My Dear Lunar

17 - MESS ☾

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As usual, Lunar and Jewel made their way to class together, but there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Despite walking side by side, the distance between their hearts had grown painfully wide. Jewel, once the ever-present protector, now felt like he was failing at the one thing he swore to do—keep Lunar safe. He had promised himself that if anything bad happened to Lunar, he would never forgive himself. And today, that promise felt heavier than ever.

As they navigated the crowded campus hallways, the murmur of whispered insults and disgusted glances followed them like shadows. The judgment was palpable, wrapping around them like an invisible suffocating force. Jewel clenched his fists, glancing over at Lunar to see if the whispers were getting to him—but, as always, Lunar appeared unfazed. His expression was blank, distant, almost as if he no longer cared what anyone thought.

Deep down, Jewel understood why Lunar had changed. He remembered how sweet and kind Lunar had been before all this started—before the cruelty of their classmates, the constant harassment, the weight of others' words had beaten him down. The Lunar who had once laughed so easily, who had once looked at the world with hope and curiosity, now seemed like a ghost of his former self. Jewel's heart ached, but he swallowed the pain, trying to steel himself. I have to be strong for him, he reminded himself. I have to protect him, even if he no longer believes he needs protection.

When they reached their classroom, the moment they stepped through the door, the atmosphere thickened with hostility. Light, one of the most notorious instigators, rose from his seat with a wicked grin. "Well, well, well. The campus slut has arrived!" he sneered, his voice dripping with venom. The room erupted in cruel laughter. Jewel's blood boiled. He couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking, he lunged at Light, grabbing him by the collar. "What the hell did you just say?!" Jewel's voice shook with rage, his fist trembling in the air, ready to strike.

Light, though clearly afraid, managed to keep his facade of bravado. "Oh, Jewel, haven't you seen the video that's all over campus?" he smirked, trying to act tough despite the fear in his eyes. "Looks like your little buddy Lunar's been getting busy with Wai." Jewel's heart dropped. Panic gripped him as he quickly pulled out his phone, hands shaking, and opened the campus media page. There, plastered all over the screen, was the video. The video that was now viral. The video of Lunar and Wai in an intimate moment, captured and shared with the entire student body.

Jewel's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, the phone slipping from his hand as tears began streaming down his face. His mind spun as guilt and shame crushed him like a wave. How could I have let this happen? he thought, his sobs choking him. How did I not see this coming? He felt like he had failed Lunar in every way possible. Beside him, Lunar stood, unfazed by the video playing on the screen. He gazed down at the chaos unfolding around him, and then, to everyone's shock, he smiled—a cold, detached smile. "Don't I look good there?" he said, his voice eerily calm as he looked directly into Light's eyes.

The room fell silent, the cruel laughter dying in an instant. The class stared at Lunar, wide-eyed, unable to process his reaction. Lunar's smirk widened, his eyes glinting with a twisted sort of amusement. "Well," he continued, voice dripping with sarcasm, "if anyone's interested, I might say there's an available slot tonight." He winked, his smirk turning cruel, enjoying the shocked expressions on his classmates' faces. Jewel, sobbing on the floor, couldn't bear it. He blamed himself—this was his fault. Lunar had fallen so far, and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't protect him.

Lunar, sensing Jewel's distress, gently pulled him up from the floor and led him to sit by his side. "Hey, hey, stop crying," he said softly, his tone suddenly kind and soothing, a stark contrast to the cold persona he had shown the rest of the class. "I'm fine, Jewel. Really. I don't care about what they think, or what happens. I'm... I'm okay with this." But Jewel could see the lie. He could feel the brokenness in Lunar's words, in the way his hands trembled as he tried to comfort him. Lunar wasn't fine. He was falling apart, and Jewel didn't know how to save him.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom burst open. Everyone's heads snapped toward the entrance as Wai stormed in, his expression dark, his eyes locked onto Lunar. The room froze in tension, Lunar's earlier bravado faltering as he stared back at Wai in shock. Without a word, Wai strode over and grabbed Lunar by the wrist, yanking him out of his seat. "Come with me," Wai growled, his voice low and dangerous, offering no room for argument. Lunar, stunned by Wai's sudden appearance, didn't resist as Wai dragged him out of the classroom. The shock in his eyes was clear—he hadn't expected this. He hadn't expected Wai to come for him. Wai's boys, who had followed him in, moved swiftly towards Jewel, lifting him. "Take him to the infirmary," Wai ordered before disappearing down the hallway with Lunar in tow.

Jewel, still dazed and heartbroken, barely registered what was happening as he was escorted out of the classroom. All he could think about was the weight of Lunar's pain and the haunting fear that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't save the person he cared about most from the darkness consuming him.

Wai dragged Lunar to a secluded spot, far from the prying eyes of other students. The tension in the air was thick, and Wai's grip on Lunar's shoulder was harsh, his fingers digging in with frustration. "What the hell is going on with you, Lunar?" Wai spat, his voice seething with anger. "You think I didn't hear what you said back there? You've lost your damn mind." Lunar's eyes lazily met Wai's, his expression cold and detached. "Well, it's not entirely my fault, is it?" he replied, his voice flat, almost bored, as if the entire situation was nothing more than an inconvenience.

Wai blinked in shock, taken aback by Lunar's tone. The guy who used to be gentle and sweet, respectful even when they fought, was now completely different—rude, distant, even callous. There was no sign of the Lunar he once knew. "What the hell are you talking about?" Wai demanded, his patience thinning by the second. Lunar let out a soft, sarcastic chuckle, the sound devoid of any warmth. "We both agreed to do it, didn't we? And it's not on me that someone recorded it. If anything, I should be blaming you. I bet you set me up."

Wai's grip tightened, his heart pounding in disbelief. "It wasn't me, Lunar. Even I didn't expect things to go that far between us," Wai said, his voice shaking slightly, a mixture of anger and hurt creeping in. He wasn't just furious at the situation—he was hurt by the way Lunar was speaking to him, as if everything that happened meant nothing. Lunar's gaze flickered for a moment, something unreadable crossing his face, but it quickly vanished. "Then who was it?" he asked, his tone sharp, cutting through the tension. Wai hesitated, knowing that what he was about to say would only make things worse. "It's Star," he finally admitted, his voice heavy. "He's the one who recorded us. He's the one who posted it."

Lunar's eyes widened for the first time, genuine shock washing over his features. He hadn't expected that. Of all the people, Star? The guy who barely spoke, the one who always seemed so collected? His mind reeled, trying to make sense of it, but the pieces didn't fit together. Why would Star do something like this? "Star..." Lunar whispered, his voice trembling for a brief second before he regained control. He shook his head, letting out a dry laugh. "Of course it's him."

Wai studied Lunar carefully, unsure of how he was going to react. But what unsettled him the most wasn't Lunar's shock—it was the way Lunar seemed to almost brush it off, as if it didn't matter. As if nothing mattered anymore. Wai's frustration boiled over. "Lunar, what the hell is happening to you? Where's the guy I knew? The guy who—" 

"—the guy who was naive?" Lunar interrupted, his voice cold. "The guy who thought people didn't suck? The guy who believed in everyone? He's gone, Wai." He turned away slightly, his voice lowering. "I've changed. And I'm not sure I care enough to go back." Wai's heart clenched at Lunar's words, hearing the resignation in his voice. He wanted to shake him, to make him see that there was still a part of him worth saving, but Lunar seemed too far gone. Too wrapped up in the pain and the betrayal. "And Star..." Lunar muttered, almost to himself, "I'll deal with him." Wai's eyes narrowed, a mix of worry and confusion clouding his expression. "Lunar, don't do something stupid. Star's dangerous—"

"He's not the only one," Lunar cut in, his voice laced with something dark, something that made Wai's blood run cold. Lunar looked at him, the flicker of the person he used to be gone, replaced by something harder. "I'm not the same guy anymore, Wai. Not after all of this." Wai wanted to reach out, to say something that would pull Lunar back from the edge he seemed so close to falling over, but the words didn't come. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do, and that scared him more than anything.

With one last look, Lunar walked away, his mind already racing with what he would do next. And Wai, left standing alone, couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was coming... it wasn't going to end well for anyone involved.

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