Brat | Hyunlix

Chapter 2

Chapter 2
Hyunjin had left the party early the night before, his head swimming from too many ketamine he did. and his patience frayed beyond repair. Felix wasn't making it any better—his constant teasing and flirtatious attitude had pushed Hyunjin to the edge. Every glance, every sly smile, every too-close touch made Hyunjin feel cornered, his emotions teetering between anger and something he wasn't quite ready to admit. By the time midnight rolled around, Hyunjin had downed enough drugs to make his head spin. The haze from the alcohol only amplified his irritation, and when Felix's playful teasing escalated once again, Hyunjin had snapped.

With a muttered excuse and barely a goodbye, Hyunjin had left the house, stumbling home while the night's events weighed heavily on his mind. His thoughts were tangled—between the frustration with Felix's behavior, the confusion over what he had seen between Felix and Chan, and the growing sense that things weren't the same anymore.

The next morning, waking up with a pounding headache, he hoped for a reset, but as he walked into school, that hope evaporated.

As soon as he entered the building, Hyunjin saw Chan standing by the lockers with a few friends. His first instinct was to talk to him—try to clear up the confusion from last night. Maybe if he could just talk to Chan, things would make sense again. But when he approached, Chan barely glanced at him before turning away to talk to someone else.

"Hey, Chan," Hyunjin called out, trying to keep his voice casual, though it was laced with the remnants of last night's frustration.

Chan didn't turn back. He didn't even acknowledge Hyunjin's presence, just kept talking with his friends like Hyunjin wasn't even there. The cold shoulder stung, but Hyunjin wasn't going to push it—he knew that Chan wasn't one to brush people off without a reason.

"Maybe he's just tired," Hyunjin thought, though the knot of tension in his stomach tightened further. With no other choice, he walked past, the distance between him and Chan feeling more than just physical.

The school day dragged on, and nothing seemed to ease the discomfort brewing in Hyunjin's chest. Every time he caught sight of Chan or Felix, his mind flashed back to last night—Chan's strange behavior, Felix's overbearing teasing, and the way they had looked when Hyunjin had stumbled upon them in the bathroom. It made no sense, and the lack of clarity was eating at him.

At lunch, he tried again. Hyunjin walked up to Chan, who was sitting at a table with Felix. Felix's eyes flicked up, meeting Hyunjin's gaze with that same sly smirk that sent Hyunjin's irritation bubbling to the surface.

"Hey, Chan," Hyunjin started, ignoring the way Felix seemed to be watching him with amusement. "Can we talk for a second?"

Chan's response was quick and cold. "Not right now, Hyunjin. I'm busy."

The dismissal was like a slap in the face, and Hyunjin felt his temper flare. He glanced at Felix, whose smirk widened, but Hyunjin forced himself to stay calm.

"Sure. Whatever," Hyunjin muttered under his breath before walking away, fists clenched at his sides. He didn't understand what was happening—why was Chan acting like this? And why did Felix seem so smug, like he knew something Hyunjin didn't?

He spotted Minho and Jisung sitting at their usual spot, huddled together and laughing about something. Minho was animated, his eyes bright with whatever joke Jisung had just told him. Hyunjin briefly considered going over to them, but something stopped him. There was a distance there, too—a barrier that hadn't existed before, and it made Hyunjin feel more isolated than ever.

The rest of the day was a blur of classes and barely contained frustration. When the teacher announced a group project, Hyunjin barely paid attention until he heard his name called.