【low battery】MEANIE

glad

[你怎麼就是看不見
你到底有多美？]
_______
[why can't you just see
how beautiful you truly are?]
_______

It's a truly magical feeling to make someone smile.

Or when someone smiles at you. Yeah, that's a great feeling.

That feeling of knowing that you're the reason why someone has lost their smile is probably the worst feeling Seungcheol has ever felt in his life. Actually, no doubt, it really is the worst feeling he's ever felt in his life.

Besides Jisoo, Seungcheol also is friends with a few other guys - Hansol and Chan. He couldn't ask for better friends - to him, they're true friends.

"What you did was bad, of course," Chan would often tell him when he knew what his friend was thinking about again. "But people change and grow, right?"

Seungcheol nodded silently.

"Don't you think you've grown a lot if you obviously hate yourself for what you've done back then? Look, a lot of people when they're young do stupid things and they have reasons. For you it was peer pressure and you were scared of being bullied by them because of your sexual orientation," Chan looked at him sternly. "Right?"

Seungcheol nodded again.

"You're a good person now, I've been friends with you for a while," Hansol chimed in. "We've been friends for a while. You're so nice to us and nice to everyone in general. I know you're good at heart."

"I don't know," Seungcheol sighed. "But I do agree that people grow and become more mature and all,"

"Yeah, people just change over time," Chan nodded. "Those high school bullies you were tormented by? Nobody bullies others without their own personal problems. When you did that a year ago, you had your own reasons too."

"So, in other words, I turned into a monster just like them-"

"No!" Hansol slapped his forehead. "Cheol, no. Just shut up."

Seungcheol smiled a bit. "Sorry. Just saying."

"I just meant that you should try and understand why people do the things they do," Chan began again. "Because everyone has reasons for doing things. I'm not saying it excuses their behavior, but there's a cause for everything."

Seungcheol nods slowly.

"People who put down and hurt others are pressured and insecure, you know what I mean? So, were you insecure and pressured?"

"Yes." Seungcheol exhales. "A thousand times yes."

"There you go." Chan replied.

"I'm not good with my words," Hansol admitted. "But I agree with what Chan is saying. So just know that we'll be your friends and support you no matter what, okay?"

Seungcheol smiled and wrapped his arms around both his friends in a hug, nearly starting to cry. "I don't deserve you guys."

"Well yeah, nobody deserves me," Chan joked, rolling his eyes. "I'm that good, too good for the world." He grinned cheekily. "But I'll make an exception for you guys." Seungcheol squeezed his cheek playfully.

Hansol and Seungcheol laughed and Chan soon joined in.

"Hey, but how come you're younger than me but so mature?" Seungcheol nudged Chan lightly.

"Because age doesn't define maturity," Chan rolled his eyes, and Hansol just laughed and nodded.

"Okay, true. Hey, let's go get some ice cream," Seungcheol suggested. "I'll pay!"