His Skin // Hyunchan

•°Chapter 36°•

Chan just cried. He cried as he didn't know how to get out of this. It felt like his whole life was falling apart in every aspect and way possible.

Changbin used to be the closest to him, but ever since two weeks go, he's been practically living over at Jisungs dorm and not talking to him much, too occupied with being in love. But even if he was right here, what was he supposed to do anyway?

Minho was the only one to stand by his side, but he, he couldn't do anything either. His parents wouldn't for life give up on their business, deal and agreement with the Bang family.

If he'd do anything to help Chan get out of this, they'd threaten to abort that business deal with his family and that would simply mean that his parents would make his life a living hell for the rest of his life.

The companies of the Lee and Bang families have been rivals for years and now that they were finally managing to work together, they weren't going to let anyone get between them.

Chan thought back to the deal he had arranged with his step-father. The things he had promised to do just so his mother and brother wouldn't get hurt anymore.

His body trembled knowing he will be living in terror for the foreseeable future, shaking in fear and sobbing.

He didn't want to go through all of that again. He didn't want to go back to Junghwa. He didn't want to be with him again just for the sake of his step-father and the company, but he had to. He had to or his mother and brother would be hurt and he needed to protect them.

He'd rather take in all the pain than have them being harmed in any way. And even if it meant for him to be with someone who abuses him like Junghwa or to listen to someone who's just using him for his own good like his step-father, he was going to handle it as long as his loving family would be staying safe.

He wasn't going to let his step-father hurt them again, doesn't matter if he was going to have to take in the punishments and be with Junghwa instead.

Chan couldn't hold himself up anymore and he found himself falling to his knees on the ground, crying into the palms of his hands.

It felt like he couldn't breath anymore, like his airways were tightening and that everything around him was turning black and disappearing more and more by the second. His vision getting blurry and his head foggy, unable to think of anything rational anymore, just fearing what was coming his way and not knowing how he was supposed to handle it.

One of his hands moved up to his chest, holding his shirt at his heart in a fist, ordering it to stop beating so rapidly, begging his body to stop hyperventilating since it felt like he was about to faint and unconsciously fall to the ground.

His eyes were half lidded and slowly falling close. He just didn't know how to calm himself down anymore, so many thoughts and feelings of fear flooded his body and mind, making him unable to control his breathing or anything else at this point.

He couldn't pass out, he just couldn't let it happen. He didn't want Minho to come back and see him like this. He didn't want to burden him with more of his problems, didn't want him to waste his time taking care of him.

His eyes were fully falling close when suddenly, he felt two arms wrapping around his waist and stomach from the back, a chin resting on his shoulders and a warm voice whispering something into his ear.

"You're not alone anymore, I'm here."

It was Minhos voice.

The boy had arrived back at his room early and as soon as he saw the widely opened door, he knew that something was wrong, immediatly heading inside, throwing his bag somewhere to the side and kneeling to the ground to help Chan out.