjects with his usual sassy attitude.

Jaemin laughs in amusement, basically used to it– though, it doesn't mean he can tolerate it at times.

Although, he doesn't go to the same school as them, Jaemin's a close friend of theirs. They hangout a lot, all day or all night until sometimes they pass out after using up all their energy.

They've been scheduling their hangouts after school hours and weekends, if anybody is free of course.

That's the time for Jaemin's shift to be over, heading out of the tattoo studio after a long day and meeting up with the trio at wherever they feel like goofing around.

Today is at the arcade, and Jaemin was the first one to arrive there. Waiting for atleast half an hour for his friends to show up– which they have thankfully did.

Yangyang rolls his eyes at Donghyuck and focused on Jaemin, "but don't fret about it, it's a normal answer." Reassuring the tattoo artist.

Jaemin raises a brow accompanied by a silly smile, while Mark hums in agreement. "Yeah, don't think badly about it. We've all been there."

"You guys liked him?" The question causes a shriek from the trio.

Yangyang face palming, Donghyuck cackling again as Mark blushes. "Mark did, when we first met him."

"That was a long time ago, shut up." The latter hisses at the tanned male.

Waving him off, Donghyuck slings an arm around Jaemin's shoulders and grins. "See? A totally normal rejection."

"But you're not giving up, are you?" He soon drops his bubbly tone when he remembers how Jaemin is. Getting a nod from the pink haired boy, he snickers.

"Then, when will you?"

"Don't ask me that yet, hyuck. Because I'm not thinking about that right now." Jaemin says in reply.

Mark tilts his head to the side, "you just gonna go with the flow, huh?" Pausing when Jaemin smiles at him. "Even when he rejects you again?"

Getting another nod, Yangyang turns to the pink haired boy and sighs. "Just so you know, when we say, Jeno's very uptight, we mean it."

This time, Jaemin has a small smirk on his lips and chuckles. "That's pretty cute."

Hearing him, Donghyuck and Mark share a weird look as Yangyang shakes his head at them, "I told you he has these weird likings."

Reaching over to playfully push his shoulder, Jaemin clicks his tongue. "I'm just saying, I don't mind if he's uptight."

Donghyuck then snorts as he leads them first into the loud and crowded arcade, "what kind of romance is this." He mumbles in amusement.

Meanwhile, Yangyang smiles at Jaemin and nudges him on the side lightly. "Don't worry, we can try again on Saturday."

"Didn't you say he studies or stays home on weekends?" Jaemin furrows his eyebrows, confused.

Giggling, Yangyang then drapes an arm around Mark's shoulders and gestures at him. "That's why this guy over here will be the one who'll ask."

Mark flatly gazes at him and sighs, "you guys rely on me when it comes to Jeno."

"Exactly, so good luck." Getting a wink from Yangyang in return as Jaemin grins at him.