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Renjun's entire body tensed up in one huge spasm, his hands flying towards the brunette's shoulders as though they'd attempt to create some distance......but they didn't. Butterflies fluttered wildly against his insides, wreaking havoc and pandemonium amidst his already existing stress levels.

Donghyuck's arms were so carefully laced around the smaller's waist, his sweet scented breath tickling the back of his neck as air flooded Renjun's throat and that horrible need to cough ended. They'd simply helped him in the most intimate way possible.

As Jaemin pulled away with the cheekiest smile the Chinese male had ever seen, he ruffled his hair and looked around to view the spectators they'd gathered. "Forgot we were in public for a minute there."

Hyuck chuckled lightly after patting Renjun's back a couple of times to assure the coughs had halted. "I remember when you did that to me a couple of years back....when we first met."

"You choked on a tiny shard of ice in your drink. Cute."

The oldest started to zone out and unintentionally stare into the eyes of those who were whispering about them, his gaze somewhat piercing as he relived the recent action in his head over and over.

He was kissed.

He didn't care what excuse Jaemin gave, because nonetheless that man kissed him. And I didn't even fight him on it!

"Okay, share!" He could hear the pair start to bicker near him, noticing that they'd already purchased some sweets during his daydream. His lip caught between his teeth, unsure of why they were so fine with the ordeal, and feeling extremely irritated by it.

"Why on earth did you do that?" He spoke calmly, reasonably. The pair turned to him while Donghyuck extended a caramel wrapped in plastic to the oldest. "I'm...I'm so fucking confused right now! Damn it, it's been like, three days and I'm losing my goddamn mind! Explanations. Now."

Jaemin clicked his tongue in return to the other's rising anger, eyes drifting to his 'friend', then around the area to seek out a more secluded spot. "How about you ask us what exactly it is that you want to know, ask we'll answer, hm?" It was clear that he knew what Renjun was desperate to hear, though.

Donghyuck groaned, muttering something about it being 'too early', though grabbing their hands again and dragging them to a small step in front of a bronze statue, the poor artefact having been swamped in bird crap from the shoulders up, its once brilliant metal now grimy, and a bit green with corrosion. The concrete beneath it though was absolutely fine, nevertheless, and they sat down to chat for a little while.

That lovely, refreshing breeze brushing through the market picked up their locks that varied in colour, sending them whipping over their eyes and then back off their foreheads. The youngest released a bated breath, taking Donghyuck's hand in his, resting it on his lap and nodding to himself as he worked out in his mind what exactly it was that he needed to start with. "So, you've started to notice our behaviour patterns, hm?"

Renjun hummed in agreement, eyeing those intertwined fingers curiously and finding his own to be clasped on his lap. "At first, I just thought 'eh, let them be'.....but you guys are adamant that we socialise, so now I want to know what it is you people are. I thought Mark and Donghyuck were together, but I saw Mark and Jeno making out before, and now you two like this. I thought Jeno was with you, Jaemin. And isn't Chenle with Jisung? Is there some sort of.....cheating going on?"

"We sort of divide ourselves into couples to look a bit more normal to everyone else..." the youngest started, tilting his head back to bathe in the blissful sunlight illuminating his angular features. "Particularly Mark and Hyuck, since both are famous....well, Hyuck was before he gave it up."

"The model life wasn't for me once I got together with him," the tanned adult elaborated.

"I'm still confused," Renjun sighed, "Is this some sort of....I don't even know."

"Oh I think you do," Jaemin glanced to him, a smile tugging at his lips ams sending more jittery butterflies to his tummy. "There's an outside layer to us. What you're looking at initially is a group of six friends, yes? Three sets of couples."

"Right."

"Beneath that layer are who we are. The imperfections we carry such as Jisung's kleptomania, Mark's kinks, Chenle's interests and Hyuck's-"

"Hold it, I'm not ready for that judgement yet," the second oldest of the trio interjected. "Maybe later."

Renjun leaned forward towards them, "And there's another layer after that?"

"Yes. A much easier and more simplistic thing that I'm going to let you discover on your own. This is Mark's game, after all, so who am I to ruin it?"

Game? The oldest wondered, backing up again while picking at the sweet Hyuck had given him. Is this all a bit of fun for them? Is my confusion for a laugh? He didn't really want to believe that though, and from what he'd learned through interactions with them, they weren't villainous people. In fairness, he'd acted pretty angry towards Jisung's disposition, he brutally passed unhelpful and hurtful comments about whatever the hell Donghyuck was dealing with and yes.....he'd been kinda rude from the very beginning. Perhaps they were protecting themselves by holding their silence, and he could understand why.

"Then, without trying to pick at a scab here, can I ask one more question?" The small male eventually enquired, looking all dejected all of a sudden, to which Jaemin poked his cheek lightheartedly.

"Shoot."

"Um....are you cheating?"

"Does it look that?"

Donghyuck interrupted, "No, does it feel that way?"

Renjun stared at his hands for a small minute, blinking a couple of times and thinking up a logical response. No, it didn't feel like they were cheating. If they had been, Jaemin would've been far more irritated to hear that Jeno had kissed Mark, and likewise for Hyuck. Obviously they'd been well aware of this from long ago....so what did it mean?

"No. It doesn't feel that way..."

"Then you've won half the battle, haven't you?" Jaemin winked. "Anyway, let's get up and take a look around. Don't want to waste this time together, do we?"

The second oldest stood up and brushed down his exposed legs, the skin utterly flawless and eye-catching. Being an ex-model made so much more sense to the Chinese now. It explained how at least one of them had met the almighty actor. Suddenly I want to know everything...He thought, taking Jaemin's extended hand which helped him up.

"Just as a nosy question, since you asked about us," the younger smirked before lowering hands hands down to brush against the smaller's thighs. "Do you perhaps," he leaned in close to whisper hoarsely against his ear, "Like boys?"

Renjun squeaked, reflexively about to hit him and tell him to back off, but quickly reminding himself that this is no different to what he'd been asking them all along. "I mean," he murmured, his own hands dropping to touch the brunette's and and escape, "I guess so."

"What does 'I guess so' mean?" Donghyuck pressed from beside Jaemin. They both seemed to be getting awfully......close.

"It means yes, I do, but I'm not romantic! I-I don't do relationships-"

"You don't or you haven't?"

"Um...." Crap, why the hell am I panicking? It's no big secret! "I haven't done relationships. Only once...but it failed." His voice was much calmer this time with a little help from his soothing breathing exercises, "I'm goal driven. Boys are just....distracting."

The sneaky duo then shared a mischievous knowing look, Jaemin nodding as if he agreed with Renjun, yet pushing him to start walking ahead quite suddenly, and pinching his ass. "Pity."

"Jaemin!"

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