“Have a great semester break Seongwoo ah. Are you planning on going back to Incheon? To your parents?” Mr Choi asked while he keep organizing the files.

Seongwoo just gave a small nod like he didn’t really mean to or he was forcing to. He doesn’t feel like going back to Incheon but they were granted two weeks of break and apparently his mother had call and asked him to comeback since they missed him so much, so he had to go back and hoping that he wouldn’t bump into anyone else besides his parents.

”Yes, tomorrow I’ll be driving to Incheon.”

”Alone?”

Seongwoo shake his head, “With my friend, Jonghyun.” he added. He was glad that Jonghyun wanted to tag along because his parents are away so he didn’t have anyone else and had decided to tag along to Incheon with Seongwoo which Seongwoo gladly said yes to him without a second thought. It would be best if he have someone he is actually really closed to with him, and Jonghyun was the person.

”Ahh that’s great. Have a safe trip then. I’ll see again in the next semester.” Mr Choi stood up and gave Seongwoo a hug which he returned back.

”Thank you sir. Have a nice day.” He bow towards the man and excuses himself to start packing up.

~

Jonghyun had said that he’ll be staying at Seongwoo’s tonight since they’ll be leaving to Incheon tomorrow after breakfast. 

Citrus welcomed him home when Seongwoo walks into his apartment. He immediately smile at Citrus, and coaxed her to sit on his lap which Citrus did so without needing to be coaxed.

”Citrus...I’m going back tomorrow. I’m scared. Do you think I should just make excuses and stay in Seoul for the whole two week instead?”

He watched how Citrus’s bright green eyes looked up at him, tilting her head to the side. She meowed softly at Seongwoo, and he gave her a scratch on top of her fuzzy ear and then slowly her head, which she mewled in satisfaction.

They both stay like that in a while, on the couch with Citrus enjoying being pamper by Seongwoo. 

Seongwoo was going through his thought about his past, about what happen back in Incheon, his hometown and at the time when he just entered elemantary school. They were not the best sort of memories, it was awful. It's a common thing that always happen to kids his age but for Seongwoo, it was the worst thing that ever happened that he had to go through. He wished that he didn't need to go through his past while he wait for Jonghyun but his mind didn't let him and he slip away to his past.

~

(A/N: from here on it's about Seongwoo's past. It won't be that long but it'll explained to what he had gone through and like I mentioned before, this is a common subject that happens to most children so basically it's nothing that special.)

Seongwoo was a bright, bubbly, hyper active, jumpy, bouncy, sweet and talkative kid even for his age. He loves joking around to all his friends, family and even to some stranges which he thinks not the sort of harmful or mean person, despite on how his parents always tells him to be careful not to talk to stranger or trust them, which he did listened to.

Since Seongwoo was such a small kid, somewhere when he was 4 years old, he had learnt to make people laughs at him. He don't know how he do that, but maybe it was gifted to him for being such a funny and have those sort of sense of humor. He enjoys watching them laughs to everything he said and that was best thing that he could ever asked for. His parents adores him and really love him. They pamper him and sometime spoilt him but not to that extent in some parents spending their money to buy something expensive. For Seongwoo's parent, the only one thing they have ever made him the happiest is when they sent him to learn how to play drum and also sending him to a dance studio. It was the only two things that they spent for Seongwoo since they know Seongwoo loves to play drum because he showed interest with a toy drum when he was toddler and also dancing.

He joined drum lessons when he was 6 years old and a year before he go to elemantary school.

Everything was great, he was such a great kid and a fast learner. His drum teacher loves him. He was the best student that his teacher had ever taught. For the whole year he keeps going to every single drum classes and easily enough get every thing perfect. In between those classes, he did go to the dance studio and again he was the top of his class. He was an ace in popping and locking and free style dance. For a young kid like him, they said he was particularly a special boy. He have so much talent.

Then came a year after that, his school time starts.

There he make friends with Kim Jonghyun and Hwang Minhyun. The two boys was the most friendliest among the others and they enjoy Seongwoo's company much more than some of the others.

Seongwoo was the most approachable person in his class and the most kindest person they ever met. Many of them can easily initiate a conversation with Seongwoo and he will be all so friendly to them. But one thing for sure that Seongwoo didn't notice off is that he was naive and trusted people too easily which in turn will be his downfall after that.

It's already been half of the year of their first year elementary school when Seongwoo found out that he was used and most of them time, his friends was just two faced him, acting like that enjoy his company when they actually despised him, they detest him. He wonder what he have done wrong when he noticed how some of them suddenly acted cold to him while some try to fake their smiles when he cracks a joke. There is some of them that genuinely laughs at all his jokes but Seongwoo didn't really care much.

Then one day, he heard several of his classmates talks about him. 

"That Seongwoo is way too annoying. He always cracks lame joke and thinks he's funny. None of that even funny actually and he thought that we actually like hearing them."

"Can he not be all smiley and trying to look pretty for once. Honestly he's faking all that. He try to get all the good marks and get the teacher to like him. Such a fake."

"He's full of himself. He thinks he's smart, handsome, funny, pretty and he thinks everyone likes him. I can't stand him."

"When will he ever learn that we don't actually like him. Can't he differentiate between the acting. We've been putting on our mask just so he thinks that we love to be friends with him and enjoy him around."

It keeps on going and Seongwoo couldn't move his feet as he feels like they were rooted deep into the ground. He listened to every one of them talking bad about him. It was awful, he trusted them and thought of them as his friends. They have been faking it since the beginning and he was a fool of thinking that they like him. And whats wrong with his jokes? Many of the adults likes them. He thinks he's funny and would always laughs on his jokes unless....they too acted like they like it. Seongwoo was at loss. His thought jumble up in every single thing. He can't. He can't show himself right now. He need to run and Seongwoo did. He ran away from school and didn't show himself that day. 

They all thought maybe he was sick but at the same time they were happy that they didn't need to entertain him and their homeroom teacher thinks that he might be sick as well and he will check on his parents later. The only two person that didn't believe that Seongwoo was sick and was absent because of it was Jonghyun and Minhyun.

They heard it, all of it. Seongwoo might think that he's the only one who heard their classmates talked bad about him, but actually Minhyun and Jonghyun heard the whole thing too, only that they were standing at the other side of the hallway and also somewhere around the corner when they heard the bad talks about their friend. Minhyun wanted to go and just punch them directly in the face but Jonghyun stopped him and told the boy to not act violently and just listen. He did but both of them couldn't bear to listen to it even more.

So the only reason they think that Seongwoo was absent that day (which they know he rarely skip school) was because of their two faced classmates. Jonghyun and Minhyun sat in silent, they listened to the whisper going around the room and most of it talked about Seongwoo in a bad way.

This is bullying. They may think Seongwoo didn't heard them, but the next day Seongwoo came to school, they found the boy sat in silent in his own desk, looking outside of the window. His face was blank and emotionless. Eyes were puffy and red yet he didn't seem to care about it and just went to school. The atmosphere was dark, solemn, gloomy when they all keep glancing at Seongwoo being all too quiet. He hooked his chin with one hand and stared blankly out of the window. Eyes were hollow and dark.

When Minhyun and Jonghyun came into their classroom, the first thing the noticed was the weird atmosphere surrouding the room and their eyes fell on Seongwoo. The room was awfully quiet and there were very tensed. Minhyun huffed while Jonghyun scoffed. They should have stopped them from talking yesterday and this was proved enough to know that Seongwoo had heard them and both of them felt bad about him, sincerely felt bad.

They walked through their friends while both of them muttering something sounded like a curse but it wasn't to each of them, not bothering about the glare they see throwing at them when as they both replied back with the same cold, dagger looking glare back at all of them.

"Snakes. Two faced friends. Liars. Traitors." 

"Amateur. Fake wannabes."

Once they reached Seongwoo, they gave the boy a tap on his shoulder as they keep their glare going on with the others. Seongwoo turned but he doesn't seem to look that happy or better yet, he didn't have any expression at all. He only stared looking at the two with hollow eyes. His eyes were dark and looking like it has no life or any sparkles what so ever like he usually had and both boys heart sank at their friend. It's all their stupid classmates fault.

Jonghyun was about to open his mouth to start yelling at them but he stop when the homeroom teacher walks in, eyes concerned when he sees Seongwoo. He asked if he was okay to which Seongwoo only nods his head. 

Through out the whole day, Seongwoo didn't open his mouth for a single bit. He didn't laugh, talk, crack a joke, smile or nothing. He stayed silent until the day ends. In between that, Minhyun and Jonghyun had confronted their classmates right infront of Seongwoo, calling them traitors and a heartless sort of classmates about hurting Seongwoo without them noticing it. Of course they didn't noticed it because they couldn't care less about Seongwoo or hurting him. 

"Bullies! It's your fault all of your faults for making Seongwoo like this and god, you think he didn't listened when you talked about him yesterday. Hah! Looks like he did and this is what happen when none of your were careful or this won't ever happen if all of you have a heart. Guess not. You guys are a total fake. Every single one of you guys are plastic. You guys are like a Barbie Doll looking all pretty and nice but deep down, you guys are worthless, heartless bunch of FRIENDS! Wait....you guys are worst than that. You guys aren't FRIENDS at all. You don't deserved that title. STUPID!!"

They all stood quietly and didn't dare to open their mouth when Minhyun erupted like a volcano and sprouting every single words that he had held since he came to school this morning. Jonghyun didn't say anything but just hold Seongwoo's hand who seems like going to cry soon.

After that sudden outburst from Minhyun, none of their classmates ever open their mouth again and talks bad about Seongwoo but they had leave a deep scar in Seongwoo's heart and the boy had became quiet through out the whole year since then. They had tried talking to him after that but none of them succeeded and they only received a backlash and cold hard glare from Seongwoo. Since then, the happy, jumpy, bouncy, hyper active, bright, bubbly, talkative Seongwoo died. That Seongwoo had died and the mute, cold hearted, gloomy, serious, sarcastic Seongwoo were born. The only people which he are friendly with were Jonghyun, Minhyun, some of the teachers and his parents but even that he didn't act like his usual self. He didn't talk much anymore or smiling all the time. His smiles were only reserved to a certain occassions. Even after that, he had lost most of his trust to people. He have a hard time in trusting anyone after that. Afraid that the same thing would be repeated again.

(A/N: I take back what I said about not that long xDDDD It's actually pretty long lol, sorry but I guess its better this way rather than making is short and simple. Well, it was a verbal bullying and it's a common subject to some of the children. The reason why our Seongwoo was so cold and not that talkative ^^)

~

Seongwoo didn't realized that he was crying when he felt a hand cupping his face which brought him back to the present time. He found a concerned looking Jonghyun standing and staring at him while he cupped his face.

"Seongwoo? What's wrong? What happen? Why are you crying? You didn't answer me when I keep calling your name when I enter your apartment using the spare key. Did something bothering you? You know you make me worried when I saw you sitting here and was crying your hearts out."

Seongwoo blink away the tears. He wiped them with his sleeves. He didn't think that he would cry just by remember all those bad memories.

"Sorry, was.....thinking about my past."

Jonghyun frowned. He knew it. "You were thinking back about those thing haven't you? Oh Seongwoo ah, don't be. Nobody will hurt you ever again. You did remember how Minhyun sort of just blown off his steam that day in our classroom right? You don't need to think about it anymore. Don't let your past eat you alive and live your life as it is right now. Those idiots are jerks and they think that they are all goodie goodie sweet but they're not. Come on Seongwoo. No more thinking and remembering about it okay. Tomorrow, let's just have fun with your parents and let's just enjoy our two week break together. If you're feeling that comfortable, we can go for a drive and maybe visit Minhyun in Busan. You love driving and I'll be your second driver if needed. Okay? I'm with you. Don't worry about it. They're not gonna hurt you. Those s."

Seongwoo let out a sigh of relief. He's really happy and thankful to have a friend like Jonghyun and Minhyun. They are very protective and care about him and have been supporting him since then. He treasured the two of them so much even if he never show it often, but Seongwoo was glad to have them and can proudly call them his most trusted best friends. 

Maybe, he could give Daniel a chance. Maybe, what Jonghyun were saying to him were true. He should let go of his past and live as how he is now. Forget about it and starts living happily and more open minded towards others. Maybe, he can do that by starting with Daniel.

______

Hey, yeah finally Seongwoo's past was revealed and it's the most common thing that happens to lots of kids in the world.

They are lots of type of bullying, and Seongwoo go through a verbal sort of bullying.

At least it was not physically or mentally kind of bullying but even so, it did disturb him mentally as well. :))

Perhaps from learning on his past, maybe starting from the next chapter, Seongwoo will be more open minded and talk even more and starts becoming his old self once again, I'll be needing to think about it first :DD

Or I might stick with his cold demeanor still hihihi

Commenst are most appreciated ^^

Typos alerts

Until next time hahahaa