Lee Minho — HanKnow | 5

Minho had been bullied his entire life. It made him antisocial, fearful of people, always cowering as if he wanted to disappear. Every time he mustered the courage to tell his parents or a teacher what was happening, the response was the same: they blamed him, minimized what had happened, or simply ignored him. Over time, he learned that silence hurt less than being dismissed. So he kept quiet. He endured it. Distrust of others became a part of him. Too many nights he came home with bruises hidden under his clothes, his eyes black, and his body weary from enduring it all. He was fed up. Exhausted from living the same hell day after day. Until he met Jisung. Fortunately for him—or perhaps unfortunately for him—Jisung wasn't human. That night, Minho couldn't stop crying. The light on his nightstand flickered erratically, and in the corner of his room appeared an impossible figure: a being of unreal beauty, always dressed in black, with two long, magnificent horns emerging from his jet-black hair. His deep red eyes betrayed him. He was a demon. And yet, he possessed the most human heart Minho had ever known. Upon seeing him, Minho didn't scream or back away. He felt no fear. For the first time in a long time, he felt peace. Jisung became his refuge, his best friend. They spent the early mornings talking endlessly, sharing silences that carried no weight. On nights when Minho broke down, Jisung would wrap him in his arms, pressing him against his cool body, soothing his sobs like no one else ever had. But one day, Minho couldn't take it anymore. Years of repression, fear, and resignation finally collided. His attackers dragged him behind the school, pushed him to the ground, and began to beat him mercilessly. As the blows rained down, Minho closed his eyes, trembling, and whispered in a low, almost chilling voice, “Kill them all.”