Chapter Text
Renjun’s life felt like a bad reality show—one he never signed up for.
To his left, a group of girls buzzed about Taeyong Lee, a senior and the student council president. Taeyong was the kind of guy who made Einstein look like he was slacking off. Teachers adored him, peers practically worshiped him, and he could probably charm the socks off a statue. Everyone claimed he was God’s favorite. I mean, how else could someone be both a genius and ridiculously good-looking? It was downright unfair. The boys in school grumbled about it, while the girls would have gladly formed a cult in his honor if it meant he’d look their way.
Right in front of Renjun, another group gushed about Jaehyun Lee—Taeyong’s younger brother and a second-year student. Jaehyun hung out with the school bullies, and whether or not he actually bullied anyone was up for debate. But guilt by association worked like a charm in high school. Not that it bothered the girls; all they could focus on was his looks. “He’s the perfect first love!” they squealed, as if he had a trademark on romance. It seemed Jaehyun was just another entry on the “God’s Favorites” list.
Sighing deeply, Renjun turned to his right, where another mixed group of boys and girls were practically swooning over Mark Lee, the youngest brother in the trio. Mark, a first-year like him, had skyrocketed to popularity simply by being Taeyong and Jaehyun’s younger sibling. Apparently, good looks ran in the family, along with brains and athleticism. Despite being a freshmen, he was already a regular on the basketball team, surrounded by his entourage of equally popular friends—because, of course, popular kids sticks with their own.
Renjun rolled his eyes, casting a disapproving glance at his so-called friends. They weren’t exactly his ride-or-die crew; he hadn’t been close to any of them before, and they hadn’t bothered to befriend him in middle school. But here they were, the only group that would tolerate him. He couldn’t very well walk through high school as a total outcast—he was already dealing with enough of that at home. So, he begrudgingly tolerated their obsession with the popular trio.
“I swear, Mark was so cool yesterday! I wish I could’ve seen his face from that angle, but even his back is handsome,” Aerie sighed dreamily. Renjun nearly gagged. Seriously? His back?
“For real, I thought I was going to faint,” YangYang agreed, dramatically fanning himself despite the chill in the air. Renjun wasn’t sure if YangYang was gay or bi, but it was hard to miss his very public admiration for Mark.
“Jaehyun was amazing too! He’s like a one-man team! No wonder he’s the ace, and he’s so handsome,” Dejun chimed in, his voice dripping with admiration. Great, now they were back on Jaehyun. Renjun rolled his eyes again.
“Oh right! You went to watch soccer. I would’ve gone, but the basketball game took priority. I mean, I like Jaehyun, but I’d rather watch Mark,” Haerin said, expertly curling her lashes as if she were on a beauty pageant stage. Pretty girl, but her obsession with Mark needed serious examination.
“Same! I like the older brothers, but Mark is my favorite,” YangYang declared, nodding vigorously. Renjun stared at them in disbelief. What was wrong with these people?
“What about you, Renjun?” Dejun asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. “You never join in when we talk about them. Which of the three do you like?”
Renjun nearly choked. “As a matter of fact, none,” he replied, making sure to emphasize the word. “I don’t get your fanboying, fangirling, or whatever it is—but I respect it.” His voice dripped with sarcasm, and Aerie and YangYang giggled like he’d just told a stand-up joke.
“Maybe Renjun’s ideal type isn’t one of the brothers,” Haerin teased while dabbing blush on her cheeks. “Could be Jeno, Jaemin, or even Donghyeok.”
“Or it could be a girl! Jimin or Minjeong, maybe,” YangYang added with a wink. Renjun groaned internally. Their theories were utterly nonsensical.
“I don’t have a thing for any of them,” Renjun replied evenly, struggling not to snap. “They’re just normal people, like us.”
“Are they, though? They look like God’s favorites, especially those brothers,” Dejun said, eyes sparkling with awe.
Patience, Renjun, patience. He reminded himself just as Mark and his friends strolled past their classroom. The room erupted in squeals, and Renjun froze when Mark looked his way. For a split second, Renjun feared he’d say something, but thankfully, Mark only shot him a glare before looking away. That didn’t stop his friends from freaking out.
“Oh my god! He looked this way!” Aerie shrieked.
“He did, right? I wasn’t imagining it!” Dejun added excitedly.
“I think he looked at me!” YangYang chimed in, brimming with delusion.
“Stay delusional, Yangie,” Haerin teased.
Renjun shook his head in disapproval. If only they knew Mark had just thrown him a dirty look—probably because he was still peeved about the burnt dinner from last night. Yes, Mark Lee: childish, spiteful, and definitely not the perfect angel they imagined.
How did Renjun know this? Because Mark, along with Taeyong and Jaehyun, was his brother. Yes, those so-called “God’s favorites” were also his own brothers—an unfortunate twist of fate.
For ages, Renjun had wanted to keep this relationship under wraps—not out of shame, but as a survival tactic. Back in middle school, once word got out that he was related to Mark, Jaehyun, and Taeyong, he was bombarded by attention that would make any pop star jealous. Classmates swarmed him like seagulls at a beach picnic, and he quickly learned that his life had morphed into a bizarre episode of a reality show.
Gifts rained down on him: candy, notes, even a stuffed dinosaur one kid insisted would “totally connect him with Mark.” Seriously? A dinosaur? They weren’t even in the same league! Renjun often felt like a VIP pass for a concert he didn’t want to attend. Everyone seemed to think he was some golden ticket, a way to get closer to the famous trio. It was like walking around with a neon sign that read, “Use Me as Your Stepping Stone to Fame!”
He just wanted to survive the school day without feeling like a contestant on a game show where the prize was his brothers' attention. He didn’t even have their attention! All he wanted was to blend in, but instead, he was the center of attention, dodging questions like he was in a dodgeball tournament. “What’s Mark’s favorite color?” “Does Jaehyun really have a secret talent for cooking?” “Can you introduce me to Taeyong?”
The pressure was so intense that he started carrying around a notepad to jot down fake answers. “Mark loves purple,” he’d write, “Jaehyun bakes cupcakes on Wednesdays,” and “Taeyong collects vintage spoons.” At least that way, he could deflect the endless inquiries with some ridiculous trivia while trying to maintain his sanity.
In his mind, keeping their relationship a secret had seemed like the best way to avoid the madness. And Renjun intended to keep this secret for the remainder of high school.
He should’ve known his brothers wouldn’t be able to keep a secret for long.