Felix never thought he would be confronted with such aggression. The last time Chan gave sneering threats and left it at that, this time his tone is harsher and voice louder. Felix would have much rather Chan confronted him when they were alone, like last time. However, Chan obviously had other plans when he burst into the classroom and started shouting.
"Miscreant!"
"I told you, you don't belong here!"
"Get away from my friends!"
Various things were shouted and Felix's mind is morphing them into one, creating a thumping in his head. Felix ran before he knew what his legs were doing, he didn't know what else to do. Running seemed like the only choice he had, and when he got outside, he didn't stop.
Tears soak his cheeks as he moves through the bushes and trees, trying to get as far away as he possibly can. His chest hurts and his stomach twists, the memory of Chan's yelling hammers in his head and he can't make it go away. He just wants it to go away.
Anything good that Changbin and Hyunjin have brought him today was very quickly yanked from him when Chan entered the picture. It shouldn't be affecting him like this, but it is and Felix isn't questioning why. His main priority is to get away, to run until there is nowhere else to go. Felix wouldn't be able to say what told him to run, but something inside of him screamed and kicked at him until he moved.
He pushes deeper into the unfamiliar forest, ignoring the stinging from the branches that scratch at his arms and occasionally catch his face. The pain isn't mute, but he knows he needs to keep moving, and can deal with whatever happens to his body later. His legs push him along, his mind not making any decisions, as he keeps moving. It wasn't supposed to happen like that, he was supposed to leave quietly, so no one who didn't need to would be involved. Chan ruined it for him, he tore away the one thing he could control and shattered it to the ground.
His foot catches on a branch buried under leaves, sending him straight to the ground. Felix lets out a choked sob in pain as he crawls to his feet. He takes a moment to try to regain himself, wiping away the tears that keep forming.
"Stop, stop," Felix mutters over again, trying to get himself to stop crying. He doesn't know why he is and he feels he shouldn't be.
The blurriness from the tears slowly begins to clear and Felix has a better view of his surrounding environment. Nothing but trees and bushes surround him, he would consider himself lost because of the unfamiliarity, but he ran in nearly a straight path and knows his way out. The wind and an occasional bird chirping can be heard, but Felix can sense no sign of other people this deep with him. He wonders if they will find him if they would even care to find him.
Stop, just focus on getting out of here, Felix tells himself.
Felix tries to think back to the book under his bed, doing his best to remember the image of what he saw. It is in bits and pieces, not nearly clear enough to remember where he should be going. He refuses to go back though; he would rather wander in the woods than go back to that school. Sighing, Felix moves on, this time taking it slowly so he doesn't trip on anything. He looks for any sign that the portal could be there, a guard, or oddly shaped trees, anything.
At some point, his feet continue to carry him with their own intent, Felix unconsciously making his way through the forest. Felix knew he was moving, but he had no control over where he was going, his muscles feel tense, almost as tense as when Yugyeom had a hold on him in the park. His body keeps moving around trees and through bushes until finally, Felix comes to a stop. All his muscles return to his control and he feels a sense of relaxation wash over him.
Then he sees it, the glowing blue of the portal that the trees are forming. Felix doesn't hesitate to make his move towards the glow, trudging onward. This is the moment and he can't sacrifice it now. He pushed through it, entering the blue, letting it engulf his body.
~•~
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Changbin snaps at Chan after Felix had run out of the room. He is confused but angrier at the older than anything, right now.
"Me?" Chan questions, baffled by Changbin's outburst. As far as he is concerned he did nothing wrong, in fact, he saved Changbin from a dangerous being, the younger should be thanking him.
"Yeah, you," Changbin states, "Felix wasn't doing anything to you and then you come in here and say some horrible things to him. He doesn't deserve that."
Hyunjin and Seungmin have gravitated towards each other, finding comfort in the familiarity of the other as Changbin and Chan's argument ensues. Neither of them knows why Chan flipped out in the way he did, and they aren't going to ask. They will both silently agree to let Changbin handle this one since neither of them is close with the arguing males it would be better to leave them be.
"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what I know," Chan argues.
"Then enlighten me," Changbin sneers, glaring at Chan, "what is it that I don't know that gives you the right to treat him like that?"
Chan glares back at the shorter male, "he is a danger to us all, he doesn't have any control and is a hazard, so sorry that you happen to be my friend and that I care."
"You don't even know him," Changbin growls, "have you ever taken the chance to talk to him, and maybe understand what is going on inside his mind?"
"I know a lot more than you think I do, Changbin," Chan states, taking a step closer to the shorter, "Felix shouldn't be here, he never should have stepped foot into our world in the first place."
Changbin's right eye twitches with anger and his hand's fist at his sides. Angry is an understatement to what he feels right now, he'd very much like to deck Chan in the face so hard that the older boy forgets who he is.
Luckily, for Chan, Hyunjin notices how Changbin's frame tenses and can sense the potential violence. He boldly places himself in between the two males, really only having one defence to help him with this.
"You guys know if Seojoon finds out about this, there will be hell to pay for both of you," Hyunjin states. He may not be close with Changbin nor Chan, but Seojoon is, and Hyunjin knows what Seojoon would do to the two males.
Seungmin walks over, carefully pulling Changbin by the bicep and away from the older. Hyunjin smiles at his friend as he gently pushes Chan to step back away from Changbin.
"Fine, we'll discuss this when Felix is here, that way you can apologize to him," Changbin states, shaking out of Seungmin's grip and walking out of the classroom.
Hyunjin removes his hand from Chan before looking over to Seungmin and asking if he wants to go. Before Seungmin can respond, Chan grabs a hold of his wrist and drags him out of the room, leaving Hyunjin alone in the empty classroom. Chan may be annoyed and angry with Changbin right now, but he finally caught Seungmin, he isn't letting him slip away again.
Hyunjin awkwardly stands there for a few seconds before making the move out of the classroom. He figures he will go and try to find Felix to see if he is okay, and if that fails he can always bug Jeongin.
~•~
Chan drags Seungmin into one of the abjuration classrooms, making sure no one is around before closing the door. He needed a place for them to be alone, but this school is unpredictable and anything could happen. Chan only hopes that he will be able to get through this conversation before another interruption.
The older pulls out the letter from his pocket before placing it on the table.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Chan asks, pointing to the letter on the table.
Seungmin stares at the letter for a couple of seconds before managing to convince himself to look up at the older. He unconsciously wraps his arms around his body, hugging himself tightly to feel a sense of safety. Seungmin is living a nightmare and there is nothing here that can bring him down from his nervous state. The younger knows he isn't going to be able to leave until he gives Chan his answer, which only makes his throat dry and hands shake more.
"What did you expect me to say?" Seungmin asks quietly, "we never spoke, so I can only imagine how you would feel if a random person came up to you and confesses their love."
"You aren't a random person, I knew of you and-"
"That's what I'm saying though, you don't really know me and for me to send you that anonymously is weird enough. Actually standing in front of you and saying that stuff would be way worse," Seungmin says, "we only know of each other through Seojoon, beyond him there is no other strings tying us together, so saying something wasn't an option in my book."
Seungmin doesn't know how he managed to say all that in one go, his will to get out of here must be what's keeping him steady. It is bad enough he was caught, now actually having to explain himself is only making things worse for him. Chan could have ignored the younger after discovering the letter; Seungmin would have actually preferred that. So why is he so hell-bent on getting answers? What good would it do him?
"Look, I would really like to get out of here, so could you please just reject me and let me go," Seungmin requests, avoiding eye contact with the older. There is too much silence in the room, Seungmin feels like he is being suffocated.
"Why do you assume that I was going to reject you?" Chan asks. He doesn't want to scare the younger so he slowly takes a step closer, making sure that with every move Seungmin is alright.
"What do you want me to say?" Seungmin asks, desperate to leave this room, "tell me what you want to hear and I'll say it. What is the point of hanging that letter over me and using it to make me feel worse than I already do?"
Chan wasn't expecting a reaction like that. He never intended on making Seungmin feel bad, he simply wants to know why the second-year likes him of all people. Chan doesn't believe there is anything about him that is extraordinary enough for someone to find him attractive or feel drawn to him. On the other hand, he sees those qualities in Seungmin, and though he doesn't know the younger well, he'd very much like to get to know him.
Now isn't a great time, Chan can recognize that, now. Seungmin is uncomfortable and is closing himself off. Letting him go now, may make it difficult to find the boy again, but if it means calming the younger's nerves, then Chan has to do it.
"I'm sorry," Chan mumbles, "I never meant to make you feel that way. I shouldn't have dragged you here, you can go now."
The older moves his body and gestures towards the door. He gives Seungmin the space he needs to leave and not feel as though the older will trap him again.
"Really?" Seungmin asks, inching himself closer to the door.
"Yes," Chan states, "we can talk when you're ready, I shouldn't have forced you, and I'm really sorry for that."
The sudden change in the older does confuse Seungmin, but it doesn't stop him from getting out of the room. There is a layer of relief that coats Seungmin's body, but also a thin layer of guilt. A part of him knows he should have stayed and gotten the issue out of the way, but his brain moved him before he could second-guess himself.
Soon, Seungmin thinks, I'll talk to him soon.
~•~
Word count: 2,093