Do you? || Book 1

~12~

"Jisung we are going to report it to the police and that's final"

"No!" -shouted Jisung in anger- "It's not your call to make! I don't want to report it! All the media and news will have me in the center of attention as the helpless rape victim! And I will have to explain what and how it happened in full detail! And I can't bring myself to tell the details to my best friends- no, to my family so how do you expect me to tell it to the police!" Seungmin's knuckles went white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly.

"Jisung, I'm just trying to help you-"

"I don't need any help!" 

Deafening silence filled the car, as Jeongin and Felix sat in the backseat just listening to their argument. 

"They're arguing like a married couple" whispered Felix

"I know right"

Felix decided to break the ice by clapping his hands loudly and said "Why don't we all go to Jisung's house instead and decide who's to stay with him for today?"

"Wha- Why are you guys being like this? I just want to be alone is that too much to ask?"

"Yeah, so you can continue cutting yourself?" taunted Seungmin, who just so happened to receive a smack on his head from Jeongin. Jisung opened his mouth to say something but just turned away and looked out the window instead. Getting caught, he felt extremely guilty, to the point where tears brimmed his eyes but he didn't dare let them fall. He just felt like he kept on disappointing the others, again and again, granted it was his fault and he should not have done it but it didn't help his state of mind at that moment.

"Hyung! Jisung is in a fragile state right now! Both of you quarreling like 2-year olds won't solve anything, I know you have the patience span of a worm but you need to control your temper on him" Seungmin didn't reply because he knew Jeongin was right, hell sometimes Jeongin was wiser than Gandalf and no one could disagree. When Seungmin didn't reply, Jeongin continued whispering "He needs us right now, he needs us to be by his side right now, he just doesn't realize it yet"

He needs us right now, these words kept on repeating themselves in Seungmin's mind like a broken record player as several thoughts invaded his mind. His thoughts went all the way back to when Jisung was a terrible mess, everyday the 3 boys, Seungmin, Jeongin, and Felix used to see a little boy clutching his books tightly against his chest, as people went by him, pushing and shoving him as if he didn't exist. 

Students, who didn't even know him, just used to throw trash on him or push him on purpose. The bullying went to the point of calling him a "Shuttle" because he was forced to go back and forth the class and Cafeteria to bring food for his classmates and to the point where anyone would push him, He was just so thin, tiny, and fragile, it looked like he would shatter like a porcelain doll if he fell.

One day the school's "shuttle" was heading towards the cafeteria with his head down and taking long strides just so it would be over, instead, he bumped headfirst into a guy, who was maybe a centimeter taller than him, he expected a kick or a punch for being clumsy, so he closed his eyes and braced for an impact, but he never felt it. He opened his doe eyes to see the guy extending his hand and asked "Hey, are you okay?" Jisung replied a small yes, baffled by the new encounter, he was ready to leave as the guy asked "My name's Seungmin, what's yours?" 

Ever since that blessed day, Seungmin, as Felix describes it, took Jisung under his care, he taught Jisung to stand up for himself, he taught Jisung everything that a parent should have taught him. Seungmin kept in check that Jisung had meals 3 times a day, brushed his teeth, and looked presentable. He was always like a parent figure in the lives of the 4 friends. Before they knew it, Jisung came out of his cracked shell and showed his ablaze, true colors, a confident, kind, and loving addition to their friendship. The four friends trusted each other with their lives and deepest secrets, they knew about the death of Jisung's mother, and his father, indirectly, disowning him. They knew everything about each other from A till Z.