the rebound

seven

"Kim Jennie, you're late to class by twenty minutes on a group discussion day. Anything to say?"

Jennie stifled a loud sigh under the eyes of the whole class.

"I'm sorry," she bowed. "I had to take care of one of my family members."

The teacher decided to let her off, knowing her situation. 

"Alright, take your seat."

"Hi," Jennie nodded at Taehyung with a tired smile as she sat next to him. He returned the greeting but kept stealing glances at her throughout the discussion as memories filled his head.

The day she had found him crying at the park after the other kids had bullied him because he was bad at playing basketball, how she had played a game with him to cheer him up, the way she had yelled at the kids when they came back to tease him for talking to a girl...after that they had become friends and he had brought her to his house to meet her parents. 

How she had excitedly introduced him to her grandmother, her only living relative that cared enough to live with her. He remembered all the walks they had together back to school and the time they'd spend at each other's houses.

And then...she left in third grade. He never saw her again, but he remembered the last walk home they spent together.

Jennie pulled out a flyer from her baby pink backpack and handed it to him. Taehyung read it slowly.

Basketball tryouts for boys 10-12.

"You know I'm no good at basketball," he mumbled, looking away. She rolled her eyes.

"That's dumb. I've played with you, you're better than anyone else I've played."

"No, everyone's better than me," he said miserably. She reached over and flicked his forehead.

"You only think that because those stupid bullies told you so. That was in kindergarten."

He didn't answer and instead contemplated his shoes.

"Listen to me. Don't let other people tell you who or what you are, okay? My mum always said..." Her voice cracked and her eyes became glassy. "My mum always said that there's thousands of people out there that will call you a failure, but that it's never true until you start calling yourself one," Jennie finished quietly. Taehyung looked at her.

"Do you miss your mom?"

Jennie nodded and wiped her eyes before looking up at him again.

"Just try out for it. You're better than you think you are."

Suddenly she leaned forward and wrapped her little arms around him. He willingly returned the hug, seeing that she was crying harder.

"Are you okay, Nini?"

"I'll miss you, Taetae," she whispered before letting go and running away to her house.

The next day, she wasn't at school. Taehyung went by her house on his walk home only to see it deserted, with a single "ON SALE" sign plastered on the doorframe. He remembered going home and crying for hours as his mother tried her best to comfort him. The next day, he saw the crumpled flyer Jennie had given him laying on his nightstand. He hadn't planned on going, but something made him get up and walk to the school gym. On his way there, he remembered making a promise to Jennie that if he made it, he would forgive her for leaving him like that.

A few hours later, the scoreboard spoke for itself. Taehyung had made it into the junior league.

After that first win, he was never the same. Gone was the timid, quiet boy who was afraid to speak up, afraid of getting teased. Gone was the little boy who cried about everything. And it was all thanks to the girl sitting next to him, taking notes dutifully as she listened to the teacher.

A few minute later, when they were given time to work on their project, Taehyung was still quietly observing Jennie.

She knew, didn't she? She remembered his little sister. She had been there when Min Jun was born, and had practically been her older sister.

At the moment, Jennie was rambling on about the project. Taehyung found her concentration endearing.

"So now that we're done with the project itself, we have the class period to work on the presentation, I was thinking we could stage a small discussion and bring in...why are you staring at me like that?"

"Jen, come here."

He wasted no time in pulling her in for a hug. 

Jennie's eyes became wide seeing that the whole class stopped what they were doing to stare at them.

"Taehyung. I truly wouldn't mind but everyone is looking." She gritted out lowly.

Including your ex-girlfriend, who looks like she's about to bury me alive.

Taehyung chuckled and let her go. He ignored everyone.

"How long did you know?"

"Know what?" Jennie's cheeks were still tinted pink from embarrassment, she was distracted. "And why did you just hug me out of nowhere?"

"Does the name Deukie ring a bell?"

Jennie's lips slowly formed a half-shocked, half-relieved smile.

"You remember now?"

Taehyung nodded, smiling his box smile. Jennie squealed and returned his previous hug.

"Taetae! It took you long enough."

"It's really you," he laughed. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"I've missed you so much. But you've changed, you're confident now."

"Thanks to you. I'm captain of the basketball team now."

"So I've heard," Jennie beamed proudly. "I told you."

"Are you free today for dinner? I'm sure eomma misses you, she always calls you her daughter." Taehyung chuckled. Jennie smiled, touched.

"I would love to join, I miss you all a lot too."

When the bell rang, they walked out of class together, ignoring weird looks from their classmates.

"Looks like someone's moved on quickly," a voice came from in front of them. A pretty, smirking girl stood in front of them. Jennie automatically put on her blank face but was surprised to see Taehyung hand her a granola bar from his backpack.

"She's my childhood friend," Taehyung groaned as the girl took a bite from the bar happily. She looked cute when she ate, a little like a chipmunk.

"I know you! You're Kim Jennie, I love your style. I'm Park Chaeyoung, Taehyung's friend!" The girl smiled brightly. Jennie smiled back.

"Nice to meet you, Chaeyoung-ssi."

"Nah, drop the honorifics. I stick around Tae a lot so you'll see plenty of me."

"Okay," Jennie giggled.

"Hey Tae, are you replacing me?" Chaeyoung bounced up and down as she clung onto his other arm, still eating the granola bar. Jennie concluded that she was very beautiful, very bright, extremely clingy, and either loved eating or was very hungry, seen as she was searching in his backpack for more food.

Somehow, she liked Chaeyoung. She had a very kind aura.

"Go away, I'm walking with Jennie."

"Oh, I see how it is," Chaeyoung cackled with a teasing look on her face. "Fine, I'll see you tomorrow Jennie, hopefully! Have fun, lovebirds."

And just like that, she skipped off. Jennie smiled at her carefree attitude.

"How long have you been friends with her?"

"Fourth grade," Taehyung mumbled. "She's annoying, but a sweet girl. You should be friends."

"I do like her. Anyways, tell me about Min Jun! Has she grown to be even prettier?"

Taehyung smiled as they walked towards his house, answering all her questions dutifully.

It wasn't until later that Taehyung realized that he hadn't even thought about Irene when he was with Jennie.