"Jungkook, honey, at least hear him out," Mrs. Jeon asked Jungkook who had curled himself into his bed, sobbing hard.

"How did they k-know? No one knew about it. It was only Jimin Hyung who knew after you decided to tell him. You didn't see what they'd written over p-placards and the drawings of me. If you did, y-you wouldn't be asking me to hear Jimin out. You'd be h-hugging me right now," Jungkook coughed, wiping the running nose and his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt.

"Oh, my baby," Mrs. Jeon held the shaking boy into her arms and stroked his hair.

Jimin heard everything and shook his head, telling Mr. Jeon it wasn't him over and over again. He couldn't get inside the room and was only waiting for Mrs. Jeon to calm Jungkook down before he could say anything to the boy directly.

"Not only did you break my trust, but you also broke my parents' trust, Jimin Hyung!" Jungkook yelled from the other side of the door. "I am a sick kid, right? Then why are you here worrying about the sick kid? G-go back to your normal friends. You shouldn't be seen with a s-sick kid".

"Trust me, Jungkook. I would never do that. Please believe me. It wasn't me."

Jungkook could say anything if he didn't have to cough so much. "Let's leave him alone for some time," Mr. Jeon mumbled, nudging Jimin towards the stairway so they both had some time to calm themselves. "I will drop you home." The man offered.

"No, I have to go back to school. I didn't inform anyone and ran after him," Jimin answered politely and turned away towards the gate.

"Don't," Mr. Jeon held his hand. "I will call Mr. Bang and inform him about the situation. He'll investigate further into this, okay? Don't feel disheartened and let me drive you home."

Jimin nodded, a silent tear dropped from his eyes that he was quick to wipe.

**

Mr. Park looked at Mr. Jeon getting out of the car and seeing his son's red eyes, his heart sunk down, assuming something terrifying must have happened. "Jimin? What happened?" As he rushed to hold the boy's arm while the two were entering the house, Jimin yanked his father's hand away.

This had to be the first time when Mr. Park felt humiliated by his son's action. Never had Jimin ignored him. There weren't right words that he could think of as he witnessed the teenager fading behind the stairway. "Mr. Jeon," averting his eyes as his voice wavered a little, "is Jungkook okay?" He asked reluctantly.

The unorthodox question had Mr. Jeon tongue-tied, but Jungkook wasn't okay. "Everything will be fine, Mr. Park. I am sure the kids will come around in some time. We should talk to them patiently."

Nodding, Mr. Park looked towards Jimin's room again, expecting the boy to be there, but he wasn't. "I will be on my way, then. Please let me know when he feels okay," Mr. Jeon took out his card and handed it to Jimin's father. "Here's my number."

"I do have your number from before," Mr. Park mumbled, seeing the other man smile and put the card back into his pocket before he bowed. Reciprocating, he saw him retreating and soon driving away.

He knew he had to give Jimin space because he had to talk about a lot. He could think of nothing except for Jimin. His wife was at work, and he would've been at work too if it wasn't about Jimin. He was so immersed in his thoughts and he couldn't think of anything else since he found out that his son might be gay, or perhaps a bisexual. Wanting to use all the right words as and when he talked to Jimin, he lost track of time this morning.

Now that he was certain that something had happened, he couldn't think of working at all. The boundary that was seamlessly created between them hindered him from fully expressing his emotions.

He stayed at home and saw Jimin returning the lunch meal in the afternoon, and when the time arrived for dinner, he didn't come down to have it either.

Mrs. Park was back at home in the evening, but Mr. Park didn't know himself to tell her anything either.

Meanwhile, Jimin turned numb to all of the pain he was constantly enduring. The hatred Jungkook stocked for him over the months, the guilt he felt, or the agony of never having to see Jungkook again after school, all of the things were seeping deep into his mind. When his door was knocked, he ignored it for the third time and snoozed off.

The next morning, before anyone was awake, he left for school, not wanting to face either of his parents.

Jungkook wasn't there. How could he? When the boy walked into the school yesterday, he was met with so many banners and placards put up in the class. He was trying to take them down when Jungkook walked in and looked at them with teary eyes, immediately turning around and running away.

The whole day turned grey. There was only headache and numbness in his head, stinging in his eyes and throat, and dullness on his face. Hoseok wasn't able to cheer him up either.

It was almost time to leave in the aftenoon when he received a text from Jungkook's father.

He won't be coming to school anymore. He wanted to transfer, but Mr. Bang didn't let him. He will continue taking online classes.

All he felt was overborne by exhaustion. He didn't want to feel like shit anymore, but circumstances were such that he couldn't do anything but cry like a wimp.

**

"Can we talk, Jimin?" Mr. Park knocked at the teen's room and Jimin looked up at his father before averting his gaze down while nodding. "I have received a call from Mr. Bang earlier."

"I am sorry that Jungkook scored the highest again, father. But I'm trying."

Jimin's head was hung low as he bit back his tears, his voice turning heavy and his face, red.

"Do you think I am so devoid of emotions that all I care about is your score, and not your well-being, Jimin?" The man asked, his voice marred with guilt and despondency. Jimin had to snap his neck to see his father's face. The man slowly nodded and walked all the way into the room, slowly sitting beside Jimin. "I guess you aren't wrong to think that. After all, I never represented myself otherwise."

Jimin's bottom lip quivered, so he bit it hard. One more affectionate sentence and he would be bawling. "I came to understand that you might have developed some liking towards Jungkook," Mr. Park's voice remained low and soft, to not give Jimin the impression that he was against it.

"I-" Jimin gulped, feeling fear, even if his father looked calm and hurt for the most part.

"Don't be afraid, son," Mr. Park's palm softly held Jimin's hand. "It's okay if you do. I am sorry I found out before you could tell me yourself. But I am not angry at you or disappointed in you for liking anyone who isn't a girl."

"I love Jungkook," Jimin was barely holding onto the semblance and Mr. Park wasn't a child to not know it. "I like girls too, but it's just- just that I have never felt the way I feel for Jungkook."

"Did you tell him that?" Mr. Park asked, not knowing that Jimin had broken up with the boy without even getting a chance to say those words properly, that too, because of his expectations from Jimin. Jimin only hoped that Jungkook knew.

The 19-year-old shook his head, feeling his father's secure grip around his hand.

"My son," Mr. Park cleared his throat and Jimin could swear that it was now he'd finally break down, unable to hold on anymore, and gaining the admiration and esteem from his father he'd always craved. "You've always been a very silent and introverted kid, but as years passed, especially in middle school, I saw you change. You weren't responsible anymore, you would pick fights, and your school started calling more than often. We were worried about you, son. But whenever we asked you if there was anything you wanted to share, or if something had happened, you always said no."

This was uncomfortable even now for Jimin. Namjoon was the one who had suffered but seeing the friend's condition was enough trauma for him. When Jin decided he didn't want people to find out, he was no one to share someone else's secret, so he let it take a toll on him.

"It was then I started being stricter on you, thinking it was for your own good. I wanted you to score the highest not because it was my unfair desire, I wanted you to attain that so you could learn responsibility. I wanted you to be sincere, which you are now. I never intended for you to suffer, son. I understand that this had affected you in a way worse than I could've imagined as I was clueless about your feelings for Jungkook... I don't want you to stress about anything anymore. I will pay for your college and you don't need to be worried about tuition, no matter what your score is."

Covering his eyes with one palm, Jimin started to sob in it. It took Mr. Park's mighty courage, but he pulled the teen into his arms, letting him cry his heart out.

"Hush now," the father laughed fondly. "Let's go and talk to Jungkook. We can go and buy something for him too."

"It's too late now, Appa. He w-won't come to s-school anymore. He will finally be happy w-without me."

4 Apr 2022