Begin: A Jungkook Story ✔

Chapter Five: Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/teacher conference night, Jungkook was eleven now. Jungkook's Mom applied lipstick and mascara, trying to make herself look as respectable as possible. She didn't really care what they thought of her, but they needed to respect her enough to listen to her about Jungkook, so that this year would go as well for him as possible.

Her heart wrenched for her boy. When he was a little boy he loved school. He ran there every day laughing, excited to play with his friends, play with blocks to practice math and play with alphabet letters, listen to books, play games, draw, paint, share.... He used to feel like a good boy, she thought painfully.

Now, she only saw the light in him when he talked about art class or music class or gym... the rest of the day she knew he spent the whole time feeling miserable, stuck in his desk when he needed to move. She was upset suddenly. Why should he feel bad for the person he was?! He was an amazing person. Her mind raced with love and concern.

I have to find something else for him to feel good at, she thought helplessly.

"Are you ready, love?" Jungkook's Dad asked, having changed from his work clothes into clean ones for the parent conference.

....................................................................

The conference was a series of ups and downs, teachers who knew two different little boys.

His gym, art and music teachers all loved him and all raved about his talent.

The gym teacher said he would win almost any game. That he would drill a skill for a sport or game over and over until he got it right. He showed special talent in badminton and seemed to really love it, his gym teacher reported.

In art they were shown a thick file of beautiful art. Pencil drawings, paintings, sketches, collages... the teacher described him as incredibly focused, hard to distract and very productive.

In music, too, Jungkook was praised for his natural pitch and rhythm and skill at percussion and singing. The teacher described him as bright, kind, helpful, dedicated, passionate.

But then there was reading, writing, math, history.... One teacher after another described Jungkook as sullen, fidgety, distracting other kids, drawing pictures in class.

Finally the math teacher explained that if something didn't change fast, Jungkook was going to fail math this semester. He showed them some of his work, explained that he rarely did homework and did not do well on his tests.

Jungkook's parents exchanged a worried glance. His Dad cleared his throat.

"Um, can I give you my Email, and can you inform me when the tests are and what you will be testing and I can work with him?" Mr. Jeon was asking the teacher.

Jungkook's Mom felt emotional and didn't say much, until they were in the car driving home.

"I hate this", she muttered, tears spilling down her cheeks, hot. "He is so miserable in there, you see how he isn't even himself in most of those classes?" She shook her head. "I hate that he sits there feeling guilty for WHO HE IS, it doesn't seem fair!" Mr. Jeon took her hand.

"I'm going to try to help him with math." He said, helplessly, "and besides that all we can do is make sure he knows that we love him for who he is." He smiled at her. "Luckily you've always made it easy to do that by loving him so unconditionally." He kissed her head, "You are such an amazing mother to our sons, love." She let herself feel comfort and leaned her head on his shoulder, and sighed.

Jungkook:

Jungkook was up and watching TV when they came home, and he jumped up off the couch nervously when they came in. He faced them but couldn't quite meet their eyes. He knew what most of his teachers would have told them... didn't do his homework, bad grade on tests, wiggly, fidgety, distracting in class.. He swallowed nervously.

They finished hanging up their coats and taking off their shoes, and Jungkook's Mom came around to grasp his shoulders, and pulled him into a hug and kissed the top of his head. His Dad looked at him with an odd expression from across the room. Jungkook was suddenly even more nervous than he was before.

His Mom pulled back to look him in the eyes, in the face. She took a breath to speak and Jungkook's heart beat at what might be coming.

"So, your music teacher said you have a lovely voice, Jungkookah," she said with a smile, cupping his face in her hands. His heart flooded with relief and he smiled. "And that you have really good rhythm and pitch..."

"And your art teacher showed us your art, Jungkookah, it is amazing," his Dad was coming up to rub Jungkook's back and squeeze his shoulder.

"Really?" Jungkook's heart leaped. His Dad was an amazing artist, and Jungkook had spent many evenings quietly drawing beside him. Dad thinks my art is good, he thought with a proud flush.

"Yes Jungkook, your self portrait, it looked exactly like you, you did an incredible job." His Dad drew him close, hugging him around his shoulder with one arm. Jungkook almost wanted to cry.

"Thanks Dad," was all he could say. He was overwhelmed by emotion.

"And Jungkookah, your gym teacher said you win almost every game..." his Mom said, still holding him and looking into his face.

"And that you are amazing at badminton!" His Dad said with a smile. Jungkook's heart seemed to explode. He knew that his parents had heard criticisms of him from his other teachers...and he knew suddenly that they weren't going to even mention it, right now...

Jungkook's face broke out in a wide smile and he broke into telling them about a recent badminton tournament at recess and how he had won, even over older kids....

That night before they went to bed, Mr. and Mrs. Jeon ordered a badminton set for their backyard. 

..............................................................................................................


Author Note:  

Just a short chapter but another one that I am in love with!  LOL

Never mind me over here completely obsessed with my own book.  LOLLLL

I've been working hard to finish writing this story!  I should be posting another update in a couple days!!  

Thanks so much, those who are enjoying this story with me!!  🙏🙏🙏🙏

BORAHAE ARMYs!  BE WELL and LOVE YOURSELVES as BTS asks us too!!  

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜