Chapter Text
“Where is it?” someone snarled, landing a second blow on Changmin’s face, which left a slight cut on his cheek and caused him to fall over.
This had become so routine that he didn’t even respond. He just laid there. He knew they’d get bored, although he’d have to be a bit bloodied up first. This happened so often that he had forgotten what they even wanted. Lunch money? He hoped not. That was so painfully cliche that his soul ached for them if that were the case. It could have very well been what they wanted, though. He wasn’t quite sure, he just knew whatever it was, he didn’t have it.
It had been ten minutes, and they clearly weren’t bored yet, but Changmin was, so he started trying to get up despite their merciless kicks. He didn’t have all night to get beaten up. It took a few minutes, but he managed. He looked at them, square on, and one of them was going to punch him again, but something stopped him. Someone had grabbed his arm. He looked behind himself, shocked that someone had dare interfere.
The guy who did it smirked, and Changmin was just as surprised to see him as everyone else. He looked Changmin dead in the eye and said, “Long time no see, huh?” and there was clearly some animosity hidden in that statement.
The thing that threw Changmin off the most is he was wearing the same uniform as everyone else. “Y...Yunho?”
Changmin went to school the next day with guilt plaguing his conscience. He was usually one of the last ones there, and he spent his days with his head on his desk, ignoring the teacher as he tried to catch up on his sleep. He failed all of his tests. He didn’t care. He didn’t have any dreams he needed to achieve.
Imagine his surprise when he was just resting his eyes and suddenly everything went silent, and it wasn’t because someone was goofing off, no, it was because someone new had walked in, and that someone was none other than-
“Class, this is Yunho,” the teacher introduced, her voice upbeat. “He’s a transfer student and will be in your class from now on.” She looked to Yunho to introduce himself, but he said nothing, surveying the classroom until his eyes rested on Changmin, and Changmin could have sworn he saw him snarl. When he took his seat, he made sure there was a row in between Changmin and himself, although the desk in between them was empty.
Lunch time came, and no one moved. Everyone was too anxious to figure out this new student, because Yunho himself was clearly giving nothing away. Changmin left on his own accord, however, but instead of staying in the cafeteria, he returned to the classroom and handed off his meal to Yunho. Everyone stared and started whispering among themselves animatedly. Changmin never gave in to someone like that? And Yunho never asked for anything. Why would Changmin go out of his way to do such a thing? Did they know each other before? There was no way Changmin would just...do that so easily.
The next day a similar event happened, except this time Yunho actually went to the cafeteria. Changmin was sitting by himself and eating, as per usual, but when Yunho walked over to the table, hands empty, he stopped and handed his meal over.
After lunch, a female student by the name of Victoria walked over to Changmin’s desk and hit him upside the head. He stared at her blankly.
“What are you doing?” she asked. “That crap you keep doing at lunch, what’s that about?”
Changmin shrugged. “Nothing,” he replied, before putting his head back on his desk and ignoring her continued questions and attempts to illicit a response. When the teacher walked in, she huffed and went back to her desk.
They were doing some weird thing on narratives, and they had to present one to the class. Some weird kid in the corner talked about getting denied extra food by the lunch lady or something. But then Changmin volunteered, and everyone was shocked to the point where some even let out a gasp. Changmin never volunteered. He had never said a word in class before. All questions were answered when he opened his mouth.
“His dream was to be a dancer. In order to be successful, he had to cut off ties with his gang. In order to leave the gang, he had to get beat up. So he got beat up, but hurt his leg, and one of the younger ones crushed his dreams.” Complete silence at this point. “That bastard is Shim Changmin.”
The class erupted into hushed whispers as they tried to wrap themselves around this information. While they did so, Yunho got up and left the classroom, Changmin trailing close behind before the teacher could ask him any questions.
Yunho heard Changmin’s footsteps and turned around to laugh. “Really?” he muttered. “Are you capable of doing anything on your own accord?”
Changmin stopped in his tracks and look at him desperately. “Just let me make it up to you.”
Yunho scoffed. “Make it up to me? Do you really think this is a debt that can be repaid?”
“Then get your revenge on me! Get angry! Do something!”
“Do you even have anything that is like how dancing was for me? Give it up, and I’ll consider.”
Changmin stared at him helplessly, but got his thoughts together and pushed Yunho aside so he could walked past him.
“What are you doing?” Yunho asked.
“Dropping out of school.”
“The only thing you have to give up is school? You’re going to have to try better than that.”
“I’m not giving up school,” Changmin snapped. “I’m giving up you.”