case 143 // seungin

chapter 3 | ᴅᴏʀᴍ

-ᴍᴏɴᴅᴀʏ-
seungmin's pov
opening the door just a crack, i took a peek around the dorm’s living room; jeongin wasn't back yet. it was 8 already, almost time for dinner. i went in and took a look at the fridge, i think there are enough leftovers for me to make dinner for two.

‘let’s see, we've got leftover pizza and kimchi.. i could heat the pizza up and make kimchi-jjigae.’ i hadn't realised that i’d talked out loud, i guess it just helped me focus.

the dorm felt so empty, so i decided to put on some music. as the speakers came to life with music, i hummed to myself, occasionally belting out the vocal parts of my favourite track. i could relax as i finally had the chance to cook. it was one of my favorite hobbies back home.

the chicken was baked soon enough, and the stew was boiling. i took a deep breath, the aroma of delicious food entering my nostrils. my mouth watered; it'd been so long since i managed to eat home cooked food. i was looking forward to trying it with jeongin.

‘it’s 9 now... where's jeongin-ah? i'm worried.’ i mumbled to myself, glancing at the door every now and then. finally, after what i think was an hour of me pacing back and forth about the dorm, jeongin entered through the door.

he looked drained and he was clutching his shoulder. i rushed over to him, reaching out to pull him to the sofa. not able to hold back my worry anymore, i let out a concerned stream of questions.

‘jeongin! where were you? why did you come back so late, are you okay? i made some food, are you hungry? there's chick-’

‘seungmin, please, let me rest...’ jeongin cut in with a weary voice.

‘ah... okay.’ i decided to not speak anymore and let jeongin get some rest.

silence fell between us, and it was kind of awkward. jeongin fell back against the sofa, closing his eyes. he looked so peaceful all of the sudden, and i let my eyes roam over his body.

his skin had a slight tan which still looked so soft and smooth. his cheeks were a slight shade of pink, and i was so tempted to caress them with my thumb. his chest rose gently up and down and my attention went back to his face once more, admiring his beautifully long eyelashes. he had such a svelte figure, i couldn't keep my eyes off him.

but i eventually had to wake him up as i wanted him to have some dinner, and i shook his shoulder gently. jeongin woke up with a wince, eyes widening suddenly. he sat up straight, looking around the dorm like he was on high alert.

this only made me worry even more, and all thoughts of food disappeared. i couldn't help but ask once again, ‘what’s wrong? your shoulder... let me see it. it's the cause of your discomfort, isn't it?’

jeongin nodded, not saying anything else as he shrugged his flannel off. he hesitated as he reached his shirt, but i stilled his hand, and helped him with his shirt.

i only lifted it up a bit, as i was slightly embarrassed about seeing him fully naked upper body. i soon saw a huge bruise on his shoulder, and i knew instantly someone had done this to him.

‘what the f-’

jeongin cut me off, ‘seungmin, no. i’ll tell you what happened, but please help me, it hurts really bad. the first aid kit is in the top cupboard above the fridge.’

i obliged, hurrying to get the ointments in the kit. i applied the cream as gently as i could while jeongin sighed and the tension slowly slipped out of his shoulders. after a bit, he relayed what happened to him after lunch. jeongin winced in between his sentences, and i bit my lip in concentration, i didn't want to hurt him more than he had been hurt.

hearing what jeongin told me, i felt furious. i put his shirt down slowly, letting my fingertips graze his skin one last time, and he shivered a little under my touch.

‘...so i guess i didn't realise how badly they screwed my shoulder until much later. i wanted to come back to the dorm as soon as my last classes ended, but the guys… they found me again and slammed me against the locker. now my shoulder.. it's-’

‘jeongin. stop. you clearly need rest. tomorrow, i swear to god, i will find those bullies who keep harassing you, and i’ll beat them up so bad they won't walk for days. i’ll put them in a fucking wheelchair-’ i felt the rage that seeped into my voice, it took my breath away.

‘seungmin, don't be rash.. i’m as angry at them as you, well, maybe less than you, but i’m so scared. this year was meant for me to have a fresh start…’

‘what do you mean??’

‘i used to get bullied during freshman year.’

‘oh my god, there's no way. they're harassing you again??’

‘yeah, but if we don't retaliate, i doubt they'd remember me.’ jeongin gave me a sad smile, he didn't seem sure of himself either.

seungmin sighed, shaking his head to clear himself of all the murderous thoughts he had of jeongin's bullies. ‘it’s ok, i’ll think of a way to get them to back down. they're not going to ruin sophomore year for you, jeongin.’

jeongin let out a sharp laugh, ‘sure, good luck. i used to get bullied by them for half a year almost everyday until they grew bored and started ‘hunting’ for more victims. their faces even appear in my dreams.. or should i say, nightmares.’

seungmin couldn't believe what jeongin was saying, that explained why jeongin looked so.. alert just now, or the way he blanked out sometimes.

he must've gone through so much trauma last year..

a.n.
ahh another chapter done!! i’m so sorry for painting jeongin in such a sad and painful light 😣😔 but i swear, things will get better over time. y’all just gotta continue reading to find out how everything turns out ;)

❤️❤️❤️
-𝗷𝗮_𝟯𝗹𝗹𝟯