"then mingi screamed bloody murder and hit me back with the towel."

"sounds like an eventful practice."

jaemin nodded proudly, his backpack on and his hand carrying his dance bag, it thrown over his shoulder.

jamie was right next to him, her backpack on her back and both her hands holding a bag with her uniform in it, her theatre practice clothes on.

"give me my fucking money!"

jamie stopped which made jaemin stop.

"what was that?" jamie asked and jaemin shrugged.

"didn't it sound familiar?" jamie pressed and jaemin shrugged yet again.

"i don't give two flying fucks if you got laid off, i was kind enough to give you money when you needed it and i want it back."

jamie started to follow the voice, jaemin reluctantly behind her.

"maybe we shouldn't," jaemin mumbled, "we could get on trouble."

"pussy," jamie snickered, continuing to walk towards the screaming and the pleading.

a familiar redhead was standing above one of his juniors, a backpack spilled all over the ground and booms everywhere. donghyuck had a wallet in his hands and he was counting the money in it, the other kid crying and begging still.

jamie immediately took her backpack off and dropped her bag, going up and sending a punch to donghyuck's cheek.

jaemin was by her side in a minute, pulling her behind him as donghyuck stumbled and dropped the wallet in shock.

"you bastard, give that back to him," jamie growled, pushing jaemin to the side slightly, "give it back."

donghyuck scoffed, "why should i listen to you?"

jaemin couldn't stop jamie yet again as she kept forward, landing another punch under donghyuck's eye, right where the other was already forming a bruise on his cheekbone.

donghyuck grabbed her and pushed her to the ground.

"woah, stop it!" jaemin yelled as donghyuck punched jamie back.

jaemin landed a punch on donghyuck's same cheek and he stumbled and fell.

jaemin bent down and helped jamie up, his angry eyes leaving donghyuck stuck in his spot.

the student donghyuck was bullying was already gone, all his stuff with him, so it was just the three friends.

"what the fuck is wrong with you?" jaemin spat, making sure jamie was okay, "you don't hit girls."

jamie's eyes also blazed, the two who never seemed to be truly mad were.

donghyuck didn't answer as he put his hand on his bruised cheek, his lip bleeding from his tooth accidentally scratching it.

"i asked you a question," jaemin sneered, "bullying people? hitting jamie? who are you? where is donghyuck?"

jamie put her hand on jaemin's shoulder, them meeting eyes.

jaemin seemed to relax after when jamie had turned her eyes back to donghyuck.

she stepped closer to him, eyes burning, "i want to report you so much right now and i should, but i'm more confused than angry. what the fuck lee donghyuck? since when were you a bully? why?"

donghyuck refused to answer, sneering at her.

"does mina have something to do with it?" jamie asked, "i just want to know where donghyuck is, the cute donghyuck who likes to hold my hand and hug me? the donghyuck who likes making both mark and me jealous by acting cute with the other? the donghyuck who talks in little text with me and watches dramas with jaemin and me? the donghyuck who helps me prank the others and is my kpop buddy? where is my best friend? was he a lie? is this who you really are?"

donghyuck's eyes were slightly watery, "no."

"no what?" jamie pushed.

"no, this isn't who i really am," donghyuck was full on crying by now, covering his face with his hands, "i don't know why i do this."

jamie bent down and out her hand on his shoulder, "it's okay, we can fix this, just tell me what caused this? when did it start?"

"when i first got accepted into the popular group," donghyuck mumbled, jaemin motioning to jamie that he was going to wait away from them and give them space.

"okay, what happened?" jamie's soft voice asked.

"mina had started to ignore me and was accepted into a new group of friends," donghyuck explained, sobs leaving his lips, "i had lost a lot of weight and people started to notice me instead of bullying me and calling me a ugly pig with my voice being my only redeeming quality. i ended up joining the people who bullied me. i did so many stupid things... one of them was for initiation."

jamie sat down, and put her arm fully around his shoulders this time, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"they told me i would only be accepted if i... if i slept with mina," donghyuck took a shaky breath, "i was desperate, i wanted to be liked so bad, so even though i knew she liked mark, i invited her over and we both got drunk and i did it... i don't know why she ever accepted to do that with me, but she did. i guess around this time she was trying to get mark's attention by jumping from guy to guy...

"she told me she was pregnant, i don't know if she really was, but she said it was mine. i panicked and told her to get rid of it, but she wouldn't give up on us raising it together and being a perfect family," donghyuck let out a sob, "i broke, i said a bunch of mean things i didn't mean and told her if she didn't get rid of it, i would. she thought i was serious... she threatened me that if i got any closer to her, she would take the pills she had stolen from my drawer when i wasn't looking... i went to go take them from her, but it was too late, she had poured them down her throat and swallowed them dry."

"it was disgusting," he sobbed, "it haunts me every night. i screamed and my parents came running and we got her to the hospital, but it wasn't quick enough to save her, she had od-ed and it was all my fault... i guess i started bullying to get rid of that feeling... i feel numb when i am mean to others."

jamie patted his head, "it's okay donghyuck, it's not your fault."

"but it is!" he cried, "i killed her! her death is all my fault!"

"no you did not," jamie sternly said, "look at me."

she forced his head up and met his eyes, "lee donghyuck, she killed herself of her own accord, you did not kill her, don't ever say that. it's going to be okay, i'll help you. you can grow from this."

donghyuck hugged her, "thank you jamie, i'm a monster, i don't deserve this."

"you are not," jamie mumbled, rubbing his back, "you are human, you made a mistake. you are not a monster. if i hear you talk bad about yourself one more time i'm going to slap you."

donghyuck laughed half-heartedly.

"you will get through this," jamie mumbled, "it'll all be okay, i promise."

"i love you," donghyuck murmured.

jamie smiled softly, "i love you too. now, just calm down. jaemin and i are going to get dinner, do you want to come with?"

donghyuck nodded.

"okay, let's go then, when you're ready. i can hear jaemin's stomach growling from here."

donghyuck finally calmed down and the two got up and found jaemin, listening to music behind the building, playing on his phone.

he jumped up when jamie kicked him, taking out his airpods and teasingly hitting her back.

"let's go," donghyuck mumbled, rubbing his eye, "all that crying made me hungry."

jamie and jaemin laughed, "i bet."

the three walked to the restaurant, all smiling and laughing, teasing and joking.

no matter what bad donghyuck did, he was still their brother, and family sticks together, no matter what.