Villain kids

19

Music class dragged in a low, muffled hum, like background noise in a dream. The teacher droned on about great composers of the past, but Donghyuck couldn’t hear a word—his mind was spinning.

Jeno: "You're acting weird... what's up with that?"
His whisper cut through Hyuck’s haze.

Hyuck: "I’m fine. Why?"
He glanced at his friend with wide-eyed innocence, but Jeno wasn't buying it.

Jeno: "I might not ace every test, but I’m not dumb when it comes to people. We’re talking after class."
Hyuck: "Sorry, Jen... I’m just deep in thought. I don’t know what to do. I’m so confused."
His voice cracked slightly, not enough to draw attention—but enough for Jeno to hear the weight behind it.

Jeno: "Yeah... I get it. I thought this place would suck. But I really like it here..."
That quiet confession made Donghyuck pause. He looked at Jeno, who offered a tight, knowing smile.

Hyuck: "Exactly... That’s the problem. I’m fighting with my head and my heart."

Before Jeno could reply, the door creaked open. A familiar voice filled the classroom.

Mark: "Excuse me, Miss. May I borrow Jeno and Donghyuck? There’s something I need to discuss with them."

Teacher: "Of course, Sir Mark."
She gave a small nod, clearly honored to be addressed by royalty.

Confused, the two boys stood up, exchanging wary glances as they followed the prince out.

Jeno: "Okay, what’s going on? Why are we being summoned like this?"
Hyuck: (elbowing him) "Don’t be rude..."
Hyuck (to Mark): "Sorry about him. What’s this about?"

Mark: "It’s alright. I just need to gather Sungchan and Jisung too. I’ll explain everything soon."

He led them through a series of halls—each more unfamiliar than the last. Eventually, they reached a room none of them had seen before. It felt secret, sacred somehow. Like stepping into a dream you didn’t know you were having.

Soon, Sungchan and Jisung joined, just as puzzled. The five stood in a loose, awkward cluster, like chicks who had lost sight of the hen.

Sungchan: "No offense, but this is starting to feel ominous... What’s going on?"
The others nodded, nerves winding tight.

Mark didn’t speak. Instead, he walked to the front of the room and motioned toward a massive window.
Mark: "Come stand here. Look through the glass."

They hesitated, but obeyed—and when they looked out, their breath caught.

Through the window was the Isle. Not a painting. Not a memory. But the real thing. Gray, broken, wreathed in fog and grief. Like a bruise on the earth.

Mark: "Tell me what you see. One by one."

No one moved for a moment. Then, Jisung stepped forward.

Jisung: "Darkness. It’s like... just looking at it makes you feel small and hopeless. You can feel how broken it is."

Sungchan: "Sorrow. Regret. It’s like it pulls all your worst memories to the surface."

Jeno: "I see... outcasts. It’s a place full of people who think they don’t deserve more. Who believe they can’t change."

Finally, Donghyuck spoke, voice barely above a whisper.

Hyuck: "I see the past. The place that made us. The version of ourselves we never wanted to become, but couldn’t escape. It’s... everything I want to forget."

Silence followed, heavy and raw.

Mark looked at each of them—no judgment, just calm clarity.
Mark: "Do you want to go back? Or... is this where you want to be?"

The question slammed into their chests like a wrecking ball. They’d asked themselves that a hundred times in secret. But now someone else was asking—and the answer mattered.

They didn’t look at each other.
They didn’t hesitate.
They just knew.

All together: “We wanna stay.”

And with that, something shifted.
Not in the world.
In them.