Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Since he was a little boy, Jeon Wonwoo never talked. He didn’t really talk at home, he didn’t talk at the playground, and he didn’t talk at school either. Not that he was mute… he was just a timid boy.

Very timid.

So timid that the students in his class often picked on him, and he said nothing. They made him the object of all their bullying, and still, he said nothing.

They took his shoes and threw them into sticky mud on rainy days, laughing when the teacher scolded him because she thought he had been playing in the rain. They pushed him around, hid his things, never picked him as a teammate, and barely acknowledged his existence at all—except as a punching bag or a dirty rag.

Still, he said nothing.

His parents once told his teacher that Wonwoo’s timidity came from the way his nanny used to treat him. They were busy with their growing businesses and often left Wonwoo in the care of their trusted nanny. Unfortunately, the woman didn’t like children very much and constantly scolded him, sometimes to the point of physically hurting him. Even something as simple as talking could make her angry.

The dreadful truth finally came to light when his parents returned early from an overseas business trip and caught the nanny red-handed, harshly scolding Wonwoo just because he asked for a refill of juice. They fired the woman immediately, but the damage had already been done. Wonwoo had become too afraid to even utter a single word, even to his own parents.

Unfortunately, the bullying at school never stopped. It only followed him into high school.

And it got worse.

Jeon Wonwoo grew into a lanky boy with terribly poor eyesight. He hid behind oversized clothes and thick black-framed glasses. His hair, dark as a starless midnight sky, fell neatly around his pale face. His soft appearance made him an easy target.

They mocked his clothes, yanked him around by the hem of his sweater until it stretched bigger by the end of the day.

They threw board erasers covered in chalk dust at his face and laughed like there was no tomorrow. They called him a stupid clown while his glasses fell to the floor and his eyes burned painfully.

They dumped buckets of water on him and hid his spare clothes.

They took his books and threw them into the garbage dumpster—almost burning them once because the janitor had been lighting trash nearby.

Sometimes, they cornered him in the library or in the deepest parts of the schoolyard just to beat the hell out of him. Sometimes until he could barely walk, limping away covered in blood, sweat, and tears all at once—but never badly enough to catch the attention of adults.

The bullies knew their limits. They knew exactly how far they could go before setting off alarms.

And Wonwoo still said nothing.

One day, while Wonwoo was taking his books from his locker, a group of the usual jerks who always seemed to make it their life mission to bully him came out of nowhere and surrounded him like hungry hyenas cornering their prey.

Wonwoo sighed silently.

Apparently I wasn't fast enough today.

“Look, it’s the mute boy.” One of them, a blond-haired boy with bangs long enough to cover his embarrassingly huge forehead, mocked him with a grin. He was known as Yongwan, the headmaster’s nephew.

“You’re such an unfortunate dumbass. You’re mute—” another boy, a tall one, paused as he slowly swept his eyes over Wonwoo, “—and ugly as hell.” He snickered lazily while chewing his gum obnoxiously.

Wonwoo inhaled slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him.

Please make it quick today.

“Hey, at least pay attention when someone’s talking to you. You should consider yourself lucky Yongwan and Byungsik are even talking to you, you nerdy slut!” Another boy with messy brown hair suddenly yanked Wonwoo’s hair to get his attention. Caught off guard, Wonwoo dropped all of his thick books onto the floor—right onto the bully’s feet.

“Ouch! Watch it, dickwart!” Annoyed, the boy shoved Wonwoo harshly, making his forehead collide against the metal locker behind him.

Wonwoo winced slightly at the sharp pain shooting through his forehead, but he kept his lips tightly shut.

That hurt. Damn… are those stars?

“Stupid, Jinhu!” Byungsik and Yongwan burst into laughter while their friend nursed his sore toes.

Jinhu looked genuinely pissed. He glanced around the corridor and seemed relieved to find no other students nearby. Everyone was probably too busy stuffing their faces or socializing in the cafeteria since it was break time.

With a scowl, he grabbed Wonwoo’s hair again before punching him hard in the stomach. “Eat this, dirty nerd!” He kicked Wonwoo’s legs before stomping harshly on the back of his canvas shoes.

Ignoring Wonwoo’s soft whimper of pain, Jinhu shoved him hard enough that the shoe slipped loose as he fell toward the cold marble floor.

Wonwoo closed his eyes, already expecting a broken nose the moment his face hit the ground. But strangely enough, he felt nothing. Only a pair of strong arms wrapped around his petite waist.

“Nice catch!” Another voice rang through the hallway—light, cheerful, unfamiliar. 

Wonwoo’s eyes snapped open, only to find a pretty boy standing beside him. His smile was radiant, and his soft medium-length hair looked impossibly smooth.

Yoon Jeonghan.

The vice president of the student council.

Blinking rapidly, Wonwoo slowly looked down and realized a strong tanned arm was still securely wrapped around his waist. Following the long arm upward, veins visible beneath warm skin, Wonwoo carefully turned his head over his shoulder—and froze.

Kim Mingyu.

Jeonghan’s best friend. And also, the student council president. The school’s golden boy.

“Yoon Jeonghan!” Yongwan and Byungsik stuttered in unison.

“Kim Mingyu!” Jinhu gasped.

“Yeah, we know our own names,” Jeonghan scoffed.

“You guys do realize our school doesn’t tolerate violence, right?” Mingyu said firmly. His voice vibrated through Wonwoo’s body from where he was still held in Mingyu’s embrace. Even though the words weren’t directed at him, Wonwoo still found himself trembling slightly.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Jeonghan crossed his arms, visibly annoyed. “Next time, I’ll personally make sure all of you get expelled if I catch you doing this again.”

“Even you, Yongwan,” Mingyu added coldly. The three boys immediately turned pale.

“Now scoot.” Jeonghan waved his hand dismissively.

Wonwoo gulped quietly at Jeonghan’s intimidating authority and gasped softly when Mingyu carefully let him go, making sure both of Wonwoo’s feet were properly balanced before fully releasing him.

But the moment Mingyu’s hand left him, Wonwoo suddenly collapsed ungracefully onto the floor.

“Yah, Kim Mingyu!” Jeonghan smacked the back of Mingyu’s head before rushing toward Wonwoo. “Are you okay? Wonwoo, right?”

Wonwoo only nodded while rubbing his sore backside. His eyes flickered from Jeonghan’s panicked face to Mingyu’s guilty expression.

It's not the president's fault.

It was just that all of Wonwoo’s strength had suddenly left him the moment he finally felt safe after the attack.

“I’m sorry,” Mingyu muttered quietly.

Jeonghan hissed at his best friend before turning back to Wonwoo. “Are you hurt?” he asked softly, concern written all over his face.

Wonwoo shook his head. He quietly gathered his books before glancing around as though searching for something.

Mingyu crouched beside him, holding up a shoe. “Looking for this?”

Wonwoo’s eyes widened behind his thick glasses, and he nodded quickly.

Yes!

Mingyu hummed softly before handing the shoe back. “Do you need help?” he gently asked as Wonwoo wore his shoe back and immediately took his books from the floor.

Wonwoo wasn’t used to this.

To kindness.

To people helping him when he got bullied.

Most of the time, the bullies were never caught red-handed. And even when people knew, they usually just looked the other way. The ugly truth was that Wonwoo had become more familiar with abuse, physical or verbal, than with kindness. But being used to it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

So he simply lowered his head, bangs hiding his teary eyes, before shaking his head slightly and walking away, leaving behind a still-crouching Mingyu and a worried Jeonghan.

Thank you. 

He thought quietly without looking back.

..........

Wonwoo was fully aware that after the incident, the bullying had somewhat decreased for a couple of days, though it hadn’t completely stopped. People still verbally abused him—calling him names or throwing colorful insults at him out of nowhere in places like the corridors, cafeteria, or restroom. But so far, nothing physical.

That Friday afternoon, rain poured heavily at four o’clock while Wonwoo was preparing to go home. Unfortunately, some boys took his umbrella for themselves while saying things like, “An ugly nerd like you should stay at school forever and rot instead.”

Wonwoo had no other choice except staying behind and waiting for the rain to stop—whenever that would be. So he sat near the shoe racks with a book in his hands when suddenly, a pair of shoes stopped right in front of him. Wonwoo frowned slightly before glancing up, only to meet a pair of deep brown eyes belonging to none other than Kim Mingyu.

The student council president stood tall in front of him, one hand holding his bag while the other carried a black umbrella.

Out of reflex, Wonwoo looked around, searching for another figure usually attached to Mingyu’s side as if invisible glue permanently connected them together.

“Are you looking for Jeonghan? He’s not here.”

Wonwoo blinked.

Is he a mind reader? 

Mingyu continued, “Why does everyone always think Jeonghan follows me everywhere I go?” He sighed dramatically as though trying to lighten the mood.

Mindlessly, Wonwoo shrugged in a small ask-yourself gesture before immediately freezing. He hadn’t meant to react. It was just a reflex.

Wonwoo carefully stole a glance at Mingyu, hoping the president hadn’t noticed his subtle movement. Thankfully, Mingyu seemed too busy watching the rain outside.

Everyone knew the student council president and vice president were childhood best friends. People often joked they were like conjoined twins—never separated from one another. Some students even believed they were secretly dating. Others claimed they were engaged. Some spread rumors about them being friends with benefits. With Mingyu’s naturally dominant presence and Jeonghan’s pretty, diva-like appearance, people were more than happy to believe every rumor they heard.

Wonwoo knew at least that much.

“What are you doing here?” Mingyu suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. “You didn’t bring an umbrella?”

Wonwoo only stared at the rain silently.

I did. But they stole it from me.

But of course, Mingyu wasn’t clairvoyant. He couldn’t hear the answers trapped inside Wonwoo’s head. Instead, he chuckled softly. “I almost forgot mine too, honestly. Luckily, my mom watched the weather forecast this morning.”

Wonwoo quietly exhaled.

If only I had brought two umbrellas.

But then his brows slowly furrowed as he tilted his head slightly. This was only the second time he had ever been this close to Mingyu despite attending the same school for nearly two years. Only the second time. Yet strangely enough, Wonwoo didn’t feel the immediate urge to run away.

Maybe because it was raining and he had nowhere else to go.

Or maybe because Mingyu had helped him the other day.

Wonwoo heard Mingyu suddenly clear his throat, then came a question he never expected.

“Wo–would you like to share an umbrella with me?”

Wonwoo’s eyes widened behind his thick glasses. If his eyes hadn’t been hidden beneath those lenses, he would’ve looked adorable.

Excuse me?

“Or you can just take mine instead,” Mingyu quickly offered. “I can use my hoodie. The rain looks pretty persistent, and I don’t know when it’ll stop, so…”

Wonwoo stared quietly at the black umbrella in Mingyu’s hand before cautiously glancing at the boy offering it.

Is he really—?

Wonwoo bit his lower lip and decided not to take the offer. The rain would stop eventually. He could just wait. No one was expecting him at home anyway since his parents were away in the countryside for business. Besides, he still didn’t know if it was safe to accept something from Mingyu.

Even if he was the student council president.

Even if he had helped him once.

So Wonwoo slowly shook his head.

“Why?” Mingyu frowned. “The school’s going to close soon. No one’s gonna be here. You’ll be alone.”

It wouldn’t be the first time.

“At least take this. You can go home whenever you’re ready.” Before Wonwoo could react, Mingyu pushed the umbrella gently into his cold hands, pulled the hood of his green hoodie over his head, and suddenly ran out into the rain.

Wonwoo silently watched Mingyu’s figure slowly disappear behind the curtain of heavy rain. His fingers played lightly with the umbrella handle. 

Something unfamiliar stirred quietly inside his chest because for the first time ever, someone at school cared enough to worry about him.

And he had even left him an umbrella.

.....

Wonwoo was walking back from the restroom while fishing his handkerchief out of his pocket to dry his hands when suddenly, a foot tripped him.

“Oops… didn’t see a dirty nerd walking this way.” Jinhu smirked while his two sidekicks snickered behind him.

The three idiots had been staying under the radar for the past couple of weeks, waiting for Jeonghan’s threat to become outdated—or at least forgotten enough for it to be safe to start bullying Wonwoo again.

Yongwan suddenly stepped forward and snatched the handkerchief lying beside Wonwoo on the floor before bursting into laughter. “Look at this! It’s Pororo and even has his name stitched on it.” He laughed louder. “Aww, do you seriously think someone would want to steal your dirty, worthless hanky, mute freak?”

It’s a fox. These idiots can’t even recognize Pororo. 

Wonwoo merely blinked from where he sat on the floor.

There goes my favorite handkerchief, I guess…

“Let me make this clear,” Jinhu sneered while crouching slightly in front of Wonwoo. His yellow and ugly teeth on full display. “Nobody’s ever gonna steal anything from you because you’re not worth anything.” He waved his hand lazily toward Yongwan. “So say goodbye to your ugly Pororo hanky, freak.” Right on cue, Yongwan threw the purple handkerchief out the window.

The trio walked away laughing like maniacs after one final kick to Wonwoo’s side while he was still sitting on the floor.

Wonwoo groaned softly as he rubbed his temple tiredly.

Honestly, he was getting really tired of all this bullying.

......

Wonwoo could swear he never intended to eavesdrop on anyone.

He was simply on a mission to search for his purple handkerchief that Yongwan had thrown away yesterday. Judging from the direction it flew, it should’ve landed somewhere around here—the small garden behind the school.

So really, accidentally overhearing Jeonghan nagging Mingyu was never part of his plan.

“Listen, Kim.” The diva-like boy nudged his dozing best friend with his foot, completely ignoring Mingyu’s sleepy complaints. “We need to finalize the sports event programs right away. The event is only two weeks from now.”

“Why don’t we just follow last year’s programs?” Mingyu lazily rolled onto his side, clearly trying to find a more comfortable position on the grass. The two of them were supposedly having a meeting beneath the shade of the biggest tree in the garden.

Well, only Jeonghan seemed to be doing actual work while Mingyu rolled around on the grass like an oversized puppy.

“Can’t believe people chose such a lazy ass to be president,” Jeonghan scoffed before kicking Mingyu’s squishy butt, once again ignoring the other boy’s whining.

“Mhm,” Mingyu mumbled sleepily. “Give me five minutes. I was working on my science project until late last night.”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. “You and your perfectionism. The project isn’t due for another two weeks, right? At least let yourself rest.”

“I can’t afford to fail.”

“You won’t.” Jeonghan sighed softly. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Gyu.”

Mingyu didn’t reply after that, so Wonwoo—who had flattened himself against the wall to avoid being spotted—assumed the president had finally fallen asleep.

Quietly exhaling, Wonwoo prepared to continue searching for his handkerchief when Jeonghan suddenly spoke again with a chuckle.

“You know people keep saying you’re the top in our so-called imaginary relationship.”

“Excuse me?” Mingyu asked blearily.

So much for a peaceful five-minute nap.

Wonwoo rolled his eyes and returned to his hiding spot because apparently, the conversation was continuing.

“You seriously had no idea?” Jeonghan laughed. “The student body has been buzzing like crazy, pairing us together as some kind of OTP—” 

He paused dramatically. 

“—which means One True Pairing before you ask. Honestly, disgusting. I already have Seungcheollie as my love interest, thank you very much.”

“Ugh. How do people even come up with this stuff?” Mingyu groaned.

Jeonghan snorted. “Wait until you hear the most unhinged theories. At this point, they could probably write fanfiction about us.”

Wonwoo pursed his lips silently.

So it really was just rumors after all.

“Then why don’t you just come out publicly already?” Mingyu replied, sounding much less sleepy now. “It’ll save both of us.”

“Honestly, I’m planning to.” Jeonghan casually twirled his pen between his fingers. “Maybe during the sports event. Apparently people are expecting us to dance together during the closing ceremony or something. Cheollie absolutely hates that idea.”

Wonwoo carefully peeked from behind the wall and saw Jeonghan biting the end of his pen while scribbling notes onto the papers on his lap.

“And he also said it’d be better if you started seeing someone too,” Jeonghan continued, “so I won’t look like the bad guy abandoning you to rot alone.”

“Well…” Mingyu shrugged before lying back down on the grass again. “You know I don’t really care about that.”

Jeonghan quietly stared at his best friend for a moment. “Don’t care about being single,” he asked carefully, “or don’t care about being left behind?”

Wonwoo’s brows lifted slightly when Mingyu abruptly sat up again.

“You know it’s not—it’s not like that, Han.”

“It’s been what, five years?” Jeonghan asked quietly. “You still haven’t heard anything from her, have you?”

When Mingyu didn't say anything, Jeonghan sighed and continued, “You know… the other day when we helped Jeon Wonwoo…”

At the mention of his own name, Wonwoo frowned slightly and suddenly felt much less guilty about overhearing their conversation.

“He kind of reminds me of her,” Jeonghan admitted softly. “Timid. Bullied. Unable to stand up for himself. If I noticed that resemblance, I’m pretty sure you did too.”

Who are they talking about? And what does that have to do with me?

“You know she’s different,” Mingyu replied. A pause, and then, “She’s not a charity case.”

Wait.

Wonwoo's breath hitched.

What? 

His frown deepened.

So I'm a charity case?

Wonwoo scoffed bitterly under his breath. He immediately stood up, deciding he could continue searching for the purple handkerchief another day. He couldn’t completely give up on it since it had been a precious gift from his late grandmother.

But for now, he just needed to leave. He didn’t hear Jeonghan’s response after that, nor did he want to hear the rest of the conversation.

He couldn’t stand staying near someone who apparently only saw him as some pathetic charity project. Wonwoo tightened his grip around himself as he walked away. His eyes slowly burned hotter with every quiet step. 

Actually… 

He shouldn’t even be angry. Because Mingyu was right.

He was pathetic.

Wonwoo didn't blame Mingyu. He blamed himself. He just couldn’t believe he had finally reached this point—

the point of becoming so pathetic that people pitied him.

......

Wonwoo was cleaning the blackboard when one of his classmates told him that the student council president was looking for him. Apparently, the famous president had been walking around the school grounds trying to find him.

“What did you do this time, mute boy? Even Kim Mingyu looks pissed at you now,” one of his classmates snickered.

The lanky boy tried not to let his annoyance show on his face. He didn’t know why Mingyu was looking for him, but he definitely wasn’t going to search for the president himself. Right now, Wonwoo didn’t want anything to do with anyone. Not his bullies. And especially not Kim Mingyu.

Before Wonwoo could continue cleaning the classroom, Mingyu suddenly appeared by the door and called his name.

“Hi, Jeon Wonwoo? Can I borrow you for a second?”

Wonwoo glanced toward the doorway. As usual, the president looked annoyingly pristine and handsome. His short jet-black hair framed his face perfectly, making his warm smile stand out even more.

Kim Mingyu was really good-looking.

But Wonwoo still didn’t want to go with him. Maybe he sounded petty—even to himself—but he couldn’t simply brush off what he had overheard Mingyu say the other day. So instead, Wonwoo quietly continued erasing the blackboard as if he hadn’t heard his name being called at all.

“Yah… the audacity of this mute freak,” someone muttered from the back of the class.

“Don’t call him that.”

Wonwoo’s hand paused slightly when Mingyu suddenly spoke from right behind him.

Huh? Since when did he move closer?

“Don’t use that word again,” Mingyu added firmly. “Ever.” Wonwoo could almost hear the emphasis in his voice.

Then suddenly, a warm hand landed gently against his waist. Wonwoo immediately shivered, nearly dropping the eraser in his hand.

“Hey.” Mingyu’s face appeared in his line of sight just as Wonwoo was about to turn around. His eyes looked like warm milk chocolate beneath the classroom lights. “Could you please come with me? I have something for you,” he asked softly.

The president completely ignored the curious stares from Wonwoo’s classmates, who were now openly watching the scene with interest. Despite the growing attention around him, Wonwoo found himself unable to refuse after Mingyu had gone this far.

Better get this over with quickly.

When Wonwoo finally nodded, Mingyu smiled immediately before giving him a light push against the small of his back. His hand didn’t linger, only hovering politely as he guided Wonwoo out of the classroom.

Wonwoo tried not to think too much about what would happen after this. The gossipers would definitely have a field day. And the bullies probably wouldn’t be happy either.

The two of them walked until they reached a quieter corridor near one of the secluded corners of the school. Then Mingyu pulled something out of his pocket. 

A rectangular piece of purple cloth.

Wonwoo’s eyes widened instantly at the sight of his handkerchief. After that awful day, he had returned to the back garden two or three more times trying to find it, but he couldn't find it every time. Eventually, he had started accepting that he probably lost it forever.

And yet now… Mingyu was holding it in front of him.

“Is this yours?” Mingyu asked carefully. “I mean… I thought it was yours because your name is stitched on it.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I found it in the back garden two days ago, but I only had time to return it now. Sorry about that.”

Oh, he must have found it that day when I was also there.

Wonwoo quietly accepted the handkerchief and nodded without saying a word.

“Did you drop it?” Mingyu asked gently. “Or… did someone throw it away?”

Right. Yongwan and his gang did.

Mingyu stared at Wonwoo's face as if he was trying to read him. “If someone’s doing something to you,” he continued carefully, “—would you mind telling me?”

And get called a bother again?

Wonwoo slowly lifted his eyes from the purple handkerchief in his hands and stared at Mingyu silently, questioning his intentions without words.

Why should I tell you anything?

“Because…” Mingyu started, somehow weirdly in sync with Wonwoo’s silent thoughts, “I’m the student council president. I want everyone in this school to be able to study peacefully in a safe and comfortable environment.” 

Typical school prodigy speech.

Wonwoo almost scoffed. But at this point, he had become an expert at hiding his thoughts and feelings, so he simply nodded instead. Anything to end this conversation faster.

Right when Wonwoo was about to leave and turn the corner, Mingyu suddenly called out to him again from behind. “I mean it, Wonwoo.”

Yeah, me too Kim Mingyu.

...........

From a small hush-hush rumor, it soon became huge news.

How Kim Mingyu had suddenly taken interest in a weird nerd like Wonwoo. The scene in the classroom that day had produced enough witnesses for rumors to spread wildly, making Wonwoo’s life even more unbearable than before.

Now the bullying came from every possible direction. Not only from the usual jerks, but also from students—girls and guys alike—who had crushes on Mingyu.

Or students who desperately wanted the GyuHan couple to be real. They sympathized with Jeonghan because he was supposedly the victim in this situation, while Mingyu himself only received awkward silence or subtle cold shoulders.

Because obviously, handsome, famous, perfect Kim Mingyu could never be wrong. It had to be the mute freak Jeon Wonwoo who was somehow at fault here. Maybe he used weird sorcery or something. Honestly, sometimes Wonwoo found the sheer absurdity of his bullies strangely entertaining.

So naturally, they all decided it was their responsibility to remind him of his place… by bullying him even more.

Lately, Wonwoo almost never returned home without new bruises decorating his body. The injuries were becoming harder and harder to hide from his parents. But he really didn’t want them finding out.

Because explaining meant talking.

And Wonwoo hated talking.

Another reason he tried desperately to hide the injuries—wearing bigger, darker sweaters to conceal blood stains and swelling—was because he didn’t want a certain Kim Mingyu to notice them either. For the past two weeks, Wonwoo had successfully avoided the student council president. And hopefully, he could survive today too.

At first, it was a normal day.

Well… as normal as students throwing insults at him whenever he passed by a group of people. Nothing physical had happened so far. Wonwoo could simply sing random songs inside his head to drown out the colorful insults hurled at him and pretend none of it was directed at him.

It only hurt if he allowed it to. So as long as he didn’t—he would survive.

Until several students dragged him out of the library and dumped a bucket of dirty water over him. The timing couldn't be more calculated than this. They were doing it during the librarian's usual afternoon restroom break.

Ah, classic. It had actually been a while.

The attackers were a group of girls who apparently believed they were far more suitable for Mingyu than someone like Wonwoo. And so, naturally, after the water came the slapping. The yelling. The screaming. And the painful hair pulling.

If Wonwoo weren’t selectively mute, he probably would’ve been sobbing loudly by now. Which would either satisfy the bullies or encourage them to become even crueler. But because he was the so-called mute freak, the only thing Wonwoo allowed himself was silent tears rolling down his cheeks. Because honestly—the hair pulling really hurt.

And for the grand finale, of course:

“We’ll leave you here! Just pray the guards find you before the boys do… or worse, the rats.”

The girls slammed the door shut loudly behind them. Wonwoo exhaled heavily. Loudly this time. No one was around anyway, so he didn’t care anymore.

He glanced around the room. An old storage room behind the gymnasium. Nobody really used it anymore since it had become a place to dump broken sports equipment. The room smelled moldy and damp with fungus. Wonwoo slowly stood up and searched for the light switch. 

Nothing. The lamp was broken.

Luckily, the girls hadn’t destroyed his glasses. So despite the darkness, Wonwoo could still vaguely see his surroundings from the sunlight filtering weakly through the dusty windows. 

This was practically routine at this point. When would all of this finally end? Would he really spend the rest of his life like this? Wonwoo knew better than to get used to this kind of torture. But honestly, what else could he even do?

His teeth started chattering from the cold as his wet uniform clung to his skin.

“Would you mind telling me?”

Funny. He suddenly remembered Mingyu saying that to him. Wonwoo almost laughed.

So what if I told you?

Even if he told Mingyu everything, what could the president realistically do? Stand beside him twenty-four hours a day as his personal bodyguard? And even if Wonwoo wanted to contact him now, it was impossible. He didn’t even have Mingyu’s number.

He couldn't possibly kn—

Suddenly, the storage room door burst open.

Wonwoo winced at the sudden light flooding into the room.

What now? Did Jinhu finally find me? Round two already?

Before Wonwoo could react properly, someone gently grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a warm embrace.

“Wonwoo? Are you okay?” 

Mingyu.

Wonwoo blinked slowly as Mingyu pulled away just enough to examine him in panic. “You’re freezing,” Mingyu said quickly. “And you’re soaked. Did they do anything else to you?”

Wonwoo merely stared silently, still trying to process what was even happening.

How did you find me?

Maybe Mingyu understood the question through Wonwoo’s expression because he immediately explained. “Some juniors saw a group of girls dragging you out of the library and leaving your stuff behind. They told Jeonghan when he came to return books, and then Jeonghan told me.” Mingyu swallowed nervously. “So we split up to look for you. I just… I don’t know. I had a feeling you’d be here.”

Ah.. So there were still nice people in this school after all.

Wonwoo should probably be grateful to those juniors.

“How do you never say anything?” Mingyu suddenly asked, frustration slipping into his voice. “If people bully you, you should fight back—or at least ask for help.”

Wonwoo flinched slightly.

“Why didn’t you tell me things were getting worse?” Mingyu continued softly. “It’s worse than before now, isn’t it?”

Wonwoo silently stared at him while Mingyu waited desperately for an answer that would never come. After a long moment, Wonwoo finally lowered his gaze and sighed quietly.

You don't understand.

When he looked back up, all he offered Mingyu was a small expression of gratitude before walking past him toward the exit.

But before Wonwoo could fully leave, Mingyu suddenly grabbed his wrist and pushed him gently against the wall. His grip tightened unconsciously around Wonwoo’s arms. Neither of them spoke. They simply stared at each other in silence, trying—and failing—to understand one another. Then Wonwoo frowned slightly when Mingyu’s grip began hurting him.

The realization immediately made Mingyu step back. “I’m sorry, Wonwoo,” he said quickly. “I’m so sorry. I just… I just—” He looked genuinely flustered, like he hadn’t even realized what he was doing.

Guilty. You just feel guilty.

Because there was no way Kim Mingyu could truly care about someone like him. They weren’t even friends. Wonwoo wasn’t the girl from five years ago. The girl who wasn’t a charity case. Unlike him.

Still…

Wonwoo was genuinely grateful Mingyu had found him today. Otherwise, he might’ve stayed trapped in that storage room for hours until the guards eventually discovered him during night patrol. And it wasn’t Mingyu’s fault that half the school was obsessed with him either.

So in his own awkward way of saying thank you—and you don’t need to worry about me— Wonwoo carefully reached out and tugged lightly on Mingyu’s sleeve, pulling him downward before wrapping his arms briefly around his neck.

Mingyu froze completely.

But Wonwoo didn’t linger long. He didn’t want to make Mingyu uncomfortable. And he definitely didn’t want to soak Mingyu’s uniform with his wet clothes. It was only supposed to mean ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m okay. You don’t need to worry anymore’.

After pulling away, Wonwoo quietly walked out of the storage room alone.

Meanwhile, Mingyu remained standing there for who knew how long.

And Wonwoo sincerely hoped—that Mingyu understood.

………….

Today was finally D-Day.

The school sports event had officially begun. Everybody was busy with endless activities and competitions all week long, and Wonwoo genuinely hoped people would be too distracted to bully him for once. Because honestly, it had been a very long time since he last experienced anything close to peaceful school days. And he was only starting to recover from the bruises covering his body from the past few weeks.

Unfortunately, his classmates clearly believed Wonwoo deserved no breaks.

They signed him up for the task-and-run event, the final event scheduled for the first day. The game itself was simple. Participants had to run around the field as fast as possible, grab the paper containing a task, then complete the task while running toward the finish line. Whoever fulfilled the task and crossed the finish line first would win.

His classmates also made sure to threaten him properly beforehand if he dared lose.

An old song, really.

Wonwoo sighed quietly at the thought. Honestly, he already knew this was merely another excuse to punish him later. Another reason to justify their bullying: because Wonwoo made the class lose. They probably assumed he couldn’t run fast anyway. Typical weak nerd stereotype. Clearly, they only wanted to watch him fail publicly before bullying him afterward.

The thing was—there was one tiny detail his classmates didn’t know.

Wonwoo was actually really good at running. Weirdly good. Or maybe not weird at all considering how often he had to run away from people. Still, he could run ridiculously fast. It was probably the only sport he excelled at.

So honestly, the running part didn’t worry him much. The task part did. That was another reason his classmates specifically shoved him into this event. They wanted to humiliate him. The task-and-run event was supposed to be “fun” after all.

Well… fun if you weren’t one of the participants.

From previous years, the tasks usually ranged from silly to downright ridiculous: dance to a trot song while running to the finish line, eat someone’s lunchbox while running, wear embarrassing costumes—things like that. Whatever the task was, humiliation was practically guaranteed.

Wonwoo exhaled heavily. He just hoped he wouldn’t get something impossible.

“Yah! Jeon Wonwoo!” Someone shouted from across the court. “The task-and-run starts in five minutes! Go stand in your position already. And make sure you win, okay?” The boy dragged his thumb across his neck in a threatening gesture. “Otherwise…”

Who told you to choose me if winning mattered that much?

At this point, Wonwoo barely felt threatened anymore. Win or lose, people would always find some excuse to make his life miserable anyway.

Wonwoo decided not to respond and drink his strawberry milk instead. He got a bottle from Jeonghan this morning. It's random, really, but Wonwoo trusts the vice president enough to not put anything funny in the milk to poison him or something.

“It's to cheer you up.” Jeonghan said, and also “Don't worry too much.” Before walking away with a chuckle after ruffling Wonwoo’s hair.

Wonwoo honestly wasn’t sure whether they were close enough for Jeonghan to casually do things like that. Still, it was harmless enough. And free strawberry milk was free strawberry milk. Luckily, it was even his favorite flavor.

Soon enough, students started gathering near the starting line, including Wonwoo himself. He was assigned to lane number six. Looking around, Wonwoo noticed several of his classmates waiting eagerly by the sidelines. Probably excited to witness his humiliation firsthand.

As everyone around him stretched and prepared themselves, Wonwoo found himself wondering what kind of task he would receive. The task-and-run event never gave participants anything genuinely difficult. The tasks were always meant to be funny and entertaining since the entire event existed purely for the audience’s amusement. 

That was exactly why his classmates put him here. Because even if he lost, the event itself wasn’t important. And if he got humiliated while completing the task?

Even better.

Either way, things never ended well for Wonwoo.

Que sera sera… I guess.

Wonwoo lowered himself into position when the referee finally shouted:

“Ready… on your marks… get set—GO!”

Wonwoo pushed his body forward as if he wanted to fly rather than run.

To everyone’s shock—he was fast. Ridiculously fast. Thanks to his speed, Wonwoo became the very first participant to reach the task station. He quickly grabbed the folded paper assigned for his lane while expecting something ridiculous like:

Hop like a bunny to the finish line.

Or:

Wear this ugly clown costume while running.

Honestly, Wonwoo could handle that. He could hop like a rabbit if necessary. He could even shove himself into some suspiciously smelly clown costume.

But the moment he unfolded the paper—his jaw dropped. His eyes widened behind his thick glasses. For one horrifying second, Wonwoo genuinely wondered whether his eyesight had suddenly gotten worse.

Because what the hell was he reading?

He froze completely. Like a statue. His face looked as if someone had just told him to run to the finish line naked.

Meanwhile, his classmates immediately started screaming from the sidelines:

“What the fuck is wrong with him?!”

“Why isn’t he running?!”

“YAH! RUN, YOU MUTE FREAK!”

“You’re making us lose!”

Students from other classes started wondering too. Soon, the murmurs grew louder as the other participants reached the task station one by one.

The sports-event commentator was a witty junior named Seungkwan. He was Jeonghan’s younger cousin and had been commenting on every event since morning. He knew exactly how to keep the audience entertained. Even though he never made fun of Wonwoo, he eventually became curious too.

“Wonwoo-ssi, who arrived first at the task station, still hasn't moved yet.” Seungkwan’s voice echoed through the speakers. “Wonwoo-ssi? Everyone else is already on their way to complete their tasks. What are you doing?”

Students laughed.

Wonwoo knew Seungkwan wasn't mocking him. The younger boy genuinely sounded confused.

He wanted to continue.

But how? This is impossible.

“Oh! I think I know what Wonwoo-ssi’s task is.” Seungkwan suddenly exclaimed. “I have the complete task list with me right now, everyone. His task is…”

A dramatic pause.

“Take your boyfriend to the finish line with you.”

The entire field exploded with laughter. At this point, Wonwoo began mentally listing all the punishments he would probably receive later. He'd likely be late for dinner.

“He has to take his boyfriend to the finish line,” Seungkwan repeated after a while. “I believe everyone here wants to know who his boyfriend is. So even though almost all participants have already reached the finish line, should we wait for him?”

Some students immediately booed.

“No way! The mute freak is forever single!”

“Nobody wants to be his boyfriend!”

Wonwoo felt like he might collapse at any moment. His legs were already threatening to give up beneath him. Maybe fainting now wouldn't be so bad. It wouldn't change anything anyway. The consequences would still be waiting for him afterward. He exhaled heavily and slowly closed his eyes. Ready to accept whatever humiliation came next.

Then suddenly—

“WAIT!”

Seungkwan practically shrieked into the microphone.

“THAT'S KIM MINGYU, OUR PRESIDENT, FROM LANE NUMBER NINE!”

Wonwoo’s eyes snapped open.

“Oh, that's right, everyone!” Seungkwan continued excitedly. “He's also participating in this event because my cousin, the vice president, is joining tomorrow's dance event. How could we forget?”

Wonwoo turned instinctively. Before he could fully process what was happening, someone crouched in front of him.

“Get on my back. Hurry!”

Wonwoo blinked. A broad back filled his vision.

“Jeon Wonwoo!” Mingyu sounded unusually urgent. “HURRY!”

Startled by the sheer panic in Mingyu’s voice, Wonwoo climbed onto his back almost entirely on instinct. The next second, Mingyu took off running.

Fast.

Very fast.

Wonwoo tightened his grip automatically as the world blurred around him.

“Oh yes, King! Run! Run! Run!” Seungkwan screamed through the speakers. “For anyone wondering, our president’s task is to piggyback someone! So this is him completing his task. Everyone, cheer for him!”

Instead of cheering, confused murmurs spread through the crowd. People couldn't decide whether they wanted to support Mingyu or curse Wonwoo.

Meanwhile, Wonwoo was finally regaining control of his thoughts.

Wait.

What am I doing on Mingyu's back? Why did I climb on without thinking?

People are going to hate me even more after this.

The thought immediately made him start squirming.

“Don’t move!” Mingyu panted.

Wonwoo froze.

“I don't want you to fall.”

But—

Wonwoo squirmed harder.

“I'm running here!” Mingyu protested breathlessly. “Please stop!”

Despite everything, Mingyu still crossed the finish line in fifth place. The moment they stopped, Mingyu carefully lowered Wonwoo back onto his feet. This time, Wonwoo didn't lose his balance. Instead, he immediately jumped away.

Far away.

As though standing too close to Mingyu might burn him.

Seungkwan was still enthusiastically wrapping up the event, but Wonwoo could feel countless eyes staring at him.

I'm toasted.

He couldn't decide whether he wanted to thank Mingyu or kick him. Because thanks to Mingyu, he managed to finish the race. But thanks to Mingyu, he had also just become the center of attention for the entire school. So Wonwoo decided the safest option was to leave before he actually kicked him.

Just as he turned away, Seungkwan officially declared the event finished. All participants had crossed the finish line, and the sports festival would continue the next morning.

Mingyu frowned as he watched Wonwoo leave. Before he could say anything, Jeonghan and Seungkwan arrived.

“Nice save, Mingyu-yah!” Jeonghan grinned brightly, patting both Mingyu and Wonwoo on the back.

“That was fun, Hyung!” Seungkwan chimed in. The younger boy looked adorable with his button nose, round cheeks, and kind eyes. When his gaze met Wonwoo’s, he smiled warmly.

Wonwoo responded with a small nod.

“Good job, Wonwoo-yah.” Jeonghan beamed. “I had no idea you could run that fast. Was my strawberry milk helping?” He finished with a playful wink.

Wonwoo had absolutely no idea how to answer that. So he simply nodded. And attempted to leave again. Unfortunately, Jeonghan caught his wrist.

“Where are you going?” he asked dramatically. “We're celebrating at the café nearby. You should come. Mingyu's buying cake!”

Wonwoo noticed students beginning to leave the field. Perhaps today wasn't the day they planned to put him back in his place. Not while Mingyu, Jeonghan, and Seungkwan were standing beside him.

“What do you mean celebrate?” Mingyu asked. “This whole thing was your doing.”

“What do you mean?” Jeonghan blinked innocently.

“Jeonghan Hyung made the tasks,” Seungkwan said, laughing. “He just didn't assign them to specific lanes.”

“You were involved too.” Mingyu narrowed his eyes.

Seungkwan immediately burst into laughter alongside his cousin. “And I saw you watching Wonwoo-ssi from the very beginning of the race, Mingyu hyung.”

Wonwoo’s eyes widened.

He did?

Mingyu nearly choked. Suddenly, all eyes were on him. “I—” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Let's just go to the café.” His ears looked suspiciously red. “Otherwise it'll get too late. We still have events tomorrow.”

Wonwoo watched as Mingyu started walking away. Then he looked at Jeonghan and Seungkwan, both wearing expectant expressions.

I don't really have a choice, do I?

He honestly wasn't sure whether going with them was a good idea.

But for once—he wanted to.

So he followed.

And sincerely hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass later.

..........