The door was closed, and as I put my hand on the handle, I felt afraid of what I might find. I had found a note in my bio textbook half an hour ago, telling me to come to the gym after school. I hadn’t recognized the handwriting, but I hoped it was Johnny Seo, the school hottie and my crush. As I hesitated, I imagined Johnny confessing to me, and my heart fluttered. I could already feel the blush heating up my cheeks. I shook myself. Ok, Mark, be calm. You are a big boy, this is no big deal. Play it cool, buddy, play it cool. I pushed the door open and walked in. The gym was empty, and my footsteps echoed in the quiet air. That’s weird. I looked down and checked the note. The writer had asked me to meet them. So why was I alone here?

    Suddenly, something hit my face at high speed, knocking me back. I fell against a hard chest, and stumbled forward, holding my face. Warm blood dripped from my nose, covering my hands. I gasped, frightened by my own blood, and turned fast. I was surrounded by the bullies who refused to leave me alone. Their leader, Taeyong, approached me, smirking. “You little loser, you thought it was… what’s his name… Johnny, didn’t you?” Taeyong circled me, sneering. I held my breath and searched for an escape route with my eyes. “Don’t you know? He would never like a useless, cowardly shrimp like you. You know what you’re good for? Crow food.”

    I shifted back and shook my head, willing myself not to cry. “N-no, that’s not true. You don’t know that. You don’t know Johnny at-at all. L-leave me alone.” 

    Taeyong smirked again. He reached out and shoved me back by my forehead. “Look at that. He’s trying to defend himself.” Taeyong snapped his hand out and grabbed a fistful of my hair. The painful tugging brought tears to my eyes. “You can never escape us. Every time you rise up, we will be here to remind you of the real you: a wimpy, good-for-nothing, piece of s**t taking up room in the world.”

    For a minute, part of me almost wished I hadn’t protected Jisung from these same bullies. Because of that action, Taeyong and his gang had switched from Jisung to me. I immediately shoved that thought to the back of my mind. It was better that I dealt with it, rather than him. Jisung was too sweet and innocent for this harsh world. I plucked up my courage for an act of defiance, one that would probably land me with a horrible beat-down.

    I balanced on one foot and kicked Taeyong’s waist with the other. The older boy fell back, tripping over his feet and landing ungracefully on his . I immediately took off, running for my life around the gym. The door was blocked by Taeyong’s right-hand man, Hansol, so I couldn’t escape. The boys caught me on the other side of the room and wasted no time in beating me. A high-pitched scream tore out of my throat, and momentarily it felt like my soul had left my body. I could feel the beating, but at the same time, I couldn’t. I closed my eyes, accepting my fate.

    I waited to feel their fists on my face, but it never came. The pain stopped and I was left alone. I opened my eyes, surprised and confused, and found someone’s back to me, protecting me from the bullies. My savior turned and pulled my bruised, battered body to my feet. It was Johnny, of all people. He firmly held my hand and turned back to the boys. “How dare you hurt my boyfriend, you worthless scum. If you ever touch a single hair on his head again, I will personally all of you to hell. Do you understand?!” Johnny venomously snarled these words at them, and they all took a step back, shocked. I was just as shocked as they were, but I masked my reaction with a look of calm, like I was used to this. I definitely had not practiced for this moment. Definitely.

    Johnny tugged me away from them, tucking me under his arm, away from the bullies. Together, we walked out of the door. Johnny continued to hold my hand, even once out of sight of the gym. He lead me to an empty, out-of-the-way area by the side of the main school building. He pulled me into a hug and held me tightly. It was at that moment that I realized I was shaking and my whole body felt like it was on fire. “Hyung, we don’t have to act like a couple anymore. They aren’t here anymore,” I gasped quietly. My throat ached.

    Johnny buried his nose in my hair. “Don’t scare me like that again, okay? I thought something was killing you, when I heard you scream. And also, I don’t want to pretend to be a couple, I want to actually be a couple. With you.” When I heard those words, I couldn’t breathe. Was this really happening? Or was this just a dream? “Yes, Markie. This is really happening.” I mentally kicked myself for thinking out loud, but I could hear the smile in Johnny’s voice, so I felt better.

    “Take me home please, Johnny. I’m scared to go alone.” 

    His lips brushed my ear as he softly whispered to me.

    “I will protect you from everything. Always.”