✽

taehyung was starting to save up any money he earned from chores, or his parents. he kept it in a jar in his room. the jar was tucked away under his bed, where he hoped his parents would not find it. taehyung had also started to pay attention at school, although he knew everything there like the back of his hand. he knew every lesson and every word.

he constructed a new wolf mask as well. he made it from old leather he found in the garage, since blending in was crucial. he'd finish sewing the leather together as his mother cleaned the house. his father was on the couch watching television. every so often static would interrupt his programs, and make him yell in anger. so, his father switched the channel to the news.

taehyung watched in pity as his mother shivered. she could not even hold the broom steady.

he knew why she was like this.

the television displayed a little boy who was killed. he had been born with a disability, and the doctor had injected poison into his blood as soon as he was born. the birth mother plead the doctor to spare his innocent life, yet she was ignored, and the procedure was done.

maybe his mother feared the same would happen to him.

✽

taehyung had told jeongguk to meet him in the school's bathroom for a surprise, but it was during class and jeongguk never skipped class. he told taehyung that he would try and leave class early, standing aside in the hallway while everyone headed to class. jeongguk tried his best to blend in with the others as he made his way down the hall and to the bathroom.

an abrupt hand rested on his back, and he almost flinched.

taehyung was just guiding him to the male's bathroom. they went down the rows of stalls, all the way down to the special one, the one for the snowflakes. it had bigger room for the weights and shackles, it had creakier doors, loose bolts and usually was never stocked with toilet paper.

taehyung threw his bag into the stall, along with jeongguk's. they were almost in the clear, but taehyung's loud chains must have alerted a janitor. so, when a mean-looking man walked in the bathroom briskly, taehyung pushed jeongguk into the stall. jeongguk stumbled on his feet, and his face almost came in contact with the wall, yet he caught himself sooner than that. he quickly climbed upon the seat and lifted his feet so that when taehyung closed the stall door; all was hidden.

the janitor walked up to taehyung, getting all close-like. breathing in the boy's face.

"what're you doing here?" the janitor inquired. and taehyung bit his cheek in nervousness, more for the boy hiding in the stall than himself. he braced himself, stepping back from the janitor. just so his ragged breath would not heat taehyung's face anymore.

"i was just using the bathroom." taehyung lies, and the janitor blinks. even though no emotion showed on his hidden face, through his gray eyes; taehyung knew, knew that he was unsure of the boy's lie. taehyung would be unsure if he heard a lie, the one he himself portrayed as the truth. it clearly was not.

"during your classes?" the janitor asks again, almost like he was shaming the kid . "you know, snowflakes don't just get to do whatever they want because they're different." his breath was overwhelming taehyung, and as time passed, taehyung grew even more so apprehensive.

"yes, during my classes." taehyung retorted, not willing to let this janitor get to him.

"you know, i've never liked your kind." the janitor spat at taehyung. taehyung gagged, pulling the mask away from his face for a brief moment to collect himself. though he very much so wanted to retaliate.

that stung. his kind? was he some sort of wild animal? he did not think he was. taehyung knew he was the normal one, he and jeongguk were normal, and everyone else were just insane, freaks with no idea what is going on inside their own minds, their own minds.

and with that, the janitor left, most likely going to report the boy. but taehyung did not fret about it, he quickly turned around and opened the stall door.

✽