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The first thing people always noticed about Wooyoung was how easily he smiled. It was soft and unguarded, the kind of smile that came without hesitation, as if he had never learned how to hide it. Then there was the gentle way he spoke, always just a little quieter than everyone around him. The way he held the straps of his bag close to his shoulders, like it was something precious. And the tiny plush keychains that hung from his zipper; colorful, cute, and, to some people, far too feminine for a boy in high school to have.
And it didn't take long for that to become a reason.
"Hey, princess!!" Wooyoung's steps faltered at the sound of the voice. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Song Mingi. One of the school bullies. His fingers instinctively tightened around the straps of his bag, knuckles paling as he forced himself to stay composed. "I... I have class," he said softly, hoping that would be enough for them to leave him alone. But it never was.
"Relax, babyboy," Hongjoong laughed, reaching forward to grab one of the plush keychains and letting it swing between his fingers. "What is this? You collecting girl stuff now?" The others joined in, their laughter loud and careless. Wooyoung avoided eye contact as he spoke. "It's just... something I like." "Yeah?" Jongho sneered, leaning in far too close for Wooyoung's comfort. "You gonna cry if I take them?" Wooyoung's breath hitched, but he said nothing, turning his face away. He had learned that silence made things end faster.
"Ugh, just leave it," Mingi muttered. "We don't wanna catch whatever is wrong with him. Gross." They walked away, and only then did Wooyoung finally let out the breath he had been holding.
San had been watching. From his assigned seat behind Wooyoung, he saw more than most people cared to notice. The way Wooyoung's shoulders curled inward, the way he made himself smaller, the way his hands trembled just slightly before he tucked them out of sight. The way he startled at the smallest sounds; even something as simple as a door closing.
San wasn't someone who involved himself in other people's business. He kept to himself, spoke only when necessary, and spent most of his time focused on training, on discipline, on control. But that morning... his control slipped.
Wooyoung arrived earlier than usual the next day. There was a small bandage placed awkwardly across the bridge of his nose, slightly crooked, as though he had put it on in a hurry. San's gaze lingered longer than it should have. Wooyoung didn't look at anyone. He simply walked to his seat and sat down quietly, head lowered, as if that alone could make him invisible. Something in San snapped. And this time, he didn't ignore it.
No one noticed when San left the classroom. But by the time he came back, everyone knew. The whispers spread quickly, weaving through the school like wildfire.
"They said he found them behind the gym..." "...he actually fought them. Punched Jongho in the stomach..." "...and he warned them too! Something like, 'touch him again and I'll break your wrist.'"
