CRIMSON LIES (TAEKOOK)

14. (WHO HURT YOU ?)

The tension that had been simmering between Taehyung and Minji came to a boiling point as the girl, with her sense of superiority, orchestrated the cruelest form of humiliation she could imagine. Minji, the daughter of a wealthy local family, had always been able to wield power over others simply by her status. She was used to people either fearing her or blindly adoring her, and anyone who didn't fall into one of those categories was simply beneath her.

Taehyung had always been someone who kept a low profile, but he had started to change ever since meeting Jungkook. His relationship with Jungkook, though still relatively new, had been a source of happiness and hope. It was something Minji couldn't fathom-someone like Taehyung, someone she saw as an outsider, daring to be in the same space as Jungkook, let alone close to him. Her envy, mixed with her sense of entitlement, had festered into a desire to tear him down. It wasn't just about mocking the kiss between Taehyung and Jungkook, or attacking Taehyung for his perceived difference. Minji saw Taehyung as a threat to her world of comfort and power, and she would do anything to expose him for what she believed he really was-a freak.

Her plan started with the posters. The walls of the campus were plastered with degrading flyers, each one marked with the word "intersex" in bold, mocking letters. The flyers depicted an altered image of Taehyung, turning him into a figure of ridicule. Minji had made sure that the word "intersex" was at the forefront, weaponizing Taehyung's identity in a way that would hurt him the most. She had, after all, learned of Taehyung's secret-not from Taehyung himself, but from some whispered gossip around campus. Minji had never understood, or cared to understand, the intricacies of Taehyung's identity, but she saw it as the perfect weapon to attack him with.

As Taehyung entered the school, he was initially met with the usual routine. But as he walked down the hall, the sight of the flyers caused his heart to sink. He had hoped for a day of peace, a day where he could go about his life without fear of being outed, but now that hope was shattered. The cruel words on the walls felt like an invasion, a violation of his privacy and his very being. He tried to push it aside, to convince himself that he would be fine, but deep down, he felt the sting. His heart raced as he looked at the angry faces around him, but no one dared to step forward to stand by him.

Minji appeared soon after, walking with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, her eyes fixed on Taehyung. "Hey, freak!" she called out loudly, her voice dripping with disdain. Before Taehyung could react, she flung her coffee at him, the liquid splashing across his chest and staining his shirt. The crowd around them gasped in unison, but no one stepped forward to help.

Taehyung stood frozen for a moment, the shock of being attacked in such a public manner holding him in place. The coffee soaked into his skin, and the laughter that followed from Minji's friends felt like daggers. They didn't see him as a person. They saw him as an object of ridicule, something to be mocked and belittled for their own amusement.

Minji, not satisfied with just the coffee, tossed a dog biscuit at him, her mocking laughter echoing down the hallway. "Eat it," she taunted, her voice harsh.

Taehyung's fists clenched at his sides, but he stood tall, refusing to let her see him break. He slapped the biscuit from her hand, glaring at her as his voice trembled with both anger and hurt. "Please, just leave me alone," he said, his voice low but firm. He refused to back down, but the humiliation gnawed at him.

The girl, still smirking, taunted him even more, her words growing increasingly cruel. "Oh, what, you think you're so unique? You think you're better than everyone else?" She sneered at him. "Well, guess what? No one cares. You're just a joke, a freak."

She turned to her friend, signaling him to pull out a stack of fliers. The friend eagerly complied, and together they began pasting the fliers on every available surface, laughing as they watched Taehyung's torment unfold in front of everyone. It was a spectacle for them, a way to assert their power and put someone else in their place.