medusa • minsung

• seven •

minho wished to believe that bullying stopped in highschool but that simply wasn't the case. minho heard the people talking and they had only gotten louder over the couple of weeks minho had been attending campus. there wasn't anyone who seemed to relax around minho or treat him different, except for the cold cigarette smoking textile student. even though he was rude he treated minho just like everyone else.

minho walked with mooshu's leash in his hand as per usual until he felt someone grab his wrist. minho whipped his head around and mooshu stopped abruptly as well.

"hey! minho is it?" a man asked and minho could feel his heart thumping out of his chest. it felt hard to breathe.

"y-yes.. who a-are you?" minho said and he tried to subtly wiggle his arm out of the stranger's grasp but the person only clenched onto his arm harder.

"jium! jeon jium!" the boy introduced and while he was acting nice minho was off-put by him, something didn't sit right.

"n-nice to meet y-you j-jium," minho stuttered and the boy's face twisted to confusion as minho was looking at the air beside him. hm.. must actually be blind..

"do you stutter all the time?" jium asked and minho slightly winced and his head dropped. he could feel his chest tighten, mooshu sat beside him leaning against minho's leg to soothe him.

"n-not on p-purpose-"

"let's have lunch together? hm? c'mon!" jium chimed and began pulling minho away before he could properly deny him.

jium dragged minho by his wrist, which made him feel extremely uneasy and afraid, he felt safe with mooshu leading him around. minho didn't want to have lunch with the stranger, he liked eating under the trees by the textile building and hearing the conversions from the building along with the stone cold student smelling of cigarettes that's desperately being masked by mints telling him it's time for class. minho always knew it was time for class, he just enjoyed the brief seconds with the only person who didn't treat him any different.

"j-jium? where are w-we going?" minho asked as they had been waking for quite a while.

"the photography building!" jium chimed with a slightly faltered voice and minho bit on his lower lip. he wasn't too good with directions but he could tell this wasn't near the photography building, the air's scent was more like the performing arts building.

"jium? whatcha doing here- is that the blind kid?!" a girls voice chimed and minho was confused and scared. he was gripping mooshu's leash tightly as he couldn't feel his wrist or hand much now.

"yeah!" jium chimed as he showed off minho as if he was some trophy. minho dropped his head and briefly caught the scent of cigarettes.

"i'll be damned.. bring him here i wanna see something," the girl chimed and jium lightly tossed minho forward. heels clicked as the woman walked down a few steps.

"are you really blind?" she asked and minho dropped his head. he hated when people asked him with such accusing tones, as if he'd wish this on anyone let alone fake being blind.

"y-yes," minho mumbled and the girl raised her hand and released a hard swing across minho's cheek.

"seuni! what the hell? don't hit him!" jium yelled as minho fell back onto the concrete. minho placed his hand over where he had been hit and his lungs stung as his heart thumped with anxiety.

"well i thought he'd dodge it! there's no way he's actually blind!" seuni yelled and minho's hands trembled as he felt around for mooshu. he had accidentally released her leash whenever he fell and he couldn't feel her let alone shout out for her. even as minho opened his mouth to call out there was nothing but silence.

"what the fuck is wrong with you two," a familiar voice boomed and the air got thick but minho felt some relief wash over him as he smelled cigarettes barely masked by mints.

"j-jisung! i-it's not wh-what-"

"they've already gotten a professor. you two aren't getting away with this." jisung grumbled and there was some quick clicking of heels.

"i can't get in trouble for this jium! my reputation-"

"fuck your reputation! don't run you bitch!" jium yelled as he chased after seuni. jisung glanced down at the trembling boy who reached out for mooshu, his cheek had already began to bruise as well. it seemed it would form into a black eye as well.

"you okay?" jisung asked as he crouched down beside minho. minho, without thinking, reached out and clasped onto jisung's sleeve tightly. the poor boy looked as if he was to burst into tears any minute.

"m-mo-mooshu.." minho managed to mumble out and jisung glanced around for the dog but didn't spot her. where had she gone?

"we'll find her okay? let's get to the nurse, your face looks rough." jisung said as he looked back to the injury. it would sure as hell hurt tomorrow that's for sure.

"d-don't have a g-guide.." minho mumbled and jisung let out a small sigh. he couldn't believe he found himself helping this kid.

"i'll guide you," jisung said and minho shook his head. jisung let out a groan and grabbed minho's hand from his sleeve and held it in his own hand.

"i'll help you, grab the back of my arm," jisung said and minho nodded slightly nodded then placed his hand that was once in jisung's palm to grip the back of jisung's arm.

they walked in silence as jisung lead minho to the nurse. minho felt nearly just as soothed mooshu was walking with him and while his face aching he felt safe. even as people stared at them he felt better.

"here, i'm gonna go look for mooshu," jisung said as he sat minho onto a bed. minho still didn't release jisung arm.

"t-thank you," minho mumbled and jisung had to restrict himself for smiling.

"yeah yeah, you need to be more careful. you're like a flower in a field of weeds, okay? protect yourself,"

yet when minho thought he had found a friend it was as if jisung had disappeared the next day.

• author's notes •

hi im sorry for my lack of updates.. high school is so stressful ngl but i hope you enjoyed this one <33 thanks for reading

-lilly