my escape • study group x reader

chapter three • episode 1

this chapter contains talk of self harm near the end, if you wish to skip that part I recommend skipped after y/n gets home.

*

"y/n!" I turned at the sound of my name as I gathered my belongings from my desk and shoved Se-hyeon's notebooks into my bag. Ga-min was making his way to me with the same, blank, expression he always had. "Where's Se-hyeon? Why are you taking his books?"

"Who are you?" I asked, shoving Se-hyeon math book into my already overflowing bag.

"I want to talk to him, can you give me his number?"

"Hey," I started, standing up straight to glare at him. "He doesn't want to talk to you, he has enough stuff going on—"

"Please," he whispered the word this time.

I watched as his expression grew softer than before and his eyes glossed over as if he was about to fall to his knees and beg me. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "He went to the bathroom, but—" Ga-min was gone in a flash. "Fucking hell," I dug my phone out of my pocket and called Se-hyeon to warn him of the upcoming encounter, maybe even suggest he run for his life. After the fifth ring, I was sent to voicemail. I tried again, nothing. A knot started to form in my chest. I grabbed my bag and ran out of my room.

~~

"Is that your girlfriend calling? Should we bring her here too?" Hyeon-Wu spoke calmly, his eyes on the flashing caller ID that was on the screen of Se-hyeon's cellphone.

"No," Se-hyeon whispered, clicking the power button and sending the call to voicemail. Hyeon-wu landed a slap on Se-hyeon cheek, sending the weaker boy stumbling backwards.

"Number 171 picking a fight with me?" Hyeon-wu slapped him again.

"No, I'm sorry. It's not what you think-" Another slap.

"You should compensate me if you're sorry."

"Well, I don't have any money-"

Hyeon-wu punched him this time, sending Se-hyeon to the ground.

"You keep saying you're sorry, but still doing the wrong thing." Hyeon-wu lingered over him but turned to speak to his other delinquent buddies. "Bring me a baseball bat and get y/n on facetime. Maybe he'll learn then."

~~

My phone started to ring as soon as I entered the courtyard, Se-hyeon's ID flashed across the screen, requesting a facetime. I answered it quickly. "Where are you?" I got the words out before his camera even loaded, but once it did, my heart sank. The camera was facing Se-hyeon but it wasn't by his hand. He was on the ground in a push-up position as Hyeon-wu hit him repeatedly with a baseball bat.

"Hey!" I screamed at the phone. "Where are you?" the camera moved and grew closer to Se-hyeon's face. "Se-hyeon? Where are you?"

Whoever held the phone snickered. "She's asking you a question, answer her."

Se-hyeon looked directly in the camera but didn't say a word as he was hit again. I could see tears welling up in his eyes and the boys around him seemed to notice it too. "Hey, I think he's crying!" Laughter erupted.

"You pieces of shit, I swear to god i'm going to—"

"y/n!" I turned and my eyes landed on Ga-min, i ran to him and met him halfway.

I showed him the phone. "Do you know where this is? Can you help him?"

Ga-min's face shifted into a concerned but determined expression as his eyes scanned the screen. After a moment, he grabbed me by the wrist and took off running. We ended up at the back of the school at one of the storage buildings. I saw Ms. Lee standing at the door of one of them and ran to her with Ga-min following close behind.