𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖 || 𝟚𝕞𝕚𝕟

07 | Guilty as Sin?

"Seungmin is mute, Minho. He physically can't speak."

The words hit Minho like a physical blow. He took a step back, his eyes widening as the truth sank in. The anger, the resentment, the days he'd spent hating Seungmin—all of it shattered as he realized the depth of his mistake. He looked around, seeing the judgment in the eyes of the crowd, and he felt his heart twist in his chest.

"No... he's... mute?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Felix nodded, his expression a mixture of anger and sadness. "Yeah, he's mute. And he's been trying to find you for days, Minho. To apologize. He felt terrible that he couldn't stand up for you" Felix's voice wavered slightly. "And you know what, he might be the only person in this entire school who was worried about you. But you revealed your true colours quite soon" he said, giving Minho a disgusted look. 

"He was never against you. He was just as scared and confused as you were. But you... you didn't even try to understand him."

Minho's gaze dropped to the floor, his hands trembling as he realized the depth of his mistake. His mind spun, replaying all the moments he'd spent over the past week, fueled by his resentment towards Seungmin. He remembered the snide remarks he'd made to his friends, convincing himself that Seungmin was selfish, that he only cared about himself. The memory of Seungmin's horrified, teary face as he lay on the cafeteria floor resurfaced in his mind, sending a pang of regret through him.

He looked up again, meeting Felix's eyes with a haunted expression. "I... I didn't know..." he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

"And you didn't bother to find out either. You just blamed him without a second thought." 

Felix sighed, looking away. "Well, now you do," he continued. "And I hope you realize just how much damage you've done."

Felix gave him one last disappointed look before turning to find Hyunjin and Seungmin, leaving Minho standing there, feeling hollow and ashamed as the crowd slowly dispersed around him.

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋

Hyunjin burst out of the cafeteria, his heart racing as he tried to keep Seungmin in sight. The hallways were mostly empty, the silence amplifying the soft echo of Seungmin's hurried footsteps. Hyunjin's chest tightened as he followed, feeling a surge of anger and helplessness he could barely contain. He'd never seen Seungmin that vulnerable, so shaken, not even on Seungmin's worst days at his previous school.

Rounding the corner, Hyunjin saw Seungmin dart into the boys' restroom. He hesitated for only a moment before following. As he stepped inside, the air was thick and cold, and a painful silence fell over the room. The faint sound of muffled sniffles reached his ears, a sound he knew all too well. It twisted his heart, reminding him of the quiet nights Seungmin had spent hiding in his room, barely able to bring himself to talk about the bullying that had driven him away from his last school.

He took a few tentative steps forward and stopped outside the closed stall door. "Seungmin," he called softly, keeping his voice gentle, like he was talking to a wounded animal. "I know you're in there."

There was no response, only the quiet, shaky breaths on the other side of the door, but he knew Seungmin was listening. The soft sniffles continued, each one tearing at Hyunjin's heart. He took a deep breath, his tone patient and tender. "Please, Minnie. Open the door. It's just me, okay? Just Hyunjin."

He heard a hitch in Seungmin's breath, the kind of tiny sound he'd learned to listen for, a sign that Seungmin was hesitating. Hyunjin pressed on, his voice barely a whisper now. "You don't have to say anything, Minnie. Just... let me in, okay? I'm here to help."