Episode 1

The final bell rang through the corridors, sharp and echoing, as students flooded out of their classrooms in waves of laughter and chatter, lockers slammed shut and shoes scuffed against the tiled floor, creating a chaotic symphony while, somewhere down the hall, someone was already crying over goodbyes that felt far too heavy for a single afternoon.

At the far end of the quiet classroom, Jeon Taehyung knelt beside his desk where books were scattered everywhere "Ah…… wait…… no, not that one..." he murmured softly, his fingers fumbling anxiously as he tried to gather his notebooks into his chest.

His bag lay completely open on the floor, half-zipped, its contents threatening to spill out again at any second.

Taehyung was small…… too small, many people said he possessed petite shoulders, a narrow waist and limbs that looked as though they belonged to porcelain rather than flesh, making his uniform hang delicately on his slight frame.

The fabric slipped past his wrists no matter how many times he rolled them up, and when he bent down, a few strands of soft dark hair fell into his eyes, framing a face that made people stop without even realizing why.

Pretty and fragile, that was exactly what half the school thought of him, while the other half whispered in the shadows.

Some admired him openly, their eyes lingering a little too long, while some hated him quietly, especially when they noticed who their crushes were staring at instead.

Taehyung never understood why people looked at him that way; he only knew that their intense gazes made him nervous, making him want to shrink into himself and disappear completely.

"Taehyung! Hurry up!" The voice came suddenly from the doorway, where Luna stood with a box in her arms, smiling through teary eyes.

Today was her last day……her transfer papers were signed, her lockers emptied and her entire life packed neatly into cardboard, she had been Taehyung's best friend for as long as he could remember, acting loud where he was quiet, bold where he was timid, and protective like a shield he never asked for but always needed.

"I……I'm coming!" Taehyung called back, scrambling to his feet, but in his rush, one of his books slipped from his arms and hit the floor with a dull thud.

"Oh……!" Before he could bend down again, someone else picked it up for him, causing Taehyung to freeze instantly.

"Be careful" a gentle voice said, placing the book directly into his hands "You always rush when you're nervous." Taehyung looked up, his eyes wide and his lashes fluttering.

"Th……thank you..." The boy who helped him smiled briefly before walking away, already surrounded by whispers, leaving Taehyung to hug the book to his chest with a heart beating a little too fast, unsure why moments like this always left him feeling so exposed.

He hurried after Luna, almost tripping as he ran down the hallway "Luna! Wait for me……please!" She laughed and slowed immediately, turning back just in time to catch him by the wrist before he could stumble again.

"See?" she said softly "If I leave, who's going to watch you?" Taehyung lowered his gaze, his cheeks warming.

"I'll…… I'll be okay" he whispered, though he wasn't sure he believed it as he looked up with wide eyes and trembling lashes while Luna's hand stayed warm on his wrist

"Ohh my crybaby, am gonna miss you so much, if it weren't for you I wouldn't go Baby……take care of yourself while I'm not around, drink warm water before you sleep, eat warm food, don't forget to dry your hair after bathing so that you won't catch cold, and your shoe lace, don't forget to check it always, try and fix it before you fall my clumsy fish" Luna said softly, her voice half-laughing, half-serious.

"And if anyone tries to get at you……just text me, I'll come and avenge you myself" Taehyung couldn't help a small laugh, the tension in his chest loosening slightly "You…… you can fly all the way from the U.S. to Korea after one text?" he asked, half teasing, half awed.

"Oh, don't underestimate me" Luna replied, smiling, eyes sparkling "You'll see, you just wait" He shook his head slightly, feeling a warmth rise in his chest.

"I…… I don't even know what you could do" he admitted quietly, his voice breaking just a little.

"Luna" he whispered, his lips curving into a soft teary smile "you really are impossible" She laughed gently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Maybe, but someone's got to watch over my little bear right?" The sound made him chuckle despite the lump in his throat, the tears he'd been holding threatening to fall freely now.

He blinked rapidly, trying to keep them back, but the smile on his face betrayed the emotions he couldn't fully control.

Minutes passed in gentle quiet conversation, words lingering in the air as if neither of them wanted to break the spell until the sound of a car pulling up outside made Luna glance toward the street.

"I guess……this is it" she said softly, making Taehyung's heart twist painfully, he nodded, clutching his backpack tightly as if it could shield him from the loneliness he knew would follow.

"Yeah……" She stepped toward him, pressed a quick firm hug into his shoulders and delivered a quick peck on his forehead "Be strong, my little bear, am gonna miss you real bad my son?"

Taehyung whined when she said my son a title, he always disputed, making Luna pinch his cheeks and smile.

"Hehehe my son is sulking, aren't you my child? I literally do everything for you, you clumsy little bear, be grateful" she said dramatically making Taehyung stick his tongue out and they both giggled.

"……text me if anything happens, you know I'll come running" He hugged back tightly, tears finally slipping down, dampening his uniform.

"I…… I'll try" he whispered. Luna pulled back just enough to give him a teasing smile "Try? That's all I ask little snake" Taehyung laughed softly, wiping his cheeks with his sleeve as she stepped into the car.

He waved, and she waved back, the vehicle slowly pulling away, he stood frozen for a moment, watching the car disappear around the corner, the distance growing with every second.

The weight of the day, the empty hallways, the stares he had grown used to……it all hit him at once, his chest ached, I won't be fine without her……he admitted silently.

She was my shield. She was the one who made it all bearable……and now she's gone, he swallowed hard, forced himself to breathe and clutched his backpack closer.

With shaky legs and blurred vision, he turned toward the next department, toward the next lesson, knowing that the whispers and cruel eyes were waiting.

He wasn't ready, he wasn't okay…… but he had to keep moving, each step felt heavier than the last, yet slowly and painfully, he walked on the memory of Luna's voice lingering like a warm light in the otherwise cold hall.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

After Luna left, the school felt louder, It wasn't because the students suddenly spoke more…… but because Taehyung noticed everything now.

He sat alone by the window in class, sunlight pouring in and settling softly against his cheek while the desk beside him was completely empty, Luna's desk.

He kept glancing at it unconsciously, as if she might suddenly appear, grin wide and scold him for daydreaming again.

She didn't "Hey…… Jeon Taehyung" He flinched. A girl stood near his desk, her fingers twisting nervously around her sleeve.

Behind her, a few students hovered…… pretending not to stare while very clearly staring "Yes?"

Taehyung answered softly, she swallowed.

"Um…… I was wondering if you'd like to join our study group after school?" The classroom went quiet, not silent……but tense.

Taehyung felt it immediately, eyes were burning into his back, filled with jealousy disguised as curiosity and admiration wrapped in resentment.

"I…… I'm not very good" he said quickly, shaking his head "I'll just slow you down" "That's not……" she began, but someone scoffed from the back of the room.

"Why ask him?" a boy muttered "He won't even last ten minutes before panicking" Another voice chimed in "Yeah, he just looks pretty, that's all"

Taehyung's fingers curled tightly in his lap, the girl's face flushed with anger "That's not true " But Taehyung stood up before it could escalate, bowing his head politely.

"I'm sorry" he whispered "I really can't" He slipped past them, his shoulders hunched as if trying to make himself smaller than he already was.

By lunchtime, the whispers had grown teeth "Did you hear? Another confession today" "He rejected her of cours." "Who does he think he is?"

"I heard teachers favor him too" "Maybe he's pretending to be innocent" Taehyung sat at the edge of the cafeteria table, barely touching his food.

Every sound felt sharper without Luna's chatter beside him, he stared down at his tray, his appetite completely gone, when suddenly…… Crash.

Someone accidentally bumped into the table, Juice spilled across Taehyung's uniform, instantly staining the pale fabric "Oh…… sorry" the boy said flatly, not sounding sorry at all, and cruel laughter followed immediately.

Taehyung stood there frozen, eyes wide, lips trembling, the cafeteria felt enormous and hostile, closing in on him from every direction.

"I…… I'll clean it" he murmured, his voice barely audible as he hurried away, he didn't see the way a few students watched him…… uneasy now, guilt flickering beneath their earlier jealousy.

On his way to class after break, the corridors were quieter when classes ended, but Taehyung's steps echoed loudly in his ears as he walked to his class alone.

His back felt heavier than usual, halfway down the stairs, his foot caught "Ah……!" He would have fallen if someone hadn't grabbed his arm.

"Careful." Taehyung gasped softly, heart racing as a teacher steadied him "You should be more cautious" the woman said gently "Especially now that you're alone." Taehyung nodded, embarrassed.

"Yes mam……I'm sorry" Taehyung said and continued walking, at his classroom, loneliness was loud.

He sat at his desk, back straight, hands folded neatly as the teacher spoke at the front of the class, chalk scratched against the board, numbers and formulas blurring together, yet Taehyung heard none of it.

His thoughts were tangled somewhere else…… knotted tightly around the feeling that he no longer belonged anywhere.

Don't shake, he told himself, don't look nervous. Don't give them a reason, but his fingers trembled anyway.

Everytime someone laughed behind him, his shoulders stiffened, every whisper felt personal even when it wasn't meant for him.

He had always been sensitive, always felt things too deeply, but now……with no one beside him…… it felt unbearable.

"Jeon Taehyung" The teacher's voice cut through the room, Taehyung startled, standing up too fast, his chair scraped loudly against the floor.

"Yes…… yes mam?" he answered, cheeks flushing "Read the next paragraph" The book felt heavy in his hands, words swam on the page, he opened his mouth…… and someone snickered.

"He's blushing again" "Why does he always look like he's about to cry?" Taehyung's throat tightened, he forced himself to read, his voice soft and wavering.

When he finally sat down, his ears were burning, his eyes stinging with tears he refused to let fall “If I cry, it'll get worse” he thought desperately “If I cry, they win”

Am new here’re guys, please go easy on me and show me some love to keep going ❤️❤️

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