𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝

𝟏 | 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞

𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒅𝒆 - 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓
┈┈┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈┈┈

The following morning, you and Su-Hyeok are walking across school grounds together as you ramble away, a habit only in the presence of those you're comfortable with. You're still wearing his blazer, all because he showed up in an identical one at the front of your house an hour ago, milking it as an excuse to keep it on you. Surprisingly, no one seems to pay it any mind that you were parading around with Su-Hyeok's name tag, as though they expected your attire sooner or later. Halting mid-sentence, you realize Su-Hyeok hasn't contributed to the conversation in a while. Distracted, you follow his line of sight to the far distance, seeing the school's group of good-for-nothings dragging Cheol-Su and Eun-Ji through a narrow shortcut by the building's exterior.

"I'll meet up with you in class," Su-Hyeok grabs your shoulders and ushers you the other way.

"What? No, I'm coming with you. Don't pretend like I didn't see you eyeing the bullies in anger just now."

He sighs, knowing there's no point in arguing with you; his defenses are entirely too weak when it comes to you. Determined, you lead the way in trailing behind the group in front with Su-Hyeok behind you, muttering away about how your heart was more than twice your size.

Upon stumbling though the school's unfinished construction site, Su-Hyeok grabs your hand tightly, signaling for you to be quiet, putting a finger to his lips. The area is desolate, signboards and the potential safety hazard a clear warning to others. You guess that excludes the tyrants, who could care less about societal rules. Entirely empty, you and Su-Hyeok distinctly hear the dialogue that ensues inside, voices echoing off the barren foundation. You two burst in just in time to see Gwi-Nam grabbing Cheol-Su roughly by his chin, squeezing brutally, all because he declined to endure filming a bare-chested Eun-Ji crouched on the floor, not daring to raise her head out of humiliation. Chang-Hoon and Myeong-Hwan sit scattered nearby, watching over like the situation amounted to nothing.

"That's enough. Let him go, now," Su-Hyeok warns, shooting Gwi-Nam a steely glare.

Gwi-Nam glances at your hands in Su-Hyeok's before looking away, shaking in resentment as he concedes, dropping his clutch on Cheol-Su.

"Fuck you, asshole," Myeong-Hwan curses Su-Hyeok, before turning to Gwi-Nam to do the same. "You little dumbass chicken. Shit! Is there anything you can do right?"

You rush over to Eun-Ji, dropping Su-Hyeok's hand as you instantaneously cover her, buttoning her shirt up again, boiling in anger at the gang's blatant objectification of her. Trying to comfort her the best you can, you pull her towards your chest as she cries silently, trying to hold back your own tears of frustration.

Myeong-Hwan saunters over to Su-Hyeok with an ugly gait he mistakes as exuding authority. "You used to party with us, so don't try to act all holier-than-thou. Get your ass out of here."

"It's about time for you to grow up," Su-Hyeok gets out through gritted teeth. To Cheol-Su and Eunji, he says, "You guys are free to go now."

Of course, Myeong-Hwan doesn't release them without a warning in advance. "Go ahead—if you dare."