Bully Me ✔️

3. Coping Mechanisms

And another student perks up. "I just turn off my thoughts."

"I paint to release stress."

"I binge eat!"

"I go out for a walk."

The varied answers bring a smile to the professor's face, looking satisfied with the interaction with the students. She adjusts her sleeves, pulling them and eyes searching for the next answer. "What about you, Min Sehyuk?"

Sehyuk freezes, not expecting her to ask him since he's been avoiding her eyes from the very start. "Well...I—"

'I lock myself in my room for days.' The thought crosses his mind, stale emotions reminding him of his time in the U.S. Sehyuk couldn't really say that when everyone who knows him has a picture of a cheery, friendly guy and not someone pathetic. "I sleep or play football." He settles for it, not that it's a lie, just not the whole truth. He takes in a long breath and slowly exhales, calming himself, instead of freaking over the past.

"For today, we'll discuss a few common coping strategies, starting by categorizing what you all have said." The professor announces as she walks up to the marker board and writes a word. "Sublimation. It's when you channel your negative energy into something productive. For example, as you've mentioned, it could be either painting away your worries or playing sports or writing." She sticks her hip out and rests her hand on it. "Then we have displacement, it is when one substitutes their feelings on other person or object. For example, if your parents scream at you, you go and let out your frustrations at your younger siblings because you cannot retaliate against your parents."

The older lady explains a few defense mechanisms in detail with easy examples. "Do you know why it's important to identify what type of mechanisms cope through?" She scans her eyes around the classroom before she continues. "It's so that so we could understand and adapt better and healthy ways to cope." She caps the red marker and places it on the table before folding her arms. "Think if you cope through the avoidant mechanism where you refuse to deal with the situation at hand and completely turn away from it, by sleeping or closing off your thoughts, the next time you do it, you'll be able to remember coping mechanisms and then try a healthier approach."

As if on cue, the bell rings indicating the ending of the class hour. The students start collecting their books and other items to leave for their next course.

"Before we all go, the assignment for the week will be for you to identify which defense mechanisms are healthy and which aren't with an example each." The professor orders, earning a few groans and affirmations in answer.

Sehyuk checks his mobile phone for the time and any new messages, pocketing it after he finds none that requires his attention at the moment, only messaging Jaemin about his football practice. He goes to the locker room to change out his fit into his football jersey and shorts. The top is black with two thick golden parallel lines tuning from its neck to the end, the university's name printed in the middle. After putting a headband to push his hair backward, Sehyuk looks up in prayer, wishing he'd be selected to play on the team. The football club will be registering the players' names today after their trials.

The blond blows out a long breath, taking a few sips from his water bottle and closing the metallic locker door, he's nervous yet excited. He walks into the field, already seeing students practicing, some watching the others from where they're sitting on the benches.

"You're here." Sehyuk turns at the voice, slightly bowing to the male in front of him. Jung Namshin, the football captain is a buff senior, with wide shoulders and what one may call thunder thighs, tanned skin due to all the hours he spends playing the sport out in the sun. "You'll be playing against team A, under the vice-captain."