Recess was over, but Minjae noticed Jiho's seat was empty. Panic rising in his chest like a tide, he rushed out of the classroom, eyes scanning the hallways frantically.
"Jiho-ya!" he called out, his voice echoing against the lockers. "Eodi isseo?" (Where are you?)
At the Same Time — Inside the Girls' Washroom
Hyejin's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "How dare you get close to Minjae?" she hissed, venom dripping from her words like poison.
Jiho stumbled back instinctively, heart thudding against his ribs so hard he thought they might crack.
"Someone like you dares get close to Minjae?"
Her friends, like faithful sentinels, grabbed paper cups from the sink and filled them with cold water, the sound of rushing water filling the tense silence.
Before Jiho could speak—
SPLASH.
Cold water hit his face with shocking force, soaking his shirt and hair. Droplets clung to his eyelashes like tears.
Then another splash.
And another.
"Stop—!" Jiho gasped, raising his arms to shield himself. "Please stop!"
But they didn't. Their laughter bounced off the tiled walls, amplifying his humiliation.
Hyejin leaned in, eyes burning with contempt. "Minjae only pities you. Don't mistake his kindness for something more."
Jiho trembled, his lips quivering. "It's not true... I-I'm not close with him..."
SLAP. Hyejin's hand didn't hit his skin, but her words did, striking deeper than any physical blow could.
"Stop lying!", she screamed, her face contorted with rage. "You cling to him like a parasite. You're disgusting."
Jiho's knees buckled slightly. He couldn't breathe, his lungs refusing to expand.
And suddenly— A memory flashed.
That night.
Minjae's voice. Soft. Quiet. Deadly.
"Let's end this fake relationship." His words, like knives, repeated again in Jiho's head, each repetition carving deeper wounds.
"Fake."
"Let's end it."
The bathroom blurred around him. Jiho's legs gave out. He slid down to the floor, dripping wet, breath shallow and uneven.
He wasn't crying. He wasn't screaming. He was just... nothing.
Like a lifeless doll. Eyes empty. Soul retreating.
Hyejin stepped forward, confusion replacing her anger. "What's going on? What's wrong with him?"
Then—
BANG! BANG!
The door burst open with such force it slammed against the wall.
Hyunwoo.
His eyes, sharp and calculating, scanned the scene. He didn't ask anything. He walked in like a storm, fists clenched, and marched straight to Jiho.
He grabbed Jiho's wrist gently—but firmly. A paradox of intent.
Then, he turned to Hyejin.
He stepped so close their noses nearly touched. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"It's my job to bully him. Not yours."
"Don't lay a hand on him again. Got it?"
Hyejin froze, the color draining from her face.
"Oppa....."
"Oppa... what are you saying...?" Her voice trembled with disbelief.
But Hyunwoo didn't look at her again. His decision made, his message delivered.
He pulled Jiho up and walked out, leaving behind a stunned silence.
Down the hallway. No words exchanged. Only the sound of their footsteps and the drip of water from Jiho's soaked clothes.
Jiho followed like a puppet, soaking wet, eyes hollow, mind elsewhere.
Then—
Footsteps. Fast. Angry. Determined.
Minjae.
He saw Jiho first.
His expression changed like seasons rushing past. Shock. Concern. Then pure, unbridled rage.
And when his eyes locked with Hyunwoo—
CRACK.
Minjae punched Hyunwoo across the face so hard, the hallway echoed with the impact. Hyunwoo staggered back, caught off guard.
"How dare you touch him again?" Minjae shouted, eyes blazing with fury. "You're still the same as before! You hurt me, and now you're hurting him!"
His voice broke, revealing the raw pain beneath his anger.
"I don't understand what your problem is—and honestly, I don't give a f*ck."
"Just stay away from Jiho. And stay the hell out of my life."
Hyunwoo stood up slowly. Blood trickled from his lip, a crimson line against his pale skin.
But he said nothing.
Not a word.
He turned—and walked away, shoulders tense, fists still clenched, his silence more menacing than any threat could be.
Minjae turned to Jiho, chest heaving. He gently wrapped his jacket around Jiho's shivering frame, his touch tender despite the rage that still simmered beneath.
"You're freezing," he said quietly, concern softening his features. "Tell me... what happened? Did Hyunwoo do this to you?"
Jiho didn't speak.
He didn't even blink. His eyes were on the floor, distant, seeing something—or someone—else.
"Jiho..." Minjae whispered, gently grabbing Jiho's cheeks and lifting his face, forcing their eyes to meet.
"Look at me. Please… just tell me what happened."
But Jiho couldn't say it.
He just saw Minjae's face. That familiar face. That voice again. "Let's end this fake relationship."
And then— He broke.
Tears burst out like a dam collapsing, unstoppable and devastating.
He clung to Minjae's jacket and sobbed like a child. Not because of Hyejin. Not because of the water.
But because those words... they still hurt. Still stabbed. Still bled.
And he couldn't hold it in anymore.
Minjae held Jiho tighter, his arms wrapping protectively around his fragile frame. Jiho's sobs shook his whole body, and Minjae could feel each tremble like an accusation against his soul.
"It's okay... I'm here." Minjae whispered, rubbing Jiho's back, though his own chest ached with guilt.
They stood there in the middle of the hallway—Jiho, drenched and broken, and Minjae, shielding him from the world that seemed determined to hurt him.
Students passed by, murmuring, staring. No one dared to speak. No one dared to interrupt this moment of raw vulnerability.
But Jiho wasn't aware of any of it.
His cries slowly quieted into sniffles. His eyes were red and swollen, lips trembling as he whispered, "Why... why did you say those things that night?"
Minjae froze.
"What...?"
Time seemed to stop between them. The bustling hallway, the curious stares, the distant sounds of classes resuming—all of it faded away until there was only Jiho's broken question hanging in the air.
Minjae's eyes widened with realization. "You… you were awake that night?"
Jiho's lips trembled. "No… but I heard you. In my sleep. Every word."
His voice cracked. "Even if I wanted to forget… I couldn't."
Minjae's hand trembled as he reached for Jiho's face, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "Jiho, please listen to me..."
But before he could continue, the school bell rang, its shrill tone cutting through their fragile moment.
Down the hallway, their homeroom teacher appeared, her expression shifting from irritation to concern when she spotted Jiho's soaked uniform.
"What happened?" she called out, rushing toward them.
Minjae's jaw clenched, his explanation trapped behind gritted teeth.
Jiho avoided his gaze, already retreating behind his walls.
Some truths couldn't be unheard. Some wounds didn't heal easily.
And Minjae—he felt something slipping away before he could name it.
---