First's patience finally shattered like a shard of glass. In a split second while everyone else at the table sat frozen, First jumped forward, holding Sun up from his chair by the collar.
"What documents, what messages?!" First roared. His voice echoed through the entire canteen. Everyone was filming them with shocked faces.
"What messages are you talking about? It's impossible for Moon to have that kind of bond with that scumbag, do you hear me?"
Despite having his collar gripped, Sun didn't lose his cold composure, though a bit of surprise flashed in his eyes. First shook him harder, leaning him over the table.
"Answer me! What did that guy show you that gave you the nerve to humiliate my brother in front of everyone here?"
Sun gripped First's wrists firmly.
"What I saw was enough, First. Screenshots from the year they have met, voice recordings... dozens of messages where Moon begged him.
He even recorded part of the conversation from last night. I heard with my own ears how hysterically Moon tried to cling to him inside."
At those words, I felt as if a load of shit had been dumped on me. Voice recordings? Had Earth recorded my voice while I was helplessly crying behind that locked door?
I just hope… it is only a voice recording and not video.
"You are truly an idiot, Sun!" Ten shouted, stepping in.
"What do you think his studies are linked with? Earth is a computer engineering student! Editing audio, creating fake message interfaces… it's child's play for him.
Haven't you heard of Deepfakes? That guy is a psychopath who warps reality with technology!"
Bee stood her ground right in front of Sun, backing Ten up.
"Ten is right. That guy can create any illusion he wants in the digital world. Framing Moon's desperate screams to sound like he's begging is just a few minutes of work for him. How can you blindly trust 'digital evidence' provided by a computer engineer student?"
Wee and Bank tried to pull First away, but First wouldn't let go. "Listen to me, Sun," First said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone.
"If I prove those documents are fake, I'll destroy not just that guy, but you too for believing him and putting Moon through this!"
Sun shoved First's hand away, freeing his collar.
"If Earth is truly performing an engineering miracle and fooling me, I'll see it with my own eyes during that trip. But until then, the evidence I saw stands. Earth is coming."
As Sun and his group walked away, I shrank smaller in my seat. I never thought my own voice, my own helplessness, would be turned into a weapon against me by the hands of an engineer.
And still, everyone around us was still staring at us with confused faces. I never got embarrassed infront of anyone like this.
~~~
-Author's POV-
First watched Sun and his group head toward the canteen exit with rage. Just as he made a move to follow, Moon grabbed his arm with a trembling hand.
"P'First, please don't go! I don't want any more trouble, let's just leave." Moon pleaded.
First pulled his arm away sharply. "Not this time, Moon! Stay out of it!" he snapped.
"I won't let them get away with this. Now go with Ten and Bee."
Leaving Moon behind, First pursued the group. Sun, Wee, and Mint had already walked out, but Bank was trailing behind.
First approached Bank from behind, gripped his arm, quickly ran away before anyone saw them and shoved him hard against the wall in the blind spot of the stairwell.
"You're going to be honest with me right now, Bank," First said, his voice low.
"Are you really going to sacrifice everything that had happened between us to Sun's blind stubbornness?"
Bank caught his breath at the phrase "everything between us." He blinked in surprise.
"What is even between us, First? What are you talking about?"
First gave a slight, mocking smirk.
"Really, Bank? That night when you were drunk and I took you home... do you not remember the situation you dragged us into?"
Flashback: The Night of First and Bank
The door to Bank's condo opened with a heavy thud. Bank was struggling to stand due to the alcohol, and First was holding him up.
First was about to drop him on the bed when Bank suddenly broke free and stumbled toward the balcony door, the dangerous balcony that was fully open.
"Pervert! Why are you even in my condo?!"
Bank shouted, and in a drunken blur, he leaned forward as if he were going to jump and escape from First.
First's heart skipped a beat. "Bank, no!" he roared, running forward and grabbing Bank by the waist, pulling him back with all his power.
The way he grabbed him like that was so harsh that they both crashed to the floor.
First hit the ground on his back, and Bank fell right on top of him.
Time seemed to stop. Bank's warm breath hit First's chest. Bank, in shock, rested his head on First's chest, breathing heavily because of the sudden adrenaline and drunk feeling.
First still had his hands on Bank's waist, not realizing it. When Bank slowly lifted his head and met First's eyes, the energy was thick enough to dry the air in the room.
Bank's fingers were tangled so tightly in First's collar that the fabric pressed against his throat. They were so close First could count the every single lash in Bank's eyelashes.
Bank whispered,
"Why are you here? You don't even know me that well to help me like this... Why don't you just walk out that door, First?"
He then stared deeply into First and added.
"Why do you always lock eyes with me whenever we see each other at the halls? Why do I always feel your eyes on me?"
"No bad intention." First said, trying to stand up while pushing Bank away.
Then Bank hardly pushed him into the floor again, causing them to stand face to face closer than ever.
"Maybe… I am the one with the bad intentions now then." He said, whispering to First's ear intensely. He then gave a slow but effective peck to First's cheek.
The contact was no longer an accident, it was a confession of the unexplained attraction they had both tried to hide every time they saw each other in the faculty halls.
First pulled him closer; both knew that after whatever happens at that room, nothing would be the same ever again.
End of Flashback.
Bank shuddered at the memory. His eyes flickered between First's lips and eyes. He just remembered everything when he got closer to him like that again.
"I personally don't believe him because I don't even know him."
Bank whispered finally.
"I know that the documents could be fake, but I couldn't stop Sun from believing it."
First softened the grip on Bank's chin but didn't move away. He lightly brushed his thumb against Bank's lower lip.
"Good. Then you're going to find what they talked about for me. Or next time, I'll do more than just pin you against this wall, understand?"
Bank closed his eyes in response to First's inviting sentences. The electricity between them had already taken over the corridor. He gulped and just nodded, this time he couldn't fight back after he remembered everything.
~~~
A little time had passed. Bank returned to his group, quickly straightening his clothes and trying to wipe the mixed expression from his face.
His heart was still racing from that breathtaking intimacy with First in the stairwell, but he approached the table where Sun and the others were sitting as if nothing had happened, focusing intently on his tablet.
The atmosphere at the table was even worse than it had been in the canteen. Sun sat with his arms crossed, staring off into the distance. Wee was buried in his phone as usual, but Mint's angry breathing kept breaking the silence.
Finally, unable to take it anymore, Mint slammed her glass onto the table.
"Sun, I really don't understand what you try to do sometimes. What was that whole explosion? How could you accuse Moon like that in front of everyone based on that guy Earth's word?"
Sun slowly turned his gaze to Mint, his voice still carrying that unshakable stubbornness.
"I have known Earth for a long time, Mint. Plus, the voice recordings, the messages... none of them looked fake.You're just acting based on your emotions."
"I'm acting based on my observations, not my emotions!" Mint snapped, her voice louder this time.
"We've seen Moon in the same faculty for months becasue of First. That kid isn't the type to lie, be obsessed, or slander someone. Didn't you see the fear in his eyes? If a person can act that well, they should be winning an Oscar at this rate."
Sun gave a light laugh, but it was more of an irritating one.
"Maybe he really is a great actor, Mint. Playing the victim to manipulate people is the oldest trick in the book."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Mint said, getting truly angry.
"Just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm going to agree on everything you do, Sun. We all know Moon is a good person, you know too.
You just relied on those documents too much. What if you're wrong? What if that kid is really in a living hell and you're the one pushing him right back into it?"
Sun didn't answer; his jaw just tightened. But Mint wasn't finished.
"This holiday is going to be a disaster, you know that, right? If anything happens to Moon, the responsibility won't just be on that guy- it'll also be on you, Sun."
Bank wanted to intervene at that moment; he cleared his throat, but while he could still feel the warmth and threat of First's thumb on his skin, he couldn't say a single word.
He just lowered his head, pretending to be busy with his tablet.
Sun simply rolled his eyes at Mint's harsh outburst. Even though he tried to remain calm, the sarcastic tone in his voice betrayed that he was on the defensive.
"You're truly impressive, Mint," Sun said, leaning back.
"Whenever that kid comes near us, you let Bee control your thoughts. Bee has clearly filled your head, it's obvious she's already fallen for Moon's innocent-boy scenario too."
Mint straightened in her seat, her eyes flashing with rage.
"Bee confused me? You're talking absolute nonsense, Sun! This has nothing to do with Bee. Do I not have my own opinions, my own observations? Does a woman necessarily need to be 'filled up' by someone else to defend someone in need?"
Sun shrugged.
"I'm saying you're approaching this emotionally. Whenever Bee talks about Moon, you follow right along. That kid gives everyone that same 'pathetic' look, and you guys instantly go into protective mode. That guy might be a computer engineer, but that voice in those recordings was Moon's voice, Mint. You can't deny that."
Mint shouted, not hesitating to raise her voice.
"You're blinded by your own stubbornness. Don't try to clear your name by using Bee or my emotions as an excuse. Even the possibility that those documents are fake isn't enough to shake your dumb ass logic because you're terrified of being wrong.
But know this; Bee isn't confused, she just has enough empathy to see the darkness in Moon's eyes that you refuse to see.
I'm not close with that boy but even I can see he is damaged from the past."
As Sun tried to say something, Mint raised her hand to silence him.
"Don't say another word and make it worse. I hope you still have some dignity left to apologize when the truth comes out during that trip."
After this chaotic and heated argument, everyone got silent. Mint took her purse and then left, leaving them behind.
~~~
-First's POV-
After that electrically charged moment in the stairwell with Bank, I could feel the blood still boiling in my veins.
Bank's desperate look and the jarring attraction between us had further fueled my protective instinct.
I couldn't stop until I destroyed this insidious game played by that scumbag Earth and ended Moon's helplessness behind that door.
I knew Moon's story was not like that, but I didn't think that prick went that far.
I moved through the faculty corridors like flash. My steps were firm, my gaze sharp.
Finally, I saw him standing by that large window at the canteen exit, acting as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just darkened someone's life.
He was joking with those around him while taking a sip of his coffee. A computer engineer... The moment I saw that arrogant smile, thinking he could manipulate everything, I clenched my fists.
He noticed me as I approached. His smile widened, and he was about to open his mouth with that fake, disgusting politeness, but I gripped his arm like an iron claw.
"You're coming with me. Now." I said. The coldness in my voice cut through the surrounding noise instantly.
Without giving him a chance to snap back at me or play a role, I dragged him toward the deserted corridor of the fire escape.
I stood right in front of him, leaving only a few centimeters between us so he could see the pure hatred in my eyes up close.
"Look at me, Earth." I said, keeping my voice at a tone where every word scratched his skin like the edge of a blade.
"You might have fooled Sun with those fake documents, those 'engineering perfected' lies. But I'm not Sun. I will make you pay the price for even a single tear in Moon's eyes."
Earth tried to smirk slightly, wanting to maintain his calmness.
"First, calm down... your friend just can't face the truth, I only showed what happened."
Before he could finish, I grabbed his collar and shook him slightly, leaning into his face.
"You didn't show what happened, you engineered what you wanted to happen.
You might have used your engineering skills to manipulate Moon's fear, but outside these campus walls, your technology won't be enough to protect you from me. It's not hard to guess how you twisted Moon's screams or how you prepared those messages."
I saw the fake confidence in his eyes flicker for a second. That was the moment I struck:
"You are not coming on that trip. Make an excuse, get your name removed from the system, or die; I don't care.
But if I see you getting on that bus, the holiday won't be a trip for you; it'll be hell.
Stop lingering around Moon, and if you ever say his name again, I'll make sure those 'engineer' hands of yours can never use a keyboard again. Do you understand me?"
I loosened my hand away from his collar. As he straightened his clothes, he still tried to plaster that twisted smile back on his face.
"I'm leaving," I said, walking away without looking back.
"And don't you dare test me. You haven't seen what I'm willing to do for my brother yet."
~~~
-Author's POV-
First quickly passed through the cold faculty corridors and returned to his friends waiting in a calm corner of the canteen.
The rage on his face had been replaced by a more controlled and dark vibe. As he approached the table, his mind was still occupied with those uncanny moments in the stairwell.
He pushed the memory of Bank's shocked state pinned against the wall, the jarring attraction between them, and the warmth of his fingers on Bank's skin into the deepest corner of his mind.
No one should know how that "interrogation" truly went.
"First! Where did you disappear to?" Bee called out, anxiously making room for him. Everyone at the table had their eyes on him.
He could see Sun and his group still arguing among themselves at a distant table, but he didn't care about them anymore.
First took a deep breath and scanned his friends and Moon. "I talked to Earth," he said in a flat voice.
"I warned him clearly. I told him he shouldn't come on that trip, and if he does, he'll have to face the consequences."
Moon had been silently watching the food in front of him until then, but the moment he heard First's words, he flinched as if an high voltage electric had passed through his body.
He quickly turned his gaze to First, the fear in his eyes was deeper than ever before.
"You... you talked to him? You threatened him, P'First?" Moon whispered. His voice was trembling.
"I just used the language he deserves, Moon, there's no need to be afraid." First said, trying to calm his brother.
But instead of calming down, Moon suddenly began to sob uncontrollably.
As tears streamed down his cheeks, he grabbed First's arms. "No, no! What have you done? You shouldn't have gone there!"
"Moon, what's going on? He just warned him." Ten intervened..
"You don't understand!" Moon cried out, struggling to breathe through his sobs.
"He... he doesn't just mess with computers. He's very dangerous! He has a side no one knows. P'First, he's going to hurt you. I'm sure of it. I can't bear the thought of him doing something to you because of me!"
Moon's panic froze everyone at the table. Moon was clinging to First's hands, shaking as if he wanted to protect him right then and there.
"If he comes to that trip... or if he doesn't... it doesn't matter. He will target you. He hates being littled. Please, please stay away from him!"
First pulled Moon into his arms and held him close, but seeing his brother this terrified, triggered the unease within him.
Moon wasn't just afraid of a past obsession, he was afraid of concrete, dark violence.
~~~
-Sun's POV-
After a heated argument between us, Mint came back and sat with us again when she got calm. But she started murmuring again.
I had my arms crossed, pretending to listen to Mint's endless accusations, but my mind was somewhere else entirely.
As Mint's voice faded into a hum in the background, my eyes instinctively drifted to that table on the other side of the canteen.
Moon was there.
The moment I saw him, a weight settled in the middle of my chest. He was in First's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, his whole body shaking with each breath.
Even from a distance, I could see how his shoulders trembled and how his face contorted in pain.
He wasn't just crying, he looked absolutely devastated. He was clinging to First's shirt as if it were his only sanctuary…
I felt an ache in my heart. I had tried to prove to myself over and over that there was a game behind those "pathetic" looks, but the scene I was witnessing now was too real, too vulnerable for a staged scenario.
"What if I'm wrong?" that annoying voice inside me whispered. What if those perfect documents Earth showed aren't as real as this kid's tears?
My head was more confused than ever. While my logic whispered to me about evidence, voice recordings, and Earth's victimhood, my eyes showed me a boy who was broken into pieces. This dilemma made me feel like I was trapped in a cage.
Then, suddenly, I began to feel angry at myself for these feelings. I clenched my teeth and forced my gaze away from that table.
"Why are you still looking at him, Sun?" I scolded myself. Why are you still letting this manipulation affect you?
Seeing him in such pain shouldn't soften me, on a different matter, it should make me more alert. But no matter how hard I tried, the image of Moon's sobs was seared into my mind like a brand.
Driven by anger at my own weakness and my inability to escape this mess, I shoved the glass in front of me harshly across the table.
"Enough already!" I muttered, turning to Mint. My voice wasn't really directed at her, but at the skeptical side within myself.
~~~
-Author's POV-
The uncontrolled anger in Sun's voice and the way he harshly shoved the glass created an instant silence at the table.
Mint immediately realized that Sun's reaction wasn't just about what she had said, his gaze had been locked onto a very distant, very deep point moments ago.
Mint frowned and turned in the direction Sun had been looking, toward the far end of the canteen.
There, she saw Moon, hidden against First's chest, sobbing as his shoulders shook.
Even if Moon's sobs couldn't be heard from the table, the devastation they caused seemed to radiate through the entire canteen.
Mint slowly turned her gaze back to Sun. She saw how his jawline was tensed, the chaos in his eyes, and how he was struggling with his own internal war.
That fleeting moment of weakness Sun felt while looking at Moon did not escape Mint's notice.
"You..." Mint whispered, her voice filled with wonder this time. "You were looking at him."
Mint couldn't help but find this strange. Since childhood, Sun had been someone who placed the voice of logic above all else and viewed emotionality as a weakness.
He didn't easily feel pity for anyone, even those closest to him. The idea of "Perfect Sun" being shaken by someone like Moon's tears was an almost impossible sight for Mint.
"You really feel bad, don't you?" Mint said, lowering her voice a bit. She wasn't arguing anymore, she was just trying to get used to this new Sun with understanding.
"Your conscience stung when you saw him like that. Because you know those tears aren't fake either, Sun. No matter how much you deny it, even that stone hearted man inside you is screaming right now that you're wrong."
Sun clenched his teeth and looked away, as if trying to ignore Mint's observation.
However, he could feel himself being crushed under Mint's questioning gaze. The fact that Sun gave such a "human" reaction was Mint's biggest surprise of the day.
~~~
Time has passed, it was the day trip was about to begin.
The campus parking lot was covered in cold fog and an excited hum. This week-long trip was an escape for some and a confrontation for others.
Both groups were on to the same bus, which meant the tension in the bus aisle reached its peak before the engine even started.
Sun and his friends had settled in the back of the bus, engaged in a distant conversation among themselves.
First sat in the very front seat, beside Moon, like a shield. Moon had his hood pulled over his head, watching the outside through the window, still uneasy, but P'First's presence beside him gave him some measure of safety.
The bus engine started. Just as the driver was about to close the door, news came that one of the other buses had already departed, leaving behind a student who was late.
While everyone thought they were at full capacity, the driver looked out the open door and held up his hand, waiting.
"There's one more!" the driver said.
Under the curious gazes of everyone on the bus, someone climbed the steps with heavy, confident strides. With each step, the air inside became heavier, and the silence turned solid.
The person who stood at the head of the aisle and scanned the interior was none other than Earth, carrying a black backpack.
"Hi guys, sadly I miss my bus. I will company you until we reach the resort. Hope we get along well!"
End of Chapter 8.
~~~
Are you guys excited about how this trip will end? We will see…
Sincerely, teddytimid.