Back 2 U (Jaeyong)

7

"Yuta, tell me everything you know about Taeyong now!" Jaehyun is practically shouting at his friend. He called him as soon as Taeyong left.
"Taeyong? Well he was my first friend when I moved here. We were really good friends until he started dating sehun. He was bright, fierce in the pool, but a big sweetie outside of it, but he never took any shit from anyone. He was never afraid to stand up for himself or anyone in need. It's weird how now he just lays back and takes a beating." Jaehyun cringes at the light way in which Yuta speaks of this.
"Why didn't you help him? WHY DIDNT ANYONE HELP HIM? What is wrong with you guys?" Jaehyun yells in frustration with tears threatening to fall at any moment for his best friend, his first love. Yuta shrunk audibly, he felt guilty of course, but he also felt powerless.
"Sicheng seen him once." He starts quietly. "He had come out of the shower after practice. He always wears those full suits so you can't see but this night he didn't know that Sicheng had stayed after to talk to the coach. When he came out of the shower covered in purple marks and even a few cuts he rushed to him and tried to help but that just pushed him further away. He told all of us to mind our own business and never spoke to Sicheng again, then eventually none of us. It's not that we don't care, we just don't know what to do. We told a teacher once and that just pissed him off even more." Jaehyun sat in silence as his tears fell steadily.
"I'm sorry, we should have helped more, should have done more but I don't know what to do." Jaehyun cleared his throat and tried to speak.
"I I'm sorry for jumping down your throat, I'm just so worried you know? He's not the same person I knew before, he's different, more guarded. I just want to help, we need to help."
Yuta wanted to ask how he knew him but figured now was not the time, so he just stayed quiet.
Jaehyun ended the phone call and sat staring at the wall. He just can't fathom how someone could hurt someone as precious as his Taeyong. His heart aches at the thought of him getting hurt in anyway. He tries to text Taeyong only to receive no reply.
He decides then and there, the only way to help him is to show him he can be loved and treated the way he should be.

The next day at school he grabs Yuta and Sicheng for a conference about Taeyong.
"You guys need to try to talk to him, everyday. Every time you see him in passing say hello. Just because he froze you out doesn't mean you should do the same. Show him that no matter what you will love him, that no matter if he has flaws or even hates you, you will still love him. He might be an asshole and hurt your feelings but please stick with it. We need to get him away from Sehun." Yuta and Sicheng nod to each other.
"I'm in. I feel bad for not doing something sooner but I didn't know how and I love him, we all love him but we weren't there when he needed us most." Sicheng says, whispering at the end. Yuta comforts him by putting his arm around him.
"Does anyone else know about this?" Jaehyun asks.
"Not really, everyone in the school knows sehun is possessive but nobody really knows just how much." Yuta responds.
"Ok when do you have the next swim meet? He's not answering my calls or texts and I think sehun is behind it. I'm going to talk to him after because as of now he's avoiding me." Sicheng nods.
"In two days, I'll make sure to be the last person other than Taeyong to leave the locker room then you guys can be alone."
After their little talk they went on about their day. Jaehyun is hoping he can talk some sense into Taeyong, at least get him to stop avoiding him.