Mingyu wanted to scream. Bury himself six feet under the ground.
It was all over social media, and Jeon Wonwoo was proactively posting updates about Mingyu's episode everywhere. Hell, someone had even created a post on Pledis' student website – created by some alumni, during their years at Pledis, for students to be able to post stuff anonymously. It sure sounded like it was specifically made for students to spill tea and spread rumours, without taking the blame for any actions.
'Baby Kim Mingyu loves touching people's hair.' 'Kim Mingyu throws a childish fit.' Mingyu read these captions every time he opened any of his socials. For heaven's sake, he came across a post that said 'Kim Mingyu gets possessed by a child's ghost.' He didn't even remember what had happened, but he did have a clear idea of what might have happened.
He didn't need rocket science to figure out that he'd slipped into headspace witnessing Wonwoo slapping the guy lying on the floor; Minghao and Soonyoung's details had confirmed it further. "You seemed childish, Mingyu." Soonyoung said. Gods, Mingyu was too embarrassed to even step in the building the next day. News must have spread amongst the professors as well. That could make things a bit easier – or worse.
No one knew about his disorder, and Mingyu himself had found out in the last two years of high school. That was when he'd noticed himself getting triggered, and regressing right after he witnessed a few particular things. Mingyu hadn't known the reason behind them.
He'd had to sneak out a few times back in the States during high school, to visit a proper psychiatrist. The old man had been extremely helpful in assessing the symptoms Mingyu presented, and he was soon diagnosed with PTSD, with regression, unfortunately, being the only way his brain responded. Despite being offered help, Mingyu had to refuse; he couldn't have risked his mother finding out; sneaking out was difficult by itself. His mother still had no idea, and Mingyu wanted to keep it that way.
He would do anything to have a normal fucking life; no snobbish mother, a healthy mental state, and no unnecessary rival to deal with. And a father too. Heavens knew if he was still around, or whether Mingyu would ever get to know about him. Mingyu often thought he was good enough the way he was, father or not, yet there were times when he was overwhelmed being suppressed under his mother's demands and ways. But Mingyu had no idea whether his father would have been supporting, or just like his mother.
Just the thought made him shudder.
--
"Hey Mingyu..."
Minghao's voice greeted Mingyu first thing at Pledis the next day. Most students threw suggestive, mocking glances his way, while others looked at Minghao with disdain. Mingyu already knew. "I'm fine, it's nothing. It wasn't the first time," he muttered.
"It's not fine, Mingyu."
"I can't do anything, okay?" snapped Mingyu.
Minghao got the hint to stay silent. With a light pat on the taller's shoulder, he walked alongside him until they reached their classes. "What do you have first?" he asked.
"Administration."
"Great. You won't have to deal with him for at least an hour."
"You didn't have to mention it. I'm already gonna have it bad at least for a week more."
"Sorry."
"It's my class, goodbye." Mingyu waved, and entered the classroom briskly, knowing well enough it wasn't the one he was supposed to be in. It was simply the nearest one he saw, and he desperately wanted to be alone for a while.
But clearly, Mingyu never got what he wished for. To his cursed luck, he found Wonwoo, yet again, sitting at the first desk in the empty classroom.
Mingyu saw him happily scrolling through his phone, and he was sure Wonwoo was going through the posts about him.
"Childish Kim Mingyu... What a respectful title, isn't it?" Wonwoo said, mock concern dripping from his voice.
"Shut up. It's all your fault."
"How so? I'm intrigued," Wonwoo made a show of leaning forward with interest, resting his chin on his hand propped on the table.
"I'm not bothered to explain."
Wonwoo got out of the chair and walked up to Mingyu, a bit too close for his liking. "Stop pushing the blame on others just because you feel like it. And someone like me, poor me – Kim Mingyu's meek rival, who always ends up right next to his spotlight, would cause such an incident just for him to be shoved under the spotlight again? Oh dear, I would never dare to do so~" drawled Wonwoo, snickering at him.
Mingyu scoffed, and exited the classroom before Wonwoo could go around spitting more bullshit from his disgusting mouth, banging the door on his way out. Mingyu wanted to tramp all over Wonwoo until he felt ashamed to show his blond head out in front of everyone.
Mingyu hated him, he hated how people worshipped him like he was God's son himself, and it was disbelieving how no one saw how much of a horrible person he was. Always asking for attention, Wonwoo didn't care about the type of light he shone on himself.
Just because Mingyu surpassed him, Wonwoo hated him. Mingyu didn't even understand what went on in Wonwoo's thick brain for him to feel so insecure and get worked up over such a menial thing.
Maybe because he had managed to snag Wonwoo's spotlight since the moment he stepped into Pledis, Mingyu assumed. But he didn't see why Wonwoo would hold a grudge for so long. It hadn't even been a year since Mingyu joined, yet he was already tired of Wonwoo's bullshit, along with that of several other students that would change their entire course of life if Wonwoo told them to.
Mingyu didn't like the way Wonwoo affected him so much. Never had he given two shits to such people in the States; instead, he'd spent all his time solely focusing on his studies, and keeping competitors at bay through his hard work.
Although he got shit for it later on, Mingyu loved making a show of treading over Wonwoo's work.
