The next morning at school, Dino and Jeno were standing at their lockers, chatting about random things, when Jaemin suddenly walked up to them with his usual bright smile.

"Good morning!" Jaemin greeted cheerfully, his presence immediately grabbing their attention.

"Morning," Jeno and Dino replied in unison, though Jeno looked slightly caught off guard. He hadn't expected Jaemin to approach them so casually.

"So," Jaemin began, leaning against the lockers with a playful grin, "do you guys like bowling?"

Jeno blinked, clearly surprised by the random question. "Uh, yeah, I guess," he said, glancing briefly at Dino for confirmation.

"Same here," Dino added, trying not to smirk as he sensed something brewing. Jaemin's energy felt different today, more personal.

Jaemin's smile widened. "Great! My friends and I are going bowling tonight, and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come?"

Jeno's mouth dropped open slightly, taken aback. "Bowling? Tonight?"

Dino, always quick to read the room, sensed Jaemin's interest wasn't exactly aimed at both of them. He glanced at Jeno, catching his wide-eyed expression. This was his chance. Dino was certain Jaemin was subtly trying to get closer to Jeno, and as much as Jeno would never admit it, he'd been harboring a small crush on Jaemin for a while.

Dino made a quick decision. "Ah, actually, I can't make it tonight," Dino said casually, though he had no real plans. He just wanted to give Jeno an opportunity to hang out with Jaemin alone. "But you should totally go, Jeno."

Jeno whipped his head around to stare at Dino, clearly taken aback. "Wait, what? You can't go?"

Dino raised an eyebrow, giving Jeno a playful nudge. "Yeah, I've got plans." His lie was smooth, and he followed it up with a mischievous smile. "You'll be fine without me."

Jaemin, catching on quickly, gave Jeno a hopeful smile. "So, what do you think? It'll be fun, I promise. You can DM me your address, and I'll pick you up later tonight."

Jeno hesitated for a moment, still processing everything that was happening. Jaemin, the guy he'd had a not-so-secret crush on for months, was asking him to hang out—alone, it seemed. His brain was short-circuiting, and he turned back to Dino, silently begging for some kind of escape.

But Dino wasn't giving him any. With an exaggerated shrug, Dino gave him an encouraging push. "Go on, man. It's just bowling. I'm sure you'll have fun."

Jeno, now out of excuses, let out a defeated sigh. "Okay, yeah, I'll go."

Jaemin's face lit up instantly. "Awesome! I'll DM you later, and we'll figure it out."

As Jaemin walked away, leaving Jeno and Dino alone by the lockers, Jeno turned back to Dino, still in disbelief. "Did that just happen?"

Dino laughed, clearly enjoying Jeno's bewilderment. "Yeah, man. Jaemin just invited you bowling. Alone."

Jeno rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I... don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Dino said, leaning against his locker with a satisfied grin. "Just go, have a good time. Maybe, I don't know, talk to him."

Jeno gave Dino a skeptical look. "Talk to him? About what?"

"Literally anything, Jeno," Dino teased. "He's obviously interested in you. He asked you to hang out, didn't he?"

Jeno groaned, still not fully processing how Jaemin had been so forward. "I just don't wanna make it weird."

Dino shook his head. "You won't. Just be yourself. You're cool when you're not overthinking everything."

Jeno shot him a half-hearted glare. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Hey, you'll be fine," Dino reassured him, giving him a light pat on the back. "And if you panic, just remember—it's bowling. You can always hide behind the ball."

Jeno chuckled despite himself, the tension easing up a little. "Yeah, sure, because that's exactly what I want to do."

As the bell rang, signaling the end of their locker break, Jeno sighed and closed his locker door. He still felt anxious about the idea of spending time with Jaemin without Dino there as a buffer, but deep down, he was also kind of excited.

"Alright," Dino said as they started walking to class, "just don't overthink it. Go, have fun, and if anything crazy happens, you better text me."

Jeno shook his head with a smile, trying to calm the nerves fluttering in his chest. "You know I will."