| District 9 | STRAY KIDS SHIPS

This Was Him// Seungjin

He managed to make his way back though, climbing the metal steps to the first floor and seeing all of his things scattered about the place, a torn and worn duffle bag sitting on top of the pile of dirty and ripped clothes. Seungmin felt his heart drop when he saw his stained school clothes, cringing at the smell of alcohol that was evident on what was supposed to be a perfectly pristine white shirt. Seungmin placed all of his things in the bag neatly, zipping it up carefully before throwing it over his shoulder and placing his back pack low on his shoulders.

Seungmin wasn't sure if he should go to school or not, but it wasn't as if he had anywhere else to go so he didn't entirely see the point in skipping. Hell, he could take a shower after school and borrow a towel from Jeongin or something. He'd figure something out. So, Seungmin tugged out his phone and shot the younger a quick text, silently praying that he had an extra white button up and shoe shiners.

Min: Sorry. Woke up late. You don't happen to have a white button up I can steal do you?

Maknae: I don't, Sorry Hyung :(

Maknae: I can try and get one from Chan?

Maknae: What's your size?

Min: Medium.

Maknae: Ok! Chan hyung said he'd meet you by the school gates to give it to you. How far away are you?

Min: I'm like a ten minute walk away.

Maknae: Ok, stay safe hyung <3

Seungmin let out a silent breath of relief, rubbing his dirty palm over his face and walking back down the steps, avoiding the meth heads who hung around at the bottom. Seungmin's head began to clear out, able to remember more than two minutes of the walk there and came upon a very familiar campus and a silver haired boy standing at the front. It had taken a second for Chan to realize that Seungmin stood two feet away from him and nearly jumped out of his shiny shoes when he glanced up from his phone. "Jesus, You scared me. You're Seungmin, correct? Jeongin's friend?" Seungmin nodded his head, even if him and Jeongin weren't necessarily friends.

Chan handed over the button up with a kind smile, Seungmin bowing in thanks and trying to walk away but Chan was quick to stop him, "Hey wait up!" Seungmin stopped and swiveled on his feet with an irritable raise of an eyebrow. Did this guy not see that Seungmin needed to get going? He really hoped Chan wasn't looking for a talking buddy, because he was about to be entirely disappointed to find out that Seungmin literally couldn't talk. "Listen. I know you don't really talk, but I'd like to be friends?" To say Seungmin was a little dumbfounded was a bit of an understatement, and he couldn't help but be suspicious of this entire exchange. What had Chan been planning to get out of this? What was this game he was trying to play? Chan must have knew what Seungmin had been thinking about due to the wariness in his eyes as he quickly butted in before the younger could walk away again. "This isn't some sort of prank, Seungmin. Promise."

Seungmin studied Chan until the elder looked away in discomfort, eyes shining in slight amusement as he dug around for a pen in his pockets. Seungmin quickly took Chan by the wrist and pushed up the sleeve so he could see the pale skin there, jotting down his number. Seungmin clicked his pen shut and stuffed it back in his pocket before walking away without another glance, leaving Chan staring after him while unknowingly being glared at from another soul that hid in the darkness of the breezeway.

It wasn't a secret that Seungmin was practically a ghost to the school. Not only did he not speak, he was so swift and light on his feet that no one ever heard him approach. There was a joke a few years ago that Seungmin hovered above the ground but acted as if he walked because he had been so quiet, and now had been no different. He hadn't given the people in the locker room a warning, much less a greeting when he creaked open the door and scared them shitless.