In the stillness of the library, Beomgyu sat alone at a table, earbuds in, music playing softly as he flipped through a book. On the outside, he appeared calm—at peace, even—but inside, a storm brewed.
His thoughts kept circling back to Kai.
No matter how hard Kai tried to act like everything was fine, Beomgyu could see through the cracks in his smile. It was eating at him. Earlier that day, Kai had been holding some papers, reading them with a focus that didn't feel natural—his eyes wide, shoulders tense, like he was proofreading under pressure. Beomgyu had asked if something was wrong, and Kai had merely nodded before excusing himself to the restroom.
That had been quite a while ago.
Beomgyu stared at the entrance, waiting for him to return. But Kai never came back.
Lost in his thoughts, Beomgyu flinched when something landed on the table with a soft thud. He looked up to find Taehyun standing over him, eyes sharp and unreadable.
"What?" Beomgyu asked, slightly defensive.
"Mind if I sit here?" Taehyun replied coolly.
Without waiting for a response, he pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. Beomgyu rolled his eyes and went back to his book, doing his best to ignore him.
They sat in silence until Taehyun broke it.
"Where's Kai?"
Beomgyu's eyes narrowed. "You've got some nerve asking me that. We're not even close."
"It's not about being close," Taehyun said, already standing. "We both don't like each other. I know that. I'm just here for Kai." He turned to leave but added, "Don't let him wander off alone next time."
Before Beomgyu could ask what he meant, Taehyun was gone.
Then, Beomgyu's phone buzzed. A message appeared on screen—from an unknown number.
Hey, Gyu! Want to come with me after class? It's me, Yeonjun.
Beomgyu frowned. Yeonjun? How does he have my number?
Why do you have my number? he texted back.
I'll tell you later—if you come with me. Meet me at my office after class.
Beomgyu stared at the screen for a moment before typing:
Fine. I'll come.
No reply followed. Beomgyu sighed and looked back toward the hallway again, Kai still absent.
Something wasn't right.
+×+
Meanwhile…
Kai's heart was pounding, his hands cold and clammy as he rushed through the corridor. His breathing was shallow, panicked. In his trembling hands were the completed assignments for the jocks. He hoped—prayed—that once he handed them over, everything would go back to normal. No more threats. No more fear.
But in his rush, he collided with someone, and both of them stumbled to the ground.
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking—" Kai scrambled to collect the papers, brushing them off in a panic. He didn't even look up at first.
"It's okay," the other voice said calmly. "I wasn't paying attention either."
Kai froze when he saw who it was—Yeonjun.
He quickly bowed. "I'm really sorry, Sir. I was just in a hurry."
Yeonjun tilted his head. "No harm done. Actually… Kai, can I ask you something?"
Kai blinked. "Yes?"
"Do you happen to have Beomgyu's number? I want to be able to reach out to him about some important things."
"Oh! Y-Yes, of course." Kai smiled faintly and gave him Beomgyu's number.
Yeonjun thanked him, watching Kai disappear around the corner. A curious warmth settled in his chest as he saved the contact. He had no idea why having Beomgyu's number made him smile like an idiot—but it did.
+×+
Kai finally found the jocks near the back entrance of the school. He handed them the assignments with a shaky smile, hopeful that this would finally end things.
Mingyu looked over his paper and smirked. "You did a good job."
"So… everything's okay now, right?" Kai asked nervously. "You accept my apology? We're good?"
Mingyu exchanged a look with Vernon and Junhui. "Of course. We're good."
Relief flooded Kai's chest. But then Mingyu added, "We should give you something in return, yeah? A reward."
Kai blinked. "T-That's not necessary. I don't need anything. Helping you out was already enough."
"Oh, come on," Mingyu said with a crooked smile. "I insist. Follow us."
Kai hesitated, but followed them—until they led him into the bathroom.
"What are we doing here?" Kai asked, confused. "Can we just do this quick? Beomgyu might be waiting."
Vernon shut and locked the door behind them.
Kai turned slowly. The looks on their faces had changed—calculated, hungry.
"I thought of a better reward," Mingyu said. "From now on, you'll be working for us. You'll do what we say. Our homework. Whatever we need."
"What?" Kai's voice cracked. "But you said you'd leave me alone!"
Mingyu shrugged. "I changed my mind."
Kai's stomach twisted in dread. "N-No. No way. I'm not doing this."
He made a break for the door, but Vernon and Junhui grabbed him, forcing him back. Kai struggled, shaking his head, pleading for them to stop.
"You don't want anything to happen to Beomgyu, right?" Mingyu said, stepping closer. "So cooperate."
Kai froze.
Then Mingyu pulled out his phone and showed him a photo—Soobin gently holding Kai's face.
Kai gasped.
"Imagine if this got posted online," Mingyu murmured. "What would happen to your beloved Sir Soobin's reputation?"
Kai's knees buckled.
Tears began to stream down his cheeks. "Why… why are you doing this?"
Mingyu grabbed his face roughly. "Because I enjoy it. Especially when it's someone like you."
He nodded at the others, then turned back to Kai and slowly began touching him inappropriately.
Kai whimpered and cried, begging for them to stop—but they didn't.
They didn't stop.
+×+
Class was about to start, but Kai still hadn't shown up.
Beomgyu kept checking his phone—no texts, no calls. Nothing. His chest tightened with every passing minute.
Then, the jocks walked in, laughing among themselves. Beomgyu kept his expression blank as they passed by, but something in their demeanor felt off. Like they were celebrating something.
And then he heard it—just a whisper, but enough to chill him.
"I enjoyed him so much."
The words hit Beomgyu like a punch to the gut.
Kai.
No. No, it couldn't be. But something was wrong. He could feel it.
He was about to bolt from his seat when the teacher entered the room. Trapped, Beomgyu clenched his fists under the desk, praying for class to end.
+×+
As soon as it did, he stormed out of the classroom—only to hear Mingyu casually say, "He's probably still weeping like a baby."
That was it.
Beomgyu didn't even hesitate. He ran through the halls, heart racing, until he found Kai near the stairwell—with Taehyun.
"KAI!" he shouted. "Where the hell were you?! I've been calling and texting! You didn't show up in class! I was—"
His voice faltered.
Kai stood there, eyes red and puffy, arms trembling as Taehyun gently rubbed his back. He looked broken. Devastated.
Taehyun turned and snapped at Beomgyu. "Give him a break! He's clearly not okay! I told you to keep an eye on him!"
"You think this is my fault?!" Beomgyu fired back. "No one told me anything! I don't even know what's going on!"
The two boys argued, their voices rising—until Kai suddenly interrupted them.
"I'm fine," he whispered. "I just want to go home."
His voice was hoarse. Defeated.
Taehyun wrapped an arm around him, supporting his weight. Beomgyu noticed the bruises and marks on Kai's neck, and his heart nearly stopped.
Kai looked at him one last time before quietly muttering, "I'm sorry."
Then he left—with Taehyun.
Beomgyu stood there, numb. Hurt. A part of him wondered if Kai had found someone else to rely on—someone better. But that thought quickly drowned in worry.
He needed answers.
With a heavy heart, he made his way to Yeonjun's office.
Yeonjun was packing up when he arrived.
"Oh, you're here! Perfect timing," Yeonjun smiled. "I was just about to head out."
"Where exactly are we going?" Beomgyu asked.
Yeonjun chuckled, walking over to ruffle his hair. "You'll see."