SCARS ─ Seungjin

─07.

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❝ Now I'm the stranger.❞
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Warnings for: Blood, violence, child abuse.

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The relief Seungmin felt was beyond unexplainable by words. He secured the gold medal on his palms, placing it inside his backpack after he reached the waiting room and taking out his phone. The notifications were flooded with messages from students, saying how well he did and all. He opened Jeongin's contact first.

Asshat child:

Hyung I'm so sorry

I had to go for an emergency

My sister is in the hospital...

It was really urgent

Don't worry much though she's better now

You can borrow money from one of your classmates they love u very much

im sorry i have to go... sorry again hyung

-

Seungmin felt sympathy, it wasn't Jeongin's fault. Walking to the back gates, he quickly typed back a message saying it's fine and to take care of his sister, he couldn't help but worry even though Jeongin told him not to. How was he gonna get home now? He didn't wanna be a burden to anyone.

"Hey."

He looked back to see Hyunjin leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His black bangs fell over his narrow lime eyes, making Seungmin wonder how he could even see. "O-oh."

"Y-you lost."

Yeah.

He never won anyways.

"I know, you don't have to rub it on my face." Perhaps Seungmin had fantasized it, but his voice sounded colder than usual. Was he angry? Was he gonna hurt Seungmin? "S-so... You'll keep your promise?..."

"Yeah. I'm not a liar." He approached him. "But I came here for a different reason." Oh. Yeah, he was totally gonna beat the shit out of Seungmin.

"I'm here to apologize."

Seungmin felt his muscles and voice freeze for a second. "W-what?" Hyunjin didn't meet his eyes. He only looked sideways, perhaps out of shame, out of fear, neither of them knew. A sentence said by the older a few days ago ran through Seungmin's mind. 

'I don't apologize to people, Kim.'

He refused to apologize to the whole class. And now he was apologizing to him?

"I realized it was wrong of me to try to take away your job or get you expelled. I didn't think or try to sympathize about the fact you were doing it for your family. I'm... sorry." Seungmin stared at him with his mouth agape. Between the silence of the two, the gentle sounds of winter breeze that made both their hairs dance from left to right could be heard.

Seungmin smiled before he broke the silence. "You don't have to apologize, you were just doing what was right. It was partially my fault for not following the rules." He rubbed his nape. "No, i-its fine..." Hyunjin stammered before looking front and Seungmin mirrored his actions.

They looked at the vehicles at the front, parents picking their kids up and giving them head pats or praises for their performance at the festival, both giving a sigh that went unnoticed by the other. "So um, you got money for the ride back home?"