𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖 || 𝟚𝕞𝕚𝕟

11 | Back to December

Minho sat on the stone bench near the school garden, his head bowed and hands clasped tightly together. His posture was rigid, like he was bracing himself for a storm. Chan sat beside him, his expression gentle yet concerned, waiting patiently for Minho to speak.

"I... don't even know where to start," Minho finally said, his voice trembling slightly.

"Take your time," Chan encouraged, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

Minho swallowed hard, his fingers digging into the fabric of his pants. "I... I really screwed up, Chan. And I don't think I can fix it this time."

Chan tilted his head, his eyes soft. "What happened?"

Minho hesitated, then began explaining everything—the incident with the trophy, how he'd lashed out at Seungmin in the heat of the moment, and how he hadn't realized just how much damage he'd done until it was too late. His words came in a rushed, broken stream, like he was desperate to get them out before he lost the courage.

"He hasn't come back to school since then," Minho said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And now I hear he's not even well. He's at home, sick, and..." He trailed off, biting his lip to keep it from trembling. "I've tried asking his friends how he's doing, but they won't tell me anything."

Chan frowned. "That sounds tough. But it's not too late, Minho. When he comes back, you can apologize. You can make things right."

Minho shook his head, his shoulders slumping. "I don't even know if he'll come back. And even if he does... his brother, his friends—they'll never let me near him again. And honestly, I wouldn't blame them either. I don't deserve his forgiveness, Chan."

Chan's hand landed gently on Minho's shoulder. "Hey," he said firmly, "don't talk like that. Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is that you want to make amends. Seungmin's a good kid, isn't he? From what I can tell, he's the kind of person who'd appreciate sincerity."

Minho's gaze stayed fixed on the ground. "I don't know. I hurt him so much, and all he ever tried to do was help me." His voice cracked, and he quickly wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his blazer.

Chan sighed softly, his expression thoughtful. "Look, I know you're feeling horrible right now, and it's good that you care this much. But beating yourself up isn't going to help Seungmin. When he's back—and I do believe he'll come back—just tell him the truth. From your heart."

Minho bit his lip, still looking uncertain.

"And Minho," Chan added, his voice firm but kind, "be kind to yourself, too. You can't fix this if you keep tearing yourself apart. Everything will work out. Trust me."

Minho nodded weakly. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Chan stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Take care of yourself, yeah?" Chan said, smiling warmly. "Don't overthink. I'll see you in Japanese class later."

Minho nodded again, though he didn't meet Chan's eyes.

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋

Later in Japanese class, Chan scanned the room as he entered. His eyes darted to the seat at the back where Minho usually sat. It was empty.

Chan sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration. "Not here," he muttered under his breath.

Looking around for anywhere else Minho could possibly be seated, his eyes landed on another familiar face...Jeongin. He was hunched over his desk, scribbling furiously in a notebook, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to finish an assignment before class began.

Smiling to himself, Chan approached and slid into the seat beside him. But Jeongin was too invested in whatever work he was doing to notice.

"Hello," Chan greeted cheerfully, leaning slightly closer.

Jeongin's head snapped up so fast it was almost comical. His wide eyes locked onto Chan's, and his cheeks flushed a deep red when he realized how close Chan's face was.

"H-Hi," Jeongin stammered, his voice barely audible.

Chan chuckled lightly. "Nice to meet you. Again." He extended his hand for a handshake, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Jeongin froze, his mind racing. It felt like déjà vu, taking him back to that first encounter by the puppies. His tongue felt tied, his heart pounding. He stared at Chan's outstretched hand, unable to move.

Chan giggled again and withdrew his hand. "Never mind," he said playfully, leaning back in his chair.

Jeongin immediately ducked his head, pretending to immerse himself back in his work. But his heart wasn't in it anymore. His mind replayed the interaction over and over, and he felt his cheeks burning hotter with each memory.

He snuck a glance at Chan out of the corner of his eye, only to find Chan already looking at him with a curious smile. Jeongin's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and he quickly looked away, pretending to focus on his notebook.

Chan leaned back in his chair, his amused smile lingering. As the teacher began the lesson, Jeongin tried his best to concentrate, but his mind kept drifting back to Chan's smile and the warmth of his presence.

For the rest of the class, Jeongin's heart wouldn't settle, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this was the start of something he couldn't quite name yet.

༺═───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────═༻

Just to be clear, they are having different languages as an optional subject and students from all grades can have the same course. So Minho, Jeongin and Chan have taken Japanese. They also have English and some other languages which the others have taken.

Similarly, they have dance, music and arts, and students can choose any one of these as well. Hyunjin, Felix and Minho are in dance... We'll get to know about the rest as the story progresses!

See you in the next chapter!

Don't forget to vote!!