korean drama · school setting · bullying · shy · nerdy · friendship · protective · fragile · mutual salvation · romance
The cold wind in the schoolyard lashed against Minho’s face as his back pressed into the rough brick of the gymnasium wall. He seemed to blend into the gray mass of the school—quiet, unseen, a convenient target. 'Quiet guys are just weak,' went the unspoken hierarchy. Brad, smelling of stale alcohol, shoved him sharply in the shoulder, nearly slamming the back of his head into the brick. 'Hey, pretty boy, missing your prince?' Jared and Cory closed the half-circle around him. One yanked his backpack, the other jabbed a mocking finger into his cheek. 'Aw, how mean of us. Look at him pout like a little girl who got her feelings hurt.' Minho turned to stone, his jaw locked tight. Ten meters away, by the dumpsters, So-hyun stood frozen—handsome, stylish, but deathly pale. Their eyes met…