Shallow Abyss || Zb1

25

(Same day)
Everyone's phone began buzzing. Matthew and
Tae Rae were on their way to the cafeteria when they felt their phones buzz. Matthew took out his phone and saw an anonymous number sent him a message.

"Did an anonymous number send you a video too?"
Tae Rae asked showing Matthew the message. Matthew nodded and opened the video. His eyes widened, he quickly looked up from his phone and saw students looking at him as they whispered.

Some were looking at him with mockery while some were looking at him with disgust.

"Matthew..isn't this you?" Tae Rae asked watching the video. The video was of Matthew. It was shot by his ex- friends back in Canada.

Matthew's friends betrayed him. It all started when he had a school project to do with one of his friends' girlfriend. She kept making advances at him but he rejected her.

So she went and told Matthew's friend, her boyfriend, that Matthew forced himself on her.
The rumor circulated in his school and he was socially stigmatized by that.

His friends ganged up on him and began to beat him because of what they were told. They made a video while doing so. They were laughing as they wrote names on his body, things like 'girlfriend snatcher'.

Matthew kept denying it, begging for his best friends to believe him but they didn't. He kept crying at the betrayal and ended up changing schools because of the trauma he got by them.

The anonymous messenger went as far as putting subtitles so that everyone would understand what was going on.

Matthew began to hear a ringing in his ear. He kept hearing the words they called him. He covered his ears, shaking his head as he kept muttering 'no'.

Tae Rae held him when he felt Matthew begin to shake. He got so worried because he had never witnessed Matthew have a panic attack.

Matthew was so hurt that his past was coming back. He kept wondering why whoever posted the video did that. He stopped and his eyes widened.

"Zhanghao Hyung" he mumbled as he remembered the message he saw in his phone. He immediately thought that Zhanghao was the one that sent the video.

He got angry as to why Zhanghao would post that video to everyone. He furiously started walking towards Zhanghao's class with Tae Rae who was worriedly following him behind.

Matthew banged the door open and saw Zhanghao, Hanbin and Ji Woong still in class. Other of his seniors were there and the door's bang startled them all.

Hanbin saw Matthew and stood up but Matthew walked past Hanbin and walked to Zhanghao. Zhanghao who was peacefully rereading the paper
Ji Woong gave him was startled when Matthew suddenly slapped him.

"Matthew!" Hanbin and Tae Rae shouted in shock while Ji Woong stood up as he looked at Matthew bewildered.

"You sent this right?" Matthew looked at Zhanghao in anger as he showed him his phone. Zhanghao felt his cheek sting. He sighed and looked at Matthew not understanding what he meant.

"What are you talking about?" Zhanghao asked and Matthew scoffed. "Quit acting dumb Hyung. You clearly did this. For what? Out of Jealousy? Are you that jealous that I and Hanbin hyung are friends?"

"I saw the text in your phone. Are you really that low that you would dig up my past, just to humiliate me?" Matthew said and looked at Zhanghao with a hurtful expression. Ji Woong understood what Matthew meant by the text.

He witnessed when Matthew read it in Zhanghao's phone and ran away looking uneasy. That began to make Ji Woong actually think Zhanghao had a chance of being the one who sent the video.

Matthew bitterly chuckled "What did I ever do to you? Huh? Why do you want to make my life a living hell? I tried so much to run away from the past and here you are, bringing it back just as revenge"

"What even is wrong with you? Do you think Hanbin Hyung is an item you can seize? Stop being so toxic and possessive. Grow up Hyung. I don't understand why you would want to humiliate me but congratulations, you did"

"Are you happy now? I'm sure you must be. You've always looked for a means to make me feel bad when all I've done is try to be your friend. I'm sick and tired of this. I really looked up to you and respected you but now...you've lost all my respect" Matthew said and looked at Zhanghao with his glossy eyes.

He turned and ran through the students that watched the commotion.

Zhanghao was staring into space not believing what he just heard.

"I'm really ashamed of you Zhanghao, I really am. Why would you do that to Matthew. Don't you have emotions? Why must you choose to be wicked against Matthew." Hanbin said, grabbing Zhanghao's attention.

"You've always been against I and Matthew's friendship. I thought it ended there, but you did this? Really? If you think doing this is going to make I and Matthew's friendship come to an end, you're wrong. Because it's our friendship that has come to an end." Hanbin said and walked out of the classroom.

Zhanghao felt his heart shatter into pieces. He clenched his chest as tears began to form in his eyes. He had never felt this heartbroken before.

He slowly looked at Ji Woong. Ji Woong was conflicted, he wasn't sure if Zhanghao actually did it because he knew how avenging Zhanghao could be.

Ji Woong looked away not being able to bear Zhanghao's broken sight. Zhanghao's heart even broke further because he thought Ji Woong actually cared.