FAKE & TRUE.

Chapter 12: The truth unfolds.

⤿ HWANG HYUNJIN.

Hyunjin looks at the empty seat with sad eyes. Not too long after Hyunjin looks forward, paying attention to his friends.

"Oh! I heard from my sister about that Y-Yang Jo-Jeongin guy~" Jisung says, eyes sparkling with excitement. Hyunjin keeps silent, he wants to remain the image of not caring. "What is it?" Felix asks, finishing his chicken bun. "It's actually really creepy.." Jisung says, a frown on his lips. Hyunjin perks up at that, eyebrows raising.

"Apparently, he was close to two people. He was super happy and chirpy back then, but an incident happened. My sister said one of his friends passed away, some even say it's Jeongin's fault. After that death, Jeongin immediately became quiet and reserved like he is today." Felix shudders at Jisung's words, shaking his head.

"That's kind of scary." Hyunjin blocks out whatever his friends say next, he feels himself go numb. He understood everything; why Jeongin refused to get close to him, why Jeongin got timid each time they were getting more comfortable with each other, he understood every little thing.

The rest of school seemed like a blur.

Once the bell rung, he jumped out of his seat and immediately ran out of school- to his friends' confusion.

He checked his phone, reading the texts he had sent earlier in class.

Seo Changbin

Hi.It's Hwang Hyunjin. You saw me with Yang Jeongin the other day. I need to talk to you, are you free today?

How'd you get my Facebook?

Searched through many Changbins until I found the right one.
Anyways, can you meet up or not?

Yeah.. sure. I'll be waiting at [Location attached].

"So.. what'd you want to talk about?" Changbin asked, leaning back in his chair. "Yang Jeongin." Hyunjin saw how Changbin lit up at the familiar name. "I heard some stuff about him.. I want to know what really happened. I want to be his friend, but he's timid and reserved."

"Well, a lot happened. I'll tell you just because you want to be his friend- he's been alone for quite a long time now, I'm starting to get worried."

"We were three friends. Bang Chan, Jeongin and I. We were inseparable since grade 1. Sure Jeongin was two years younger than us, but we still would make our way to his class just to eat lunch with him. we were three, but Chan and Jeongin were the closest out of all of us. Chan loved Jeongin so much, one time someone had hurt Jeongin- Chan ended up in the principals office with a bloody nose."

"Channie, I told you not to interfere.. Now I can't see you at school for a month." Jeongin pouted, looking up at Chan with big eyes as he held an icepack to the blonde's nose. "I'd put myself in any harm to make you safe." Chan sweetly said, watching Jeongin with heart eyes. "Gosh Chan, you're making my heart swell."

"Then, one day a couple of teens had cornered Jeongin in an alleyway, it was really horrible. Jeongin had tons of bruises on his body, apparently one of the teens' father had an urge against Jeongin's father. Chan and I came to the rescue, but one of the teens' had brought a pocketknife. That was the last day we saw Chan. The teens fled, Jeongin cried as I called the ambulance."

"Get off of him!" Jeongin shouted as Changbin held him back, Chan was getting himself beat up. "I'll make this easier for you." Kim Hanbin muttered, pointing the knife at Chan. Jeongin screamed bloody murder, trying his best to pull away from Changbin. "No! You'll hurt him badly!" Changbin pushed Jeongin to the side to pull Hanbin away from Chan, but Hanbin was faster. Changbin pulled Jeongin into his arms, Jeongin's crying face buried into Changbin's neck. "Sh*t, what did you just do Kim?!" One of the teens said, shock dripped from Hanbin's face. They fled faster than horses. That day Jeongin scrubbed the blood off his hands till' his own blood dripped out.

"The last time I saw him before the other day was the funeral. I never saw Jeongin with such little color on his face before. He moved schools, then I lost connection with him. I miss him. I thought I had only lost Chan, but I had also lost Jeongin."

Hyunjin saw the way Changbin's eyes turned into glass, tears threatening to spill. Instead, the male took a deep breath and shook off the sadness. Hyunjin felt like he was floating, as if he was pulled into the story.

"I didn't know this.. he's so timid with me and whenever we were getting closer he'd push me away." Hyunjin stared at the melted icecream on his waffle. "Yeah, so now I'm counting on you Hwang Hyunjin. Make the Jeongin I knew come back, make him happier- please."

"I promise you, I will."

(A/N: I'm on AO3! I'm jeongbao :-D)