⟨Jɪɱɪŋˈs pøʋ⟩

Morning rolls in and I'm surprised that Jungkook actually listened to me. He didn't make a sound, neither did he come downstairs. I wonder if he is just still asleep. It was 8 o'clock sharp in the morning.

Dad leaves the house with a mess for me and mom to clean. I threw at least five empty bottles of alcohol in the dustbin and was about to head upstairs when Mom stopped me, holding my wrist.

"What are we gonna do about it?"

She asks and the question had me cast my eyes down. I'm a little happy that he didn't cause the wounds himself, so after we free him, he'll hopefully be okay.

"I'll talk to him."

I say and she nods. I walk upstairs with steady steps. If he's sleeping, I definitely don't want to wake him up.

However, my calculations were proved wrong when I pushed the door open. Jungkook was sitting, staring right at me. I close the door behind me and approach him.

"When did you wake up?"

"Didn't quite sleep all night."

He replies. He's eyeing me, which creeps me out a bit, but I don't say it.

"Why?"

I ask.

"I was thinking."

I was thinking too and I wonder if he was thinking the same. There were questions I want to ask him, but I'm not sure if it is the right time.

It is.

A voice suddenly says and to my surprise, it sounds exactly like my own voice.

You have to save him.

The voice says again. I find myself sitting down in front of him.

"It is true?"

He looks at me with obvious confusion. There's so much I want to know from him, but I don't ask them all at once. I don't want to make him more uncomfortable.

"Your mother hits you?"

It seemed to have instilled some kind of fear in him and his body tensed up instantly. I shook my head, reassuring him that everything is going to be okay.

"Hey, it's okay. We'll not let that happen again, okay?"

I take him in my embrace slowly, this time without feeling embarrassed. He needs this, I know.

I always thought I had a bad life, till today. Jungkook had been through worse. He never had comfort, whereas I have my mom.

"We'll figure something out. Please stay by till then."

I pat his back. When my mom told me he was just seventeen years old, I felt a dire need to protect him. Him being younger than me made me feel something. Maybe that's what was instilled in my Mom while she kept saving me from that excuse of a Dad.

"N-No, I'll have to leave. She'll f-find out."

That's no excuse, I know, but I know he's only doing that because he's scared. Honestly, I am scared too. I do not know what to do with his Mom. I can not keep him hidden here for too long.

"She can't do anything to you anymore."

I say. There is no way I would let him go back to her, even if she comes searching for him. He pulls away from the hug and I see conflict in his eyes. He doesn't seem to put his trust in me just yet. But I don't blame him.

"I'll need to leave."

He repeats. It's like a broken record player. He's being put through the same input, so of course, he's putting out the same output.

"No, you don't. You are not going anywhere."

I reply the same too. We need to do something about this immediately, but what? It's not like we could report his mother without any proof. But I've realized one thing that we need to do before we do anything else.

Therapy.

He needs therapy.

"Jungkook?"

I hold his shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly, before blurting out the actual question.

"Are you okay?"

I ask, dropping my gaze to his arms, then back to his eyes.

"Except these?"

He remained silent at that. But there was so much in his eyes and mostly, it was conflict. And I don't blame him for feeling that way.

Really, he is exactly like Mom.

"I wonder about that too."

He says and out of the blue, leans against me, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Can you take over?"

Okay. Now I'm the one with conflict in me. What does he mean? Take over what? I can't put into words what I feel about this. I don't know anymore.

"Take over what?"

I asked. But his reply stunned me.

"Be my hyung and take over the matter. I'll do everything you want me to."

There was so much hope in his eyes. Hope for himself to be taken care of. Hope that he will not have to fight with this alone anymore, so much that he is literally handing the responsibility of himself to a stranger. It makes me so overwhelmed that I give in without any hesitation. I promise him to take care of him and I don't regret it.

I will take care of him till I'm required to and even after that, I will continue to take care of him. I did not expect him to give me his trust this quickly, but I will not take this for granted. I must not break it. I will be his hyung. And I vow to make sure to get to the depth of this matter and cure him. Cure his wounds.

"I promise you, I will be the best hyung you could ever ask for."

I say, his head still resting on my shoulder. And I will keep my word.