•How long till you start falling apart?•
Min Sehyuk, a new transfer student from the U.S. joins Hanhwa university and entangles himself with the resident bully after defending a student. He becomes the new target, taking each punch with a smile, ask...
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It's one of those days where Sehyuk wishes the world should've just ended in 2012 like in the movie. He stares at the ceiling, the incident that occurred exactly two years ago today, playing in his mind. The heaviness in his chest keeps him tied to the bed, lethal words playing in his mind. He spent one year as a shut-in since that day, only moving to use the washroom and barely eating.
Sehyuk clutches the sheet under him, crumpling it in his palm. He closes his eyes, taking in slow and long breaths, toes curling at the images that flash in his mind.
"I hope you'll never be happy!"
"You're escaping the law only because your parents are stuffing bills in everyone's mouths!"
His parents have always been his support, sometimes a bit too doting as he's an only child. He's been coddled since birth, having all the love and attention to himself. Even after the incident, his parents cleaned up after him. The other party was furious but couldn't do anything but accept the cheque his parents held out for them to settle.
Although the burden in his chest is overwhelming and crushing, he has to get up. He has a test that comprises forty percent of his final grade for the course and he would fail if he doesn't take it. The professor had already warned them that there would be no retakes. So, Sehyuk lifts himself up, dragging his legs to the washroom and getting ready for the day.
"What's done is done, don't let it hold you back. Learn from your past actions." Sehyuk's counselor had relayed over and over again. He repeats the mantra while brushing his teeth, the mint toothpaste tasting on his dry tongue, accusing eyes trained on the mirror in front of him.
Sehyuk closes his eyes when he hears his phone ring in the room, sighing at knowing who it already is. He lets it be, for now, first showering and then changing into a pair of Adidas black tracksuit and picking up his backpack before leaving his apartment. He mounts his Hyosung GD250R motorbike and straps his helmet, starting the engine and riding off to his university.
His mobile phone rings again and Sehyuk answers this time, moving to the side to connect his AirPods and continuing towards his destination. "Hello, eomma. How have you been?"
"I'm good," the older woman replies from the other line. "How...how are you?"
"Don't worry about me," the son says, gripping onto the hand clutch and ignition switch. "I'm heading to the university right now."
"You should've taken a leave today...to rest."
Sehyuk licks his lips and bites off the skin of the lower one. "It's okay. I'm over it, I'm happy here." He smiles for extra effect, to make his voice believable. "Seoul is doing me good, even made some friends."
"T-that's...that makes me very happy," he feels his mother holding back tears. "Last year had been hard for you."
"Eomma, my university is here, I'll talk to you later." Sehyuk gives a tight smile. "Bye." He hangs up, parks his bike near the bicycle stand, and proceeds to his first class.
