Antithesis | StrayKids

Chapter 3:

Seungmin's P.O.V.

A week had passed since Seungmin and Jeongin had been paired together for the photography assignment.

Seungmin had spent that last week taking pictures of whatever he could find worthy to use for the assignment. A few plants, his cat, the old house at the end of the road. He began to worry about how he was to complete the human emotions part of the assignment. Knowing full well that Jeongin was probably not going to do it, he'd be left to do all the work himself. To make things worse, being the lonely loser the world thought he was, he didn't really know anyone besides his mom, sister, and maybe the waiter Chan who worked at the restaurant in town.
Maybe he could ask him to do it.

As Seungmin trudged toward his photography class, he saw Jeongin with his group of friends near the door. For a moment, Seungmin contemplated running away. 'No' he thought to himself, 'I can't keep running away everytime I get scared. Besides, it's not like they'll pull anything... I hardly know them.' He needed to ask Jeongin to do at least some of the work. It wouldn't be fair.

So with the new found courage, Seungmin briskly walked up to them and immediately got their attention.

"Yes?" Jeongin questioned, looking at Seungmin in what seemed to be disgust.

Oh boy. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"I um- I was wondering if you could do the emotions part of the assignment since I've basically done the whole thing by myself..." His voice trailed off as he spoke to Jeongin.

The group of boys were silent for a bit before Jeongin let out a sarcastic laugh.

"You can't be serious"

Seungmin couldn't deny the fact that he felt rather angry. It wasn't fair and this isn't some cliché movie where the bully forces the kid to do his work. He wouldn't stand for it.

"I am." He replied back with more confidence in his voice. "It's not fair that I should have to do everything while you sit up on your throne and make others do your dirty work." He continued on, not realizing the change of expression on Jeongin's face as he pushed himself off the wall getting closer to Seungmin. "Just because you're popular and have all the money in the world, doesn't give you the right to push others around.. Unlike you, some of us don't have a rich mommy and daddy to get people to do all the work for them."

This must have triggered something in Jeongin because the next second, Seungmin felt a sharp pain near his jaw and he stumbled to the ground.

After 3 whole years of being here, Seungmin thought that he had been pretty lucky to have not become a punching bag sooner. But boy was he wrong.

Tears had begun to well in Seungmin's eyes.

"Ha look- the loser is crying." A chorus of laughter erupted from the group of boys and a few other bystanders. "Not so tough now huh, you little shit?"

Seungmin was still in shock when he heard the teacher yell at Jeongin and send him to the principal's office. Someone helped him up and he brushed away the newly fallen tears from his eyes. "Seungmin I'm taking you to the principal's office as well, do you want to go to the nurses first?"

Seungmin shook his head, keeping his gaze on the floor in embarrassment. If he wasn't already deemed a loser, he sure as hell was now.

With that, he slowly began walking in the direction Jeongin had gone, following sheepishly after the teacher.

So much for courage.

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