Pretty Little Scars (Hyunsung)

Chapter 1 - The Boy in the Rain

The rain fell hard against the windows of Hanlim High School, turning the entire campus gray and cold. Students rushed through the halls laughing, shouting, living like they had nothing to hide.
Han Jisung hated all of them.
Not because he wanted to.
Because they made it look so easy.
Jisung sat in the back corner of the classroom, hoodie pulled over his head, fingers tapping nervously against the edge of his notebook. He kept his eyes down while whispers floated around the room.
"Did you hear his mom left again?"
"He's so weird."
"I heard he got into another fight."
Jisung clenched his jaw.
Same school. Same rumors. Same loneliness.

The classroom door suddenly slid open.
And everything went quiet.
A tall boy stepped inside wearing the Hanlim uniform perfectly, dark hair slightly wet from the rain. His sharp eyes scanned the room lazily while girls immediately started whispering louder than before.
"Hwang Hyunjin," the teacher introduced. "Transfer student."
Of course he was handsome.
Of course everyone already loved him.
Jisung rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Take the empty seat beside Han Jisung."
The room went dead silent again.
Someone even muttered, "Good luck."
Hyunjin walked calmly toward the back row and dropped into the seat beside Jisung without a word.
Jisung didn't bother greeting him.
But then-
"You draw a lot."
Jisung froze.
His sketchbook.
Before he could close it, Hyunjin had already seen the page filled with charcoal sketches: bruised hands, broken flowers, sad eyes.
Pretty little scars.
Jisung quickly shut the book. "Mind your business."
Instead of looking offended, Hyunjin smiled slightly.
"That bad, huh?"
"You have no idea."
For the first time all day, Hyunjin actually looked interested.
Lunch came faster than Jisung wanted. As usual, he escaped to the rooftop with instant ramen and his headphones.
Peace.
Finally.
Until the rooftop door opened again.
"Seriously?" Jisung groaned.
Hyunjin stood there holding two cans of soda. "You always look this annoyed?"
"Yes."
"Cool."
Without permission, Hyunjin sat beside him.

The silence between them wasn't awkward exactly. Just unfamiliar.
Jisung hated unfamiliar things.
After a minute, Hyunjin handed him a soda.
"I don't take drinks from strangers."
"We sit together."
"You're still a stranger."
Hyunjin laughed softly. "Fair enough."
The sound surprised Jisung more than it should've.
For a second, Hyunjin looked... normal. Not like the rich, perfect transfer student everyone already adored.
Just a boy.
Then Jisung noticed the bruise barely hidden under Hyunjin's sleeve.
And Hyunjin noticed him noticing.
The smile disappeared instantly.
"Don't ask," Hyunjin said quietly.
Jisung stared at him for a moment before looking away.
"...Wasn't going to."
Rain poured harder above them.
Two strangers.
Two boys with secrets.
And neither of them realized yet that meeting each other was about to ruin - and save - both of their lives.