Kyungsoo knew he was still hated in that school. He knew it fairly well.

With the strong efforts of his classmates, he was never actually allowed to forget it. Although bullying and calling him names stopped as soon as Jongin stepped into the picture, and basically began cracking his knuckles at every other personwho dared to look at Kyungsoo in a strange way, the hatred-filled glares and the heavy atmosphere everywhere he went stayed just as it was before. It was still awful. It might have even gotten worse.

If the students in their school were displeased and angry about Jongin and his friends becoming friends with Kyungsoo, they were outright furious about Jongin and Kyungsoo dating each other. Jongin, although he might have not wanted it, was the king of their school. Rich parents, good looks, smart, good at sports, sociable – in a nutshell, he was simply every student‘s dream. And then Jongin, this perfect image of someone whom everybody wants to be, turned around and chose Kyungsoo as his boyfriend. Kyungsoo, the poor, silent freak everybody hated. The school‘s outcast.

No need to say, they were angry. Especially the football team, who took Jongin‘s, one of their main player‘s, act as an offense to their own image. If they could, they would have wiped Kyungsoo off like a stain from this school, and pretended he never happened. But Jongin, walking everywhere with Kyungsoo and openly showering him with affection and protectiveness stood in their way like a massive wall.

They couldn‘t get rid of Kyungsoo just like that. It would have just brought anger on them from the richest kids, Jongin and Chanyeol, and probably even got them into serious fight with them. They would probably leave the team. And in the end, everything would fall apart, instead of just Kyungsoo. 

In their heads, sacrificing Kyungsoo was the best choice. But they couldn‘t break him themselves.

They needed Jongin to do it for them.

“What…what is that?..”

Kyungsoo stared up at Jongin’s shocked face. Although his heart was about to leap out of his chest, feeling the taller’s hands on his skin after all these years, he didn’t say anything. Didn’t move. He just froze there, against the wall, with Jongin’s hands on his skin. And Jongin's eyes on the web of scars on his collarbone.

The feeling was strange, so strange. On one hand, he felt some sort of sick satisfaction, that Jongin finally saw just how much he had hurt him in the past, because he never saw it in the end. Kyungsoo thought it was just right that he sees, sees and understands, how much his stupid entertainment back in highschool cost someone, and how painful it was for him. How much damage he gave Kyungsoo, both physical and emotional.

But then again… something was not right. Something bothered Kyungsoo a lot, and he didn't know what it was.

Maybe it was that stupid part of his heart, that still trusted Jongin and loved him to death. That part of his mind, that thought seeing this would hurt Jongin a lot. Not because he regretted doing such things when he was young, but because it was all not true, and he really sincerely did love Kyungsoo. And because Kyungsoo’s pain was his pain, like Jongin had always said to him, back when they were dating. 

And looking at those shocked, panicked chocolate eyes, Kyungsoo found himself starting to doubt, starting to ask himself things he hadn't been thinking about before.

He could see through people quite well. He was a lawyer after all, and that was one of the main qualities that Kyungsoo used to get his cases solved, and to find out the truth. And the hurt, and fear in Jongin’s eyes, that absolute shock and his shivering hands, were not something that easily faked. Kyungsoo knew it better than anyone else. And that made him feel so lost.

Jongin pressed his fingertips to the web of scars on Kyungsoo’s right collarbone, and closed his eyes. Still standing still, Kyungsoo saw the top of his head before him as Jongin bent his neck forward, and breathed out shakily. He did not raise his eyes to look at the other. As if seeing the smaller male's scars hurt him, Jongin, physically. His fingers dug into Kyungsoo’s skin, desperately, but not to extent to hurt him - just enough for him to feel them there.

“Kyungsoo,” the taller breathed out, voice low and shaky. “Tell me right now, where the did these come from, or I swear to God—“ he didn’t finish, his voice breaking at the end.

Kyungsoo breathed out, his breath shaky.

“And don’t try to lie to me,” Jongin raised his eyes to meet the smaller male's, stare in them serious. Standing there, before him, Kyungsoo felt cold shivers run down his spine as he stared at the other, and Jongin was looking back at him. There were so many emotions, flickering in Jongin's chocolate coloured eyes – anger, fear, disappointment, even pain. It was a mix of them all. And all of them, every single one, seemed so real.

Kyungsoo was lost.

“Don’t try to lie to me, because I know you didn’t have those back in highschool,” Jongin grasped onto the thin fabric of Kyungsoo's shirt, the grasp firm, but still as gentle as it could be, extremely careful not to hurt him. As if he cared, as if Kyungsoo was precious to him, and as fragile as a piece of fine china. And that, that gentleness confused and irritated Kyungsoo even more. He didn't understand Jongin, and was beyond lost with the way he treated him. 

Why the hell Kim Jongin, who was responsible for all this, was being gentle with him now?

"You're awfully shameless and patronizing for a person who's a betrayer and a bastard," Kyungsoo pushed at Jongin's chest, making the latter take a step backwards, away from him. "You want to know who was responsible for the scars I have, Jongin? Fine, I'll tell you."

Kyungsoo ed the last button of his jacket and shrugged it off, letting the clothing drop on the floor like a rag. Jongin watched him, with his eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but one was clear - he looked just as lost, as Kyungsoo felt right now. Kyungsoo, ing the buttons of his white suit shirt, wondered, if it was possible that Jongin really didn't know what he was about to see.

"You," the smaller male said, watching the other carefully.

Jongin, who watched his fingers on the white fabric

"Me what?" he asked, diverting his gaze upwards, to meet the dark eyes of the smaller male.

Kyungsoo slipped out of the suit shirt he was wearing, baring the white skin for Jongin to see. He didn't feel uncomfortable. Maybe he should have, but knowing that this is the moment he thought so much about, even if he never really wished for it to actually happen, made him feel braver. Wish to avenge himself, his 18-year-old self, was once again burning at the back of his throat.

He showed him the longest thin scar, that went from his collarbone to the edge of his shoulder. The most clearly visible one.

Kyungsoo turned his dark eyes to Jongin's.

"You are the one, who made this happen."

Kyungsoo could still remember the feeling of happiness he had that day. It began so well that it would've been strange if he didn't.

He felt so happy on that morning, right after he woke up. The sun was shinning through the curtains of his window, letting the shadows play beautifully on the white walls of his room, and it was all cozily warm. Kyungsoo smiled sleepily at the little bundles of light, and turned to look at his phone on the bedside table right beside his head. As expected, he saw 'one new message' notification, popping up on the screen, and chuckled. Jongin never missed it to greet him good morning.

He said he always wanted be the first one to greet Kyungsoo, everyday. And Kyungsoo found that heart-stoppingly cute, so he never complained about that. He just went along with it.

So, as always, he opened the message whilst smiling to himself. But the smile soon faded away.

From: Nini

Hey, babe. I can't take you to school today. Can we meet beside the park nearby?

Kyungsoo's eyebrows furrowed worriedly. Jongin had never been unable to take him to school. He quickly typed a reply back.

To: Nini

Sure, but are you okay?

Now that he thought of it, why would Jongin want to meet him beside the park? It's a bit further from the school, and it's quite a secluded place. People rarely come there. 

From: Nini

Yeah, I'm fine. I will just come from that side, and meeting there will be more comfortable for me. 

Kyungsoo bit his lip. 

The way Jongin was talking in the texts was really strange. Was he okay? Why would he come from the park's side, when it's totally not on the way from his home? And Jongin's messages are usually loaded with emoticons, and hearts, and he always ends his first message to Kyungsoo with an "I love you". Always.

Something was very wrong.

Something must've happened to him, concluded Kyungsoo. Heartbeat fastening with worry, the small boy instantly got out of his bed. He should hurry up and be there sooner. Maybe Jongin needs him right now?

Kyungsoo had never showered and thrown his uniform on so quickly, as he did that morning. If only then he knew how much he was going to regret it. 

"I went there - no, I ran there," Kyungsoo told him, burning Jongin with his eyes, and not letting his gaze slip away even for a second. "I ran there, to that park, with my uniform jacket in my hands, because I didn't even make it to wear it. I thought, something must've happened to Jongin and I have to be there now. Maybe he needs me. Maybe he needs a hug, maybe he needs my comforting," Kyungsoo laughed, and the coldness of the sound echoed in the room. "Maybe he needs me, I thought. How stupid I was, right?" 

Jongin didn't answer.

"When I got there, there was no one around. Of course, after all, who would take a walk in that park, it's practically a forest there and nobody ever goes to it," Kyungsoo sighed and shook his head. "You guys picked the place well, and I was stupid back then. Stupid enough not to realize what was waiting for me. Or who, to be exact."

Before opening his mouth to speak again, Kyungsoo noticed how pale Jongin had turned. How wide his eyes were. How his hands shivered, although he was clasping his fingers together. 

Kyungsoo continued talking, though his heart was telling him to stop.

He was there early, maybe ten or twelve minutes earlier than was written in the message. That was why Kyungsoo saw no one, when he rushed into that park. 

No need to say, on the way there Kyungsoo's mind had thought up countless scenarios and things, that could have happened to Jongin, and hurt him. He ran through the gates, and stopped right beside the tall, stone-made fence, panting. He didn't even make it to wear his uniform jacket, and it was hanging loosely around his hips, tied tightly around the strap of his backpack. 

As Kyungsoo waited with an anxiously fastly beating heart, he curled and pressed his fingers to the silver ring on his left hand. Maybe he hoped that touching it would make him feel calmer. Though as minutes passed, it didn't seem to help.

"Hello, Kyungie," suddenly, he heard an unfamiliar voice behind his back.

Kyungsoo instantly turned around to face the person. He knew that face from somewhere. He had seen Jongin talk to this guy in the hallway.

"Where's Jongin?" Kyungsoo asked straight away, heartbeat fastening even more at the thought of something happening to the other.

Why wasn't Jongin here? Why was this guy and his three friends standing there instead of his boyfriend?

"You're so freaking stupid, Kyungie," the guy laughed coldly in response. "So stupid to still be calling for him of all people."

"Where is Jongin?" Kyungsoo just asked again, taking a step backwards.

Something felt very wrong here. Kyungsoo could feel the guys' bad intentions from where he was standing. It made all hair on his body stand up, and all his muscles tense up anxiously because of the bad presentiment in his heart. He felt really endangered right now, more than he has ever been before.

Where was Jongin? Kyungsoo wished he would hurry up. 

"Have you ever heard, though," the guy took a step closer, making Kyungsoo back off even more. This resulted in his back bumping into the stone fence, and his face scrunching up because of a sharp pain the bump sent through him. Ouch.

Kyungsoo felt trapped. Like a scared animal, in front of a hungry predator. 

He needed Jongin now.

"Has Jongin ever told you anything about his parents, Kyungie?" the guy asked him then. Kyungsoo just shook his head, more because he was trying to buy some time for himself, and was thinking of a way to escape. Maybe he could dial Jongin's number in his pocket, without them noticing? Or push past them, and just run?

No, that was not going to work. They were all football players, and he was a small boy. There was no way he will outrun them. 

"Of course he hadn't," the guy laughed. "Why would he, considering the fact that you're just a stupid thing he plays with."

Kyungsoo froze at that.

"Jongin's parents are millionaires, Kyungie," the guy informed him in a mocking tone, smirking. "And so are Park Chanyeol's."

What?..

"He hadn't, I can see that clearly from the way you stare at me. Jeez, Kyungie. I guess you will need me to do the math for you, too," he sighed. "The reason why Jongin didn't tell you, was because you didn't need to know. Why didn't you need to know? Because you don't matter. You're just a toy, someone for Jongin to play with while he's bored, like all the rich kids do. But actually, he's bored of you already."

Kyungsoo just tightened his grip on one of the protruding stones, and stood there. He didn't believe that guy.

He would never believe him.

"You can think you are his boyfriend, the love of his life and whatever else, but the truth is, do you think someone like Jongin would ever go after someone like you? As in, seriously?"  another guy added, and laughed. "God, look at him, Kwang. He's so damn shocked it looks like even the thought never occured to him before. Poor thing."

"True. Actually, Jongin is so bored of you, Kyungie, that he asked us to take care of you today," the guy smiled. "He told us to give you a little 'message', before you get the out of his life."

They started nearing to Kyungsoo, and he felt his breath get stuck in his throat, panic rising immediately. He tensed all over, getting ready to fight back, to run, to do whatever, but he knew he just couldn't. He was weak then.

"Bye, Kyungie," he heard the guy say, before he felt a sharp pang on his face, and everything went dark.

The last thing he remembered was his body, flying down from the punch he got, and a sharp pain spreading all over his shoulder and collarbone. He could hear his uniform shirt rip from the sharp edges of the stones in the fence. And then it was all gone.

"They didn't hit me too much, if you'd think so," Kyungsoo said, smiling slightly, coldly. "I don't think they even planned me getting cut from the stones on that fence. They ran away right after I fell on the ground, bleeding. So I suppose they were planning to just punch me around a bit, and not to get me cut to pieces."

"Being stupid as I was, I didn't believe them at first. I called you, as soon as I gathered my consciousness and could move my hands. I called you, and someone did pick up," Kyungsoo looked up at him. "It's just that it wasn't you. Luhan answered your phone, and told me that you're busy instead. That you're... in a hurry, because you need to be in classes right now, and have 'no time to chat'."

Jongin's eyes widened.

"But the idiot Kyungsoo didn't actually stop trusting you, even after that. I actually thought you didn't know. Up until the moment when my mom took me to the hospital, and I used the internet to see, if what those guys said were true. And what, Jongin? Tell me," Kyungsoo tilted his head, his owl eyes dark and cold. "Tell me, what did I see?"

Jongin didn't seem like he was able to speak. He just stared at back at him, eyes wide. Lips shivering.

"I saw that you and Chanyeol are actually the sons of the richest people in whole of Korea," Kyungsoo laughed humourlessly. "Wow. So what they said was true, I thought. Jongin had really never told me this."

"I-I..." Jongin opened his mouth, but the sound was strangled and broken, and disappeared quickly. He couldn't speak, he couldn't object.

"My mom took me away from school immediately, and I didn't complain about it. I told her I was bullied there, as if that was all that it was," the smaller male bent to pick up his shirt, and slipped it back onto his pale shoulders. "She believed me, and, after some arguing, agreed not to make a scene in school. 'Let's just disappear', I told her, when they released me from the hospital. Because that was all I wanted then,