WHEN I WAS 15 :: seungjin ✔︎

15

When I was fifteen years old, I met Seungmin.

It had happened in the bathroom, ugly as such a first joining of two souls could ever be. He'd been... minding his own business, in every sense of the word, crouching in a stall, bent over his phone. Calling his mother, whispering in the hushed tones of a boy who would die of embarrassment if he were caught in the action.

"Mom, I'm in the bathroom, and a lockdown drill just started, and I'm new to the school, and I still don't know my way around. HELP."

The first words I ever heard out of his mouth. His lovely, sweet, angelic voice. Faceless, disembodied. Muffled by a stall door, with an unpleasant drip drip drip coming from elsewhere in the high school bathroom.

And he wasn't wrong. I'd been in the process of washing my hands after doing what I came to the bathroom for, when the abrupt ringing of a lockdown alarm and the not-so-soothing voice of our school principal had played over the loudspeaker—This is a lockdown drill. Please follow the instructions which were announced and repeated on the first school day of each month.

Of course, at the time, it was the middle of February. Everyone knew where to go in the unlikely event that the school would be breached, somehow, and that a living threat would be present in the building.

"Uh, hello?" I called out. Quietly, so that the boy's mom wouldn't overhear. "Are you okay? Who are you?"

There had been a long pause, then a fast whisper. "Yes, someone's here. I'll text you later. Bye, love you." Then, louder, his voice at a more normal volume: "One second."

A few seconds passed. Then an agonizingly awkward wait as the sound of a toilet flushing echoed in the bathroom.

Like I said. Not a very fairytale meeting.

He stepped out of the stall, his face redder than cherry-themed candy, avoiding my eyes as if his life depended on it.

"I'm Seungmin," he said, and cleared his throat. "New here," he finished, his voice breaking, making his face flush even more.

I cocked my head, willing his eyes to mine. "I'm Hyunjin," I replied, and, with a grin, added, "but I've been going to this school for a few months now, so you're in luck."

And he looked up, face contorting in a weak smile. It didn't matter. In that moment, my heart lurched, ignoring his cheek acne, the redness of his skin, and the sweat which made his forehead a bit shiny. I think I fell in love instantaneously, though all of me denied it.

"Lucky me," he mused. We locked eyes again, knowing we'd have a few slow minutes to endure before being released from the drill, crouched on toilet seats with our heads ducked.

All I could think was this: No, Seungmin, I am the lucky one.

>>><><<<

hellooo ~~

since some people may have missed the book description, i'm warning you right off the bat that someone dies in this book. so read with care.

on a lighter note, hi, i hope you enjoy e fic! it's entirely prewritten and updates should come every three days (which means i'll get both changbin's birthday and noeasy's release hehe)

thanks for giving this a chance, and happy 8.08!