Class 2-A was filled with noisiness as the first bell hasn’t ring yet. At the back of the classroom, Sehun and Tao gathered around Jongin’s table, wasting time as they waited for the morning lesson to start.

Sehun, the Ice Prince, with his usual expressionless face sat by himself, just watching while doing nothing as Jongin and Tao chatted with each other. Even when Jongin made a joke that had Tao laughing until his tears came out, Sehun still doesn’t move an inch, not even a smile.

“Hey, Sehun! Have you heard about the new student?” Noticing that Sehun was falling deeper into boredom, Jongin tried to attract his attention.

Sehun lifted one of his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders, clearly showing how uninterested he was in what Jongin will be saying next.

“Why? Who is it?” Tao interrupted; his voice high with curiosity.

“His name is Luhan and he moved here two days ago. He came from China. Sources said that he was abused by his parents when he was still little. His right hand even got burnt! After both of his father and mother passed away, he was brought to Korea by his aunt. However, his aunt said that she couldn’t take care of him anymore because of living expenses so he was sent to an orphanage where he then got adopted by a wealthy businessman. But, do you know what’s fascinating about him the most?” Jongin paused for a moment as if to add in some dramatic effects.

Tao, however, noticed something when Sehun turned a bit gloomy and looked away.

“People said that he killed both of his biological parents. He attempted self-suicide after moving in with his aunt, that’s why his aunt sent him off. Isn’t that just creepy?” Jongin pretended to be terrified and made a scared face, but both Tao and Sehun were not giving him any kind of reactions.

“He’s our senior, older by one year. It’s his last year of high school. But his classmates said that he was incredibly intelligent. He studied in Seoul Science High School before coming here. And what’s even crazier is he’s homoual.” Jongin added even though Tao had given him a sign to stop talking.

Sehun gave Jongin an incredulous look then. “Why do you know so much about that Luhan guy or whoever he is? Are you interested in him?”

Slightly taken aback from the sudden question, Jongin gave off a nervous laugh. “That’s impossible! You know that I’m a real man, don’t you? There’s no way I’d be into another guy. I had a lot of other friends, you know? And besides, he has been the talk of the school from the day he got here. I’m just saying what other people have been saying.”

Sehun clicked his tongue and sent a mocking gaze at Jongin. “You’re saying that, but I know that you’re already captivated by Kyungsoo hyung. Stop denying yourself.”

Jongin bit his bottom lip and gave a silent reply to Sehun’s statement just now. Tao could only shook his head and patted Jongin’s back. Even though Sehun seemed a bit cold to them, both Jongin and Tao knew the soft sides of him that not just anyone could experience.

“You’re really a gossipmonger. You should join the school’s Magazine Club. You fit the role of a paparazzi more than a dancer.” Sehun continued, standing from his place. “You’ve got many sources as well; it would help when you need to search for good stories to write about.”

“Yah, why are you so serious? I was just saying.” Jongin grinned sheepishly at Sehun, hoping that Sehun would let the issue go.

Sehun looked as if he was about to say more but instead turned his back against the two of them and went to his original seat. Once he was seated, he wore the headphone he placed on top of his table a while ago and stared out of the window as soon as the music started to play.

“What’s wrong with him today? Why is he so stingy?” Jongin asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable after Sehun’s spicy remarks about him.

“Are you pretending not to know or are you just out of your mind? He was also abused by his step-mother when he was still a kid, don’t you remember?” Tao reminded Jongin. “He hates those memories the most, and you probably had brought his own past back to life. Their background are quite similar, don’t you think so? Sehun was also under his aunt’s care for a few months after his father got divorced. He was about to be taken to the orphanage as well if his father doesn’t come back for him.”

Realizing his mistake, Jongin clamped a hand over his own mouth. “That’s right! Ah, why did I say so just now? I’m so stupid! That’s why his face got even darker than usual. I thought I was about to die from the cold aura coming from him.”

“You’re such a dummy that I really don’t know what to do with you anymore. Sehun’s mood would probably cool down after a while; let’s not disturb him for now.” Tao suggested.

“Let’s do just that.” Jongin agreed to him straight away.

Sehun was lost inside his own world again. He doesn’t take his headphone off even when the teacher was around, he doesn’t pay attention or try to get involved. He was not afraid of getting into detentions. The school would not want to lose his father, the first and biggest money support, and also the person that he despises the most.

‘…he was abused by his parents when he was still little.’

The words resonated through his mind once, twice, again and again. Hearing the word ‘abuse’ made him sick. He could still clearly recall the countless of times he cried, unable to protect himself nor ask for protection when the belt sliced through his skin, when the picture frames were thrown at him or when the hockey stick was used to beat him.

He could even tell where the old scars engraved on his body from the bleeding wounds were, he knew them by heart.

Sehun heaved out a sigh. Of all things, why must those painful scenes came back? He felt frustrated and stuffed all of a sudden; it was as if his lungs were being clogged by something that he couldn’t breathe. He needed to escape, he needed to be alone.

The more he tried to forget, the more it pushed him back, to the place where he used to hid, to the times where he would scream and cried. The sound of his teacher’s loud speaking was making it worse. They were mixing with one another that his head started to ache and he heard a loud ringing.

Sehun abruptly stood from his place, his chair falling backwards as he did so. Everyone in the class including his teacher stared at him in shock. Sehun took his headphone and tossed it inside his desk’s drawer before walking hurriedly outside of the classroom.

The ringing was still going even when he was alone in the hallway so he walked. Without a definite destination, he walked. He climbed up the stairs and walked pass several other classrooms until he heard someone crying and finally stopped.

He turned his head to the other side. Who is it? He continued his steps, up another stairs to the school’s rooftop.

At his front, someone, a guy, he was crouching on the ground while sobbing with both hands covering his face. His trouser was ped and loose around his waist, his shirt messily crumpled at the end. Then, Sehun saw dots of blood on the ground, around the guy’s feet.

The loud ringing in his head was gone as he made his way to the other person. But before he could get even an inch closer, the said guy dropped to the ground, and only then could Sehun see his face clearly and his heart stopped beating for a second.

The back of his head was pounding hard as he opened his eyes. At first, his vision was blurry, then after a moment, everything was cleared. He observed the area around him and tried to get up from his place but failed.

Luhan fell back on the bed. His body ached all over the places.

“Are you awake now? You have about an hour left before school ends.”

Luhan almost cursed when someone opened the door and entered the room all of the sudden. It was the school’s nurse, Miss Hwang.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I had scared you, I didn’t mean to.” Miss Hwang said as she made her way to Luhan’s side. “You just came yesterday and you’re here again. Is it your hobby visiting the school’s nursery room? Weren’t you a transfer student? I heard that this is only your third day at school. Why do you get hurt so easily?”

Luhan remained silent as Miss Hwang examined his bandaged hand.

“What is it again this time? Did you fall again, or will you finally admit that someone else did this to you?” Miss Hwang asked; pressing the injured area slightly as Luhan flinched from it. She let go after what seemed like a half minute or so and crossed her arms. “So, do you want to tell me what happened?”

Luhan shook his head once. “Thank you, Miss Hwang. I’ll go now.” He politely said, and with Miss Hwang’s help, he managed to get off the bed.

“You should thank your friend. He was the one who carried you all the way here. It’s a wonder why you hang out with him. While you’ve been getting so many bruises, I guess you managed to find time to make new acquaintance, huh?” Miss Hwang said, giving Luhan a soft smile.

Luhan frowned. Now that he realized, how did he made it here when he was sure he had collapsed a while ago. “…my friend? But I don’t have one.”

“It seems so as well, and it was quite unbelievable, but he sent you here. I thought you two were friends.” Miss Hwang went to her table and took a student’s coat to Luhan. “Here, he left this. You should at least return this to him, don’t you?”

Reluctantly, Luhan took the coat from Miss Hwang and stared at the nametag. Oh Sehun.

“He’s from Class 2-A.” Miss Hwang informed Luhan who was still in a blank state. “You’ll get to know him soon, he’s very well-known here.”

Luhan nodded his head. “I’ll be going now. Thank you again, Miss Hwang.” Luhan headed to the door with the name replaying in his mind.

Sehun.

Sehun washed the blood stains in his hand, staring as the water turned red for a few seconds and went clear again. He lifted his chin up and stared at his own reflection in the mirror.

His usual self would’ve just walked away. But he crossed his own boundaries and even helped Luhan, the guy from earlier. Was it because he was being sympathetic after hearing Jongin’s story? Or was it because he was only doing what other people would’ve done when they see an unconscious person lying on the ground?

Sehun was not so sure of himself.

Sympathies, being caring, being kind, he was not fond of all those. Growing up as a cold, mean and harsh person, even nicknamed as Ice Prince, he doesn’t have the leisure to be nice to other person. He was used of people talking behind his back, and he was only open to Jongin and Tao.

But today, he was even doing something that he never would’ve done ever in his whole life. Why?

“Luhan.”

He whispered the name even without him knowing it.

There was something special about Luhan.

Sehun doesn’t want to admit it at first, but seeing Luhan after hearing about him made him feel somewhat attracted to him. It felt funny, because he was clearly not fascinated at all hours ago.

Luhan’s face, there was something special about it.

He was… beautiful.

Sehun wanted to know. He wanted to know the real story behind him. Did he really murder his own parents? Did he really try to go for suicides? Was he really all that Jongin has stated him to be? Because somehow, Sehun felt surreal about everything people had been saying about him.

That face, he was anything but innocent. It couldn’t have been like that. He wouldn’t have done that. He…

Sehun closed his eyes at once. ‘Why am I thinking about him? Why am I so concerned about him? Get a grip of yourself and snap out of it, Sehun. Stop it. You’ll get hurt if you care too much, you always did.’

Sehun turned off the water and walked out of the washroom and back to his class.

But deep inside, the image of Luhan with both of his eyes closed, as if he was only sleeping, as if he wasn’t in pain, was stuck in his head.

As soon as he got back to class, the last bell rung and soon, the hallway he was walking on was filled with other students.

He entered his classroom when Jongin and Tao both walked over to him.

“Yah, where did you go just now?” Jongin asked.

“You don’t have to know.” Sehun briefly replied. After all, Jongin was still the reason why he travelled back all the way to his painful past.

“Yah! Did you get hurt? What is this?” Tao tugged the hem of his sleeves where spots of faint colour of red blood were visible.

Sehun glanced at them and a name crossed his mind again.

Luhan.

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