➪The Man|| WINRINA

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢-𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛

❝jaemin was almost raped.❞




While that was unfortunate for jaemin. Well, that would be unfortunate for anyone really, it still didn't give him a pass to act like a bitch.


That was what winter first thought when xiaojun revealed it to them. It seemed like a secret between jaemin and xiaojun as everyone was shocked at the revelation. The males, except xiaojun,  lookes between themselves with a conflicted expression, eyes widen. Karina was silent, a hand coming to cover her mouth.


And winter, she didn't know how to react. On one side, she wanted to say jaemin deserved it for being but bitch, but that felt wrong. Being raped, or even attempted to get rape was not a nice experience. It was a horrible experience for anyone, even if that anyone was jaemin who did her wrong.


Winter closed her eyes, tightly gripping her locker door. PE class just ended and their coach allowed them to fetch their things in their locker. Thankfully their PE coach was sir Heechul. The man didn't bother make them do anything physical, he reason it that he was too lazy to think an activity. According to him, he would just magic their grades.


She took out his school uniform, tucking it inder her arm before closing the metal compartment. And while they didn't do anything physical, it was mandatory that they change into their PE uniforms for the subject.


“yo!”



Winter quickly turned around then ducking, narrowly missing the wet towel brad threw at the direction of the lockers. She scrunched his nose, moving fast to leave the room before brad spotted her and picked on her.


She already had jaemin, she couldn't afford having brad joining the caravan she called high school life.



“minjeong!” soobin called, standing in front of the lined bleachers and waved his hands wildly to catch his attention. He was with taehyun, the shorter sitting on the bleachers with his social studies book open on his lap.


Winter was quick to jog over before collapsing beside taehyun. She removed the uniform under his arms before placing it on his lap. She peered over at Taehyun's book.


“are you like, studying?”winter wondered why. Other than the upcoming exams, there was no other reason one would study. “social studies are like more of understanding rather than the technical stuff.”


Soobin hummed in agreement, choosing to sit on the floor. “minjeong is right. You know the elimination method? Sir siwon said that would be the best way to answer the exam.”


“yeah but I have to beat jaemin.” taehyun replied, fingers crumpling the edges of his book. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. “someone has to put him back in his place.”


“Is that even possible?” winter knew jaemin was smart, maybe a genius who could be the next Einstein. That prompted her to look over at jaemin who perched on Jeno’s lap, the latter having his arms wrapped around possessively around Jaemin's waist.


Soobin notice that minjeong was looking from a distance, looking over his shoulder at where minjeong was looking, frowning at the display of affection. He looked back at the two. “they could have some pride for themselves. Everyone is talking about how jeno is treating jaemin like his boyfriend and treating his actual boyfriend like crap.”


“I won't consider shotaro as Jeno’s boyfriend.” taehyun muttered to them. He looked up from his book. “from what I heard, jeno doesn't actually like shotaro and is just using him to spite sungchan.”


Winter choked on her spit. The revelation. She never though males were alos into gossip, let alone the type to talk about other people's romantic endeavors. “sungchan? Like jung sungchan?”


Taehyun nodded his head. “sungchan and shotaro were like jaemin and jeno, you know the couple-no-couple setup they have going on. Apparently jeno got wind of it well, he broke the two off. From what I heard, sungchan is engaged to his childhood best friend.”


Winter smiled disdainfully. If only taehyun knew that the engagement failed and that she was the reason for it. If only he knew. And if he knew how, who knows how the male would react.


“not anymore.” winter uttered, surprising the two males. “their engagement got canceled because...uh...they're both gay.”


“really?” taehyun doesn't sound convinced, turning to look at minjeong with an incredulous expression. “I mean, I knew sungchan swings both ways but damn, his supposed fiancee ending up being gay...wow.” he was appalled.


“yeah...wow.” winter wondered how taehyun would react if she told him that the reason why the engagement got canceled because she said she, winter, liked sungchan's fiancee, karina. She doesn't even like karina that way!










❝minjeong kim.❞



The aformentioned flinched, slowly looking at his right and at jaemin who stood beside him, a tired look in his eyes.


Winter grew worried as to why. It looked like jaemin has not caught any sleep for the past few days. It didn't help that jeno snuck close to him like a leech, seeping off the energy off if rather than blood. Well, maybe blood too since jaemin looked too pale to be considered fair. He looked like a corpse.


“yes, jaemin?” winter replied slowly and calmly, testing the waters. Jaemin may look at that on the outside, but his personality might overlap that.


“can you...ha...” jaemin sighed tiredly, closing his eyes and took in heavy breathes. He blinked his eyes open a few seconds later. “get me some warer from the cafeteria? I'm feeling parched...please—ugh...” rather than a sigh, a groan came out at the end as jaemin closed his eyes, stumbling backward. “please...”


Winter hastily stood up, walked over the bench before running off. She wanted to ask if he was alright, but chose to do what he asked. Jaemin looked like he (italics) needed the water.


She jogged to the outdoor cafeteria near the outdoor basketball court and playground. She nodded her head at the guard on duty before jogging to the only open stall.


She slapped a bill on the counter, chest heaving. “one—”



“two waters please ”



Winter was quick to tirn to the side  seeing xiaojun calmly hand the stall owner his own money. She blinked her eyes in surprise. “what are you—”


“jaemin must have asked you to buy that.” xiaojun crossed his arms over the counter, craning his neck to look at winter. “is pale? Almost like he's about to pass out? Does he look like he's in pain?”


That was a detailed way to ask if their friend was okay. “yes. Is there—”


“jeno must be keeping him up.” xiaojun took the two bottles, handing one to winter who took it, holding the cold plastic close to her flat chest.


“up? What does—”


“after school, El-Mall. Don't be late and bring your friends as well.”

🧑

“Kim Minjeong.”


“ Na Jaemin.”


“Yu Jimin.”


“Lee Jeno.”


Anyone could tell there was something wrong between the four people. The apparent tension that caused everyone to stand in their place and watch as the four look at each other with different ways; jeno was glaring at karina and minjeong; jaemin looked tiredly between minjeong and jeno; karina had her eyes narrowed between jeno and jaemin; and minjeong looked worriedly between all.


The rest fidgeted in their places. Gucci gang were trying their best to ignore the tension, resolving to whistling a happy tune, hands in their pockets as they look elsewhere. The girls, Ryujin and Lia, were clueless about the situation at hand but chose not to point anything out, afraid they might offend someone and start a fight. The boys, Soobin and Taehyun, decided to busy themselves by chatting amongst themselves.


Karina’s expression hardened, coming to stand in front of minjeong, blocking the short male with her taller figure. “what are you doing here?”


“jaemin was invited.” jeno answered casually, “and so, I invited myself. Is there a problem?” he asked innocently, ticking karina more.


“yes,” karina gritted her teeth, hands itching to slap the male across the face. “you're making—”


“I'm not uncomfortable.” winter quickly intervened, tugging on the sleeve of Karina’s uniform. She glanced at jaemin, growing even more worried as jaemin started to sway. “If someone were to be, it would be jaemin.”


“jaemin?” jeno quirked a brow, looking over at jaemin. Winter saw the way he clicked his tongue. He looked back at them. “he's fine.”


Fine? Winter wanted to scoff. If the rumors were true that jeno liked jaemin, he would show at least some sincerity to the male. “I know you two hate me but jaemin is my classmate. And while his wellfare is none of my concern, his complexion looks bad. He's—”


“Like you said,” jeno interrupted, “we hate you and you're merely a classmate. You have nothing to do with his wellfare. So scram. Not like you can do something, liar.”


“jeno!” karina was about to charge at the male and punch him, only to be held back by minjeong who was quick to hold her by the arms. She could only pointedly glare at him. “you fucking hypocrite! You're nothing to jaemin as well but you're treating him like property. Think I won't—”


“enough!” xiaojun exclaimed, stopping the argument. He stood between the four, pushing karina and jeno away with his hands. “we are in a public space. Have public decency. Please remember that we are still in our uniforms, we are bringing the dignity of our school with us. One slip up, ” he warningly looked at them, “and we'll be kicked out.”










“you should ignore jeno and jaemin.” karina told winter, hand intertwined with the shorter's. They walked at the very end, following the rest who was being led by xiaojun. “they'll be off your back sooner or later.”


“will they?” winter wanted to ask if she was being realistic. “the exams are coming up, you ready?”


Karina shook her head no. “nope. But who cares. I want to transfer.”


“you do?”


“yeah. I wanred to attend SMU  but my parents wanted me to be close to sungchan for the sake of our engagement. It's a good thing you—I mean your twin stopped it. I can't imagine being a jung.” it was a dauting thought that karina carried since she first met sungchan as a child. She was going to be a jung.  no considerations and objection. “They say they have a curse.”


“curse?” winter asked, curious. “what curse?”


“the jungs never got together with their first love.” karina answered, eyes trained at jeno who snuck too close to jaemin. “it's fortunate that I'm not his first love. Naevis, I'd probably die if I was.”


“then, did you love him?”


Karina laughed, “of course not! Gods, he's the most egoistic prick I have ever met and his hobby of ghosting people. Damn, I just want to slap him across the face sometimes. Actually not sometimes, everytime!”


Winter laughed back. It was true. She too wanted to slap sungchan across his face before during pe. “I feel the same.”


“you guys are teammates in soccer right?” the reason why karina got to know more of “minjeong” was because of sungchan  she forced the yoinger to tell her about everything minjeong.


“yup!”


Karina smiled, suddenly coming to a stop, prompting for winter to do the same. “then you must know that I like you.”


“huh?”