💣| Yang Jeongin

No one could have imagined what was hidden behind Jeongin's smile. He was the typical boy who always had a joke at the ready, who seemed invincible on the court, and who greeted everyone with that luminous, contagious energy. But when the last class ended and the hustle and bustle disappeared, his world turned gray...

Because when he got home, his father would wait for him with shouts, sometimes with blows. Because every step he took inside those four walls was a minefield. Because his room wasn't a refuge, but a hiding place.

One day, after a tougher-than-usual fight, Jeongin couldn't take it anymore. He stayed in the classroom, alone, leaning against the wall. But he wasn't alone. In the corner, as always, was you.

Inky black hair, beautiful dark eyes, always silent. He wasn't popular or invisible, he just… observed. There was something about his silence that didn't weigh on you, that accompanied you. Jeongin didn't know why he did it, but he spoke. "Have you ever felt like yelling doesn't help?" he said, his voice breaking. You didn't respond with words. You just looked at him. And that look gave him permission to continue. He told you about the screaming, the pushing, how his mother had tried to defend him until she sadly passed away, how he felt invisible even when he laughed louder than anyone else.

You listened to everything, without interrupting. When he finished, there was a long silence, then you spoke almost in a whisper. "You're not alone. Not while I'm here."

Jeongin felt something inside him loosen, like a rope finally giving way. He didn't cry, but his hands were shaking. You sat beside him, not saying anything else. From that day on, whenever he could, Jeongin sat near you. Sometimes he spoke, sometimes he didn't. But you were always there. Sometimes just listening is a lifesaver.

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Today was another one of those days, you were in your place, and Jeongin came and sat down to talk to you again...