𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒔 : 𝒘𝒐𝒘𝒌𝒘𝒂𝒏

neon signs

Byeongkwan wasn't rebellious, but his parents thought otherwise.

He rarely left the house outside of school, got average grades, and behaved and remained well mannered. In his parents eyes he slept all day, he should study more, and he should be more polite to others.

He never fought them, even on days where the words they spoke cut into his heart and drained his confidence, never raised his voice to then or acted hateful. He saw no reason, they would think what they wanted and he couldn't change that fact.

Byeongkwan did however want freedom.

It seems dumb for him to feel a rush when he stepped out of his bedroom window, or when he cussed with his friends, or wore comfortable clothes that stayed hidden in his closet.

The teenage life on TV is what he wanted, because it's not what he got.

He got depression, odd parents, weird friends, and acne.

But his acts of "rebellion" felt even more rebellious because of that normalcy he was born into.

Midnight was the cue, the perfect time when everyone slept deep in his house but himself, when the neighborhood was dead and no body heard the sound of his foot steps on the sidewalk.

He could walk humming, vapor clouds disappearing as he left. Dressed his hoodies and jeans that his parents didn't know he owned, and earbuds buried in his ears and blasting three levels too high.

It's been a week since he'd hung out with his friends, he misses them.

Sure he sees Yuchan in school, but they share no classes and lunch is short. Junhee graduated what feels like years ago and Donghun dropped out of school when Byeongkwan started his freshmen year.

He rarely got to see his friends.

Walking up to the group he can tell something's off, it's too quiet. The three other boys are split into one verses two, and as Byeongkwan steps closer he can see Junhee hugging Donghun tight to his chest while Yuchan stands and stares at his shoes. He can hear soft humming, and comforting whispers leave the black haired boys mouth as he rocks their friend.

Byeongkwan meets Junhees eyes, concerned and scared to see his eldest friend so down. But Junhee shakes his head and goes back to patting a shivering Donghun.

Byeongkwan can make a few assumptions of it all, none of which make him happy.

Donghun wasn't abused but he was unfortunately forced to live in a household were his parents abused each other. It's a strange situation, one that even Byeongkwan never fully understood or grasped.

The oldest of their group had to listen to his mom and dad yell at each other at night, had to listen to the harsh sound of skin on skin when it esculated, and had to break them up afterwards.

Byeongkwan never stayed at Donghuns house, for two reasons. One being Donghuns own self consciousness of his home life, and two, Byeongkwans parents didn't like Donghun at all.

Sure Donghun was poor, his mom worked a shitty part time job at a convenience store in a town over and his father stayed at home and slept, but Donghun never caused problems or acted out. The older even told the group on multiple occasions that he regretted dropping out of school, but even then he just couldn't finish in public schools, he was too depressed and stressed and unhealthy to finish.