"where do i go?!" chenle whisper-cried between his teeth before jisung stood directly in front of him and covered his body with his own.

"nowhere. there's no time."

"no time for what?" renjun yawned and wandered inside slowly. he looked exhausted, and perhaps now was not the time for his roommate's shenanigans. "i thought i told you to go to sleep? it's too late to be messing around with the light on."

"jun," the youngest swallowed harshly and reached behind himself for chenle's hand. thankfully, the ravenette took it with a death grip. "i have a friend over. or...well friend isn't really—"

"what? how?" the shorter teen quickly livened up and furrowed his brows. he craned his neck around to peer at the boy behind jisung and huffed out an indignant scoff. "seriously? seriously?"

"seriously. listen—"

"are you trying to get me in trouble?!" he may have been whispering, but it certainly felt like a scolding. "i am trying to keep rules in order and my own damn friend is breaking them?"

"we can explain," chenle tried to interject, but his voice caught and he came across weak. "it's an art thing."

"art thing? at eleven?"

"the best art is done past midnight," jisung sniffed, but he didn't want to add fuel to the fire. "regardless, when else were we going to get the chance? he's...you know."

"he's what?!"

"ivory," the pair mumbled in unison.

renjun's face visibly paled, and he shook his head a few times as he slumped over to sit on his bed. "please, please tell me he's naked for a good reason."

the comment made chenle blush harder, but he balled his free fist by his side and held onto jisung's hand tighter. "we just said it was art."

"naked?"

"nude is a better term," the pinkette defended. "and it won't happen again. we just need you to keep quiet about it. he's going back to his room now."

"what's your name?" the brunette asked wearily. "and how long have you two been hanging out?"

"zhong chenle," he gushed in a hurry, "and since i moved here. it's been a few weeks, admittedly."

"weeks? and you haven't been caught?" renjun glanced to jisung and shrugged dubiously. "i've been teaching you all the wrong things."

"maybe. do we get a chance?"

"only if you don't get caught on your way back to your room. if word gets out that you were over here, chenle," he pointed warningly, "i won't have your backs. either of you. got it?"

"got it."

"i promised the principal i would be honest, and i like this job."

"we won't get caught," the second-youngest promised. "thank you."

they were waved off, and jisung helped chenle back into his clothes before the endeavour of getting back. he made it in one piece, undiscovered.

days passed, and it seemed they were in the clear. jisung finished off the picture from memory, as he'd said he would, and submitted the whole project with the biggest sigh of relief he'd ever produced. his teacher was proud of him and assured him that his efforts wouldn't be in vain. honestly, even if the project was terrible and he failed...he'd found chenle. so no, it wouldn't have been.

pretending not to know him now that they had their feelings in the open was harder. every time jisung heard his distinctive laugh across the canteen or watched him retreat from a war, a part of him wanted to get up and go with him. the separation was cruel when they didn't have proper reasons to meet like they used to, and now the dangers felt more risky when their only reason was their relationship. they had no net to fall into.

renjun pretty much shut up about the whole thing, lest he be called a hypocrite. he did warn him once or twice that it was no walk in the park doing what they were doing, but he too agreed that it was worth it in the long run just to be a significant other. as long and donghyuck and chenle remained faithful and kept the work up and the charade, then it was truly worth it.

one clear morning when the sun was up but the heat wasn't immense, the two ebony students chose to take a walk during lunch instead of their usual gossip in the canteen. the rowdiness in there promised a war soon, and they didn't want to participate.

jisung listened to his friend rant about homework and the upcoming assembly in a day or two, but he couldn't seem to keep his thoughts on the conversation. his hands would slide into his pockets and then back out, repeatedly and anxiously. once the fidgeting had gone on for fifteen minutes too long, renjun swiftly grabbed the boy's hand and stopped them in the middle of the outdoor corridor connecting the old building to some new science labs. it was a scenic path that many enjoyed at this hour.

"okay, i can't keep pretending this is all well and good when you're clearly leaving your mortal body and ascending to lalaland. what. is. up?"

"i'm not."

"no? so this—" he let go of his hand and started to quickly enact messing with his dark uniform pockets, "is normal?"

"i'm just distracted. i get my results today, and exams are on the horizon. school stuff."

"more like 'i haven't seen my ivory counterpart in two days and i'm going insane'," he whispered harshly and jabbed a finger into the pinkette's chest. "it's really obvious, ji. i know how you're feeling but you don't see me pining!"

"well we're not the same person," the taller huffed and folded his arms. a few students walked past them and wondered if a fight was about to break out, but as the duo were both from the same class and known to be friends, they didn't say anything and wandered off. jisung lowered his voice a great deal before leaning in and muttering, "this is all very new as well. if we were given the damn chance to actually talk about it, we wouldn't be so clumsy. we haven't even asked each other out properly!"

"shh! i know," renjun waved him off dismissively and turned to start walking again, "but it's still—" he narrowed his eyes upon four ivory classmates strolling in their direction. "okay, shut up. we have a potential conversation heading our way..."

mark, jeno, donghyuck and chenle all walked with a wide width across the corridor, having clearly been talking as well and falling short. "mr. disciplinary committee," hyuck saluted and stopped in his tracks, surprising the other three. renjun visibly tensed beside his friend and didn't breathe a word.

chenle, on the other hand, was way too obvious about looking at jisung and hiding a smile. it was moments like these where the youngest wished he wasn't so damn adorable, because physically reeling in the urge to pinch his cheeks was difficult.

"you're in the way," renjun finally sighed, and it didn't come across nearly as sharp as he'd probably intended. "ever heard of single file?"

"ever heard of 'hello, it's fine weather we have'?" donghyuck challenged. jeno gave him a jab with his elbow before sharing a tight lipped smile.

"he's joking, obviously. let's go," he grabbed mark's shoulders and steered him forward past jisung's side while the mouthy theatre student simply sent a wink in renjun's direction whilst following them. chenle lingered a moment, reaching out subtly for his secret friend's hand and wandering onwards without any signs he'd done it at all.

renjun released a long breath and threw his head back to the stone ceiling covering the passage. he was probably itching to argue more with his boyfriend but couldn't make it more obvious he wanted to. his cheeks were dusted a soft pink and he said nothing at all.

jisung, however, turned around and watched chenle's back as he followed his friends. his stomach tightened with longing and irritation for the situation, but it had been him to place the importance on how they needed to stay hidden. he hated everything about this, and a part of him didn't care anymore if they lived as outcasts.

but he didn't need to sabotage it all just yet, for chenle did look over his shoulder once more and grinned excitedly, blowing a kiss as a promise. see you soon, it said, we've got this.

a gentle breeze picked up the edges of their hair as the distance grew greater...until they couldn't see each other anymore. the youngest let a small chuckle slip, before covering his mouth and giggling like a silly, lovesick teenager.

"are you insane?" renjun sighed. "they are insufferable, i swear..."

but jisung didn't quite agree. he returned to his walk with the brunette and was once again subjected to a rant about ivory. as long as zhong chenle didn't tease him the way hyuck teased renjun, then they'd survive.