𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖 || 𝟚𝕞𝕚𝕟

03 | I Wish You Would

The atmosphere in SKZ High was electric. Students buzzed with excitement as they celebrated their recent victory in the dance competition. Laughter echoed through the halls, and cheers erupted from every corner as friends congratulated one another. Banners hung proudly, proclaiming the school's triumph, and students danced and cheered, their spirits high.

In the main hall, the trophy gleamed under the bright lights, a shining testament to their hard work and dedication. It stood proudly on display, surrounded by students who took turns snapping selfies with it, hoping to capture a piece of the glory. Even though most of them weren't from the dance team, this was a big moment for the school and hence everyone participated in the celebration.

Hyunjin, Seungmin and Felix joined the throng, their laughter mingling with the sound of celebratory music, though from a distance. The crowd was mad, and there was no way they could step through that. They didn't need to, since they were the first ones to receive the trophy, and even hold it in their own hands. Except Seungmin. He really wanted to see the trophy up close, the one which his brother and friend had worked so hard for. But he couldn't, at least not right now.

So the three stepped away, having seen enough of the celebration. They had to go to their classes now. After dropping Seungmin to his class, Felix and Hyunjin walked hand in hand towards theirs, when Felix suddenly pulled him closed and pecked his lips.

"Hey! We're literally in the middle of the hallway!" Hyunjin nearly screamed, taken by surprise.

"I don't care," Felix replied, kissing him once again. "We wouldn't have won if not for you. Thank you."

"That's not true, you guys had choreographed it wonderfully." Hyunjin said, smiling. "You would have won even without me if the poor boy hadn't got injured"

"I highly doubt that." Felix cut in, suddenly sounding serious. "I shouldn't be saying this, but yeah, it's actually good that he got injured and couldn't participate."

"What are you saying?" Hyunjin frowned. His sweet sunshine would never wish something like that for anyone.

"It's true...he always creates some trouble whenever he's present. In one of the previous competitions, he made a stupid mistake while dancing and we that's why we lost. Not just that, every time during dance rehearsals, he has to do something wrong. Even this time he would be responsible for ruining our performance, as always. But thanks to you, that didn't happen!" Felix said, smiling brightly as he said the last sentence.

"I really need to meet this boy" Hyunjin chuckled.

"You don't. Trust me" he replied, laughing, as they both continued walking to their class.

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋

Seungmin sat in his maths lecture, having a hard time keeping his eyes open. His eyelids drooped almost every 5 seconds and when he couldn't keep them open any longer, he excused himself to the bathroom. Deeming this as the right opportunity, Seungmin slowly sneaked away and turned the other way which led to the main hall.

As he approached the trophy, its shining surface captivated him. He couldn't help but admire the intricate details—­­ the golden engravings that sparkled under the lights, the feeling of accomplishment that radiated from it. However, he wasn't alone.

Standing nearby was another boy, who was also admiring the trophy. Seungmin noticed the pink bandage wrapped around his hand, a sign of a recent injury. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he gazed at the trophy, seemingly lost in thought. As Seungmin turned to get a better view, the unthinkable happened. The trophy suddenly teetered precariously on its pedestal, and before either boy could react, it toppled to the ground, shattering into a million glittering pieces.

The sound of glass clattering against the floor echoed ominously through the hall, and both Seungmin and the other boy stood frozen, wide-eyed in shock. Before they could comprehend what had just happened, their dance coach burst into the hall, his face burning with anger. He had seen the commotion from a distance and rushed over, only to be met with the sight of the shattered trophy scattered across the floor. His gaze landed on the boy, who was standing closer to the wreckage.

"Minho! What were you thinking? How could you break the trophy?!" the coach barked, his voice laced with fury. "Do you even understand how valuable this is?"

"Wait! I didn't-" Minho started to defend himself, his voice strained. "I didn't do it! You can ask him!" He said, suddenly turning towards Seungmin. Seungmin finally snapped out of his daze, his heart racing, but being called so suddenly made his mouth go dry. He felt like a deer in headlights as both Minho and the coach stared at him with an unwavering intensity. He wanted to tell the coach that it wasn't Minho's fault, but he just couldn't, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him as he stared at the shards of the trophy.

The coach's face contorted with frustration as he turned back to Minho. "Don't involve others into this to try and cover up your own mistakes! First, you almost ruined the dance performance by stepping out at the last moment. Thank goodness we found such a wonderful replacement in Hyunjin. But you couldn't bear that they won without you? You always seem to ruin beautiful things, Minho!"

Seungmin's heart ached at the harshness of the coach's words, the injustice of it all weighing heavily on him. He watched helplessly as Minho's expression shifted from shock to hurt, the accusations stinging deeper than any physical blow.

Just then, Hyunjin, Felix and a few other students rushed over, their faces a mix of confusion and concern. "What happened?" Hyunjin gasped, taking in the broken pieces on the floor.

"Minho! He broke it! He can never stand good things— he always has to destroy them!" Felix cried, pointing an accusing finger towards the boy.

Seungmin flinched at the venom in Felix's tone, a part of him wanted to defend Minho, to tell them that it wasn't true. But the words still wouldn't come. By now, there was a significant crowd gathered around the Coach, Minho and the shattered golden pieces, and all of them had already believed that Minho was the one responsible for the damage. Seungmin couldn't go against them. He just couldn't muster up the courage to oppose a fuming coach and a raging crowd. He couldn't defend Minho, even if he wanted to.

One thing he had decided he wouldn't do in this school, was to attract attention. It meant attracting attention of the bullies as well, and he definitely didn't want a repeat of what had happened in his previous school.

Meanwhile, Minho was being scolded for the damage done, his expression a mix of anger and helplessness. The coach continued his tirade, demanding answers and accountability. "You'll have to pay for the damages, Minho. This isn't something we can just brush off. It's going to cost a lot to replace!" 

As Minho stood there, the weight of the coach's anger pressing down on him, he whispered, "I wish you would tell them it wasn't me..." His eyes flicked to Seungmin, silently pleading for someone to speak up, to validate his innocence. But Seungmin remained silent, caught between wanting to defend Minho and the fear of backlash from the coach and peers. He felt trapped, his heart torn between two worlds. The people around him seemed to fade into the background, and all that remained was the shattered trophy and the looming tension in the air. 

As Minho was led away by the coach, Seungmin felt a pang of guilt gnawing at his insides. He wished he could have found his voice, that he could have stood up for Minho when it mattered most. Maybe, in another world, he would have. 

"Seungmin?" Hyunjin's voice broke through his thoughts, concern etching itself onto his features. "Are you okay?"Seungmin nodded slowly, though he felt anything but okay. He glanced at the shattered trophy one last time, the remnants of their victory now a painful reminder of the chaos that had just unfolded.

"It wasn't your fault okay, don't worry, no one is going to blame you." Hyunjin reassured seeing the shock written all over his face.

"Yeah, no one but that clumsy Minho is to blame! He destroyed the trophy that we worked so hard for" Felix said, sniffling.

Seungmin felt bad. For Felix, Hyunjin, the dance team and all of them who had been so excited about the win. But he knew that this wasn't just about the trophy. It was about the unspoken truths and Minho being wrongly blamed for something he never did. As the chaos of students continued around them, Seungmin couldn't shake the feeling that their world had just shifted, leaving him standing on the edge of uncertainty, grappling with his own silence.