fever | ateez lore story

CH 3

•mingi•

I scrolled through SoundCloud aimlessly, looking for new music to listen to. I get tired of constantly listening to the same thing, so in search of a new track, I found 'Pirate King' by an underground producer under the name of Matz. I thought to myself; "what a dumb name for a song...". and scrolled past it, thinking I wouldn't see it again.

Min-J's posy tried to jump me the next day. I tried my best to ignore them, so I threw in my earbuds and tensed my muscles for a hit, but my playlist just finished and my ears were filled with nothing but the muffled sounds to Min-J's petty insults. That was until a rhythmic tapping of a hi-hat and a siren-like sound waved into my ears. When the beat picked up, so did my adrenaline. The harsh drumming of the beats and bass flowed with the hailing down of my fists against Min-J's group. By the time the song ended, Min-J threatened to come back for me and fled away along with his demons.

After that day, I wasn't afraid anymore.

---

On the way home, I search for the playlist, and find a bunch of other songs by Matz...or, the class captain? Random song titles display themselves to me, and I choose a rando with the title 'Treasure'.

I was expecting something intense, like the search for treasure in an abandoned island or something. This song, is nothing like that. The vibe of it...feels revolutionary, like they already found the 'treasure' they so longed for. Like they have wanted this 'treasure' for so long, they suffered through so much just to get it. It is something they deserved to find and own. It has a story it wants to tell.

I rip an earbud out of my ear when I feel a hand on my shoulder, by body shivering with aggression. I spin round and hold a fist up, grabbing the collar of their shirt in my other hand. I hold the action to punch when I see two, petrified eyes staring into mine.

"Woah! It's me." The class captain exclaims, holding his hands up beside him in defence. I let him go, not wanting to be reported to the president and having to deal with the brain-bleeding lectures from my dad. I watch as he smooths his shirt down, fear still evident in his small face. When he was done, he looks up at me with such innocent eyes that it almost annoys me.

"What is it?" I mumble, wondering why he caught up with me in the first place.

"Just...wanted to see if you were alright after lunch." He answers, his wide-eyes scanning my face. I turn away, feeling embarrassed.

"I'm fine." I say, brushing him off. I turn away and plug my ear with my earbud, but before I retreat, the urge to ask him my burning question takes over.

-"Are you...Matz?"

The class captain stares at me, bewildered for a moment, before letting out a breathy laugh.

"You got me." He giggles, a smile on his face so wide.

-"But my actual name is Kim Hongjoong, and still your class captain. I am Matz, but only behind the screen."

I nod, my stomach starting to turn. I feel a spark of excitement in me, that I haven't felt in years. Because of how foreign this feeling is to me, I push it down and store it away. I don't want to start opening up again, before I get myself hurt. Like I said, I'd prefer to be alone, as I was, anyway.

"Did you like it? 'Pirate King'?" Hongjoong's voice snaps me out of my own head, his head leaning to catch my eyes. I stare at him for a second before shrugging.

-"Yeh, I guess."

Wrong. I worship the song. The song has opened a new side of me that I didn't know existed. It made me fear no more, and it grew me into someone who relies on independence - something I was afraid of touching upon. It made me realise I'm better on my own. I hold back from telling him that the song was a gateway to strength - instead of crying and taking the bullshit I get, I fight back, with the ambition and determination of a pirate, and the dominance and power of a king.

"Cool. Let me know if you listen to anything else." He says, the fear in his face being replaced with tranquility. I give him a nod, my face stern with no emotion.

I turn away and continue home. I'm immersed into my own world again, with the dramatic melody of 'Treasure' resuming into my earbuds. My body responds with the hairs on my arm standing, a shiver being felt in my spine and my senses tingling. This is a feeling I do not want to escape from.

'Treasure'. I'll keep this song close to me, too, like it might slip away from my grip tomorrow. I have never felt like this about a song before, and I hate to let that feeling go. As terrifying as I might seem on the outside, I'm only a boy on the inside, who longs for more, and fears for less.