Tracks, a SKZ story

Chapter 13 Minho POV

My mind was still fuzzy. I could hear the members talking, but what they were saying just wouldn't register. Him. I don't want to believe that I saw him here, where I'm supposed to be safe. Of course, I am glad that she didn't show up too, but he was so much worse. I could feel my hands shaking, Jisung glanced toward me and took my hand subtly. I squeezed it thankfully and tried to pay attention to what Chan hyung was saying.

"Shadow man, dude, thingy... Uh... Lix help me out here." Chan hyung sighed, gesturing to Felix.

"Shadow Master." Felix supplied quietly.

"Thank you." Chan hyung smiled. Jisung glanced at me and raised an eyebrow suggestively. I raised the corner of my mouth to show I saw him, not being able to get anything else out.

"Shadow Master is going to end the world, but since he so kindly gave us a warning, we have time to stop him. But first we have to figure out how... Any ideas on how to stop what Shadow Master claims is the beginning and make of everything?"

"Hyung... No offense, and all due respect, but are you crazy?" Felix spouted. "We've got next to no information about this dude, and you're asking if we have any ideas on how to stop him? That would be like pitting you and I against each other without knowing the others power."

"Geez, okay... Um... I guess we should do some research first...?" Chan hyung spoke. "Felix, you're with me. Hyunjin, Changbin. Seungmin, Jeongin. Minho, Jisung. Responsible ones, watch out for the slightly less responsible ones."

"Bet. Come on Chan hyung, the responsible one is ready to care for you." Felix jumped on Chan hyung's back.

"Right." Chan hyung spoke in a slightly strained tone of voice. "Scour the internet, go outside, do whatever you can to find Shadow Master." With that he walked away toward the dorms, Felix whooping and cheering on his back. Hyunjin and Changbin headed toward the campus' exit, while the Maknaes followed Chan hyung and Felix to the dorms.

"Well, shall we hyung?" Jisung grinned, swinging our intertwined hands.

"Sure, but give me one second. Just to, you know, reorient." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Of course, you want to sit?" Jisung asked. I nodded and sat on the grass, Sung plopping down beside me.

He breathed deeply. "Wanna talk about it?"

I hummed. "You already know a decent amount of, y'know, everything, but I guess there's one thing you don't know. One day a few weeks after I, uh, hinted at not liking girls, we were watching a movie together. I guess I sat up straighter at the wrong time, because my dad thought I was attracted to the shirtless man on the screen. Uh... He told me that I was a.... Um..."

"You don't have to say it, I got the idea." Jisung interrupted me. His hands were clenched in his lap.

"That was the last time I was allowed to watch movies with them, or at all. That shouldn't have scarred me as much as it did. It was just a movie, but that was probably one of my worst memories about him. It was one of the few times he called me, you know, and I guess it was just too much at that time."

"Mm... You mind if I... Say something?" Jisung asked. I shook my head, gesturing for him to continue.

"Firstly, your father was a jerk, full offense. Secondly, our traumatic memories can't be controlled, just because you think it shouldn't have bothered you, doesn't mean it doesn't. Trust me, you know my story as well. I'm scared of hospitals, which are supposed to help me. You can blame my Dads for that. I've tried to overcome that, grow past it. But unfortunately trauma can't be controlled, or erased. Being called, that, isn't something to be taken lightly."