Agony (GEMINIFOURTH)

Chapter 33: A Frustrating Conclusion

The air in the small office was thick with tension. Gemini sat beside Fourth, his fists clenched tightly in his lap, every muscle in his body coiled with barely contained fury. Across from them, the group of boys—those who had cornered Fourth in the bathroom—sat slouched in their chairs, looking far too relaxed for Gemini's liking. The teacher in charge sat at the desk, shuffling through some papers, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

Gemini had gone straight to the administration after the incident, demanding action be taken. He wasn't going to let what happened to Fourth slide without consequences. But now, sitting in this room, watching as the boys denied everything, Gemini's patience was wearing thin.

"We were just playing around," one of the boys said, his voice casual as if it were nothing. "It wasn't serious. Fourth overreacted."

Gemini's blood boiled at the words. He could barely believe what he was hearing. They were twisting the truth, making it seem like it was just a harmless joke, when in reality, they had cornered Fourth, tried to assault him. He could still see the panic in Fourth's eyes when he had walked in, and hearing these boys lie about it made his stomach churn with anger.

Before he could stop himself, Gemini shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Just playing around? Are you serious? You cornered him and tried to—" Gemini's voice was loud, his fury seething.

The teacher quickly raised a hand, trying to calm the situation. "Gemini, please, let's handle this calmly."

But Gemini wasn't having it. He could feel the heat rising in his chest, his fists trembling as he glared at the boys. "Calmly? You're going to let them lie like that? Fourth didn't overreact—they trapped him, and you're all just sitting here pretending like it's no big deal!"

One of the boys smirked, clearly enjoying how riled up Gemini was. "Maybe Fourth's the one who was trying to flirt with us. He's the one who—"

Before he could finish, Gemini moved as if to lunge forward, his anger pushing him toward the boy. His fists were ready to swing, but Fourth grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

"Gem, don't," Fourth said quickly, his voice steady despite everything. "It's not worth it."

Gemini froze, his chest heaving with anger. He looked down at Fourth, who was sitting calmly, though his eyes held a quiet pain. Fourth's hand was warm on his arm, grounding him, pulling him back from the edge. Slowly, Gemini unclenched his fists, but the fury still simmered beneath the surface.

The teacher cleared her throat, clearly trying to regain control of the situation. "Let's focus on the facts here. The boys have been given a warning, and there won't be any further punishment unless something like this happens again."

Gemini's jaw clenched. A warning? That was it? He couldn't believe it. After everything they had done, they were walking away with nothing but a slap on the wrist.

He opened his mouth to protest again, but Fourth squeezed his arm, shaking his head slightly. "Let it go, Gem," Fourth said softly, his voice full of quiet resignation. "I don't want to make this worse."

Gemini felt like he was going to explode. How could Fourth just let this go? How could he sit there so calmly when those boys had tried to assault him? But the look in Fourth's eyes—the exhaustion, the desire for it all to be over—made Gemini pause.

The teacher gave them both a sympathetic look before turning to the group of boys. "You're all dismissed. But remember, if anything like this happens again, the consequences will be far more serious."

The boys exchanged glances, clearly pleased with how things had turned out. They got up from their chairs, smirking as they walked past Gemini and Fourth, as if they had won.

Gemini's fists tightened again, but he stayed in his seat, holding back the rage that bubbled up inside him. It took everything in him not to follow them, not to confront them again.

Once the boys were gone, the teacher looked at Fourth and Gemini with a sigh. "I'm sorry it didn't go the way you wanted, but I'll keep an eye on things. If you feel unsafe, come to me immediately."

Fourth nodded politely, though his expression was unreadable. "Thank you," he said quietly.

The moment they were out of the office, Gemini turned to Fourth, his frustration finally spilling out. "This is ridiculous! They got off with nothing. They didn't even admit what they did."

Fourth gave him a small, tired smile. "I know, Gem. But fighting them isn't going to help. I don't want to cause more problems. I just want this to be over."

Gemini shook his head, still bristling with anger. "But they deserve to pay for what they did. They can't just get away with it."

"I know," Fourth said, his voice softer now. "But it's not worth it. If we keep pushing, things will only get worse. I don't want to deal with more drama. I just want to move on."

Gemini stared at Fourth, his heart aching at how calm he was being despite everything. Fourth had always been strong, able to endure more than anyone realized, but this... this was different. It wasn't just about enduring anymore—it was about survival.

Fourth's hand found Gemini's again, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Please, Gem," he said quietly. "Let it go. I don't want any more problems. And... don't tell our parents about this, okay? They'll just worry."

Gemini let out a frustrated sigh, his anger still simmering beneath the surface, but he nodded. "Okay," he muttered reluctantly. "But if they try anything again..."

Fourth smiled softly. "If they try anything again, we'll deal with it. Together."

Gemini pulled Fourth into a tight hug, holding him close as if he could shield him from the world. He hated that this had happened, hated that they were forced to let it go. But for Fourth's sake, he would do as he asked.

"I've got your back, always," Gemini whispered, his voice filled with quiet determination. "No matter what."

Fourth hugged him back, resting his head on Gemini's shoulder. "I know. And that's all I need."

But as they stood there in the empty hallway, the weight of everything still heavy on their shoulders, Gemini couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the end. Not by a long shot.

And deep down, he knew that if it came to it, he would fight—no matter what it cost.