Chapter Text
- Year 2017 -
9th July
It was 11 in the morning. Euijoo was very excited to be the first from their friend group to wish Nicholas a happy birthday. He was turning 15 today, meanwhile Euijoo was still 14. For the next 2 months Nicholas was going to act superior to him and make him act like his slave.
He does this every year since they became friends. Which was back in 2012, when they were in 4th grade. The teacher paired them up as deskmates and ever since then they have been inseparable. Everyone knows about this best friend duo.
Over the years they made more friends and formed a group. Their group consisted of 4 other people, Jake, Jay, Sunghoon and Wonbin. However, Euijoo and Nicholas had the closest bond with eachother despite being in a group with 4 other people.
He rang the bell, standing infront of the door with a gift bag in his hand. Soon Nicholas opened the door to be faced with Euijoo.
"Happy birthday Nicholas" He wished and handed him the gift bag.
Nicholas smiled at him and lurched forward to crush him in a hug. "I knew it you would be the first one to show up, thank you" he replied, grateful.
"Can I come in? Did your mom bake your birthday cake yet? What flavour is it?" Euijoo bombarded him with questions. Nicholas let out a laugh in response.
"Not yet but she will start in a while. The flavour I also don't know. But we will obviously wait for the others to arrive and then start with the celebrations" Nicholas said
"Okay okay" Euijoo smiled.
"And hey you have to call me Hyung for the next 2 months"
"Ugh but why? You make me do this every year. It's so stupid" Euijoo whined.
"It's not so hard, I'm older than you for these 2 months so call me nicholas hyung" Nicholas demanded.
"Nicholas-hyung you're so annoying" Euijoo said giving him a side eye.
"That's more like it" Nicholas gave a satisfied smirk.
7th September
"Happy birthday Euijoo" Nicholas said as he sat beside his seatmate.
"Thank god today I'm liberated from the nicholas hyung bullshit" Euijoo sighed in relief.
"It would have been fun if I was older than you, it's so much fun pissing you off like that" Nicholas teased him.
"Ugh why are you so annoying" Euijoo hit him on the arm.
"Anyways what are your plans for today? Where are we celebrating your birthday?" Nicholas asked.
"There is no plan" Euijoo replied. "I'm going to another school today after class for football trials, I really want to make it to the national team."
"Wait what? You're actually serious about doing football?"
"It's my dream Nicholas, I really want to make it to the national team"
"But that means you won't hang around us anymore. What about the fight club? You signed yourself to be in it" Nicholas said frowning.
"The fight club was only a temporary thing I agreed to during the summer vacation. I just wanted to test my strength. I don't actually want to fight people Nicholas" Euijoo said simply.
"Oh so you're backing off?" Nicholas scoffed. "I literally have your consent form signed where it clearly says that-"
"That if I want to quit the club I must win a fight with the leader. I know. I don't go back on my word. You're the leader. Let me know when it has to happen." Euijoo said.
Nicholas is at a loss of words. Euijoo was going as far as fighting him to be in the football team. Did being in the team mean so much to him? That he was going to leave his best friend? How could a game mean more than that. He felt betrayed.
"Okay Sunday evening" Nicholas said. "The park behind the school, the whole club will be there"
-
"What's up Nicholas" Jake said as he came to stand beside him. They both were at the rooftop.
"I'm mad at Euijoo" Nicholas replied.
"Are you even capable of being mad at your best friend? You would do anything for him" Jake said.
"Exactly. I would do everything for him but he won't for me. He's so self centred. He only cares about his future." Nicholas said with anger dripping in his voice. "He wants to leave the fight club because he wants to try for the football national team trials."
"Woah he is leaving the club? He's such a traitor" Jake fuelled the fire. "And you said he is your best friend"
"I'm really mad at him. I'm gonna show him in our fight that he's making the worse decision by leaving us like this" Nicholas said as he tossed something on the ground and walked past Jake. He was going to make Euijoo regret.
- Sunday
Nicholas is waiting for Euijoo to arrive at the place where their fight was scheduled. The whole fight club is there and their friends Jay, Jake, Sunghoon and Wonbin are there too.
It was raining heavily, all of them were drenched in rain and none of them had umbrellas or raincoats. But this didn't stop the fight from going forth.
A few minutes later Euijoo arrived, drenched in rain completely. He came forth and smiled at Nicholas.
"I got a call from the coach" he said looking at him. "They said i am selected for the training camp" Euijoo couldn't control his excitement.
On the other hand Nicholas was pissed. Euijoo really was going to leave him. He couldn't believe this. All these years he did everything for him and in the end Euijoo selfishly chose himself.
"Okay but do you remember why you're here?" Nicholas said ignoring answering to him. "You need to prove yourself that I should let you leave"
"Of course" Euijoo replied. "I'm ready"
And just like that, for the first time in 5 years Nicholas and Euijoo have a physical fight. The two who had been best friends since the summer of 2012, had chosen to be partners in every class, every project and every opportunity given to him were here standing against each other as rivals.
Nicholas landed a punch across Euijoo's face who is sent flying to the ground. Euijoo had no idea about Nicholas's strength since they never had a fight amongst themselves during the fight club matches.
Euijoo gets up and punches Nicholas in the stomach, who winces loudly at the impact. In return Nicholas with his full force kicked Euijoo throwing him to the ground.
When Euijoo fell, his head hit a rock and his head starts spinning. He could not find strength to get up from that position. Nicholas took this as an opportunity and kicked his leg hard and Euijoo screamed. Nicholas stepped on his leg, and kept jumping, kicking it while Euijoo screamed in pain begging him to stop. But Nicholas wasn't in his senses, he was mad and taking it out on him brutally.
"Nicholas stop!" Euijoo's face was streaming with tears, he was crying due to the immense pain. He could not feel one of his legs at all. It felt as if his bone was dislocated or something.
Nicholas suddenly stopped and looked down towards his best friend who was screaming in pain. He was suddenly brought back to his senses. He was way too harsh. He was brutal with Euijoo. And it was slowly starting to dawn on him that he might have seriously injured Euijoo.
Upon hearing Euijoo's screams Sunghoon ran forward to him and tried making him stand. But Euijoo could not put even a little pressure on his right leg. When Sunghoon forced him to put some weight on it he screamed so loud.
Wonbin came forward immediately and knelt down to examine his leg.
"It's fractured" he said all of a sudden.
"What?!" Sunghoon looked at him in shock.
Nicholas froze at the spot. Did he just cause permanent injury to his best friend? How was he going to live with this now? How would he even face him?
Euijoo couldn't even process anything. He was constantly screaming in pain. Sunghoon and Wonbin both carry him while he's still screaming and take him towards the car. One of the older members of the fight club volunteered to drive and take him to the hospital.
Meanwhile Nicholas hasn't moved an inch from where he was standing. Euijoo's painful screams still echoing in his head. He has no idea how to face him now. There was no way Euijoo was going to forgive him for this. He technically caused him a disability. And it would be a huge hindrance in pursuing his dream of football.
Euijoo arrived at the hospital with Sunghoon and Wonbin accompanying him. He was still crying non stop due to the excruciating pain in his leg. The doctors immediately took him in the emergency room.
Sunghoon meanwhile called Euijoo's mom who came rushing to the hospital.
"What happened to him?" She asked on the verge of sobbing. "How did it happen?"
"He and Nicholas were having a fight and then this happened" Wonbin spilled and Sunghoon's eyes widened. He nudged him immediately.
"Nicholas?" His mom asked in disbelief. "Nicholas hurt him so bad that he needs surgery?"
His mother didn't even wait for a reply this time, she dashed away in anger from both of them and went to meet the doctor.
"Why would you tell her that!" Sunghoon said to Wonbin.
"She needed to know! Nicholas was totally out of it."
"Yeah but they are best friends. What would his mom think of Nicholas now?"
"This is something Nicholas should have thought about" Wonbin replied.
Just then Nicholas along with Jay and Jake arrived there too. They come up to meet Sunghoon and Wonbin.
"Is Euijoo okay?" Jay asked.
"He is not." Wonbin replied. "He needs surgery, and the doctor said he can't stand on his feet for months and there is no way he can pursue sports now"
Silence falls between the 5 friends. They all don't know what to say. Nicholas actually caused huge damage. Life time damage. He walks away from the group and up to the emergency.
He saw his mom sitting outside the ward. He went up to her and she immediately stood up to face him.
"How could you do this to my son?" She raged at him making Nicholas flinch.
"You out of all people in his life! I never expected you to do something like this. You're the person I trusted the most with my son. That he will always be there for him and protect him. And this is what you did to him? What did he even do to you? How are you going to justify breaking his leg?!"
"I'm sorry" Nicholas said looking down at his feet.
"Wow" she clapped her hands slowly in disbelief. "I don't accept your sorry, I better not see you again with Euijoo. I know you don't regret this at all" and with that she walked away from him.
A single tear slid down Nicholas's face. He peeked into the room where Euijoo was to find him unconscious and attached to several IV drips. He felt his heart shatter. His chest felt tight with regret and guilt.
He felt it was best if he disappeared from Euijoo's life. He didn't have the guts to face him and his mom also wouldn't let him be around him anymore. That night was the last time he saw Euijoo in person.
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