Chapter 3 - Misery Loves A Little Company
Title: Autumn's Rose Chapter 3A [The Remake]
Pairing: HyukHae, supporting!KyuMin
Side Pairings: HanChul, KangTeuk
Rating: PG
Genre: Friendship, Romance, Angst
Summary: Donghae was a hopeless case in the eyes of any adult -rude, violent and full of hatred. Transferring into a new school, hopeless Donghae meets new people; people who wants to save him. Among them is the quiet Lee Hyukjae who has never talked to anyone but his friends. What made Donghae special enough to get the voice out of Hyukjae would be the question of many. This story serves as the only answer to that one simple, unanswered question.
Narrator's POV
“I thought they said they were friends!” Donghae groaned as he repeatedly knocked his head onto the desk. Sungmin and Heechul were yet again bickering in front of him. Heechul have yet to heal fully, what with the huge cast on his arms. If Donghae heard it right, it was something about how my hair looks prettier than yours or my nails are longer.
“You’re still not used to it?” Youngwoon laughed, picking on a pickle in his bento and throwing it over his shoulders.
“Youngwoon!” Jungsu scolded. “You do not throw food over your shoulders!”
“Oh, come on, Teukie,” Youngwoon whined. “I hate pickles.”
‘ “You could push it at to the side of your box!” Jungsu said. “Look, even Donghae didn’t throw away his bun!”
Youngwoon made a face at Donghae, a look saying look what you’ve done. “Don’t look at me as if I’ve done something to you,” Donghae snapped.
“You did!” Youngwoon exclaimed. “Teukie-”
“Are you guys really going to start arguing too?” Kyuhyun groaned, pouting as he ate alone, his eyes constantly falling back onto his bickering lover and Heechul.
“Eat up, Kyuhyun,” Jungsu smiled. “Ignore all these idiots here.
Donghae frowned. “What is a Teukie anyway?” he said.
“That’s Youngwoon hyung’s nickname for Jungsu hyung!” Kyuhyun giggled, raising his hands in defeat as Youngwoon turned to glare at him. “Min, Youngwoon hyung’s being mean to me!”
Sungmin’s head snapped, eyes turning towards Kyuhyun in an instant before glaring at Youngwoon. “Kim Youngwoon,” he warned as he put a hand up to silence Heechul, all formalities forgotten.
It was Youngwoon’s turn to raise his hands in defeat as he mumbled a you didn’t have to call him and Donghae’s eyebrows perked in curiosity. Why is everyone obedient towards him?
“Hyung,” another voice chirped as a flurry of blond hair came flying beside Youngwoon.
“Why are you so excited?” Jungsu questioned.
“Oh nothing,” the blond, Hyukjae said.
“He scored a distinction for dance class,” Hangeng voiced out as he took a seat next to Jungsu. “Oh, they’re still bickering? I thought it’ll stop.”
“That’s what I said,” Donghae scoffed.
“Oh, let them be,” Jungsu said. “But on the other hand, congratulations Hyukjae! I knew you’ll ace the class!”
Hyukjae beamed. He spun his head around and frowned as he saw the long line by the food store. He was about to turn back towards his seat when he caught something flying towards him through the side of his eyes. “Hey!” he scolded as he caught the bun in his hands. “You could have just nicely given it to me!”
Donghae ignored him.
:::
“Why can’t Sungmin show me around?” Donghae groaned, eyeing Jungsu who was skipping in front of him.
“He said something about Kyuhyun being sulky that he wasn’t paid any attention during lunch,” Jungsu answered cheerfully. “Oh come on, I’ll bring you to the office!”
“Kyuhyun?” Donghae scoffed. “He’s sixteen. Why is he always treated like a baby?”
“Because he is technically the baby of the group,” Jungsu said simply, smiling like how a mom would do. “And Sungmin loves him. Like really, really loves him.”
“I can see that,” Donghae rolled his eyes. “I just can’t understand why.”
Jungsu laughed. “Kyuhyun can’t live without Sungmin,” he said. “I think you could figure it out already huh. He totally flipped out last week when he thought that Sungmin would be taken away from him.”
“Tha-”
“Sungmin,” Jungsu interrupted. “-may seem strong but just try to take Kyuhyun away while he’s not looking -well, because you can’t take Kyuhyun away when he’s looking. He’ll kill you. Sungmin will fight for Kyuhyun even if it’ll take his life away. They mean that much to each other.”
Donghae didn’t answer and merely stared at Jungsu who was talking about it as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
“You kno- isn’t that Jungwook?” Jungsu gasped, eyes narrowing at the two people a few feets from them both.
“Jungwho?” Donghae asked lazily, completely unbothered but Jungsu had already ran towards the two male. Donghae groaned again as he ran to catch up with Jungsu, annoyed.
“What are you doing?” he snapped. “You said you’ll bring me to -”
“What’s happening?” Jungsu cut him off, asking one of the male.
“This boy here spilled coffee all over my shirt,” the male answered. Donghae's eyes narrowed as he read the male’s badge. Disciplinary.
“He knocked into me!” the Jungwook guy Jungsu was talking about defended. “And he tore my bag!”
Donghae's fist clenched as he saw Jungwook’s worn out bag clearly torn to pieces by an amateur hand.
“Such a filthy bag isn’t even worth a cent,” the disciplinary scolded. “My shirt here is worth ten times that that stupid bag!”
“That doesn’t mean you can tear it!” Jungwook yelled.
“How dare-”
Jungsu put his hand up, the other arm pushing Jungwook behind him. Donghae saw him hesitating but that was the least of Donghae's concern then as he suddenly bowed down. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “He’s a clumsy kid. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again so please let it go for now.”
The disciplinary growled but otherwise eyed the bowing Jungsu before saying in a harsh tone, “You’re lucky you have him, you insufferable boy.”
“Hyung,” Jungwook sighed as he walked away. “I really didn’t-”
“I know,” Jungsu said. “I know. But he could have suspended you with the power he has in this school. I’ll buy you a new bag, I promise.”
Jungwook frowned. “It’s-“
“Hyung ditched you today, so I’ll take responsibility,” Jungsu insisted. “I was supposed to bring you around today.”
“Are you blaming me?” Donghae interjected.
“I didn’t say that,” Jungsu shook his head.
“I didn’t know you were this weak,” Donghae spat, pointing a finger towards the door that the disciplinary just exited from. “Bowing your head down to someone as disgusting as him; you’re worse than him!”
“Donghae,” Jungsu said calmly. “Listen to-”
“I refuse to listen to you,” Donghae shook his head. “You clearly know that he was in the wrong. You knew yet you bowed your freaking head to him! What is worse than that? You’re weak!”
“Donghae,” Jungsu said calmly. “You don’t have to fight to pro-”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Donghae spat. “I’m going home.”
“Donghae!”
:::
“Where’s Donghae?” Heechul asked as soon as Jungsu entered the room alone.
“He went home,” Jungsu shrugged.
“Did something happen?” Youngwoon said, frowning at the frown on Jungsu’s face.
“He got angry,” Jungsu sighed. “I feel really bad.”
“Why was he angry?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Jung- wait, who’s knocking at the door?” Jungsu scowled. “Kyuhyun, be a sweetheart and open the door.”
Kyuhyun beamed, nodding as he jumped off the couch and ran towards the door. As soon as he opened the door, he pouted as he saw a stranger standing in front of him.
“Who are you?” Kyuhyun asked, tilting his head.
“Kim Ryeowook,” the male answered with a smile.
“Ryeowook?” Kyuhyun pouted. “I don’t know you.”
“Who’s at the door, Kyu?” Sungmin said and a moment later, he was beside Kyuhyun, arms around the latter’s waist.
“I don’t know,” Kyuhyun huffed, twisting in Sungmin’s hold to hide behind the male. “I don’t know him.”
Sungmin patted his lover’s cheeks lovingly before turning towards the visitor. “Oh, hi there!” he chirped. “You’re cute!”
The male blinked. I’m what?
“Min, that sounded weird,” Kyuhyun said, poking Sungmin’s back.
“It does?” Sungmin frowned. “Oh, I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay,” the visitor said.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Sungmin smiled. “Who are you?”
“Kim Ryeowook,” the visitor answered. “I’m Ryeowook.”
“Alright there, Ryeowookie,” Sungmin nodded. “Do you need anything?”
“I…” Ryeowook mumbled. “I heard there’s a student name Donghae here, right?”
“Donghae hyung?” Kyuhyun mumbled, peeking around Sungmin when Donghae’s name was mentioned. “What do you need with hyung?”
“Hyung?” Ryeowook wondered, a little surprised at Kyuhyun’s defensiveness.
“Forgive this brat,” Sungmin laughed. “He’s a little protective of the family.”
Ryeowook froze. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m getting confused.”
Sungmin giggled. “I’m Lee Sungmin,” he introduced. “This is my kid of a lover, Cho Kyuhyun. We know Donghae, alright! We’re the welcoming committee here!”
“Oh…”
“Are you Donghae’s friend?” Kyuhyun prodded yet with another pout of his face.
“…friend?” Ryeowook mumbled. “I don’t know whether I can call him that…”
“Why?” Kyuhyun questioned. “Do you hate Donghae hyung?”
“Kyu-ah,” Sungmin nudged. “You’re scaring the poor boy.”
Kyuhyun huffed. “But he said he’s not hyung’s friend yet he’s looking for hyung!” he defended.
“Excuse me,” Ryeowook interrupted before Sungmin could answer. “I…I’m from Shirokin; Donghae’s previous school.”
Sungmin’s face changed instantly. “What do you want with our Donghae?” he immediately said, voice suddenly hard.
“Our?” Ryeowook said.
“We took him under our wings. He’s a part of us now,” Sungmin answered. “If you’re here to hurt him, you have to rethink twice.”
“I won’t hurt Donghae!” Ryeowook exclaimed, shocked. “I’m here to tell you something!”
“What is it?”
“C-Can I come in?” Ryeowook asked timidly.
“Why do-”
“Oh?” a voice suddenly popped up from behind Ryeowook and the petite male jumped.
“Hangeng hyung,” Sungmin greeted.
“Who is this?” Hangeng asked kindly. “A guest?”
“Kim Ryeowook,” Kyuhyun answered sourly. “He said he’s not Donghae hyung’s friend but he came to find Donghae hyung.”
Hangeng laughed, reaching out to ruffle Kyuhyun’s hair affectionately. “He’s from Shirokin, hyung,” Sungmin said.
“Shirokin?” Hangeng repeated, his voice stiffing just a tad bit but the smile remained on his face. “Come on in then. Since you came a long way, you must have something important to tell us. What are you doing, guys? Invite him in!”
Sungmin frowned but opened the door wider nevertheless. “Come in,” he said.
“Who’s this?” Heechul chirped up from the sofa as soon as he saw Ryeowook. “Another new student?”
“Nope,” Kyuhyun shook his head. “He’s-”
“Kyu,” Sungmin said, laughing a little. “You don’t have to complain to everyone.”
Kyuhyun made a face at his petite lover but otherwise ran to take a seat beside Heechul, sulking. Hyukjae gave Sungmin a curt nod. Who’s the kid? Sungmin shrugged, sighing.
“So, Ryeowook,” Hangeng said as he sat beside Heechul. His smile was stiff by then as he looked at Ryeowook with wary eyes. “What is it that you want to tell us?”
“Uhm,” Ryeowook said nervously.
“Don’t be scared,” Hangeng tried. “They’re all li-”
“Hangeng, I bet the kid don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Heechul scoffed. “Your Chinese accent is so strong.”
“That’s not true!” Hangeng exclaimed. “You understand me! All of you-”
“Hyungs,” Kyuhyun whined. “Are you going to fight?”
Heechul stopped, spinning to take a look at Kyuhyun before scoffing. “I have no idea why someone like Sungmin loves a kid like you,” he said.
Kyuhyun stuck his tongue out, annoyed as he crossed his arms. “Min loves me,” he huffed.
“I do,” Sungmin said. “But get your butt off that chair, Kyu. I want to sit.”
Kyuhyun shook his head as he patted his thighs. “Come,” he smiled. Sungmin rolled his eyes, making a face at his lover but otherwise plopped down onto his laps.
“Uhm, so…” Ryeowook voiced out awkwardly. “C-Can I speak?”
“Oh, of course!” Youngwoon helped. “Don’t mind those idiots and speak freely.”
“I-I’m from Shirokin,” Ryeowook repeated. “I-I was Donghae’s classmate.”
“Donghae?” Heechul said, narrowing his eyes dangerously at Ryeowook. “You were Donghae’s classmates at that filthy, corrupted school? What are you doing here?”
“Well,” Ryeowook gulped. “I originally came to find Donghae but-”
“What business do you have with Donghae?” Youngwoon asked sharply.
“But,” Ryeowook continued, getting impatient. “But I thought twice about it. Donghae might not even recognize me. I was leaving when I heard you guys were showing him around. I wanted to ask whether you are friends with Donghae but it seems like a pointless question right now.”
“Pointless?”
“From the protectiveness, I figured you guys are already friends with him,” Ryeowook answered. “I’m glad I tried now.”
“What do you mean by-”
“Donghae,” Ryeowook butted in. “-was expelled. All of you know that he was expelled from school, right?”
“Yes,” Heechul answered. “Jungsu hyung told us.”
“H-How did you find out?” Ryeowook asked timidly.
“I was told by the clerk. I’m the head of the welcoming committee,” Jungsu shrugged.
“O-Okay,” Ryeowook nodded.
“You still haven’t told us why you’re here,” Heechul said.
“I-I’ve come to ask for your help,” Ryeowook replied.
“Help?”
They stared in shock as Ryeowook suddenly found it hard to talk. The petite male’s eyes filled with tears as he gulped. “Donghae,” he said. “-was wronged.”
“He wasn’t supposed to be expelled,” Ryeowook explained. “It wasn’t his fault. I came because it couldn’t leave my mind on the unfairness of his expulsion.”
“We love Donghae,” Jungsu muttered. “But we heard that he had cracked the skull of a teacher. Even when a family member does wrong, we cannot overlook it. If he’s wrong, he’s wrong.”
“No,” Ryeowook exclaimed. “You don’t understand.”
“Did Donghae really crack someone’s skull?” Hangeng asked, face cringing at the violence.
Ryeowook nodded. “Then, he surely was in the wrong,” Jungsu said. “We-”
“Donghae’s not a bad person!” Ryeowook shouted desperately, shaking his head. “He’s just been broken so badly that he can’t tell what’s right and wrong anymore. He wasn’t guided through his youth and…and -”
Sungmin bit his lips. “Tell it to us slowly,” he said. “You don’t have to rush through it.”
Ryeowook nodded before standing up and after hesitating for a millisecond, he dropped down onto his knees in front of Jungsu. Seven pair of eyes widened as Ryeowook put his palms together in a begging manner and said desperately, “Please. You have to help him.”
“Ryeowook-ah,” Jungsu muttered, trying to pull the boy up but to no avail. “Why are you doing this? Get up.”
“Please,” Ryeowook begged. “He’s not a bad person. He’s heart is purer than anyone else I’ve ever seen. It’s just that he wasn’t taught how to show it.”
Jungsu gave a helpless glance at the other six but they could only return it with blank, equally helpless ones. After a minute of silence, Jungsu too lowered himself onto the ground, leveling himself with the petite male.
Ryeowook looked up as Jungsu’s hands took him by the shoulders. “Do you know why Donghae fought with his homeroom teacher in Shirokin?” Jungsu asked. “Do you know what happened?”
Ryeowook nodded his head weakly. “It’s because of me,” he said softly.
“You?” Jungsu said, puzzled. “I’m sure you didn’t do anything.”
Again, Ryeowook shook his head. “What happened back then,” he explained. “-was because of me. Donghae…he was protecting me.”
Jungsu blinked. “Protecting?” he said. “What do you mean by that?”
“That ass of a teacher was always picking on me,” Ryeowook admitted. “Because I was just a poor orphan who was adopted into a wealthy household, he found it fun to pick on me.”
“That-” Heechul voiced out. “-is disgusting.”
“He’s was accusing me of smoking for a month because he found a cigarette bud next to my desk,” Ryeowook said. “But it was on the day that I was absent from school. When I got back, he did everything to me; from slamming a book onto my head, punishing me, everything.”
“But one day,” Ryeowook continued in a low voice. He was facing down, as if ashamed of whatever has happened. “One day, the school disciplinary found the real culprit; it was the boy who was sitting next to me. He was the Left State Minister’s son so Mr Han -that’s his name- didn’t think it could be him.”
“He didn’t apologize,” Sungmin nodded his head, getting the gist of what had happened. “And Donghae got mad, didn’t he?”
“H-How-”
“How do I know?” Sungmin said. “I guessed.”
Ryeowook sighed. “Apologize to him,” Ryeowook said. “That was what Donghae said. Apologize to him now or you’ll die.”
“That ass merely scoffed at Donghae, staring at him with eyes that deserve to be jabbed,” Ryeowook muttered.
“When,” Ryeowook cried. “When Mr Han slapped him in the face, he didn’t even flinch. He didn’t even move an inch. However, when he started calling Donghae names; abandoned kid, idiot… the moment I remember Donghae’s face back then, I wished I could rewind back time and hug him; telling him that he was anything but. He was tearing, biting his teeth so hard that I thought it was going to tear. Despite all of that, he didn’t back down. Apologize to him, he kept repeating. I tried stopping him, I really did try but he couldn’t even hear me. I think a part of him was blocking everything out.”
“Blocking everything out?” Sungmin asked. “What do you mean by that?”
“Why,” Ryeowook said. “Why didn’t he react when he was physically abused? Why did he merely stand there, taking it all as if he was used to it? It was more painful than being called names but to him back then, I realized that he was different than us all.”
“He was used to it,” Ryeowook shook his head. “He was used to being handled roughly that he didn’t even feel a thing.”
“Donghae,” Jungsu breathed; eyes wide.
“So, please,” Ryeowook begged. “I’m begging you to save him. Whatever he’s facing with, I’m begging you to please help him. I am too weak to help someone as strong as Donghae. I don’t deserve to meet him after all of these.”
“Ryeowook, it wasn’t your fault,” Youngwoon said. “He knew what he was doing when he confronted that teacher of yours.”
“Donghae,” Ryeowook crocked. “-was always treated as an outcast in that school. Nobody paid him any attention and he was always ignored. To others who didn’t bother paying him even a second of their attention, it would seem like Donghae is merely a badly-bred teenager. But that isn’t it at all. Despite everything, Donghae paid attention to his surrounding. Despite everything, Donghae always cared for the people around him.”
“He was the only one that dared to stand up against that bully of a teacher we had,” Ryeowook trembled. “When I thought nobody cared about me, the boy who always looked as if he hated the world stood up, demanding the one who had wronged a helpless me to apologize. The boy who had always brushed past me as if I’m nothing was the one who stood up, screaming for my sake. That was the boy everybody avoided, I thought. That was the boy that once looked me in the eye as I called his name and merely looked away without so much as an acknowledgement. I couldn’t be more grateful. Donghae taught me things that couldn’t be found in textbooks; he taught me the meaning of true friendship without even realizing it.”
“W-Why,” Hyukjae tried saying, finding it hard to say it aloud.
“Why did you come here?” Sungmin helped. “Why did you bother coming here just to tell us?”
“I couldn’t live with it in my conscience,” Ryeowook confessed. “I just recently withdraw from Shirokin. My adoptive parents want me to study abroad after they found out about the incident.”
“What happened to Mr Han?” Heechul asked.
“Fired,” Ryeowook said. “After my parents stepped in, he was fired even though he was the only injured one. I heard that they wanted to bring back Donghae but someone from his side refused? I think it was his grandmother.”
“Donghae’s grandmother?” Youngwoon wondered. “We haven’t met her. And come to think of it…”
“What’s her name?” Jungsu interrupted. “Do you know her name?”
“If I’m not wrong, her name’s Yuki,” Ryeowook answered.
“Yuki?” Heechul said. “What’s her surname?”
“Kwon Yuki,” Ryeowook replied. “It was Kwon Yuki if I heard it right.”
Sungmin’s face paled. “What’s wrong, Min?” Kyuhyun voiced out immediately having known Sungmin well. “Someone you know?”
“Uhm,” Sungmin gulped, shaking his head. “Nothing. Nobody I know.”
Kyuhyun gave him a doubtful look but otherwise didn’t prod on more on the matter. You can lie to the world but you cannot lie to this me who has loved you for years.
“So, Donghae’s full name is Kwon Donghae?” Heechul muttered.
“His registration paper only wrote Donghae and nothing else,” Jungsu said. “I don’t think Donghae’s a Kwon.”
“Is that even important?” Ryeowook sighed. “We have t-”
“We’ll help him,” Sungmin butted in. “-but to do that, we need to know more about him. What happened to him? Who turned him that way? Where does he come from? Those kinds of questions need to be answered first before we can get through to him. Without fully understanding the situation Donghae is in, we; well, at least I do not dare to pretend that I know him.”
“Thank you,” Ryeowook said, sighing in relief. “I’m glad that he finally found people who care. With the seven of you here, I can leave in peace.”
“Study well,” Jungsu said. “Study well and when you come back, we promise to show you a better Donghae.”
Ryeowook smiled. “Donghae deserves it,” he whispered to himself. “He deserves the love he’s about to be shoved with.”
PART II