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JUNGKOOK

"No Taehyung?"

I shake my head, keeping my eyes on my phone as I sit with everyone at lunch.

Yoongi and Hoseok sit with Seokjin, Namjoon, and Jimin regularly now so the six of us sat together today.

"Trouble in paradise?" Seokjin asks.

    "No," I say shortly. I don't want to talk to them about Taehyung.

    "So are we all good for the trip next week?" Namjoon asks, thankfully changing the subject.

    "Yeah, I think so," Hoseok says. "Yoongi's dad said he could go too."

    "My parents said yes," Jimin says. "What about you, Kook?"

    "Oh, I don't know." I shrug. "Depends on if Taehyung can go."

    "Why?" Jimin asks.

    "Why what?" I ask, looking up at him from my phone.

    "Why does it depend on if Taehyung can go?" He asks.

    "Because I want him to be there," I say. "If that's an issue then I just won't go."

    "It's not, it just..." Jimin trails off for a moment, glancing at Seokjin. "I don't get why Taehyung has to be there for you to go on a trip with us. I mean, we're your friends."

    "What are you trying to say, Jimin?" I ask.

    "I think what Jimin's getting at is that Taehyung shouldn't have to be 'round for you to hang out with us," Seokjin says. "Ever since you started bringing Taehyung 'round you've been different."

    "Different how?" I ask, trying not to come across as defensive.

    "It just seems like our friendship now is entirely one sided," Namjoon says, taking the opportunity to speak up. "Like you'd rather be with him than us."

    "Yeah," Jimin agrees. "It just seems weird,  and sudden. Y'know?"

    "Guys, we're gonna head to class a little early," Hoseok says standing with Yoongi. "See you 'round. See you after, Kook?"

    "Yeah, see you after," I say, trying my best to smile at the two of them as they leave.

Silence falls over the table after they are gone, I almost want to get up and leave behind them, but I don't.

    "You want to know what I think is weird?" I ask, not really giving them a choice but to listen as I continue. "I think it's weird that I introduced you guys to Taehyung and tried to hang out together with all of us, only for you guys to basically call him weird and suspicious. First you make it uncomfortable for me to bring him 'round, you make me feel like an asshole for not bringing him 'round. Can I even win here?"

    "We don't want you to feel uncomfortable with bringing him 'round, Jungkook," Seokjin says. "And we don't think he's weird, we said odd. Which isn't a bad thing."

    "He's actually super nice as far as I can tell from the class we're in together," Namjoon says. "I don't think he's a bad guy."

    "I feel like no matter what we say or do you just don't want to hang out with us anymore." Jimin says. "We've been nothing but nice to Taehyung, and you still find reasons not to bring him 'round."

    "Well that's not the impression I've been under, Jimin," I say, my tone highly annoyed. "You guys made things weird because I like him, and then you made him seem weird, and now you're making it seem like I'm the problem."

    "That's not~"

    "And maybe I am," I say cutting Seokjin off. "Maybe I wanted my so-called friends to be a little nicer—strike me down."

    "Why can't we talk without arguing anymore?" Namjoon asks.

    "Because Jungkook's overprotective of Taehyung," Jimin says gathering his things and standing. "And no matter what you say about Taehyung, it'll never be the right thing."

    "Jimin," Seokjin sighs when he walks away.

    "If you guys can't accept Taehyung then I can't be your friends," I say standing to leave as well. "If that makes me a horrible person then so be it."

    "Kook," I hear Namjoon say as I walk out of the cafeteria.

I throw my backpack over my shoulders as I head to my next class, the bell was going to ring any minute now anyway.

I walk into the building and I see Iseul walking down the hall with his group of friends, laughing as they watch a video on their phones.

I try to avoid them, not wanting any trouble from any of them for the rest of the day. But of course that would just be too good to be true.

    "I think your boyfriend learned his lesson this time, Jeon," Iseul laughs. "You might want to let him school you on a few things."

    "What are you talking about?" I ask in aggravation.

    "What am I talking?" He asks in return, making his friends laugh as they continue down the hall.

I continue towards my class without giving Iseul's words much thought. When I round the corner I see Taehyung kneeling down by his locker picking up his things as if they had fallen.

I rush to help him gather the scattered materials. He flinches slightly at my sudden presence, looking up at me. My eyes widen when I see the tears in his eyes.

    "Hey," I say. "What happened?"

He shakes his head, taking the papers in my hand and shoving them in his notebook before standing shakily.

    "Taehyung," I say trying to meet his eyes. "What happened?"

    "Nothing," He says, his voice small and strained. "J-Just leave me alone, Jungkook."

    "Did Iseul say something to you?" I ask. "Did he knock your things to the floor?"

    "Jungkook, please," He says shoving his things in his backpack before slamming his locker shut. "Leave it alone."

I stand there in shock, letting him walk away. I've never seen Taehyung even come close to crying, and the sight of tears welling in his eyes only makes me feel angry.

There were certain people in the world that didn't deserve to be hurt, and Taehyung was one of those people.

☾𖤓☽

TAEHYUNG

    "Kim Taehyung, what has gotten into you?"

    "Leave me alone, mom!"

I hear my mom release a frustrated sound as she tries to open my room door, finding it locked.

    "I'm gonna give you one more chance to open this door before you're grounded, Kim Taehyung," She says. "I have to check you out everyday, you already know this."

    "Not today," I say walking to my bathroom and closing the door, making sure to lock it as well.

I sigh as I lean forward against the sink, replaying the events from earlier in my head.

I stand up straight and pull my shirt over my head, immediately catching sight of the bruise forming on my shoulder. I turn around and see a similar bruise blossoming over my back from where Iseul had pushed me into my locker earlier today. I know that if I let my mom do her examination she'd see the bruises and assume the worst.

She'd pull me out of school immediately and she probably would never let me go back. I'd never get the full experience of being in high school, I'd miss seeing Jungkook—and his friends, even though I don't think they like me.

I'd never have the opportunity to do something semi normal, like going to school with other people.

I couldn't let that happen.

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