As Huening Kai strolled through the school halls, a dreamy smile curved his lips. His thoughts were consumed by one person—Soobin. Last night's dinner lingered in his memory like a gentle melody, and he felt like he was floating above the clouds. Every step felt lighter, every moment softer. Humming quietly, he approached his locker and pulled out his textbooks for the next class, still basking in the afterglow of their shared evening.
"I wonder what kind of sweets Sir Soobin will make… I can't wait," Kai murmured with a sigh, closing his locker with a soft thud.
But his peaceful reverie shattered the moment he turned to leave. Without warning, he collided with a group of towering jocks. The impact knocked his books to the floor.
"You've got some nerve bumping into us, huh?! Apologize!" barked the guy in a black shirt, eyes burning with unnecessary aggression.
"I-I'm terribly sorry… I-I didn't see you," Kai stammered, crouching quickly to gather his things. But before he could finish, the guy grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the lockers with brute force.
Kai winced, his eyes clamped shut, trembling under the jock's grip. His breath hitched as he felt the other's breath near his face, and a chill spread down his spine.
"Hey, isn't he the one who's always with that Choi kid? What's his name again… Beomgyu?" said another jock in a blue jacket.
"Ohhh, right! That's Huening Kai, isn't it?" another chimed in. "Always seen sitting beside that quiet nerd."
Students passed by, witnessing the scene—but none intervened. Most simply turned away, choosing to stay out of trouble rather than get involved.
The jock in black sneered, scanning Kai from head to toe before leaning close to his ear.
"You're friends with Choi Beomgyu, huh? That means you're probably smart. How about a deal?" he whispered. "We've got an assignment for Sir Yeonjun… Since you bumped into me and pissed me off, you're gonna do our work. You do it, I let you go. Sound fair?"
"W-What? I-I don't think—"
"You don't think?" The jock cut him off with venom. "Unless you want me to hurt you. Or maybe your friend. Think carefully, little shit."
Kai's lips trembled. The threat wasn't idle. And the idea of Beomgyu being hurt because of him—because of this—sickened him. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.
"O-Okay… I'll do it. Just—please don't hurt Beomgyu," he whispered.
The jocks laughed in triumph. "Pathetic," the guy in black spat. "Such a weak little thing."
Then, with a mocking smirk, he reached up and brushed Kai's cheek with his thumb.
"Actually… you're kinda cute," he added, voice low and unsettling.
Kai flinched. The jock leaned in further, sniffing his neck. "Vanilla," he murmured, almost to himself.
Kai recoiled in discomfort, but he was too small, too shaken to fight back. Just as the jocks continued taunting him, a new voice broke through the tension.
"Hey! Enough. Let him go."
A shorter boy stood just feet away. Though he was smaller than the jocks, the sheer force of his glare made them pause.
"What the hell? Who are you, shorty?" the guy in black snapped. "Wanna die today?"
"I said let him go. I won't repeat myself," the boy warned.
The bell rang.
The jock scoffed, but before leaving, he leaned in once more. "Don't forget our deal. And don't say a word, or both of you are dead."
He finally released Kai and signaled for his friends to follow, giving the short boy a threatening glance as they walked off. The newcomer rushed to Kai's side immediately.
"Are you okay?" he asked, voice surprisingly gentle. "Did they hurt you?"
Kai shook his head. "T-Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry you got dragged into this."
As he looked at the boy, realization hit. "Wait… I remember you. I bumped into you the other day, didn't I?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah, I remember. I was kind of rude then. Sorry. I'm Kang Taehyun."
"I-I'm Huening Kai. Nice to meet you."
"You too. Listen—this school's full of guys like that. Bullies. Don't walk alone. Avoid the bathrooms when it's empty. You need to be careful. They're not gonna let you off that easy."
Kai nodded quietly, trying to process everything.
"We should head to class," Taehyun said. "I'll see you at lunch?"
Kai smiled faintly and nodded. Together, they parted ways. Kai just made it to class in time, hurrying to his seat beside Beomgyu.
"You okay?" Beomgyu asked, watching him. "Where were you? You almost didn't make it."
Kai forced a grin and waved it off. "I'm fine. Just lost track of time."
But Beomgyu wasn't fully convinced. He sensed something was off, but let it go.
+×+
Lunchtime...
Kai sat beside Beomgyu in the cafeteria, poking halfheartedly at his lunch. Beomgyu, meanwhile, studied him closely. The younger was unusually quiet, unlike his usual chatty self.
Earlier in class, Kai had been furiously writing in his notebook, not paying attention to the lesson. Beomgyu didn't know why, but something about it bothered him.
"You seem quiet," he finally said. "Something wrong?"
Kai didn't respond at first. It wasn't until a few seconds later that he snapped out of his daze.
"O-Oh. Sorry. What did you say?"
"Nothing," Beomgyu muttered, brushing it off.
Just then, Taehyun appeared, tray in hand. "Mind if I sit here?"
Beomgyu blinked in confusion.
"Oh! This is Beomgyu, my friend," Kai said quickly. "Gyu hyung, this is Taehyun—the guy I bumped into the other day."
The two boys exchanged tense glances.
"I can already tell you don't like me," Taehyun muttered, taking a seat anyway.
Beomgyu huffed, leaning back with crossed arms.
Kai, sensing the tension, tried to ease it, but Taehyun ignored Beomgyu's mood and leaned toward Kai instead. They began whispering about what had happened earlier—keeping their voices low so Gyu wouldn't hear.
Kai explained that he didn't want Beomgyu to know about the jocks. He didn't want to burden him or drag him into danger. Taehyun understood, but his expression grew darker.
"You're brave, Kai," he murmured. "But hiding this might make things worse. He deserves to know."
Just then, the three jocks passed their table, snickering. One of them called Kai's name, loud enough to make Gyu look up.
The guy in black winked at Kai. The younger boy immediately looked down, fidgeting. Beomgyu's brow furrowed.
"Hey. Ignore them, okay?" Taehyun said gently.
Beomgyu's eyes didn't leave the jocks. He watched them carefully, noticing their sly glances and whispers. Something wasn't right. He clenched his fist beneath the table.
Kai dared to glance up, only to meet the jock's leering stare again. The guy waved mockingly.
Kai's stomach twisted in dread.
Please… let everything be okay. For me. For Beomgyu.