𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖 || 𝟚𝕞𝕚𝕟

06 | There's Nothing Better Than Revenge

⚠️TW: Bullying

Before Seungmin could register what was happening, Minho moved swiftly, pinning him to the ground. Seungmin froze in shock. His mind raced, the memories of the trophy incident flooding back. He'd searched for Minho endlessly after that day, wanting to apologize and clear things up, but now Minho was here—and he looked completely different from before. Minho's expression was hard, his eyes dark and cold, nothing like the boy Seungmin had tried to apologize to in the past. The soft vulnerability in his eyes was gone, replaced by an intensity that made Seungmin's heart race. 

Seungmin tried to scramble back to his feet, but Minho's hand pressed him down, pinning him firmly against the floor.

"Are you going to tell Coach the truth?" Minho's voice was low and threatening, audible only to Seungmin and those nearby. "Will you admit that I didn't break that trophy?"

Seungmin's eyes widened, his heartbeat quickening as he processed the situation. He had wanted to tell Minho the truth, wanted to explain himself for days. But now that he was here, with Minho's piercing glare fixed on him, he couldn't find the strength. His thoughts were racing, his words stuck somewhere between panic and confusion.

Minho leaned in closer, his grip on Seungmin's shoulder tightening. "Say it!" he hissed, his voice escalating. "Tell everyone that I'm not guilty!"

Seungmin's mouth opened, but no sound came out. He couldn't answer, couldn't even make a noise. The pressure of Minho's hand on his shoulder was overwhelming, rooting him in place, and the shock of seeing Minho in this state left him frozen.

Minho's frustration grew, his voice rising in anger as he shouted, "Why won't you speak?!"

Seungmin's eyes widened, his horror evident on his face as Minho's words registered. Why won't you speak?  The irony of it was painful, but he couldn't explain, couldn't get a single word out in response.

Seungmin stared up at him, his mind blank with fear. He wanted to explain, to tell Minho that he had been looking for him to make things right, that he was never trying to accuse him in the first place. But his voice—his voice would never come. And as he tried to communicate even the smallest sign of apology, Minho's patience snapped.

"Fine," Minho sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smirk as he pulled a chilled water bottle from his bag. "If you're just going to sit there and say nothing, I'll make sure you remember this." He unscrewed the cap, raising the bottle with a mocking tilt. "Just say it, admit that I didn't break the trophy, or else..."

By now, a small crowd had gathered around them, students whispering, their phones out, recording the scene as if it were some thrilling school drama.  Seungmin looked around, his face filled with terror as he glanced at the crowd, feeling cornered and helpless.. He wanted to explain, wanted to sign something, anything, but Minho's grip on his shoulder and his raised arm made any movement impossible.

After a few seconds of silence, Minho's frustration boiled over. He tilted the bottle and poured the freezing water directly over Seungmin's face. The shock of it made Seungmin gasp, his body jerking under the relentless stream as water soaked his hair, his clothes, and dripped down his face in humiliating rivulets. Laughter erupted through the crowd, and some of Minho's friends, who had gathered close to Jeongin, watched with smug satisfaction.

Jeongin tried to push forward to help, but Minho's friends held him back, smirking as they watched the scene unfold, clearly entertained by Minho's display of anger.

Just then, Hyunjin, Felix, and Han walked into the cafeteria, the cheerful chatter between them silencing as they spotted the scene. Hyunjin's eyes widened, his gaze zeroing in on Seungmin, who was dripping wet and staring up in a daze, eyes brimming with unshed tears. Without a second thought, Hyunjin rushed forward, shoving Minho off Seungmin with all his strength.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Hyunjin shouted, his voice echoing through the cafeteria. Minho stumbled back, caught off guard by Hyunjin's fury.

Hyunjin quickly turned back to check on Seungmin, but Seungmin, face flushed and wet from both the water and the embarrassment, had already scrambled to his feet. Tears were forming in his eyes as he bolted from the cafeteria, not looking back as he ran out. Hyunjin's gaze softened in concern, and he immediately broke into a run, following his brother out of the room.

As they left, Felix stepped forward, confronting Minho. "What's wrong with you?" he demanded. "Why would you do this to him?" He stood tall, looking Minho dead in the eyes.

Minho shot Felix a withering look, his face twisted in frustration. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" he retorted bitterly, venom dripping from his words. "It's his fault that I'm suffering like this. He's nothing but a selfish, useless—"

"Selfish?" Felix's voice rose, anger flashing in his eyes. "How dare you call him that?"

Minho's lips curled into a sneer. "Can't he ever stand up and speak for others? Or does he enjoy seeing people being wrongly blamed?" He spat.

Felix's eyes narrowed, his tone cutting. "And what did you want him to speak, exactly?"

Minho scoffed, his voice full of sarcasm. "I wanted him to tell the coach that I wasn't guilty, that I didn't break that stupid trophy! But instead, he just stood there, not saying a word while I got scolded."

Felix stared at him for a moment before replying, his tone now laced with a mixture of exasperation and disbelief. "How could he say that?"

Minho frowned, taken aback by Felix's tone, but before he could respond, Felix continued, his voice turning quiet. "Seungmin is mute, Minho. He physically can't speak."