time for a re-happy-litation.

In his whole school life, Taemin had never gotten a wish granted - not that he wanted it in the place. After what he had overheard, he figured that it would've been best to keep a low profile and stay away from the committee. Of course, the male could've reported them to the police, but somehow he knew that it wouldn't have solved anything. In fact, he felt it in his gut that it would’ve made his situation worse, so he kept quiet, silently hoping that his ears had deceived him.

Despite that thought, he still found himself staring at the locked ‘wishing well’, reading the worn out sign that hung beneath the slot.

New students are automatically granted one wish.

This only applied to new transfer students, and he figured that the girl he had seen this morning was probably already in there getting acquainted to the committee. He could only hope that for her sake she wished for something material. It was the intangible wishes that usually got people in trouble - or so he would imagine.

Before he had a chance to think more, he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, and he whirled around only to be greeted by the cheerful face of his taller and more well-built best friend.

Best friend? Maybe that was an overstatement.

Minho and Taemin met in their first year and they would often hang out together in school, but he really didn’t know much about the older boy. Outside of school, they wouldn’t meet up and even in school, their conversations tended to be generic and shallow. In fact, Taemin didn’t even know when Minho was born. So maybe, ‘friendly acquaintance’ would’ve been a better description.

“Are you going to wish for something?” Minho asked, motioning to the golden letterbox on the door.

“Yeah right.” The young male replied, carelessly allowing a tinge of sarcasm to slip past his lips. Realizing what he had just said, he took a quick gulp and let out a soft hearted chuckle, hoping that Minho would just think he was joking.

Thankfully Minho quickly brushed off his words with a comforting pat to his head, “You should at least wish for my wish to be granted.” He joked, sighing out loud, as the pair began to walk towards their lockers.

His wish?

Taemin was about to question his friend’s statement but before he could do anything, he felt a sharp push on the back of his neck, and suddenly his head collided with the metal lockers in front of him.

Ow.

A deep pang in the front of his head rang through his skull as his eyes slowly opened. Disoriented and barely conscious, it was a high pitched voice that completely woke him up.

“Minho-oppa! Taemin-oppa!”

When Taemin had come to, he realized that he was no longer in the hallway but in a much colder, probably air-conditioned, and dimly lit room.

Although he had never been inside, he already knew where he was. The committee’s office.

Blinking more, he tried to comprehend what had happened. His eyes darted to a wall mounted clock overhead and he noted that around 20 minutes had passed since he was conscious. The male remembered that he was conversing with Minho when he suddenly passed out - actually, he was knocked out. But, by who?

He focused on the group of people in front of him, taking notice that the girl he saw earlier was in the room with them, then he looked at the person whose arm was supporting him - Minho.

Just as he had glanced at the older boy, as if on cue, Minho walked over to Jinri to whisper something into her ear prompting the committee president to ask the new girl, whose name he still didn’t know (not that he particularly cared to know), to leave so they could get to business.

By this point, Taemin already had a clue on who bashed his head against a locker.

As the brunette left the room, he heard Jinri briefly whispering to Victoria and Luna. Although he was still slightly out of it, he had caught glimpses of their conversation. Something about Victoria finding out more information on the ‘target’ and Luna on following and learning more about the ‘client’. He quickly pieced together that ‘client’ was just fancy lingo for the girl who was just in the room, since Luna had just as quietly left the room - probably to stalk the new student.

Taemin already figured that the girl must’ve wished for something that involved another person - that person being the ‘target’. Stupid move, why didn’t she just wish for a puppy or something?

Unfortunately, he should’ve realized that his worries should’ve been about himself and not the stranger since all remaining attention was on him.

“What am I doing here?” He asked as he tried to steady his nerves. Turning towards his friend, he promptly glared at him with eyes that were clearly unamused with his betrayal, although it would’ve been more menacing if he were actually tougher-looking than the latter.

“I think you know, oppa.” Jinri whispered with a teasing smirk.

“Listen, if it’s about my little sarcastic comment before…” The babyfaced male began only to be interrupted by the older boy’s condescending tsking.

“Still lying to us?” This time it was the oldest female, Victoria, who spoke up.

Taemin kept quiet, thoroughly confused at what the woman meant.

“I give up on school.” Minho muttered under his breath, peeking through his overgrown bangs to send his ‘best friend’ a malicious grin.

At the sound of the words he had uttered a day before to his mother, Taemin stood transfixed in his position, swallowing down on his saliva, his nerves completely on edge. 

How did he find out? Thinking back to his mother, he figured that she must’ve actually heard what he had muttered.

And so? Did she report it to the school in fear that her only son was being overworked or bullied?

Or maybe there really was nothing you could hide from the committee.

Confusion was clearly written on the young boy’s face and to put his mind at rest, Minho took out his cellphone and showed Taemin his recent contacts - among his own name, and other students, was the number for the Lee family home…which meant that Taemin’s mother had called Minho?

Why.

Why.

Why would she do that?!

The male refused to meet the eyes of his peers in front of him as he stared rigidly towards the ground. How could his own mother betray him like that?! He bit his lip frustratedly, the feeling of anger growing within him.

It was at that point he caught himself. Eyes widening from what he had just thought, his whole body grew numb and suddenly he felt dizzy. It was as if his mind was too overwhelmed and disgusted at his own thinking. He had barely spent a few minutes with the committee and he was already thinking his mother had betrayed him. Attempting to steady and control himself, he dug his nails into his hands as he clenched his fists.

As if Taemin's inner confusion was completely evident to him, Minho automatically spoke up, “She was worried that maybe we weren’t hanging out enough. And so she said - 'Minho, Taemin often looks tired and upset when he comes home from school, if you could, maybe spend more time with him and figure out what’s wrong?'”

“Tired and upset, hmm?” Victoria repeated, her eyes glazing over the young boy momentarily, only to return back to her nails.

“So you… reported me?!” Taemin spat out in slight disbelief, staring at the taller male with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe that the person he believed to be his friend since the beginning of the school year had actually sold him out in order to get his wish granted. Actually, maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised - he knew it all along. There really was no one he could trust in the school. However he was wishing and hoping so badly that Minho would prove him wrong. But of course, now he knew that his hope was all in vain.

Minho didn’t reply, and Taemin hoped that his silence indicated his guilt over his actions, but looking at the expression the male wore, he really couldn’t read what was on the latter's mind. Just as Taemin had thought that, a small smirk made it’s way onto the older boy’s lips as he sauntered over to Jinri’s side, swinging his arms over her shoulder.

“This means I get my wish right?” He asked, leaning towards her planting a soft kiss on her cheek. Jinri simply answered his question with a shy nod and giggle.

Ugh. Taemin wanted to vomit from her innocent facade.

“But first, we need to get rid of all anomalies.” Victoria interjected, ruining whatever “moment” Minho and Jinri were having.

“That means… a re-happy-litation for our once dear friend, Taemin!” Amber said cheerfully, her lips parted in a wide smile.

His eyes shot open.

A re-happy-litation?

Wait...Rehabilitation?

“Don’t worry. Since you’re Minho’s friend, we’ll make sure your punishment is to the lightest degree~” Jinri chirped happily, fully believing that her words were ones of comfort as she stepped closer to him.

Before Taemin could even comprehend what they were about to do or back away farther, he felt a cold hand reach for his shoulder and suddenly he felt a painful jab on his forearm. From the corner of his eye he saw Amber standing beside him, a syringe in her hand, pressing down, injecting an unknown liquid into him.

“W-what is--?”

But before Taemin could finish his question, a wave of dizziness overcame him as the strong force of gravity pulled his body to the ground.