It is only in detention that a student can realise just how creative they can get with their insults. Whether these insults are directed towards the fucker who had landed them in the situation, towards the supervising teacher (which is, in any case, bad out), or even at the clock for not ticking fast enough, one could really get their gears turning and their mind churning with all sorts of beautiful, negative feelings that chafe at the inside of the soul and ceaselessly beg for sweet freedom. 

God, I want to flip someone off, thought Jaemin, just to add a bit of life into this day, please. He sighed, keeping his most powerful finger to himself and leaning back in his seat, counting the black tiles on the ceiling, just to let everyone know that he was as bored as any human could possibly get. Two hours of detention for accidentally tripping up a bully on the stairs was harsh and unjust. The school might as well have sued him and all could have moved on with their lives. 

Jaemin wanted to do something other than imagine various scenarios about earthquakes or alien invasions or policemen with guns interrupting his detention and setting him free. With each passing minute he slumped further down his chair, until his back was convex and his neck begged for death. He was sleepy and uncomfortable and he wanted to hang out with Renjun or something —

Holy fuck. 

The door creaked open, and none other than Huang Renjun stepped in with his scuffed-up white and red sneakers and custom pessimistic, downcast look. 

The teacher shot them all warning looks as Renjun mumbled something to her, then stood up assertively as she told him to sit down. He dragged his feet over to the windows, Jaemin too far away to ask him what the fuck a skittish little angel like him was doing in a room full of delinquents.  Jaemin was confused, to say the least. 

Had he been fighting someone? A picture of Renjun squaring up against some faceless sixth year behind the school occurred to Jaemin, and he immediately shook his head. Renjun was more level headed than that. ( And, not to be mean, but Renjun would not get out of a fight completely untouched.)

He wanted desperately to scoot over and ask Renjun what the hell he was doing here, heart beating faster even at the sight of the older boy, but the teacher supervising was a strict one — Indeed, his own history teacher, Miss Jeon. If she always caught him making heart eyes at Jeno — every single time — then she probably wouldn't ignore a mid-detention conversation. 

Jaemin checked on the teacher's current attentiveness, then despite her spear-like gaze, reached into his pocket and clamped a hand around his phone. Renjun was now face down against his desk, eyes screwed shut as if he could blink the situation away. He couldn't ask Renjun why he was borderline crying in detention, but he could text Jeno. The two were best friends and always around each other, so Jeno would probably know what he was doing an hour late into detention.

Jaemin's hand stopped in his pocket. He felt a dull pang of jealousy.

Everything bothered Jaemin, these days. Every time he saw Jeno and Jaemin interact, whether it. was after basketball or when they ate lunch together, he found it so hard to ignore how they existed around each other, like two stars revolving around one another, destined to collide. They lived as two pieces of the same puzzle — and Jaemin wanted something like that. That was why he was now strongly suspecting that Renjun liked Jeno back. 

He dropped his chin into his palm, wondering how Jeno was so dense. Couldn't he see that whether Renjun realised it or not, they were meant for one another? Sometimes he wished that Jeno would just make a move so that Jaemin could clench his teeth, wish them well and move on. He wanted to move on before he could really admit his feelings to himself. 

He was numbly aware of the fact he was still clutching his phone in his pocket. Renjun was as still as a Roman sculpture. Jaemin cleared his head by blinking a few times and took his phone out, glancing at the teacher warily. She turned her head suddenly and he gasped and shoved his hand back into his pocket. Miss Jeon stood up and Jaemin held his breath.

"I'm leaving the room to go collect something from the office. If any of you so much twitch a limb with ill intention I will know and you will be sitting another two hours under the supervision of the vice-principal himself." Jaemin swallowed and nodded with the rest of the class. She exited the room and no one dared to even turn around to whisper. Miss Jeon was really terrifying.

But Jaemin was really stupid, too. He slipped his phone from his pocket, checked twice that it was on silent and texted Jeno. The reply was immediate.

 jeno what is renjun doing in detention

jenothanks: he

he tripped up the principal

lmao ok then

 alright what did he actually do

jenothanks: jaemin i'm not joking he tripped up the principal and was sent straight to detention

i'm not even sure whether it was by accident

he looks upset tho

jenothanks: ... is he crying

im not joking he might be.

jenothanks: asdklfjsldaj i don't know how to help when do you get out

in like an hour. someone has to cheer up renjun before then im not standing for this

jenothanks: i have an idea. if it goes right you should be out within five minutes

Jaemin squeaked and shoved his phone back in his pocket as he heard the telltale click of heels in the hallway. He sneaked another look at Renjun, who was now hiding his shame behind a book. Jaemin frowned. Maybe he had actually sent the principal sprawling.

He watched the door tentatively, waiting for the teacher's face to fill its frame, heart beating irregularly as he waited for whatever Jeno was doing to have an effect on this confusing situation.

A faraway ringing suddenly presented itself to the students in the room, who looked at each other with that little tinge of panic that came with the feeling that something big, bad and hairy was up and coming. The fire alarm filled their ears and everyone stood up and ran.

Jaemin tried not to burst into hysterical laughter, instead withstanding the stampede and hurrying over to Renjun, who hadn't been as fast in his reflexes. The last people left the room and Jaemin could hear Miss Jeon yelling outside, getting the students out into the front yard. Jaemin knew terribly well that he, Renjun and Jeno would be missed, but right then his priorities lay with the sheer number of ways he could hold this over Jeno's head.

"Renjun? Rennie? Sweetie, no one's here to judge you. Tripping up the principal is pretty fcuking awesome."

A hurried no-it-was-so-mean slipped out as Renjun shoved his chair under the table and started speeding towards the door to join the vibrating line of people outside.  

"Renjun? Jeno set that off, we're fine."

Renjun turned around slowly, blinking in confusion, all fresh regret suddenly gone from his face. "He set that off? To get us out of detention?"

Jaemin nodded sheepishly, grinning nonetheless. Forgive him, it was hilarious. "It seemed like a terribly good idea at the time."

"Well? What exactly do we do now? Collect Jeno from where he has barricaded himself and leave undetected or go with the flow and follow the teachers?"

"It's funny the second suggestion even occurred to you, honey," Jaemin checked his watch, then turned back to see Renjun looking slightly red. "You...?" He let it slip by. "Where would he barricade himself? You know him best."

Renjun paused for a second. "Probably that little music room next to the sports trophies. If we're lucky, he'll be playing the ukulele very frantically."

Jaemin stumbled as he was heading towards the door, a hearty laugh slipping from his grasp. When Renjun looked at him strangely, he shook his head, "It's nothing — it's just, this whole situation — Jeno just set off the fucking fire alarm and we're running to find him in a music room before we go to — where? God knows where!"

Renjun grinned despite himself, no doubt, that tearful energy having seeped away. "Let's go find our Jeno."

Our Jeno. Jaemin clapped a hand over his mouth before he made some stupid, I'm-in-love noise.

=

"What do we do now? My mum isn't expecting me home for another two hours," said Jeno, panting as the three of them jogged down the street from the school. Jaemin looked back over his shoulder at them, then at Renjun, who was white as a sheet.

"We'll figure that out once we get to Renjun's," replied Jaemin, before feeling a hand come down on his shoulder.

"Oh no, you won't!" Renjun turned him around under a tree and Jeno came to stop beside them. "My parents are very strict about this stuff. Should they find out my friend set off the fire alarm so that I could hop out of detention, not only will I be grounded, you two will be too." Jaemin opened his mouth, about to remind Renjun he'd never met his parents, but Renjun beat him to it. "They'll find a way to, Jaemin. They always do."

Jeno nodded frantically, still looking a bit pale.

Jaemin massaged his temples. "Okay, where do you usually go when you ditch school if you can't go home?"

When the two of them just blinked at him, he sighed, "Guys... have you ever done this before?"

Renjun went a bit pink. "Maybe."

Jeno shook his head, even more frantically than before. "I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing, I'm just following you guys!" He paused. "Even though Renjun's in no way closer to being a rebel than I am."

"You had to give me away like that!" groaned Renjun, to which Jaemin only snorted.

"I didn't come here to babysit. I never do, but I always end up being the one with the most brain cells." Jaemin yawned, and Renjun narrowed his eyes at him, though it didn't do much. He was still blushing and he looked like an angry kitten.

Jeno set his bag on the floor for the time being and pushed his glasses up thoughtfully. "Well, the only thing we can do is go somewhere else then. Jaemin, any chance we can go to your house? Would your mum mind?"

Jaemin swallowed, his mind suddenly going blank. His house was a mess since his mother had been on a business trip, and his room was in an almost shameful condition. "I'd... My mum..." He sighed. They seriously had nowhere else to go. "Yeah, sure. I hope you don't mind the house smelling like weed."

When Renjun actually squeaked in fear, Jaemin couldn't help but let his tension dissipate. "I'm kidding! The most illegal thing you'll encounter in that house is Dongmin's singing."

"Forgive me," interrupted Jeno, a sly look coming over his face that Jaemin found so weirdly endearing, "But isn't your brother an award-winning singer?"

Jaemin groaned, but then had an idea. He took Renjun's hands in his own, acting the desperate peasant. "Huang Renjun, please come to my house and out-sing my brother. He needs a beautiful voice like yours to puncture his ego."

Renjun laughed shyly, somehow even redder, shaking his head and mumbling, and Jaemin had to force himself not to do something dumb like try to put Renjun in his pocket. 

=

"Ah, shit," Jaemin collapsed onto the couch. "He's not home. I was prepared to pay you too, Renjun."

"I just kinda wanted to hear him sing," inputted Jeno. He and Renjun were just standing by the door, probably wondering where exactly their rights lay in Jaemin's house. Jaemin sighed, stood up, took them both by the hand and led them back into the living room, tossing them down onto a sofa and grinning.

"We will simply have to wait until he gets home, then. Are you alright with staying here?" Renjun nodded. "As long as its a friend from school and I'm within running distance from my house, I can stay."

Jaemin turned to Jeno to ask him something, but his words died in his mouth. Jeno had taken off his glasses and put them in his bag. Jaemin didn't know why the sight made him so embarrassingly weak, but the last time Jeno had showed up without glasses had been at Eric's house, and not one person on the team would let him forget he passed out onto a bean bag because of it. 

When Renjun and Jeno remained silent, Jaemin sighed and laid back. It was so painfully obvious they'd never ditched school, it was kind of sad. "You can't get kicked out for this, you know. The worst thing that can happen is another detention." 

Renjun seemed to relax slightly at Jaemin's words, but Jeno just leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees in a concerned stance. Jaemin thought for a second. "Jeno, did you check for any cameras before you set off the fire alarm?"

Jeno's shoulders bunched up for a second. Then he grinned sheepishly, turning his head sideways to face the two of them. "Yeah, I threw a gym t-shirt at the nearest one before doing anything."

Renjun snorted, and Jaemin tossed him a pillow with a bellowed "Dumbass!"

"Anyway," Jaemin strayed, still grinning. "Do you guys want anything to eat?" Jaemin stood up, going to get some chips anyway, but the two nodded, Jeno feverishly. "You want some takeaway?"

There was a short pause, the living room suddenly full of static. 

"Pizza?"

"How about pizza?" 

"I think — Yeah, pizza."

≠

Renjun couldn't believe his day had started out relatively normal. He'd spent lunch with Jeno and some of their friends from Japanese. Then, he'd had to run two miles in Phys. Ed. — he, who never played a sport for fun and went to the gym twice a year. The resulting exhaustion had caused him to veer sideways halfway up the stairs and trip up the principal. 

Next thing he knew, the old lady's glasses were broken and she was on her knees at the foot of the stairs, and Renjun was being yelled at by the history teacher. And for the first time in his entire life, he was sent to detention. To make matter worse, Jeno had to set off the fire alarm so they could literally ditch school like a team of criminals. 

Somehow, he'd ended up in Na Jaemin's house. And he was being confronted by a Hawaiin pizza. 

"It's good, really — Just try it, you cowards," Jaemin urged around a mouthful of pizza. Jeno dropped his slice and crossed his arms, turning his head away. Renjun could see him itching to devour the entire slice. 

"I will not eat pineapple on pizza for as long as I walk the planet," said Jeno decidedly, making Renjun shake his head. 

"I'll just have to permanently break your legs then," Jaemin teased, waving the slice at him. Jeno snatched it a muttered a quick don't you dare before taking a small bite and blinking.

"Renjun..." he whispered as if Jaemin wouldn't be able to hear him despite sitting one foot away. "It's safe." 

Renjun nodded slowly and stared down the pizza, trying to wring it of any ill intent. "For the sake of my stomach, I'll dig in, but for the sake of my dignity, I hope I don't like it." He picked it up, hoping that this was another step to becoming Jaemin's one and only, or something. 

A few minutes later, Renjun and Jeno sat gobsmacked, looking at the two empty pizza boxes in awe, while a very accomplished Jaemin sat between them. "We finished them all," mumbled Renjun, before turning to glower at Jaemin. "And because of you, I like pineapple on pizza!"

"Awwww," cooed Jaemin pinching Renjun's cheek and laughing. "You're so cute. Squishy." How could people just ignore Renjun's wrath? Jeno was probably trying to sign-language Jaemin into understanding that he didn't want to ignore his wrath. 

Instead of getting the message, he squished Renjun's cheeks together with both of his hands and started talking in baby. "Wittle Renjunnie is sad he finawwy saw the truth? Awwww."  

Face red as a freshly sliced beet, Renjun starting lightly batting at Jaemin's arms, to no avail. He couldn't actually hit him, but dear god, he wanted to. Jaemin could consider himself very lucky to be the object of Renjun's affection. 

Upon realising that even using his full strength he couldn't fight Jaemin off, he tried to whisper scream to Jeno: "Hel' me! He squishing me!"

Jeno was too busy laughing himself sore to immediately compute the request, but he crawled over weakly and pulled at Jaemin's arm to try and get him to stop, his efforts rendered futile by his own hysteria. They were all laughing at this point, though Renjun was technically still in pain. 

"C — Come on now, Min, you gotta not d — do that —" Jeno finally succeeded in pulling Jaemin backwards, but due to the youngest's iron grip on Renjun's face the three of them just fell back onto the silver-haired male, Jeno wheezing out a loud "Oof!"

Renjun finally wrenched himself out of Jaemin's very strong fingers and promptly burst out laughing, not noticing or even caring that he was all but face down on Jaemin's shaking chest, the latter probably barely able to breathe either. 

"Get off me, you two — I play basketball, not rugby, idiots —" Jeno's complaining was cut off by the door slamming and two people evidently stumbling into the house. Jaemin, Jeno and Renjun froze, going stock-still as Jaemin's elder brother, Dongmin, and his best friend, Bin, passed by the door for a second, starting something very not-so-PG.

The three froze for a few seconds, not knowing what to make of the situation, when the very telling sounds suddenly ceased and Dongmin ran back into the living room, his tie loosened and glasses completely gone. "Jaemin and — friends?"

He paused, finally noticing the three lying on top of one another. He narrowed his eyes, "Friends?"

Jaemin scrambled up, tossing Renjun onto a nearby cushion, where he landed with a muted yell.

"You're not the one who's meant to be asking questions right now, you absolute hoe! Why is Bin-hyung standing outside in the hallway with a bon —"

Renjun and Jeno watched with mounting alarm when Dongmin suddenly had Jaemin in a headlock. "And scene!" He whispered something in Jaemin's ear, then waved cheerfully to the visitors. He saluted no one in particular and ran outside, shutting the door behind him. 

"Na — Jaemin, I mean —" Jeno blinked in confusion, and Jaemin just waved with an unbothered grin to say it was okay. "What in literal shitting fuck —" 

"That was unnecessary, Nono," cut in Renjun, crossing his arms at Jeno, who sighed and bowed his head in apology.

"My brother and his best friend are hooking up, and I have no idea how to feel about it..." trailed off Jaemin thoughtfully, then almost smacking his own forehead when he saw the parallels. "It's totally good for them though, because, uh, Dongmin-hyung's had a crush on Bin since the Big Bang so it's all good and cool and great when best friends date." 

He shrugged in apology when Jeno sighed and rubbed at his temples. 

Renjun grinned. "It is good and cool and great for them, but should we leave?" 

Jaemin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why should we —" he was silenced by a faraway moan from upstairs. "Fuck, right, that's why."

***

part two approaches