Chapter Text
The first time he saw the boy was when his homeroom teacher introduced him to the class. The boy just transferred even when it was the middle of the semester, so naturally he caught everyone’s attention.
“My name is Kim Dokja; it’s a pleasure to meet you all….” The boy says.
Kim Dokja? What a weird name. Yoo Joonghyuk thought.
Kim Dokja had a gloomy look on his face. He didn’t look like the energetic type; he looked more like a loner. Wait, no, maybe a bit more shy? His hair was unruly, there were dark bags under his eyes, he clearly didn’t have a healthy sleep schedule, his wrinkled school uniform from his old school looked baggy, he looked shorter than other kids, and overall he looked like he didn’t know how to take care of himself properly.
“Okay kids, I expect all of you will treat your new classmate Kim Dokja nicely,” The teacher pauses as he turns to Yoo Joonghyuk’s direction, noticing the empty desk beside him, “Dokja-ya, you can sit next to the boy in the back,” The teacher says softly.
The boy turned to the teacher and bowed before turning again to walk in Yoo Joonghyuk’s direction.
Kim Dokja sets his bag down and sits beside him.
—
Not even a week has passed since the boy transferred, and Yoo Joonghyuk has already started hearing rumors about the boy left and right. Yoo Joonghyuk rarely concerns himself with rumors, but this one was outrageous enough to make even him curious.
“Did you hear? Apparently, that new kid’s mom murdered her husband.”
“Really? I’ve only heard about the fact that he tried to kill himself in middle school.”
“I heard his mom wrote an entire novel about her murder in prison.”
“No wonder that freak’s always attached to his phone, he’s probably too depressed to even socialize properly!”
The rumors got worse every day, and no matter how much Yoo Joonghyuk tried to ignore them, their conversation in the halls and classrooms still forced him to drink up every word of sick gossip about that kid, Kim Dokja.
—
Two weeks in and all the kid does in class, other than take notes during lessons, is stare at his phone all day reading what looks like a web novel. Yoo Joonghyuk has tried to sneak a few peeks into Kim Dokja’s phone to see what he was reading, but he would always get caught, and he would turn his brightness down.
Other than just reading on his phone, Kim Dokja would always get called to go outside by some other students during lunch period, and Yoo Joonghyuk would notice new bruises and bandages appearing all over the boy’s body every time he came back to class.
Yoo Joonghyuk glances at his desk mate—Kim Dokja—who’s sitting at the desk beside him. A busted lip, the bandages over his nose and cheek, the wrinkled shirt collar, a visible choke mark stretched out and dirtied vest, and green and purple bruises peeking out of his sleeve. He’s getting bullied.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t want to get involved with him, but he doubted the pro-activeness of his school’s administration. For God's sake, can’t the teachers see the clearly beaten up boy here?
—
Three weeks in, and school felt like a normal routine again. The rumours were still there, but Yoo Joonghyuk eventually adapted and learned how to block them off. And soon enough the day went by like a flash.
After school, Yoo Joonghyuk went to the student council room to meet up with a certain white-haired, pale-skinned girl—Lee Seolhwa—a member of the student council and his girlfriend. Yoo Joonghyuk usually walks with her after school before going their separate directions at the school gate.
By the time Yoo Joonghyuk got there, the white-haired girl was already waiting outside.
“Took you long enough, Joonghyuk-ah.”
“Did the meeting end early? I got here at the same time as always.”
Yoo Joonghyuk and Lee Seolhwa talked about some mundane things like how their day went, what they were going to have tomorrow, and homework.
Lee Seolhwa waves goodbye to all their friends as they walk while Yoo Joonghyuk stays emotionally constipated as usual towards them.
“Would it kill to be a bit nicer?” Lee Seolhwa nudged.
“It’s a waste of energy,” Yoo Joonghyuk replied dryly before changing the subject.
“Hey, there’s this new kid in my class who transferred three weeks ago; his name is Kim Dokja; have you heard of him?” The dark-haired boy asks.
“Oh, him? Yeah, I’ve met him before; I saw the poor boy getting beaten up so I reported the bullies, but in the end the teachers only gave them a single warning,” the white-haired girl complained.
“Seriously, teachers these days are too soft,” The white-haired girl huffed irritably.
Silence went by as they continued to walk. It wasn’t uncomfortable though—it was nice. Eventually, Lee Seolhwa broke that silence with a question.
“You said that he’s in your class, no?” Lee Seolhwa asked.
“Yeah.”
“Try talking to him; he probably needs a friend.”
Yoo Joonghyuk never really thought of that, because to him, trying to be friends with Kim Dokja was a waste of time and the amount of friends he already had was plenty.
Ultimately, that was where their conversation ended as they arrived at the school gates. They waved goodbye to each other before Lee Seolhwa parted ways first. Yoo Joonghyuk stayed back, watching Lee Seolhwa’s distancing figure becoming smaller and smaller before also walking away to go home.
—
When Yoo Joonghyuk got home, his master greeted him—Namgung Minyoung—and his little sister, Yoo Mia. Yoo Joonghyuk and his sister don’t live with his parents anymore after essentially abandoning them, and by some miracle Yoo Joonghyuk met his master, and they started living with her.
When Yoo Joonghyuk finishes all his chores, he usually plays some games with his friends after studying, but today he decided to take a break from that and chose to lie in bed as he scrolls on his phone.
At some point, Yoo Joonghyuk decided to do some research on his desk mate and, unsurprisingly, there were a lot of results when he searched up ‘Kim Dokja’ on Google. He then scrolled and clicked on an article—the white glow of his screen in his dark room continued to hurt his eyes despite being set on the lowest brightness.
The more Yoo Joonghyuk read the article, the more he learned about Kim Dokja’s background.
It only took Joonghyuk about five minutes to finish the article, and at the end there was a link to the novel Kim Dokja’s mom wrote. Naturally, he pressed the link and proceeded to read the novel. Just a few chapters, Yoo Joonghyuk thought.
—
Yoo Joonghyuk finished the novel.
Yoo Joonghyuk knew that ‘a few’ didn’t really have a fixed meaning or number, and it seemed to Yoo Joonghyuk that ‘a few’ meant the whole thing.
When he checked the time, it was 4 AM. If his master found out that he’s still awake at this time, he would surely get a beating.
Yoo Joonghyuk quickly turned off his phone, pulled the blanket over his head, and closed his eyes, attempting to sleep. Soon enough the darkness engulfed him as he fell asleep into a deep slumber.
—
Bang!
Yoo Joonghyuk quickly jolts awake as the sound of the teacher banging his hand on Yoo Joonghyuk’s desk echoes throughout the stunned class.
“Rise and shine sleeping beauty, did you have a nice nap? If you sleep again, I’ll kick you out of my class; I do not intend to continue teaching someone who won’t even listen to me.” The teacher scolds.
Yoo Joonghyuk could hear faint whispers as the teacher returned to the front of the class; Yoo Joonghyuk was too tired to care though; he only slept an hour last night. He deeply regretted reading through the entire novel last night, but what’s done is done; there is no use crying over it now.
As Yoo Joonghyuk laid his head back on the desk, intending to continue his nap, he could feel a pair of eyes looking down at him. Yoo Joonghyuk glanced to his side—catching a glimpse of Kim Dokja ever so slightly smirking, though he quickly noticed and averted his attention to his notebook as if nothing had ever happened.
Yoo Joonghyuk froze and rubbed his eyes. Did he just hallucinate?
He squinted his eyes, trying to focus on Kim Dokja’s face. Yoo Joonghyuk swears that he saw the kid smirking. Never in his life did Yoo Joonghyuk think he would witness his desk mate even cracking a smile—not that he ever did that in front of him either.
…
“...What?”
“Nothing.”
Shit, was that weird? He definitely replied way too fast. Yoo Joonghyuk panicked; he didn’t realize that staring at his… desk mate was… weird…. Yeah, no. That was definitely very weird and noticeable. Kim Dokja probably thinks he’s a creep now.
—
The class was boring as usual, so Yoo Joonghyuk came up with a better idea of barely paying attention, but also stealing a few glances at Kim Dokja for fun. Anything was better than listening to a teacher who barely knew how to teach.
At some point, the teacher instructed the class to take out their notebooks and write down some questions and their answers to said questions.
Yoo Joonghyuk was taking his notebook and pencil case out of his bag when Kim Dokja suddenly tapped his shoulder.
“Hey, do you have a spare pen? Mine’s out of ink.”
Yoo Joonghyuk really doesn’t respond and just checks his pencil case, and there it was: two perfectly good pens he can use and give to Kim Dokja. Yoo Joonghyuk gives one pen to Kim Dokja without adding any additional type of verbal communication before continuing his work.
Kim Dokja really only replied with an, “Oh, okay,” after he received the pen. He eventually got over it quickly and minded his own business.
The sound of chatter, smart kids teaching and tutoring the confused students, and other sounds accompanied Yoo Joonghyuk, Kim Dokja, and the other students while they all did their respective work.
Riiing
The last bell finally rang.
“Alright kids, I expect all of you to finish the homework I assigned: workbook page 156, numbers 1 through 30. Remember, pen only; I will not grade your homework if you use anything other than a pen.” The teacher ended the class, and soon the class president followed by ordering everyone to stand up and bow before letting everyone sit back down.
Every student cheered and started packing up quickly as soon as the teacher left the classroom to go home or hang out with their friends after school.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?” Kim Dokja answered before he got cut off by a classmate calling for him.
“Hey, Dokja-ya! Your friends are lookin for ya!”
Kim Dokja looked like he switched his gears to auto-pilot mode as he hurriedly shoved everything on his desk into his bag.
“Wait!” Yoo Joonghyuk reached out, trying to stop him.
“Sorry Joonghyuk-ah, let’s talk some other time,” Kim Dokja replied as he ran out the classroom door.
Yoo Joonghyuk watched as Kim Dokja left the classroom, letting out a sour face.
Kim Dokja, you fool, I was trying to get my pen back, Yoo Joonghyuk thought.
In response to the situation, Yoo Joonghyuk quickly packed up and wore his jacket as well before dashing out of the classroom to chase down Kim Dokja and finally get his pen back.
—
Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back Give me my pen back
Is the thought that kept playing and looping in his head as Yoo Joonghyuk searched the school for Kim Dokja.
Yoo Joonghyuk checked every classroom, high and low, and nook and cranny to no avail, until he checked the boy’s restroom. He saw an annoying and sickening sight.
Two boys laughing, snickering, and throwing insults as they brutally kick and beat up a boy currently in the fetal position.
“What’s wrong? Can’t even fight back?”
“What’re you gonna do? Tell your mommy?”
“Oh, right! That bitch is in prison!”
That’s when Joonghyuk realized who the boy was.
They continued to bully him black and blue until one of them noticed Yoo Joonghyuk at the restroom door.
“Oi, Joonghyuk-ah, come over here–” The bully couldn’t finish his sentence before he noticed Joonghyuk’s glare piercing his soul.
“Out.”
“C’mon Joonghyuk-ah, don’t be such a party poop–” The other quickly got interrupted by the other whispering something in his ear before he could escalate the situation any further.
Yoo Joonghyuk continued to glare at them as they scurried out of the boy’s restroom.
He watched as the restroom door closed before he walked up to Kim Dokja on the other side of the restroom, struggling to get up. Then, blood. Blood started dripping from his head.
Joonghyuk tried reaching out his hand to look at the wound on Dokja’s head, only for his hand to get slapped away by the weaker one.
“I don’t need your help!” Kim Dokja hissed through gritted teeth.
“You fool, you’re bleeding; go to the nurse’s office!” Yoo Joonghyuk shot back as he grabbed the weaker’s wrist.
He pulled back his wrist, releasing it from the stronger one’s grasp. The wounded one grunted in pain as he stood up.
“Don’t you think that I already tried doing that? I’ll tell you this, if I go to the nurse’s office my wounds would only get worse.”
Yoo Joonghyuk watched as Kim Dokja attempted to limp out of the restroom before, unsurprisingly, collapsing.
“Kim Dokja!” The stronger one luckily managed to catch the weaker one before he hit the floor. He fainted.
“Kim Dokja!” Joonghyuk shook him, attempting to wake him up, but with no luck.
Blood continues to flow out of Kim Dokja’s head and drips onto the restroom floor. Seeing the sight made Joonghyuk take a breath to calm down. Anything but the nurse’s office, huh? He thought.
—
“...e…i…o…s…ly… you… can’t… just bring anyone here, you know!”
“Didn’t you say you were studying to become a doctor?”
Kim Dokja blinked and rubbed his eyes from the bright fluorescent lights that made his eyes hurt. He was laying on a couch, head wrapped in a bandage, on a pillow, and a warm blanket draped over his body. He then tried to lift himself up, grunting from his aching, bruised body.
The couple immediately noticed and rushed over to him.
“Kim Dokja!”
“...Joonghyuk-ah?” Dokja turned to the other side, looking at the other person with white hair, “Who are you?” The white-haired girl looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Lee Seolhwa.”
“Where am I?”
“Student council room,” the white-haired girl replied.
The girl continued to go on about how lucky they were for the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk carried him all the way here when no one else was here except for her, to which Kim Dokja only let out a quick ‘ah’ as a response before hearing some loud thumping from outside the room.
“OI, SQUID! Didn’t I tell you to kick the guy’s ass?!” The girl with short hair and a purple sweater barged into the room and marched forward to Kim Dokja.
Yoo Joonghyuk wished he was lying when he said he saw literal steam coming out of the girl’s ears.
“And you are?” Joonghyuk couldn’t really trust some random girl who just barged into the room screaming and calling Kim Dokja ‘squid’ blindly.
“Who, me? I’m this ugly king’s friend,” the dark-haired girl answered as she casually and playfully (?) hit the poor guy’s back.
“Ow! Sooyoung-ah, that hurts!”
Sooyoung was a peculiar fellow. From what Yoo Joonghyuk heard before, she’s the president of the literature club, and it is true that she is one of the best literary talents in this school, but that wasn’t the reason she was rather infamous. People say she writes fanfiction of the students in school, particularly ship fanfics. For now, Joonghyuk can only wish that wasn’t true.
“And how did you know he was here?”
“I texted her. She’s my classmate.” Seolhwa answered.
“Sooyoung-ah, do you think you can take him home for now?” The white-haired girl asked.
“Sure thing, missy, I’ll make sure this squid gets home safely!” The dark-haired girl answered as she hit his back again.
“Hey, not again!”
“Quit your whining and let’s go home!”
And just like that Kim Dokja got dragged away by Han Sooyoung out of the room, leaving Joonghyuk and Seolhwa by themselves.
“Do you think it was safe to leave him with her?” Joonghyuk couldn’t help but be a little suspicious.
“It’s fine; I know her well, so I trust her.”
—
Joonghyuk got home safely that day, a little later than usual though.
After a quick scolding from his master, he went and took a needed shower.
His shower took about five to ten minutes before he got out and slid into his clothes, a simple black t-shirt and pyjama pants, in his room.
Joonghyuk was drying his hair when he looked at the pile of schoolbooks on his desk.
Right, homework.
Joonghyuk placed his towel on the backrest of his swivel seat before he sat on the said seat.
He cleared his cluttered desk before he rolled over to his school bag to take out his workbook and pencil case. Then he placed the book on his desk and opened page 156. Joonghyuk took out a pen from his pencil case and clicked it, but when he started writing, no ink was coming out, so naturally he unscrewed his pen open and was greeted with an empty ink cartridge.
Joonghyuk sighed and opened his pencil case. When he looked inside, he remembered something crucial—the other pen is still with Kim Dokja.
Well shit.