【The Incident | Seongjoong】

Cold Eyes | CHAP 3

(This Seonghwa hits different anyway)
!!TW: SLURS. FEELINGS OF DEREALIZATION AND PTSD FLASHBACKS/ATTACKS READ WITH CAUTION IF SUCH TOPICS ARE BOTHERING!!

Hongjoong started to walk faster in the dark hallway trying to find Mr Lee's class.  he couldn't see exactly where he placed his footing and tripped, taking the air out of his lungs which was painful. He face palmed into ground. Hongjoong wanted to give up in that exact moment. The group of boys behind Hongjoong started to laugh "Looks like Hong can't walk either" The familiar voice said. "Maybe he's mentally retarded" Another boy said. More laughter echoed throughout the hallway.

The group footsteps faded into Mr Lee's ahead of them. One boy with a certain pair of cold eyes looking back at him and laughing.

 Hongjoong could feel the tears spiling out burning his cheek. He hated being called retarded. That word stabbed always like a dagger deep in his stomach. It always brought back memories he didn't wanna remember. 

He didn't wanna go to class knowing those boys were in there. Who cares if he skips it. He got up. He found it hard to breath still from the air getting knocked out of him and crying. He tried to whip away his tears but they just kept flowing. He managed to find one of the bathrooms. he sild down the wall and sat with his head in-between his legs and stomach and just let it all out.

 His hands started to shake. he tried so hard to stop but his body won't stop the crying and the shaking. He started reliving flashbacks he didn't wanna remember, he couldn't breathe anymore. he grabbed his chest as he could feel it contracting due to the lack of air his heart started to race rapidly. He didn't how loud he was hyperventilating.


Thankfully no-one heard him or least he thought. Finally the flashbacks ending. His body started to relax. He stopped crying. 

He walked to the bathroom sinks and splashed the cold water onto his face trying to feel real in his body afterwards. Hongjoong got startled when Mr Bangchang opened the door. He looked worried. "Hongjoong? are you alright?" Hongjoong froze. "Just come with me." Hongjoong nodded.

they were walking in the hallway together "I was walking to printing room and i heard strange noises was that you?

" Hongjoong gulped. But hesitantly nodded yes. Mr Bangchang stopped walking and turned to Hongjoong "Come here." Mr bangchang hugged him.  Hongjoong wrapped his arms around Mr bangchang, and rested his head on his shoulder "I don't know what happened, but you can always talk to me alright?" Mr bangchang said quietly. The hug was so warm and fuzzy.

 Hongjoong needed that. Hongjoong nodded his head. Mr bangchang let go and looked at his watch "School ends in 10 minutes, so you can just chill at the school lobby." He looked up at Hongjoong again "Say what class are you supposed to be in right now?" Hongjoong breathed in and out "Mr Lee-"  Hongjoong broke out "I'll explain that i needed you for something. Don't worry i'm the only teacher that old man listens to"

sHongjoong relaxed in the school lobby sitting on a bench.  after Mr bangchang explained to the administrator what happened. Hongjoong felt unreal in his body.

 he felt numb and detached to his surroundings. He stared at the clock in front of him. Watching every tick it made, he felt like he didn't exist. After awhile the feelings went away but never quite disappeared. Today was quite literally the best-worst day of life. He got teased. Then made friends. Then had a PTSD episode. He rubbed his eyes he was so emotionally drained.

 He put his head in his hands and breathed in and out. He looked up. The bell wouldn't ring for another 4 minutes now. He got up and started to look at the large student wall to his right the students were in their uniforms for their clubs or athletic  wear. He searched for his new friend's name and found:


Choi Jonho Member of the Track and field Club and Volleyball team.

 His eyes moved down more and found Choi San: President of the Videography Club and Captain of the Volleyball team.

Song Mingi:  Vice President of the Theatre Club and Co-Captain of the Volleyball team.

 Jung Wooyoung: President of the Theatre Club

   Below Wooyoung was the most beautiful human, Hongjoong ever saw. Park Seonghwa. Captain of the Track and Field Club.

 Hongjoong was stunned by his beauty. He could feel his cheeks turning red.

 How could people find Hongjoong handsome when this god of beauty existed. The flusterness turned into insecurity. When he really took a good look at Mingi's, Jonho's and San's body in their athletic uniforms which showed their muscles and well-toned bodies.

 Hongjoong was reminding of his skinny body. And the gross feeling that came with it. He sighed and turned away. The bell rang.

Hongjoong was walking out of the school entrance.When he felt a vibration in his back-pocket. He pulled out his phone 

Mom: 3:30 P.M
Don't walk home, Im picking you up.

Me (Hongjoong): 3:31 P.M 
Okay

Hongjoong smiled and put his phone away. Then that familiar voice was in the distance. The voice that hated him. But never got a face to it. Hongjoong felt brave in the moment and quickly looked in that direction. His eyes widened. It was Seonghwa

. Hongjoong stupidly made eye-contact with him. He stared into those deep dark brown eyes of his. There was no emotion, no empathy. Just coldness and discomfort. Seonghwa was staring back at him. Time seem to slow down. Seonghwa began walking towards Hongjoong. His feet seemed to move in slow motion. "Stop looking at him! run." his brain screamed at Hongjoong. But hongjoong couldn't move he was paralyzed. Seonghwa got closer still holding eye-contact. 


 Hongjoong broke the eye-contact as he turned his head and started to move his legs. He bumped into San and fell onto his behind. "Hongjoong? ive been calling your name? are you alright. You look like you saw a ghost." San held out his hand to Hongjoong.

Hongjoong turned his head quickly around and looked for Seonghwa. He wasn't there anymore.' San started looking around too confused "Hongjoong?" he said again.

 Hongjoong turned his head back and grabbed San's hand. San helped him up. "im sorry San, I've been having a rough day." Hongjoong rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, Wooyoung told me to check up on you, He heard Mr Bangchang talking about you. so he wanted make sure you were okay." San said.

Hongjoong became flustered at the thought of Wooyoung worrying about him. But he didn't wanna say the actual truth. Hongjoong gulped

 "I just fell. And Mr Bangchang helped me up, don't worry i'm fine it's just me and gravity aren't friends." he awkwardly laughed. "No bruises right?" San said "Nope. i'm all good just misstep my footing" hongjoong responded. San opened his mouth. However was interrupted when Mingi pulled up in his car "I'm ready San!" Mingi honked the horn.

"Alright, just be careful, i have to go." He started to walk away before he stopped and turned around "Do you need a ride? me and Mingi are going to the park if you wanna-"

Hongjoong quickly cut him off "I'm good, my mom is coming to get me. " San nodded and started to walk towards Mingi's car and started to wave at Hongjoong once he got into the car. Hongjoong waved back. With a bright smile. 

Hoongjong watched all the car's leave in the schools parking lot. The school campus became quiet. He sat on the pavement. It slowly started to get darker. He looked at his phone 4:11 P.M now he regretted rejecting San's offer to take him home.

 He deeply sighed. His stomach rumbled he was started to become hungry. He tried to call his mom, but it went straight to voice-mail "Damnit" he mumbled. Hongjoong got startled when a he heard a completely new voice behind him "Did your parents forget you too?" Hongjoong turned around and looked at soft face behind him, there was something about it

. Hongjoong couldn't quite make out. "Y-yeah i-i guess" the face smiled. "I'm Yunho." he said "H-Hongjoong" hongjoong repiled. they stood there kinda awkwardly "Well, i have nothing else to do, where do you live?" Hongjoong told him his address Yunho's face  become surprised "I only live a few blocks from there. Let me walk you home."

 Before Hongjoong could say no. Yunho grabbed his arm and wrapped around his and started walking. 

Something told Hongjoong to trust Yunho. Once more, Hoongjoong felt small. Yunho was around mingi's height. he wasn't as muscular as Jongho or San, But more wide and broad. Yunho causally told me his interests, his favorite foods and colors. I told him mine. The only bad thing about this walk was that it was a 45-minutes walk. His legs started to hurt really bad and it started to get chilly and it started to sprinkle.

 At the end of walk. I knew a lot of things about him. he was quite the chatty type. Hoongjoong arrived at his house the moment it started to rain. Yunho let go. "Goodbye Hoongjoong!" he waved at him.

 Hongjoong walked the steps to his house and waved back. he faced to door to his house, and then turned to ask something but Yunho was already gone. Hongjoong sighed. And turned around he open the door. Only to be faced with complete darkness and mumbling of a voice in house. 

Hongjoong's heart started to thump. Hongjoong went in.

---

Author: HELLOOOOO how we feeling about Yunho and Seonghwa? sorry this is kinda a lengthy chapter. But. i hope it was interesting enough, kicking starting the main storyline,  i hope it gives just a bit on insight on Hongjoong's personality and mental health too.

CONTEXT: I understand the PTSD Paragraph can be a tricky to be understand, so i'm going to say just this bit. Retarded as a word is very triggering for Hongjoong and caused him to flashbacks of a certain childhood event (which will be revealed later in the story!)