Red was walking through the thrumming heart of the school hallway, a goofy grin was plastered on his face as he remembered the night before. His thoughts of Green made him smile; how Green had shared so much of himself, lightening Red's heart as he reveled in his friend's resilience and joy.

Opening his locker, Red pulled out his medication, sliding it into his pocket with care to take it back home, since he was feeling a lot more better. The familiar creak barely registering, his mind replayed Green's infectious optimism, a stark contrast to the burdens he carried. Suddenly, a voice pierced the noise, reverberating through the hallway,

"Red! Hey Red, over here!". Red whirled around, his grin forming in anticipation, half hoping it was Green. But it wasn't Green; it was Second. Before Red could even process his surprise, strong arms encircled him in a hug, lifting his feet briefly off the ground and squeezed the air from his lungs.

"Whoa!". He laughed, momentarily breathless as a surprised squeak escaped him.

He was completely blindsided, hadn't given Second a thought since yesterday's cafeteria incident. He assumed that Second wouldn't want anything to do with him, which honestly made Red feel bad. He awkwardly patted Second's back, finally remembering to breathe. Behind them, he could see Victim standing with arms crossed, a thunderous expression on his face. Red met his gaze with a defiant roll of his own, ignoring the heat of Victim's glare.

"What are you doing here, Second? I usually see you in class already". Second released him, a blush creeping up his neck as his usual cheer dimmed.

"Yeah, I know. B-But I, uh... I was looking for you". He mumbled, avoiding Red's puzzled gaze. Red, for some reason, felt his cheeks flush.

"For... me? What for?". Second mumbled something unintelligible. He looked down, his bright expression now replaced with something akin to guilt and remorse. Taking a deep breath, and begin,

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday, at the cafeteria. It was... a mess. I didn't mean to cause trouble... Your friends were... actually really cool. Welcoming, you know?". Second muttered, his face reddening. He paused, glancing nervously at Red's expression before continuing,

"I get why they were mad, and... and maybe you were mad too... I thought about apologizing to them in person, but...I-I guess I chickened out?". Red's heart softened. Seeing Second so genuinely remorseful for something that wasn't even his fault, yet here he was, agonizing over it. It tugged at Red! And without a word, his hand gently held Second's, his eyes filled with a comforting affection.

"Hey, none of what happened was your fault, really. We aren't even mad! Plus... they actually think you're pretty nice. They'd love to hang out sometime, get to know you better".

"R-Really? They... they don't hate me?". Second's eyes lit up, hope flickering within them.

"Hate you? How could anyone hate you? You're...You're great, Second". He paused, a warmth blooming in his chest. Second's face flushed, a blinding grin spreading across his features. He suddenly pulled Red into another crashing hug, this one tighter and more enthusiastic. Red let out a surprised yelp as he was swept off his feet, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Whoa, easy there! You're taller than you look!!". Red laughed, clinging to Second's neck as he was spun through the air.

"Sorry, sorry! I just... thank you, Red. Really. I thought they all hated me, that you were still mad...". Second chuckled, finally setting Red back down. He beamed at him, his eyes sparkling, he was practically vibrating with joy.

"Never... I could never be mad at someone as kind as you". Red assured him, his smile genuine. A faint blush crept up Second's neck, thankfully unnoticed by both Red and a fuming Victim, who had clearly reached his limit.Victim chose that moment to speak, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Get a grip, you two! Class starts in five minutes!". He snapped, his voice laced with venom.

Red glared at him, biting back a sharp retort. He knew Victim was solely responsible for yesterday's drama, and it was rich of him to be sarcastic now. Part of him wanted to call him out, to defend Second's good intentions. But one look at Second's pure joy, the way his eyes shined with genuine happiness, made him swallow his anger. He wouldn't ruin this moment. Not for anything.

"He's right, Second. We should probably head to class".

"Right. Class!". He mumbled. Second, still beaming, his fingers brushing against Red's as they started down the hallway. Red's heart skipped a beat at the contact.

"C'mon, slowpoke!". Second called over his shoulder, his laughter echoing behind them. Red giggled, shaking his head as a laugh bubbled out of him. Second looked so carefree and happy, it was infectious.

He couldn't help but smile back at him, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. He was starting to think this might be a pretty good day after all. Though, he didn't see the look of pure rage that twisted Victim's features as they walked away, hand in hand. He didn't see the way Victim's fist clenched, knuckles white, as he slammed it against a locker in frustration. All Victim saw was Red.

Red, who dared to interfere with his plans. Red, who dared to make Second smile like that. He wouldn't let this stand. He had worked too hard, gotten too close. Red had to go!

Classes whipped by, Red wore a smile throughout the day, basking in the joy of camaraderie with friends around. In the back of his mind, there was relief that Second no longer seemed to be harboring any ill feeling toward him, but instead was directing his frustration at someone else, Victim.

"Alright, class dismissed". The teacher announced, their voice barely registering in Red's blissful daze. He practically bounced out of his seat, eager to finally join Green and the others and his smile plastered on his face only grew wider as he watched Second from the corner of his eye.

Second's soft frown, though, tugged at Red's heartstrings. He knew Second wanted him to stay, and the thought of leaving him behind filled him with a bittersweet longing. But then, a plan blossomed in his mind, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He made his way towards Second, excitement bubbling within him.

"Hey, Second!". Red called out. Second looked up, startled, a hint of sadness lingering in his eyes.

"Red? What're you doing here? I thought you were going to hang out with Green and the others...".

"I was thinking maybe...maybe I could stay with you this time? If that's alright with you". He offered, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper while sliding into the seat in front of Second, and facing him.

"Really? You actually want to spend time with me?". He breathed, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Of course! Well, unless you have some other plans, then-".

"No, no! I... I mean, I'd love to hang out! I just... I didn't think you'd actually want to".

"Well, silly, why not? We have a lot to catch up on! But I should probably go tell Green first". Second nodded eagerly, his brow furrowed in delighted anticipation.

"That would be...that would be amazing, Red! Hurry up and find Green then!". Red chuckled at how easily Second was falling for his little charade. He gave a final wave then dashed out the door, a wave of warmth spreading through his chest. He didn't even notice Victim's dark glare as he disappeared into the bustling hallway.

"He's going to spend time with us! Can you believe it? This's gonna be so much fun!". Second practically beamed, turning to Victim, eyes brimming with excitement. Victim, however, was lost in his own thoughts. Second's words seemed to pass through him like water through a sieve.

"I'm going to the bathroom". He said, his voice flat. Before Second could even respond, Victim was out the door. Second watched him go, confusion swirling in his eyes. He didn't understand what was wrong with Victim. Red was their friend now, and he was so happy about the prospect of spending time with him. Why was Victim so distant?

Meanwhile, as Red briskly navigated the noisy hallway of the school, his eyes darting back and forth in search of Green, who was nowhere to be found. Instead, he spotted another friend, Yellow, ahead of him, immersed in his phone. Seeing an opportunity, Red hastened his pace, calling out to Yellow, who was startled by the sound of his friend's voice, so peppy and energized. He stood beaming in front of Yellow, telling him that he'd be hanging out with another friend today and wouldn't be joining them at their usual table. Yellow nodded in understanding, loving how enthusiastic Red was about spending time with Second, but the thought of Red around Victim made Yellow's smile wane a bit. But not a word did Yellow speak.

After a brief exchange, Red waved goodbye as the latter headed to the cafeteria. Red went back to his class, heading to meet up with Second with a grin. However, as he passed the bathroom, a sudden strong grip around his hand stopped him in his tracks. Letting out a yelp of surprise, he was dragged into the bathroom and the door was shut with a bang. Red, picking himself up from the cold floor, looked up and was met with none other than Victim.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, Red, but it's not going to work". Victim began, his cold voice and sudden approach making Red even more puzzled.

"W-What are you talking about, Victim? Why did you drag me in here?". Red managed to stammer out, looking for the reason in Victim's eyes. The mask fell off Victim's face and a snarl of enmity swept over his features and he walked up to Red.

"Oh, don't act innocent. You're like all those fake kids who try to use Second for popularity. You want to be seen with him, don't you? Well, stay away from him, from both of us, or you'll regret it".

Victim said, his hold on Red's hand tightening. Red tried to wrench his hand away and looked at Victim in anger. Red, who had only ever been kind and considerate toward Victim, couldn't believe what he was hearing. After being so patient with him, after every terrible thing he had done, his attitude toward him, his friends Blue and Yellow, and even Second made Red's blood boil. He stood there for a moment, something snapped inside him, making him realize the error of Victim's ways.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! All I've done is be nice to both of you! What have I done that's SO wrong for you to assume I'm trying to meddle?! After everything I did to be your friend, you still have to gall to make threats?! Do you know how hard it is to be around someone like you??". Victim scoffed sarcastically, not interested in anything Red was saying.

"Oh, please. I know you. You think you're so smart, manipulating your way into our lives, but-".

"No, Victim. You need to stop! Stop being a terrible friend to Second! Stop ruining everything! You need to learn to respect people, just like they respect you!".

Red's voice was filled with anger and derision. Victim was initially taken aback by Red's unexpected defiance. He never thought the usually timid Red might actually talk back. Red, fueled by a newfound resolve, pushed past Victim and made for the door. But as he reached for the handle, he heared Victim unleashed a sinister, dark laugh that echoed off the walls, startling Red who couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"So the nobody finally found his voice, eh?". Victim sneered, coming closer to Red, making the latter visibly uneasy.

"You should've known better than to challenge me. I could snap your neck right now, but that wouldn't be any fun. So, let's make things interesting, shall we?". Red's confusion was evident, not understanding the extent of the threat before him. He swallowed hard, his heart pounding against his ribs.

"What... what do you want?". He stammered, his voice barely a whisper. Victim started circling around him, getting dangerously close to his ear, then speaking in a soft, taunting tone,

"Oh, it'd be a real shame if your mommy lost custody of you forever, wouldn't it?". Red froze. His blood ran cold like a frozen river. How did Victim know about this? He couldn't breathe.

"How... how did you know...?".

"Let's just say I know a little something about your family. And I know your mom's lawyer. You want to stay close to Second? Fine. But you're playing a dangerous game, Red". He lifted Red's chin forcefully with his fingers, forcing him to look into his eyes.

"You... you can't do that". He mumbled weakly. Nonetheless, Victim's words confirmed a fear that had always been lurking in the chambers of his mind.

"I think deep down, we both know I can. So, if you dare tell a soul about our little chat, I'll make sure my dad transfers her case to someone else. Someone clueless". Red felt his legs turn to jelly, couldn't believe what he was hearing. Victim let go of Red's chin and walked towards the door, a smug smile playing on his lips,

"Be a good little nobody and do what you're told. Or else". Victim turned and swaggered out of the bathroom, leaving Red frozen in place. The bathroom walls seemed to close in around him, suffocating him with fear. He stumbled back, his hand clutching his chest, his heart pounding a wild rhythm against his ribs. He had to tell someone, right?

But who??

He had no idea what to do. What could he possibly do against someone who had such a hold over his life, over his future? In that moment, Red felt utterly defeated.

(Ohhhh, plot twist, baby!! I can't believe how good it turned out😋.

Still, I feel a little bad to do this to Red, but I can't pretend like I didn't want to🤫. But what do you think? Did you see that coming??

So, yeah. By now you'd know that I'm not planning on making Victim a good character here. And the way Victim acted wasn't because he's jealous!! Oh, heavens no!! But he is thinking of doing something very horrible to both Red and Second.

Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter🌼🥰. Have fun reading the next one!!).