Part 1 | 881 Words

Lee Jinki did not have an exulted life, especially during his high school years. He was ostracized after a friend spread rumours during his second year and any reputation and status he had dropped; his only remaining friends were girls and a few others from his part time job. His school was nowhere close to being North Shore High but it still had its hierarchy and Jinki was placed pretty low considering who that friend came to be. He was content though.

It was four in the afternoon, and all the students who didn’t have clubs or sports had already head off home or to cram school, and those who had stayed behind were now trickling out of the school grounds in their small groups of friends. Jinki was on his way back to the empty auditorium to do his own self-study, having special permission from teachers because of his impeccable school record of high grades and perfect behaviour. It was an easier environment to work in – wide and open with no one else around and the stage had heaps of space for him to spread his books out on. But as he walked down an empty hall, nearing the auditorium door, he heard a sound. It was the muffled frightened sobs of a young man. It was low, hurt and scared. Then there was ugly laughter.

Jinki wasn’t a big kid, pretty average and had already assumed he’d stopped growing a while ago, but he had enough meat and muscle on him to at least look intimidating when he had to. He wasn’t a bully himself but he’d been in his fair share of fights. He wasn’t trying to play hero either as he peeked around the corner with intentions of intervening as he saw the four classmates he vaguely recognized huddles on one the other side of the empty classroom. Two were holding the third back, and the fourth was cowering on the floor against the wall. It was only a glimpse, but Jinki could immediately recognize the bruised and bloodied victim when he saw the platinum white hair that violated the school rules nonchalantly. Kim Jonghyun. It was a shock to see him – the oh so popular student known as the hottest guy in the school – on the ground, cowering away from his three attackers, since usually, Jonghyun was the one doing the beating.

“Come on, Junhyung!” One of them panted, tugging at the middle ones arm, “if we hurt the little er too much we’ll be in deep !”

“Yeah!” the other boy Jinki was sure was Kikwang, a smart- who rivalled Jinki’s own intelligence but was too dumb to put it all to use. The student in the middle was taller than Kikwang and more muscular than the other. His face was twisted, not in a bullying sneer but a rictus of pure rage.

“Little fairy deserved it.” He spat, lifting a foot to kick Jonghyun again.

Jinki felt unease and wasn’t sure if he should intervene – he’d taken his own beatings from those 4 students before, just because he’d stared off lazily one or two times and they happened to be in that direction. These were meant to be Jonghyun’s friends. “I ain’t gonna lay off the little until he learns his ing lesson!” Junhyung’s foot lashed out and got Jonghyun in the stomach, the white haired teen bit back his scream and breathlessly kicked his feet uselessly against the floor.

It was too much.

Jinki came forward silently, his face calm but eyes reflecting what he felt. They didn’t see him until he’d grabbed the navy collar of Junhyung’s blazer. His other fist went up, hitting three short powerful blows to his stomach and short ribs. Junhyung bent at the waist and threw up, Kikwang barely managed to give a punch to Jinki’s back when he turned around and backhanded the in the face.

The three would-be tormentors of Jonghyun fled the scene.  Jinki turned to see Jonghyun trying to stand, and offered a hand, but it was quickly slapped away.

“ off, ,” he spat, instantly regretting the twist of anger as he cringed in pain.

“I just want to help.”

“I don’t need it.”

“You’re bleeding – let me take you to the nurse, she shouldn’t have left yet..”

“I said off.” Jonghyun fisted his hand and with the other he shoved Jinki back unsteadily.

“Jonghyun-ssi,” Jinki grabbed his wrist and saw how Jonghyun stumbled as he tried to pull away. He didn’t want to know how much pain the younger student was, but he did want to help.

“Get away from me – I don’t want your ing help.”

Jinki may have been the typical nice guy, but he really had the urge to hit Jonghyun and hope he’d get some sense. He was bleeding, from the looks of it he had a broken nose, he could hardly stand – how did he not need help?

He sighed and pulled away, “then just wait here a second.” He ran off to the auditorium where his belongings were and grabbed the pack of Band-Aids and disinfectant he’d been given after returning to the nurses office for the umpteenth time that semester. However when he returned to the classroom, Jonghyun was gone.