Begin: A Jungkook Story ✔

Chapter Eight: Jeons Vs. Kim

The next day when Jungkook tumbled down the front steps out of the school, he found himself suddenly face-to-face with his parents.

"Dad? Mama? What are you doing here?"

"Go play with your friends, Jungkookah," his Mom said with a hug and a smile. "Me and your Dad have a meeting with your math teacher."

Jungkook realized his Dad held his math test, now worked nervously into a tube and held with his thumb and first finger. Jungkook felt a confusion of emotions, but his Mom met his eyes and smiled encouragingly and Jungkook felt a slow smile returning hers growing on his face.

"Kookah, can we come over to play badminton at your house?" his best friend was asking, and his Mom nodded and smiled again.

Jungkook flushed, feeling love from his parents...

"Yeah, Yoonam, come over. Let's ask Charam and Sooseok too! We could do 2 versus 2!"

Jungkook's Mom:

She watched her boy's face light up with the thought of badminton, watched him excitedly gather more boys and head towards their house. Her eyes misted, thinking of this good boy who spent all day in school feeling bad. How much longer could he do that before they convinced him he was stupid and worthless? She blinked back tears and met Mr. Jeon's eyes.

He looked almost as nervous as Jungkookie often did. Mrs. Jeon's heart melted toward her love, and she took his hand in hers and squeezed it. He met her eyes for reassurance, and they grounded themselves in each other's eyes for a second.

Then, they walked together into the school.

"Hello, come on in, nice to see you both again," Mr. Kim gestured to invite them to sit at a gathering of small desks in the center of the room. Each adult squeezed into a child's desk.

"So, you wanted to meet about Jungkook's test?" Mr. Kim asked.

"Yes," Mr. Jeon unrolled the test. "So, as you know, I've been helping Jungkookie with his homework all week."

The teacher stared back at him, blankly.

Mr. Jeon swallowed nervously, swallowed. "Um, right? You've been seeing Jungkook's homework all week?"

"No." The teacher said, eyes narrowing in confusion, "I mean, he did have it Monday but I assumed he copied it, he couldn't explain to me how he had completed it."

Mr. Jeon stared at him in disbelief. Jungkook's Mom felt anger rising hot inside her. "Why would you assume that?" Mr. Jeon asked.

"Well, he has a history of cheating... and had never done it before, I just assumed." Mrs. Jeon felt like she had been slapped. One time when he was seven was a history?

"Well, you assumed wrong," Mr. Jeon said, firmly, unable to keep the upset out of his voice. "He did it because I helped him with it, and we did it together every day this week. He only had it on Monday?"

The teacher was nodding, "I only saw it on Monday and I asked him how he had done it and he said he didn't know."

"So," Mrs. Jeon's voice was furious, "instead of congratulating him on doing it, you interrogated him in front of the entire class, picking on him, the one kid who never does his homework, and you expected him to articulate a response in that situation?" Mrs. Jeon was obviously pissed now, unable to hide it at all.

Mr. Kim's eyes narrowed defensively... "Well.."

Jungkook's Dad slapped the test down on the desk.