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Students crowded the quiet classroom, reading their textbooks as they waited for their break to end. It was September, and not many of the students were close yet. Some girls snuck makeup onto their faces while boys hid their phones under their desks, playing one of the new trending mobile phone games. However, Choi Minho was doing something different. He was well, catching up on some sleep. An energetic tap on his shoulder brought Minho out of his sweet slumber. His English notes from his desk stuck to his face as he sighed and raised his head.“Is break over already?” he asked, seeing that it was Jonghyun who woke him up.Having Jonghyun in the same class as him had become sort of a yearly ritual. And every year, nothing made Jonghyun more excited than socializing with each of the new girls the school had to offer. He was passionate and discovering all that the world had to offer for a young man like him. Still, Jonghyun was the gentlest guy, but he could surprise Minho. Jonghyun’s big, deep brown eyes stared back at him as he shook his head, humming a song. After shooting Jonghyun an annoyed look, Minho buried his head in his hands, mumbling, “I told you to let the bell wake me up!”Jonghyun brushed his bangs out of his eyes as he leaned down to Minho, whose face was still hidden. “Minho, I have good news,” he sung.Furrowing his brow, the younger looked to Jonghyun and muttered, “And? What is it?”“My parents are going to Okinawa for the holiday this weekend. Since the semester just ended, I thought-”“You’re going to have a party?” Minho interjected.“Something like that. I’ll probably just invite the class.”All of the girls in the class, Minho thinks.Minho purses his lips, thinking it over. A party. Interesting. Something about the glimmer in Jonghyun’s eyes reflected expectation. He needed Minho to come, and it was thinly veiled by his humming. But Minho knew better.“Thanks for the invitation,” he hummed, shooing Jonghyun away.“You see, though, I made this deal with an upperclassman.” There it was.Minho was intrigued. Jonghyun was always rubbing shoulders with the upperclassman at his cram school."What was it?""I gotta get Kim Kibum to go, and if I succeed then he'll fork over some money for the soju."Minho laughed, “Soju? Man, you guys are weak. Drinking strawberry flavored soju at a party is going to be embarrassing.”Pulling out the chair next to Minho, Jonghyun took a seat, giving Minho a playful nudge. “Did you even hear me? Kibum, man. I need him at the party. Tonight.”Minho looked to Kibum, who was at another desk with his head buried in a Chemistry book. He quietly chuckled at Jonghyun."It’s tonight? And him? Why would they want someone like Kibum?" Minho scoffed when he saw Kibum’s eyes dart around as he started to feel his gaze."Yes, Minho, tonight and-there's a rumor going around that he's a virgin.”Minho made an O shape with his lips as the bell rang to start class. Leaning over to Jonghyun, Minho whispered, "Good luck getting him and everyone else to come. They all have cram school to go to.""I think most of our peers are desperate to let a little loose. As for Kibum, I have my secret weapon," Jonghyun smiled, standing up to return back to his seat. He ruffled Minho’s hair and the younger was instantly fuming.Pinching his nose, Minho thought it over. "Why me?""Don't play dumb, Minho. You know he's the one leaving notes in your cabinet.""Whatever."~Kibum stood, panting and meekly staring at the soccer ball as it was kicked away from him. He huffed and stomped on the grass in defeat. Kibum is a student in Minho’s high school class. He heard that Kibum had done exceptionally well on a PCSAT exam, which was one of the many steps students in his year took to prepare for the CSAT coming up in November. But, other than that, Minho was stumped when it came to knowledge about Kim Kibum. Their paths simply hadn’t crossed. Minho jogged to the angry feline, attempting his best smile. Kibum turned bright red and awkwardly straightened out his shirt, attempting his own escape. Before Kibum could shuffle away, Minho grabbed the shorter boy by the shoulder.“Hey, Kibum!” I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”Kibum fervorously wiped the dripping bead of sweat on his forehead and nodded, flustered."My friend is having a party for the end of the semester, so I was hoping you could come tonight?” The rise in intonation was a nice touch Minho added for good measure.“Tonight?” Kibum asked, out of breath. His brows furrowed. “That’s so soon.” He began to mull it over.“Well-” Minho started."Kim! Choi! Stop standing around!" their gym teacher yelled, snapping Kibum out of his trance.The shorter boy smiled and jogged away, replying "I'll think about it, okay?"Minho nodded with a grin, trying to hide his disdain from not being able to get a definite answer. Damn it.“Wait, I don’t have you on LINE. What’s your user?” Kibum turned to Minho, who was standing firmly in his spot on the field.“Just my name and then 0923,” Kibum muttered softly, unable to meet Minho’s gaze."Zero, nine, two, three. Alright, I'll text you the details!" Minho yelled with a cheery voice before spinning and rolling his eyes. He caught Jonghyun in his peripheral vision, whose puffy eyes shone as he stifled a smirk.~It started last month. Minho opened his cabinet to find a note, and now he saw one almost every week. It was flattering really, and one could even think that it was bizarre. But, Minho had a sense of pride that someone admired him so much that they were dedicated to telling him nice things. Every week.
When Minho arrived at his cabinet, he found a new note written on a periwinkle post-it. He slipped off his indoor shoes and grabbed his outdoor sneakers. Suddenly, Jonghyun wrapped his arm around his shoulder.He said, “Another note today, huh?”Minho nodded swiftly and without much emotion. “It’s nothing.” He quickly crumpled up the note and shoved it in his pocket.“So…was it a yes?”"He's going to think about it," Minho says in a dissatisfied tone, pushing Jonghyun away because he’s still feeling sweaty from soccer. "So the guy’s a virgin. Who cares?"Jonghyun sighed. "It was Jinki. I’m sure he’s got his reasons. Can’t say that I understand him either. But, maybe you would? I’m sure his notes are so lyrical and romantic and-""Shut up."Minho shut his locker and darted away from Jonghyun. A fire was lit beneath him. He knew that no matter what, Kibum would be coming. He hated losing.~Kibum packed his stuff into his bag, looking at the students around him. The teachers were handing out electronics to the students and Kibum's face lit up when he saw his Toy Story phone case. He bowed to his teacher and retrieved his phone. However, when he turned it on, no messages from Minho appeared. He frowned and tucked his phone in his pocket. His heart sank as he trudged to the study room. Bent over the desk, Kibum pulled out his homework. So Minho, his most handsome and charismatic classmate, who suddenly asked for his LINE information out of nowhere, never texted him. Never had the intention to text him. How cruel. Feeling stupid, he wiped his eyes and took in a deep breath. He was better than this. He studied his notes intensely, but every so often, he'd look to the doorway. He felt that wave of energy inside him that begged for release, but he gulped down a deep breath. His deep breathing was all he could focus on as he scrunched his teary eyes closed.~Minho checked his watch and sighed. He had been cleaning the classroom for the last hour. He probably shouldn't have taken so long, but his partner had been playing around, which prolonged the cleaning. His hands dug through the pocket of his joggers. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, he carefully unfolded the periwinkle note."Like the stars in the sky, you shine on me. If you leave, I'm trapped in darkness. A tiny dream that hasn't bloomed...""It has a bit of a sad feeling to it today," Minho mused.When he decided to check the study hall to see if Kibum had left to get ready for the party yet, Minho found Kibum in quite a state. The room was empty, and Kibum’s head was on his desk. Oddly enough, he wasn’t sleeping. Instead, he stared blankly at the whiteboard ahead of him, notebooks and pencils strewn about his desk carelessly under him. The boy seemed to be deeply in thought. Minho knocked twice on the wooden doorway, startling Kibum. The black-haired boy jolted up and swung his head back, fixing his bangs as he reached Minho’s gaze.“Zero, nine, two, three!” Minho said in a cheery voice. Kibum rushed to put his notebooks into a neat stack."What are you doing here?" Minho took the chair next to Kibum, leaning in. Kibum was suddenly so close to Minho that he could smell him, and all Kibum could think of was how manly his scent was. He felt a little dizzy.“Kibum?”Kibum turned bright red when he noticed the proximity of Minho’s face to his. His heart rate increased as he avoided looking Minho in the eyes. "You didn't text the details. I thought you might have…changed your mind," he trailed off.Minho nodded and listened in a friendly way. When Kibum took a moment to breathe, Minho laughed, “But I did text you. Thirty minutes ago.”Grabbing his phone from his pocket, Kibum paled when he realized he hadn't checked it since class ended. Minho totally could've texted him while he was studying. He looked at the screen which showed a notification from Minho and quickly apologized."No problem," Minho commented, gritting his teeth. "Let's go together. Wanna ride the bus with me there?"Minho dutifully grabbed the stack of notebooks on Kibum’s desk and handed them to him. He then gracefully leaned down and grabbed Kibum’s water bottle off of the floor too.Kibum frantically started shoving his things into his schoolbag. "You’re going straight from school?""It’s just a party," Minho said in a disinterested way, rising out of his chair.“I can’t. I wore these clothes all day.”“Okay,” Minho stared at Kibum’s wrinkled shirt. “But I’ll see you later?”As if Minho knew the answer, he didn’t even stick around to hear Kibum’s response, parading himself down the hallway. Kibum stood, stunned as he watched Minho leave and stroll off to the party. He chewed on his lip and looked down. "There's something weird about him today," he thought. "He's being too nice." Still, he blushed at the thought of him and Minho talking and dancing at the small party. All night with Choi Minho.~Minho smirked at a girl from across the mass of dancing people. The vixen eyed him back, wordlessly asking Minho to come over. He was going to oblige when someone tapped his shoulder. Kibum-in different clothes. He looked back to the girl, grimacing when he saw her already being handed a drink by another guy."Yes?" Minho asked, quickly grabbing his phone and sending a text."I made it,” Kibum said. “I brought kind of a big jacket. Is there anywhere I can leave it?”"Kibum! I’m glad you came," Minho beamed. "Maybe one of my friends can show you."With a tilt of the head, Kibum looked up at Minho, a frown forming on his face. Confusion consumed him as he saw the faces of two upperclassmen approaching them. He nervously smiled, scratching the nape of his neck. "Looks like they're here," Minho commented. Kibum gave him a nervous look, eyeing the two strangers.Minho weakly smiled back before saying, "I actually gotta go to the bathroom though. I'll be back."Kibum watched the upperclassmen approach him and struggled to call for Minho to stay. All that escaped his mouth were jumbled words. His expression dropped as Minho walked away.The taller one of the two patted him on the back. "Hey, Kibum. I've heard a lot of great things about you. Remember me?"Kibum shook his head and bit his lip. The shorter was more recognizable to him, for he remembered the boy singing at the fall talent show last year. His name started with a J..."My name is Jinki," the elder attempted to hand Kibum a drink. "Want some?"Kibum shook his head again and looked to the other. "And you are?""Jonghyun," he smiled. "I'm a good friend of Minho's."Kibum's eyes lit up. "Really?" He suddenly thought of all the reasons one of Minho's friends could be interested in his company. Jinki seemed to notice this, and added, "I'm a friend of Minho’s too." Kibum's eyes widened before he smiled brightly."You sure you don't want some?" Jinki asked.Kibum reached out his hand and took a sip of the drink. He grimaced at the taste and looked down at it. The ice had sunk to the bottom of the cup. That meant one thing: alcohol. Jinki noticed the conflicted look on Kibum's face."One sip isn't going to kill you."~The three had moved to the couch, and Minho was nowhere to be found after his trip to the bathroom. Kibum covered his flushed red face behind a pillow while Jinki still attempted to talk to him. Jonghyun had left a few minutes ago after his friend approached him. Jinki sat down next to Kibum with his hand on the other's thigh while Kibum blinked, trying to clear his vision. The elder smirked when he heard Kibum mumble "Minho j-just left me."Suddenly, tears escaped Kibum's eyes, alarming Jinki, who comforted Kibum by rubbing his back. "You don’t need to worry about Minho." He cooed and shushed the younger boy, wiping away his tears with his thumbs. “I know something that could make you feel better.”Kibum looked up at Jinki with teary eyes and whispered, "Really?"Jinki reached out his arm to hold Kibum’s face. He brushed Kibum’s bangs from his eyes. “You’re really pretty, you know that?”Kibum’s eyebrows furrowed as he tried to clear his vision again. He sniffled. His tears had passed. Jinki’s hand on his face didn’t feel romantic, but sweaty. He wanted Minho. And, with all of the alcohol in his system, he felt himself yearning for his touch. Sure, the boy had barely noticed him, but he wanted to smell Minho’s manly scent, feel his toned arms around him. All of his inhibitions were failing, but not for the man in front of him. Kibum looked back up at Jinki, placing his hand on the elder’s that sat on his cheek. He shut his eyes and guided it off.“Don’t call me pretty,” Kibum muttered.Jinki chuckled and playfully nudged him. “Pretty Kibum.”Kibum caught Jinki’s hand and suddenly their hands were intertwined. Jinki used his strength and gentle force to set Kibum’s hand in his lap. He set his eyes on Kibum’s flushed face from the alcohol. “You’re all red,” he taunted.The younger boy huffed. “Want Minho.”Jinki rolled his eyes. “Have another shot.”As Jinki stood up to grab another cup, Kibum pouted. He scanned the room to see if Minho would turn up anywhere. But, it was just girls from his classes and a couple of boys from his year. Their faces were all flushed red like his. Jinki sat back down with a small glass of a clear liquid.“Want me to give it to you?”Kibum lazily nodded, having trouble keeping his head upright. Jinki took the glass and brought it to his own lips, and then swiftly leaned his face into Kibum’s. Kibum felt warm lips on his and then bitter liquid flowing into his mouth. Surprised, he sputtered and coughed it all out onto his clothes. Seeing his shirt covered in alcohol, he groaned, annoyed. He then felt fingers on his face again, this time on his chin. Those fingers tilted his chin up and he felt lips on his again, this time more passionately kissing him. He tasted something sweet. A mix of alcohol and perhaps some of the cherry mixer they had been adding to their drinks.Quickly pulling away, Kibum turned and wiped his lips, speechless. With Jinki behind him, he scanned the room again, finally spotting Minho, lips locked with a girl he had seen at some after school soccer games. His head was pounding now. Jinki’s hand returned to his thigh.“Minho,” Kibum mumbled.Kibum turned and took the hand on his thigh into his again, but Jinki held it and guided it upward. Slyly, Jinki snatched Kibum’s other hand, bringing that arm above his head too. He placed a kiss on Kibum’s forehead.“Minho’s not interested in you, Kibum.”Kibum froze. He felt a sharp tightness in his chest and chills all over his body. If Jinki was Minho’s friend, why would he lie? But, how could that explain all that had happened today?Suddenly, Jinki is on top of him. He leaned into Kibum’s ear, “But I am. You’re so pretty.”Kibum felt lips on his neck. This wasn’t right. This couldn’t be right, but nothing was clear in his head now. He could barely keep a train of thought.“O-off” Kibum whispered shakily.“OFF!”He wrestled his hands out of Jinki’s grip, and clumsily whipped his head around again to see Minho arm around the girl’s waist, brushing her hair behind her ear with his other hand. They were all smiles, blissfully unaware of Kibum’s turmoil.He willfully became a pawn in Minho’s game.All of the anger bubbled up inside of him as he forcefully shoved Jinki another time. “Hate you,” Kibum slurred, walking away on wobbly feet. The older student rushed after him, saying "Calm down, Kibum. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you uncomfor-"A red, throbbing hand mark was left on Jinki's face as Kibum barged out the door. He walked as fast as he could past all of the people in the living room, wiping his eyes every so often. When he finally made it to the bus stop, he was panting and tears wouldn't stop escaping. He could only think of one thing:revenge.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
His head was spinning. Both because of the alcohol and because of Minho’s betrayal. Minho used him. Minho had treated him as some sort of commodity that he could share with his friends as he pleased. Kibum’s hands trembled as he attempted to push his bangs from his eyes. There had to be a way for Minho to pay. But who was he to intervene on Minho’s glory? Minho was the star soccer player, the most handsome boy in his year and someone who fluorished amongst the popular crowd. Kibum felt he had nothing. He clutched his stomach, sick. Definitely drank too much.~The girl brushed her sleek black hair out of her face before curling the corners of her lips into a seductive smile. “Take your shirt off,” she grinned and moved her way on top of him, pushing up his shirt and revealing his toned stomach.“Fuck yes,” Minho panted. He was already getting hard. She straddled him and sat in just the right spot. He reached out to grab her down for a kiss when-“Shit!” Jinki swung the door open. “Minho, get your clothes on.”The black haired girl shot up and glared at Jinki. He sheepishly glanced away and said, “Sorry we have an emergency. You’ll get him later.”She rolled her eyes and climbed off of the bed, angrily grabbing her clothes.“Jinki, where are my socks?” Minho said as he dug around the blankets sitting on the bed. “What made you think barging into a room with a closed door was a good idea?”“It’s Kibum. He just stormed out crying,” Jinki mumbled as he bent down to grab Minho’s socks.“Why would I care about Kim Kibum?” Minho groaned, exasperated. “So you didn’t get laid and you had to ruin my chances too?”Jinki shook his head. “No, I just wanted to ask-tell him I’m sorry okay? I don’t want it to be a big thing.”As he pulled his shirt back over his head, Minho flatly responded, “Fine. Whatever.”~The buses weren’t running. Too late. Kibum inhaled, feeling the crisp cold air of the night run through him. As he walked home, he couldn’t stop thinking of Minho. Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to deny his attraction to him, despite what he had done. All of the anger building within him did not remove his feelings-it made them more complex. After turning the corner onto his street, his phone lit up. His heart sank. A text from Minho.Kibum, I’m sorry about tonight. Are you okay?Rage filled him again. Minho was just trying to clean up his mess. He didn’t care. No one cared. Kibum responded.Can we talk in person?With that text, Kibum stumbled into his parent’s home. Thankfully, his parents were asleep, so at least he wouldn’t have to be scolded too. Minho finally responded after twenty minutes of Kibum scrubbing in the shower.Sure. I’ll see you in class on Monday.~The classroom is empty when Minho meets Kibum. The faint light of the afternoon shines through a window. Minho eyes how wrinkled Kibum’s uniform is, almost feeling sorry for the boy. Had he no sense to fix it before coming to school? Though Kibum usually never called attention to himself, he still kept a tidy appearance most of the time. Jinki must have really messed up this time. Kibum must've been still shaken up from Friday. Minho rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. Kibum has no discipline. That’s why he looks disheveled. Couldn’t be anything else.“Um, I forgot s-something,” Kibum stammered before leaving the classroom.After a few seconds, Kibum returned with two small cartons of banana milk. The straws were already poked in, ready to drink. Kibum handed the drink to Minho and started, “I wanted to say thank you for inviting me the other night.”Minho took a sip as he sat atop a desk and answered, “There’s no need to thank me, Kibum. I-““We should play a game of soccer sometime,” Kibum interrupted, sitting across from Minho and twiddling with his hands. “Are we friends now?”Minho furrowed his brows. No. Kibum was an acquaintance at best. They had nothing in common. Kibum was everything Minho was not. He wasn’t good at any sports, he studied all the time, and he didn’t even hang around his friend group. He couldn’t even wrap his head around why Jinki wanted to fool around with him in the first place. But, he couldn’t tell Kibum no. If Kibum was really the person leaving notes in his cabinet, it would crush him. It was up to him to make sure the whole situation passed over nicely.“Sure we’re friends, Kibum, but we can’t play soccer with just two people,” Minho mused.“Fine. Let’s go on a walk then. Around the school,” Kibum said, jumping down from the desk he had been sitting on.Minho sipped the last of the small drink and nodded politely. “Kibum, I wanted to talk to you about the other night.”Continuing to walk out of the classroom, Kibum didn’t look back at Minho, but he answered, “There’s nothing to say about it. I drank too much, so I went home.”Minho caught up and the two walked together down the hallway. “Well, Jinki wanted to say he was sorry.”Kibum tensed when he heard Jinki’s name. Minho caught how his breath labored. “Jinki, the upperclassman? Wh-What did he tell you?”“Just that you stormed out crying,” Minho answered. They had reached outside and continued to stroll along the campus.“Oh. I was just feeling a little-“ Kibum paused, seeming to think to himself for a bit. He looked off to the side and pursed his lips before blurting out, “I felt a little left out. I couldn’t find you, and I didn’t know anyone.” Kibum swallowed, trying to contain himself.Minho bit his lip and stared at Kibum. He knew that Jinki had thrown himself at him, so he couldn’t understand why Kibum was lying. Maybe Kibum was ashamed of what happened. Maybe he wasn’t into men at all. But then why the notes in his locker? Had Jonghyun been wrong? A part of him had been hoping it wasn’t Kibum. Maybe it could be someone more interesting.Kibum continued, “I’m sorry if I made a scene. I was really drunk. The room was spinning.”Minho waved his arms at Kibum, “Ahhh Kibum. It’s fine. We were all just concerned about you. You have to be careful when you drink, you know.” He patted Kibum on the back and then a wave of sleepiness came over him. It wasn’t immediate but he definitely couldn’t manage a walk anymore. He continued, “Well, I’m glad I could clear it up with you. Do you want to go back inside?”Looking up at him, Kibum nodded and made his way back to the classroom with Minho. “Minho, are you going to study hall today?”“Yeah, are you?”“Mhm,” Kibum answered. “I’ll see you there,” Kibum said, grabbing his school materials.~Kibum scanned the study hall. He counted three students buried deep in their textbooks and one student asleep with his head on the desk in the corner. He calmly set his things onto the desk next to the sleeping boy.As the other students slowly filed out of the classroom and the sun went down, Kibum and Minho were left all alone. However, only Kibum sat awake. It was then that Kibum calmly pulled out his phone and walked over to Minho’s seat.Kibum crouched down next to Minho as he inched closer, gauging just how awake Minho was. Minho didn’t startle, leading Kibum closer. He grazed his hand over Minho’s legs to test his luck. No movement from Minho.“I’ll make you pay for what you did,” Kibum whispered.~Minho’s sleeping form is so boyish, he thinks. His tan skin contours the muscles under his uniform sleeves. It’s like he’s made from marble. It really wasn’t fair how perfect Minho’s life was. He wasn’t the best soccer player on the team, but he was definitely the most revered. Because of him, girls at their high school would linger by the soccer field’s fence, sighing oohs and ahhs at his every movement. And, sometimes Kibum would join in, quietly hiding behind a group of girls with butterfies in his stomach.Whenever Minho made a goal, he would tilt his head up and smile to himself, soaking in all of the glory. But, he was disciplined and quickly went back to his position. That’s what made Kibum stand there in awe of the boy. He was so polite. Competitive, but a good sport. When Kibum had heard about Minho’s first girlfriend, he cried for hours, cried himself to sleep. He wondered if he was ever going to break out of being ordinary and join them in their perfection. He wondered if people like him ever occured to Minho, and if it ever sunk in to Minho just how lucky he was. Or was Minho so oblivious that he thought things would always work out? The important thing about Kibum was that he was rooted in reality. Actions had consequences, and Choi Minho’s life was soon to fall apart.Kibum is sitting with his hand grasping Minho’s shoulder, attempting to push the larger boy up in his seat; there is still no sign of being awake on Minho’s part. He’s calculated as he maneuvers Minho’s sleeping body up. Minho lets out a slight grown, but doesn’t stir. Kibum sits in the desk next to Minho and grasps the larger boy’s wrist, picking up his arm. He wraps Minho’s arm around his shoulders, burying himself in the boy’s sleeping frame. As soon as he gets himself situated, he grabs his phone. Maybe all of Minho’s soccer fangirls will give up on him once a picture of him snuggled up with a guy turns up. Kibum is careful to cut out most of his own face and Minho’s eyes. Can’t let their peers know Minho was asleep. He grabs the hand resting on his shoulder and poses with it, giving it a posed peck before getting ready to put his phone away.He turns back to Minho’s sleeping frame and can’t help himself. The boy smells so good, and the butterflies start all over again. Kibum knows revenge is imminent so he thinks, just this time. He’ll kiss Choi Minho. He leans forward and places his lips on Minho’s. It feels a little weird with Minho’s mouth glued shut, but it’s more for the novelty than anything.“Kibum?” says Minho, groggily. He jolts when he finds his arm wrapped around the boy’s shoulder.“What the fuck. I was asleep,” he says. Kibum freezes for a second, looking for the right words to say.“You’re delusional,” Minho spits.Before Kibum can let out a word he feels the wind knocked out of him. He’s on the floor now, having clumsily fallen out of his chair when Minho shoved him away. In a quick flash, Minho pounces on him, his moves swift and deliberate. He fiercely holds Kibum’s wrists above his head and Kibum’s phone drops out of his hand onto the floor. Thank goodness it’s off and locked.“Let me go. Let me go,” Kibum cries in frustration.Minho’s on top of Kibum now, completely overpowering the boy who is struggling to get his wrists free.“What were you doing, Kibum? Why is your phone out?”“Let me go.”“I was really trying to be nice to you. You know that?”“You used me!”“What?”“When you invited me that night. You tricked me. You and your friends, you’re….it’s not fair,” Kibum’s voice shakes as the last few words leave his mouth.Kibum’s legs thrash under Minho, but he keeps him pinned. The smaller boy sighs in desperation, swallowing his physical defeat. He’s out of breath; beads of sweat are forming on his face.Minho scolds, “Kim Kibum, I don’t care about you. You’re a fucking loser. Seriously, your clothes are all wrinkled and you can barely move when I’m not even trying. If I had some advice to give you, it would be to leave me alone and worry about yourself. Oh my god, Kibum, are you hard?”“Let me go,” Kibum cries out. He’s red now. Minho can tell from Kibum’s ears. The boy’s tilted his head to the side to hide his face under his arms.Minho switches one hand to Kibum’s wrists and uses the other to investigate. His hand grazes Kibum’s pants, Kibum still thrashing around. He can’t move. Minho’s too heavy.“You’re seriously messed up.”Kibum’s movements become erratic again as he tries to wrestle his way out of Minho’s grip. It’s not happening.“What? So you’re saying I deceived you and now you’re going to kiss me in my sleep?”“Worse,” Kibum mutters, his voice muffled. Kibum starts mumbling something, but it comes out in his dialect and Minho has some trouble understanding his jargon.“Get a hold of yourself, Kim Kibum. You’re clumsy. Just, leave it alone. I said I was sorry,” Minho lets go of Kibum’s wrists, calmly picking up his backpack. Exasperated, he says “Whatever you were doing, stop.”He can fix this, Kibum thinks. There’s no way his plan has gone completely south. With his pictures, whatever Minho tells people, he can turn into a lover’s quarrel. So, he keeps his mouth shut, staring at the floor as Minho exits the classroom. He picks his phone up from the floor and sends a message to his friend, Lee Taemin.Taemin, you won't believe this.~It isn’t even an hour later and already Taemin is sitting across from him at a convenience store. Kibum is gripping his phone, white knuckled and replaying the last hour’s events over and over in his head. Taemin sits in anticipation with a cup of steaming ramen in front of him, practically bouncing as he looks through the pictures.Taemin is Kibum’s best friend. He’s in the year below, but Kibum met him in one of his cram school classes. He just turned seventeen last month.“That’s Choi Minho’s chain!” Taemin says with a mouth full of noodles.“I know.”“You really weren’t going to tell me?”“Minho wanted to keep it private.”“Wow, Choi Minho likes my friend, Kim Kibum.”“Well,” Kibum starts, “I don’t know about it anymore. We’re in an argument.”“What?”“He’s ashamed of me.”Taemin smiles. “Sounds like Minho. That guy is so pompous. He gets off on being perfect.”“Yes, that’s it.”“So am I hearing that you’re broken up? I’m just finding out and it’s already over,” Taemin pouts, swirling his chopsticks around in his bowl.“I mean, I wish he would be honest about us. I feel like it wouldn’t even be a big deal if people knew.”Taemin’s demeanor lights up. His voice becomes chipper and sharp. “Oh, people are gonna know.”~Kibum’s on the field for P.E. when he encounters Minho again. His sweaty hair is blowing all over in the wind. His hair is getting so long that’s it’s beginning to tickle his eyes.He passes one of Minho’s friends on the field, and suddenly, the image of Minho holding him down and his look of disgust returns to haunt him. The way Minho noticed the unfortunate predicament happening between his legs. It wasn’t his fault. He was still a teenager after all. Sure, his eighteenth birthday had past, but nearly anything could still trigger him. He tries to picture Minho in an embarassing situation, maybe losing his towel after a bath with his hair all wet and droopy. Him looking in the mirror knowing he’ll have to sprint back to his room with his head down in shame. Actually, maybe thinking of Minho after a shower wasn’t the best idea. He didn’t want to have a repeat of last time. He still hadn’t recovered from the embarrassment. His overgrown hair and wrinkled gym shirt says it all. It’s been a couple days now, and the revenge he thought was imminent was seemingly abandoned. As far as he knew, Taemin’s words hadn’t spread. Maybe it was because Taemin was an underclassman. Maybe because the news was too unbelievable. He sees Minho out of the corner of his eye making a goal. The ball goes to Kibum’s team.“Kibum, stay to the right!” his classmate shouts. For Kibum, the game can’t end soon enough, but he does as he’s told. Stay to the right, try not to think about Minho. So, when the soccerball approaches him, he’s internally panicking-because that means the taller boy can’t be far behind.Kibum’s kicking like his life depends on it, but Minho’s like a predator, ready to pounce on him any moment. When he runs out of breath, Minho swiftly steals the soccerball, running it back to his team’s goal. He’s so annoying, Kibum thinks, catching his breath. Then, Kibum pauses. No, he can’t. Actually, here goes nothing.CRASHKibum charged at Minho full speed. It was really kind of funny. But not to Minho.“Fuck!” Minho rolls around in the dirt, clutching his arm. Kibum’s on his hands and knees, his gym uniform stained with dirt.They lock eyes but no words come out. Just stares. Kibum’s mouth opens, but instead of words, he chews his lower lip, going pale. For Minho, this has become an exercise in humiliation. Everyone’s eyes are on them and he’s angry. And worst of all, pain is shooting like daggers into his arm. To him, Kibum is having a field day making his life as difficult as possible. He’d been trying to ignore it, but every time Kibum kept pushing him, Minho’s patience wavered. And now, Kibum was staring at him like a lost puppy. He’s ready to lash out when Jonghyun runs over to him, grabbing his good arm and helping him up.“What was that?” Jonghyun asks as their gym teacher drags Kibum off the field by the collar of his shirt.“What are you talking about?”“You and Kibum. You guys were looking at each other funny.”“Huh?”“He didn’t even say sorry or anything. What a weirdo,” Jonghyun muses.“Wait, what do you mean by funny?” Minho says. “I was just in shock. I mean, the dude rammed himself at me like a bull.”“I don’t know. It was like you guys were communicating with your eyes. Is something going on with him?”Minho rolls his eyes.“No.”“I just thought I heard something a little weird about you two.”“No,” Minho interjects. He lets out an exasperated sigh, signalling that the conversation is over.Minho jogs to the gym teacher holding his arm and tells him that he thinks he needs some ice. Kibum is pretty tall, so the force of his body caused damage. He shoots a glare to Kibum as he walks away.He lies in the nurse’s office waiting for his mom to pick him up. He tries to picture the moment from a bird’s eye view. He can’t picture it perfectly. He was too distracted by his rage. All he knows is that he has a huge soccer competition coming up soon and this injury could take him out of the game. Was this what Kibum meant when he said “worse"?