protecting you no matter what - seungchan (stray kids)

11.

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Seungmin was at his dorm room, scribbling on his sketchbook, when he heard the familiar ring of his phone. He picked it up and glanced at the caller id. It was Chan.

"Hey," Chan said once Seungmin picked up the phone.

"Hey,"

"We're hanging out at my dorm, playing games. Wanna join us?"

Eh, why not.

"Okay,"

"Right, see you soon,"

And like that, the call ended.

Seungmin grabbed his sketching materials and his sketchpad and prepared to leave the dorm.

~

"Oh, you're here!" Changbin said as he opened the door and welcomed him in. Seungmin stepped inside the house. When he was expecting a mess, he was quite shocked the see the room fairly neat.

Still, he was very aware of the amount of people in the room.

How he would behave would impact them all.

Would your presence even make a difference?

"Seungmin! Sit beside me!" Jisung called out.

And then Seungmin saw Chan casually lounging on the couch while looking at him.

Overwhelmed, Seungmin brisked towards Jisung and sat down on the floor beside him. They were playing a game that he didn't really understand, so he opened his sketchpad and grabbed his pencil.

"Oh! That's a different sketchbook! I wanna see I WANNA SEE-"

"Stop it Jeongin you're scaring him! "Hyunjin said lightly, pulling Jeongin down back onto the sofa.

Seungmin decided that Jeongin's assertiveness was a little bit too overwhelming for him.

But nevertheless, he gave his sketchbook for Jeongin to see.

" WOAAAAHHH! Thank you, " Jeongin said, his eyes sparkling like stars. Seungmin nodded, unaffected, and just stared at his hands.

"Hey, Seungmin," Chan said behind him. Seungmin turned around. He saw Chan patting an empty spot next to him, signalling him to sit there. Seungmin grabbed his pencils and sat next to Chan as he waited nervously for what Jeongin thinks of his drawings.

He was caught off guard when Chan wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

Sensing distraught, Chan pulled back his arm hesitantly. "No, it's okay," Seungmin said. "I was just surprised,"

Chan hummed and wrapped his arm around Seungmin's shoulders again.

Jeongin closed the sketchbook. Seungmin waited anticipatedly. But the look on his face was...kinda sad.

"It's good but..." Jeongin started sadly. Wait. He surely didn't see them, did he?

At this point the room was quiet and everyone was turned to Jeongin, seeing him this sad a rare occasion.

"but...why are some of them so sad?"

You idiot.

Seungmin froze.

Maybe they meant that way to Jeongin, but not to him.

"Just give it back, Jeongin. It's his art." Chan stepped in. Seungmin just kept staring at the ground.

"No. What even is this?" Jeongin flipped to a specific page. A boy, curled up into a ball, hugging his knees tightly to his small frame, a human-like shadow looming above him.

"What the..." Felix said, confused.

"Jeongin just give it back."

Seungmin flinched. Chan's tone was extremely scary.

"But what the hell is this? Why did you-"

"Jeongin enough," Chan got up and glared at Jeongin.

"Guys I think we should stop-"

"This is unhealthy," Jeongin interrupted Jisung. Tears were threatening to spill out of Seungmin's eyes.

"Sorry, but I have to agree with Jeongin," Minho said remorsefully.

"Guys, stop, you're making him sad," Felix said desperately as he got up and hugged Seungmin.

Silence.

"I have to go,"

Coward.

"Seungmin-"

"Sorry,"

"Seungmin, wait!"

Chan's voice muffled as Seungmin unlocked the door with fumbling hands and left.

Chan swore something in English that the rest couldn't really understand, snatched the sketchbook away from Jeongin and ran after Seungmin.

The rest just stared, dumbfounded, as Jeongin and Minho were left with remorse pooling in their stomachs.

Seungmin ran across the halls. Even if his scars hurt he kept running. His vision was blurry and his body felt as it if it was numb and shaking violently but he still ran. He made it to the dorm room and left the door open, not bothering to lock it.

He ran into the bathroom, locking the door and slumping to the floor. He let go what he was holding.

Tears.

Seungmin broke out into ugly sobs clutching the edge of the sink desperately.

"Seungmin! Minnie! Open the door for me, please!" Seungmin heard desperate knocking against the door.

No.

He wasn't going to open it.

An object clattered to the floor. Seungmins head snapped towards the sound.

The blade.

It's been a while.

Seungmin pulled up his sleeve. The scars of the past were almost blending in. They were healing nicely because of Chan.

But Seungmin ignored that.

The urge was too strong to fight.

"Minnie! Please! Jeongin's sorry!"

"Seungmin! Open the door!"

Two different voices. Jisung and Felix.

You disappointment.

How embarrassing.

Seungmin closed his eyes and dragged the brade across his wrist. The older scars just opened up like dominoes. Seungmin winced at the familiar feeling of pain, completely ignoring everything happening outside.

The door started shaking violently, along with equal beats of pressure. Soon, the door  opened and the three of them ran into the bathroom, only to see a boy curled up at the corner of the room, shaking, a shadow looming over him.

Like the picture.

"Seungmin," Chan called out breathlessly, a tear rolling down his cheek as the other two just stood there in shock.

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(was that too sudden?)