Beomgyu was a prodigy.

Beomgyu, when he worked, he worked diligently. At least, that was what Taehyun catches in the halls back when he was an art student. Back when he wasn't a victim of his. Back when, well, back when he didn't even know of a Beomgyu at all.

The older male was a prodigy in the art department. He was loved by all the teachers there, his art was admired and even hung on display at times. 

Him changing his subject to music so suddenly out of the blue was a mystery to everyone, honestly. Even the teachers.

When Taehyun came to school the next day, his bag slung lazily around his shoulder as he had missed the bus and had to run to the school himself due to his dad had already gone back to his apartment near his workspace, Taehyun caught murmurs in the hallways.

He honestly expected it. The video of the fight, if he could even call it that, went viral. Not only in school, but also outside. Students stared at him when he walked briskly to his class that was on the other side of the building. He was easily brushing off everyone who tried to talk to him, ask him questions, but then just before he could reach the door to his class, someone stops him.

"Dude, are you insane?" A short, blonde male that Taehyun doesn't recognize grabbed his shoulder, "You're Kang Taehyun, right? The one in-"

"Han's video? Music class? yes, that's me," Taehyun said quickly, "Listen, if you want me to show you my bruises or ask me why I didn't fight back, then don't bother,"

"But come on, can't I just take a picture with you? my friends would go insane if they see me take a picture with the Taehyun sunbae!"

When Taehyun hears sunbae, he squints his eyes at the kid, studying him carefully. And that's when he recognizes that his uniform was from the elementary school right behind them. This random kid had grabbed Taehyun in the hallways just to take a picture with him?

It was beyond messed up. So Taehyun shrugs him off.

"Kid, listen, I don't have time," Taehyun says. And that was probably the first time Taehyun had used 'kid' on another person besides Huening Kai way back before they met. 

"But you took a beating from the Choi Beomgyu! You're like- a legend!"

Taehyun frantically looks around. Why was this kid spewing his name so loudly and freely like this out in the open? where he could see and catch him?

the kid seemed to pick up what Taehyun was worried about, and he laughs.

"Choi Beomgyu is absent today, Sunbae,"

Taehyun stops and looks at him, he tilted his head. Absent?

Beomgyu was a prodigy. He was a diligent boy. his name wasn't spoken mixed with nice words much, but Beomgyu was always an example from a teacher on good attendance. Beomgyu was never absent.

Beomgyu was never absent, until now.

Weird

"Sunbae? Can I take that picture now?" The young boy asked with irritation, and Taehyun was too deep in thought to even hear him. He walks past the boy and ignores the whining coming from him. Taehyun thought that he'd keep following him, but he was proven wrong when the door he was about to enter swung open quickly, and slams into the kid's face almost comically. And he falls down with a nosebleed.

Taehyun tried his best not to laugh.

"Oh, what is this young gentleman doing here?" Taehyun's music teacher, Yoongi, asked. His voice sounded an octave higher, though. As if he did it on purpose, and was making fun of the child. 

he makes a sound of disapproval when he turned and saw the boy lying there, twitching, it seemed, "Hm, this isn't good. Well, why don't you get into class first, Kang Taehyun?"

Taehyun nods to his music teacher, walking inside. When he sits down, he sees Mr. Min looking at the poor boy and he only assumes he was giving him a lecture.

For the rest of the lesson, though. The seat next to him remained empty and cold.