Beyond the Surface|| minsung

The Popular One

Lee Minho had it all—at least, that's what everyone thought. He walked through the halls of their high school like he owned the place, and in many ways, he did. With his perfectly styled hair, sharp jawline, and confident stride, Minho was the kind of guy everyone noticed. Teachers admired him for his intelligence, classmates envied his popularity, and girls (and even some boys) wanted to be with him. He was the king of the school, and he wore that crown effortlessly.

But behind that easy smile and charismatic demeanor, Minho felt an emptiness he couldn't quite explain. Sure, he had friends—lots of them—but most of his relationships felt superficial. He was surrounded by people who adored him, but none of them truly knew him. Sometimes, late at night when he was alone in his room, Minho wondered if anyone ever would.

Today was just another day in Minho's perfectly curated life. He arrived at school in his usual fashion, greeted by a chorus of "Hey, Minho!" and "What's up, man?" as he made his way to his locker. He smiled and nodded, exchanging quick banter with his friends, but his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't sure why, but lately, he had been feeling restless, like something important was missing.

His first class of the day was English, one of the few subjects he actually enjoyed. As he slid into his seat near the front of the room, he glanced around, taking in the usual faces. There was Changbin, his best friend since middle school, who was busy flirting with the girl next to him. Then there was Felix, always with a bright smile, talking animatedly with some of their other classmates.

Minho's gaze drifted toward the back of the room, where a familiar figure sat alone, hunched over his desk. Han Jisung. He was in the same grade as Minho, but that was where their similarities ended. Jisung was quiet, almost invisible, always sitting at the back of the class, his head down as if he was trying to disappear. Minho had never really paid him much attention before; Jisung was just another face in the sea of students. But something about him caught Minho's eye today.

Jisung was different. He wasn't like the other students who fawned over Minho or tried to be his friend. In fact, Minho couldn't remember ever having a conversation with him. Jisung was the kind of person who slipped through the cracks, unnoticed and unacknowledged by the masses. But now that Minho was looking at him, really looking, he noticed things he hadn't before. The dark circles under Jisung's eyes, the way his hands trembled slightly as he scribbled something in his notebook, and the faint scars on his wrists that peeked out from under his sleeves.

The bell rang, snapping Minho out of his thoughts. Their teacher, Mrs. Kim, started the lesson, but Minho found it hard to focus. His mind kept drifting back to Jisung. Why had he never noticed him before? And why did he feel this sudden urge to know more about him?

The lesson dragged on, and when the bell finally rang to signal the end of class, Minho was the first to pack up his things. He walked out into the hallway, his usual group of friends falling in step beside him. They were talking about something—probably the upcoming basketball game—but Minho wasn't paying attention. Instead, he found himself glancing back toward the classroom, just in time to see Jisung slipping out the door, his head down as he headed in the opposite direction.

Minho felt a strange pull in his chest, like something was telling him to follow Jisung, but he shook it off. He didn't even know the guy. What was he supposed to do, just walk up to him and start a conversation out of nowhere? That wasn't his style. Minho was used to people approaching him, not the other way around.

As the day went on, Minho tried to push Jisung out of his mind, but it wasn't easy. Every time he saw him in the hallway, that same feeling of curiosity and concern washed over him. He didn't understand it. Jisung was just another student—quiet, shy, and seemingly uninterested in anything that went on around him. So why did Minho feel like there was something more to him? Something that no one else could see?

By the time lunch rolled around, Minho was starting to get frustrated with himself. He grabbed his tray of food and made his way to his usual table, where Changbin, Felix, and the rest of his friends were already sitting. As he sat down, he glanced around the cafeteria, his eyes automatically searching for Jisung. He spotted him sitting alone at a table near the corner, picking at his food without much interest.

Minho's gaze lingered on Jisung for a moment longer before he forced himself to look away. He needed to stop obsessing over this. It wasn't like him to get hung up on someone he didn't even know. But no matter how hard he tried, Minho couldn't shake the feeling that Jisung was important somehow, that he needed to know more about him.

"Hey, Minho, you good?" Changbin's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Minho replied, forcing a smile.

"You sure? You've been kind of quiet today," Felix chimed in, looking at him with concern.

"I'm good, just thinking about some stuff," Minho said, brushing off their concerns. He didn't want to talk about what was really on his mind, especially since he didn't fully understand it himself.

The rest of lunch passed in a blur, and before Minho knew it, the school day was over. As he gathered his things from his locker, he noticed Jisung walking down the hallway, heading toward the exit. Minho hesitated for a moment before making a decision. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like he needed to talk to Jisung, even if it was just for a moment.

He quickly shut his locker and hurried after Jisung, catching up to him just as he was about to step outside. "Hey, Jisung!" Minho called out, his voice a bit louder than he intended.

Jisung froze, his hand on the door handle, before slowly turning around. He looked surprised, maybe even a little scared, to see Minho standing there. "Uh, hi," Jisung mumbled, his eyes darting around nervously.

Minho suddenly felt awkward, realizing he hadn't thought this through. "I, uh... I just wanted to say hi. We've never really talked before, and I figured... why not?" He gave Jisung a smile, hoping to put him at ease.

Jisung blinked, clearly taken aback. "Oh, um, hi," he said again, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked like he was about to bolt, and Minho felt a pang of regret for approaching him so suddenly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out," Minho said quickly. "I just... I've seen you around, and I thought maybe we could talk sometime. You know, if you want."

Jisung looked down at his feet, his expression unreadable. "Why?" he asked quietly.

Minho was caught off guard by the question. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to talk to me?" Jisung clarified, his voice tinged with suspicion.

Minho hesitated, unsure of how to answer. He could tell Jisung the truth—that he felt an inexplicable pull toward him, that he wanted to understand why he always looked so sad and alone—but he wasn't sure how Jisung would react to that. Instead, he decided to keep it simple.

"I don't know," Minho admitted. "I guess I just... want to get to know you. You seem like someone worth knowing."

Jisung looked up at Minho then, his eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, neither of them said anything, and Minho wondered if he had overstepped, if he had made things worse instead of better.

But then, to his relief, Jisung nodded slightly. "Okay," he said softly. "Maybe... maybe we can talk sometime."

Minho smiled, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. "Cool. I'll see you around, then."

Jisung gave him a small, tentative smile before turning and walking out the door. Minho watched him go, feeling more confused than ever. He didn't know what had just happened, but he had a feeling that this was only the beginning of something much bigger.

As he walked to his car, Minho couldn't stop thinking about Jisung. There was something about him—something fragile, something hidden—and Minho was determined to find out what it was. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was on the verge of discovering something important. Something that might just change his life.