외침 Scream [ ChanSoo ] | Book One

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          Whispers erupted throughout the school as a new rumor swept across the masses like a strong gust of wind. Everyone talking about what happened to one of the most popular boys in school.

          Wu Yifan.

          He was a half Chinese and half Canadian student above the average height of most males and had extremely desirable physical features. Normally Kyungsoo wouldn't care much to any about boring rumors, but this one wasn't just some average boring rumor. A boy had gone missing and his entire family along with him. Not a trace left behind and not a word said to any of his friends about them possibly moving. Simply just, disappeared.

          Walking down the hallway with Chanyeol by his side in a crowd of hundreds of students, Kyungsoo glanced around to the walls. Sounds weird, yes, but after working on the musical propaganda project for the last couple of weeks, he's really begun to notice some key elements that are brainwashing this youth. Posters saying "Perfect Families Are Shared Between A Man and a Woman." Others having bold print with "Give Yourself Over To God Or The Devil Will Get You!". It's sickening to say the least because of the fact more posters are presented here and there. Ones talking about how Jews, Muslims, and virtually every religion other than Christianity is wrong. Some bringing up how it should be everyone's "duty" to tell authorities about wrong doings of others such as the practice of different religions, sexuality being anything but heterosexuality, conspiracies against the government, and so on.

          How can so many bright students simply ignore these disturbing posters talking about how people outside of a certain ideal aren't quote on quote "perfect"? Kyungsoo can't wrap his mind around that whatsoever. The fact he seems to be one of the only students questioning all of this is absurd all on its own, but how not a soul is standing up against this is worse.

          He glanced over to Chanyeol who seemed to be staring at the wide array of posters as well. The tall boy suddenly looked down to him with a somewhat strained smile. "Those are propaganda right?" He asked at nothing above a whisper.

          Kyungsoo, impressed with how quickly he seemed to catch on, nodded his head curtly before continuing onward to the auditorium where an unscheduled assembly was to be held. No one knew the cause for a sudden calling upon their student body, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to assume what this could be about. The only rumor spreading faster than a wildfire.

          "I'm here to start this here assembly by asking that you all might be wondering where a certain student is correct?" The speaker asked up on the stage that was set up for him with a large projector screen directly behind him. No one answered his question. "Well I'm sure many of you are which is what I'm here to explain."

          A sudden click rang out from the small device he had in his right hand and up on the screen came the Christian cross. The symbol that practically defines the ruling religion. The presenter began speaking about Christianity and what it stands for, practically a reminder for what exactly this superior religion entails. The next click of the device changed the screen from a cross to the world known Jewish symbol, the Star of David.

          "This here kids is what your friend was worshipping. A stupid star."

          Kyungsoo felt a small twinge of pure annoyance and anger race through his blood at those words. Who gave such a lowly man the authority to bash another religion so easily and even spread the wrong information about said religion? He highly doubts Jewish people worship a star much like how he would doubt that Christians worship a cross. That's all a bunch of nonsense and every last kid in this auditorium is buying into what that misleading speaker is presenting to them without a question.

          Glancing to his left, Kyungsoo noticed how stiffly Chanyeol was now sitting. He seemed almost like a statue. Something not quite right with him, Kyungsoo took it upon himself to nudge his shoulder into the taller boys arm. Chanyeol glanced down to him after seeming to snap out of his daze with a small smile before they both returned to listening to the speaker.

          "The boy who no longer goes to this school was commonly known as 'Kris', but his real name was Wu Yifan, a Jew who hid his beliefs and was found out. His family along with him ended up being silenced." A chorus of whispers broke out amongst the crowd almost instantaneously. "That boy was a disgrace to this entire community and it was about time someone finally got rid of him don't you think?"

          No. The answer is no. Kyungsoo nearly cried out in anger when a sudden loud chorus of yells in agreements with the speaker broke throughout their large group of students. Are his peers so brainwashed they're now following idiots down a road of soon to be murder? They silenced a boy and his family, a boy who had been friends with many students here, a boy who made people laugh and smile, a boy who will now no longer be alive to see another day and these idiot teenagers are agreeing with what's been done to him and his family?

          Feeling himself growing increasingly annoyed, Kyungsoo looked to the exit of the auditorium only to see a shadow-like figure once again quickly disappear around the corner of the large opened door. This has been happening since he first saw that shadow figure after his time with Chanyeol at the library. It's now a fact that he's being followed which can't be good considering a boy and his family have just been taken out because of their beliefs. But if he's being followed, would that mean Chanyeol is as well..?

          By the time school finally ended, Kyungsoo took notice of how silent Chanyeol was being on their walk back to their homes. He hasn't muttered a single word after that question of propaganda from earlier before that unsettling assembly.

          Kyungsoo would have asked what could be wrong if he hadn't had seen another shadow-like figure disappear out of the corner of his eye. Taking it upon himself to try and keep this as discreet as possible, he grabbed Chanyeol's hand and led him straight for his house instead of parting ways like they usually do.

          The blush spreading across Chanyeol's cheeks amused him nonetheless as he ignored his younger brothers greeting and ushered the giant into his room. Kyungsoo immediately walked over to his blinds and shut them after glancing out only to see the same shadow-like figure from before now blatantly watching his home.

          "Do you feel like you're being followed..?" He suddenly asked, finally breaking the uncommon and strained silence that had surrounded the two for the majority of the day.

          Chanyeol sat himself down on the edge of his bed as he looked over to him with a nervous smile. "Yeah. You to?"

          Kyungsoo nodded his head. "Yes, but I know why for me at least. I hacked into government blocked websites. Simple as that really. But you, you haven't done anything of the sorts from my knowledge which is why I don't understand why you're being followed Park."

          The blush from earlier seemed to darken at Kyungsoo's words. Chanyeol awkwardly averted his gaze and looked down to his hands as a way of hiding his pink tinted cheeks. "I'm..." He whispered with the last part of his sentence trailing off.

          "You're what?" Kyungsoo asked with a bored expression.

          "I'm... Gay."

          Kyungsoo's owl-like eyes widened ever so slightly at that. "Oh." He said, speechless from the sudden announcement.

          "Yeah." Chanyeol laughed nervously and then suddenly looked as though he was frightened out of his mind. "But you can't tell anyone!" He then yelled.

          With a laugh, one of the first actual sounds Kyungsoo has made other than groans of annoyance and/ or harsh remarks, he looked to Chanyeol and then towards one of the only pictures he has of Jongin that rests on his bedside table. "I wouldn't betray you like that Park. My brother is like you so how could I?"