Jungwon had always been the kind of person who kept his troubles to himself. At school, he was known for his friendly smile and kind angel, which made him popular among his peers. However, that popularity also attracted unwanted attention from a group of bullies who saw his kindness as a weakness.
It started subtly. Mean remarks in the hallways, cruel notes slipped into his locker, and laughter that followed him whenever he walked by. Jungwon shrugged it off at first, thinking it was just typical teenage behavior and will reduce as time goes on. But as weeks turned into months, the bullying escalated. They began to corner him after school, pushing him around and demanding his lunch money. They made fun of his clothes, his manners (he's literally an angel) , anything they could think of to break him down.
Jungwon tried his best to hide it from everyone, especially Jay. Jay was his best friend, someone he could always count on, but he didn't want to seem weak or cause Jay to worry. Whenever Jay asked how his day was, Jungwon would plaster on a smile and say, "It was fine, just the usual." Even when he came home with bruises, he would make up excuses about falling during gym class or tripping over his own feet.
One day, Jay noticed a bruise on Jungwon's arm. "Hey, what happened here?" he asked, pointing to the dark mark.
Jungwon quickly pulled his sleeve down, hiding the bruise. "Oh, that? I bumped into a door. I'm so clumsy sometimes," he said with a forced fake laugh.
Jay didn't buy it but decided to let it go, hoping it was just a one-time thing. But then, more bruises appeared, and Jungwon's excuses became more frequent. "I fell during football practice," he said one day. "I tripped on the stairs," he said another.
Jay grew increasingly worried. He noticed Jungwon becoming more withdrawn, skipping out on their usual hangouts and avoiding eye contact. His laughter became less frequent, and when he did laugh, it sounded forced and sad. One evening, after a particularly rough day, Jay noticed Jungwon limping slightly as he walked through the door.
"Jungwon, what happened?" Jay asked, his voice filled with concern.
Jungwon's heart raced. "Oh, nothing. Just a little accident during gym class," he lied, forcing a smile.
Jay frowned but didn't press further, hoping that Jungwon would open up when he was ready. However, as the weeks passed, the lies piled up. Jungwon continued to make stories to cover up the bruises and cuts, each lie weighing heavily on his heart. He could see the worry in Jay's eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to tell the truth.
One day, Jay noticed Jungwon wearing long sleeves despite the warm weather. He gently tugged at the sleeve, revealing more bruises. "Jungwon, this isn't from gym class, is it?"
Jungwon pulled away quickly, eyes wide with panic. "I...I just get bruised easily, that's all. It's nothing serious, Jay," he stammered.
Jay felt a knot in his stomach. He knew Jungwon was lying, but he didn't want to push him too hard. He decided to wait, hoping that Jungwon would eventually trust him enough to share the truth.
But the breaking point came one evening when Jay found Jungwon sitting alone in their dorm, staring at the wall with a vacant expression. The usual light and galaxy in his eyes was gone, replaced by a deep sadness that Jay couldn't ignore.
"Jungwon," Jay said softly, sitting down next to him. "Please, talk to me. What's going on?"
Jungwon flinched at the question, his mind racing for another excuse. "I... I'm just tired, Jay. You know how school can be."
Jay shook his head, his frustration evident. "No, it's more than that. You've been different for a long time now. You don’t have to hide it from me. Please, just tell me the truth."
Jungwon's eyes filled with tears as he tried to maintain his composure. "I told you, I'm fine," he insisted, his voice breaking.
Jay reached out and took Jungwon's hand, squeezing it gently. "Stop lying to me, Jungwon. I know something is wrong. You don’t have to go through this alone."
Jungwon's facade finally crumbled. He couldn't keep lying to his best friend, not anymore. Tears streamed down his face as he broke down, his body shaking with sobs. "They've been bullying me, Jay," he confessed. "Every day at school, they push me around, call me names, take my money. I didn't want to worry you, so I lied. I'm so sorry."
Jay's heart ached for his friend. He pulled Jungwon into a tight hug, holding him as he cried. "I'm so sorry you had to go through this alone," Jay whispered. "You should have told me. We'll figure this out together. You're not alone anymore."
For the first time in months, Jungwon felt a glimmer of hope. He wasn't alone in this fight. Jay was there, and together, they would find a way to make it stop.
THE END~
_____________________________________________________________________________
Now I disappear 😜