Ephemeral Hate | J.J.K |

10.

When the school had finished, Seonghwa met Y/n outside her class, and now they were walking through the hallways, chatting about the new football match the boys were going to have after some days. 

"So, you are the captain?" Y/n enquired, and Seonghwa nodded. He and Jungkook both were both the best players of the school so, them being selected for the inter-college football competition didn't come as a surprise to anyone. 

However, Y/n was a bit afraid at this point. Both of them were going to be playing and she didn't knew for whom to cheer. One side it was her best friend and other side it was her love. She was literally at crossroads and wasn't assure of which path to walk on.  

Just as Seonghwa was about to hold Y/n's hand sneakily, Jungkook walked towards them with a small smile and his heart fell. Again, he had been laid aside. Nevertheless, he put a plastic smile for them, and greeted Jungkook, "Hey" 

"Oh, hello, Seonghwa. So, where are you both off to?" he took his place beside Y/n, and looked at them, anticipating a reply, which Y/n gave him, "Nowhere. Seonghwa was just telling about the football match that is about to happen after some days. " 

Jungkook nodded hearing her, and suddenly, he remembered something, "Oh, Seonghwa! Coach called us for the practice now. We need to go, and that is why I was searching for you." 

"Do we need to go now from the practice?" he asked as he really had not factual intentions to leave Y/n, but then again, practice was more necessary.  Their college had won this championship continue in a row for two years and their coach wanted the third persistent win too. Seonghwa, being the most trusted student of the coach, hence was the captain, and Jungkook, the vice-captain. 

"Yes, of course." Jungkook said with a stern tone, and Seonghwa exhaled. He was already worn out, and the practices were just being so much for him. However, he just agreed for it, anyways. 

The both boys shared an unknown look and stood in front of Y/n, eyeing her nervously. "Y/n, I think you need to go home alone today...." Jungkook stated and Y/n's face portrayed despondency. Even after Seonghwa had gone to Japan she never walked home alone. She was horribly used to being accompanied by someone on her way back home and the mere thought of strolling through the road lonely made her skin crawl. 

"No!" She exclaimed with her trembling legs, and Seonghwa's eyes widened. He knew she wasn't at all experienced with this. Holding her arms to help her stand upright, Seonghwa patted her shoulder, "It's ok, you won't be going alone. Do you wanna see the practice? Once, we are done we can all go home together"

Jungkook was muddled, seeing Seonghwa's actions. Why did Y/n start to aquiver all of sudden? Why did he hold her like that with a frightened expression and calmed her down? Jungkook didn't seem to catch what had happened to her, also, he was aware that asking Seonghwa anything about this wouldn't be good at the given moment. They needed to be alone for asking him that. 

"That's good" Y/n's ragged breathing was now coming back to normal and she swallowed hard. She could wait for hours but couldn't walk home alone. It just scared the crap out of her.

Seonghwa's lips curved and he let his hand drop now that she was alright, "Let's go to the practice" He suggested and walked along with Jungkook and Y/n. The tension in the air wasn't much then. Jungkook and Seonghwa still weren't that close, but definitely, they could control their blazing urge to rip each other when Y/n was around. It was she was the only person who could bring peace into them both. 

Strange how after they'd made Y/n sit on the bleachers and were in the changing rooms getting ready, Jungkook, for the first time, walked to Seonghwa and called him out, "Seonghwa!" 

"Yeah?" Seonghwa questioned as Jungkook never walks up to him. 

Hesitating for  good ten seconds, Jungkook finally had concluded that it was the time he spoke cause if he stood there like a dummy, then Seonghwa would definitely take him as a fool. "Uh, what had gotten into Y/n that time?" 

A small exhalation left Seonghwa's edges as he motioned for Jungkook to take seat. When he had, Seonghwa seemed to think about how and from where he should begin with his elucidation. This fear of her was not something that had one reason.

After deciding the exact cause, Seonghwa began, "It had happened when she was eight, she was once walking home alone from school that day, cause I was in Japan with my family and couldn't walk with her. A bunch of random middle schoolers tried to tease her. They took her bag, spoiled it, hurt her, and even called her all awful names." 

There was heaviness in Seonghwa's voice and Jungkook could sense the regret in it. Seonghwa, till this date, considers himself the one at fault for Y/n's suffering. He just desired to be there, so she wouldn't have faced those annoying asses, however, the thing that had already happened was done. There was no point in regretting about it now. 

"When I returned and got to know about that, I apologized to her. She did forgive me but after somedays again, the same group of girls did that again. I was just ten myself, and they were twelve. Of course, I protected her, but then she saw them bullying me. Since then, she is afraid. I am not sad about the fact that I went through it; I am angry about the fact that she saw that." 

Seonghwa stated everything through gritted teeth, and Jungkook could feel his blood boiling upon imagining a small Y/n, crying holding her tiny fists in front of her eyes. He hated it, he didn't know why, but he just did. 

"Th- that's horrible" Jungkook somehow managed to spit out and a pained laugh erupted from Seonghwa's side.

"Not just that, there's one more reason. When she was fourteen, a bunch of boys tried to force themselves on her while she was returning home." 

"What?!" Jungkook shot up, and stood. His mind taking him back to his girlfriend and that dreary night he had seen. No one else other than him knew the pain of seeing someone getting abused right in front of their vision in a better way. 

"Where the hell were you dying?!" Jungkook spat at Seonghwa, and the younger just sighed. He too regretted not being able to be there at the right time. 

"You think I didn't go? I did, and that is why she still a fucking virgin you moron! She isn't scared to walk alone; she is scared to walk alone from college." Seonghwa cursed, and glared him, making his way out after he had enough of Jungkook's queries. 

It angered him about how he had raised his tone, putting his most hated question right before him. Whereas, Jungkook punched the locker beside him with every ounce of strength left in him. His heartbeat was uneven. 

"No Jungkook, stop feeling bad." Jungkook made himself comprehend the situation. This situation wasn't to feel bad and sit idle. He needed to act up soon...