As soon as the final bell of the day rang, signaling the end of school, Taemin walked home quickly not even attending dance club. He didn’t think he could handle anything more for today; he felt he might break.

Reaching his house, he trudged up the stairs to his bedroom, stripping himself of his clothes and slipping underneath his blankets in only his underwear. He grabbed his pillow and covered his head, wishing he could just disappear.

Why did he have to feel this way?

He was sad. He didn’t really feel anything other than that. Bullies were the problem. School was the problem. Even Kai was the problem.

Kai was so caught up with his new girlfriend, Yoojin, that Taemin was feeling lonely; he was used to always having Kai for himself. Kai was his friend and they did everything together. He didn’t want to share his friend.

But Taemin dealt with it. What else could he do?

Other than friend issues, school was becoming difficult. There was so much homework, he didn’t understand the math, always handling bullies was growing tiresome, and between his two clubs he felt like he had no time. As soon as school and clubs were over, he did homework, and after homework, his father would send him to his room and make him study some more or read a book on history or politics.

Whenever Taemin finished that, it was around one in the morning and he woke up for school at five-thirty.

Everything was just growing tiresome—was felt like he was stuck in a never ending time loop and nothing changed.

It made him feel sad.

Sleeping was the only thing that helped him—he wanted to be shut up from everything in the world and sleeping was the best way to do it.

He didn’t like feeling sad and he felt like there wasn’t really anything he could do about it.