Begin: A Jungkook Story ✔

Chapter Thirteen: Can't you just stay?

When he woke up on Saturday morning and went downstairs, his parents had spread out the 7 different packages, information, notes, and contact information on the dining room table and were making notes.

He met his Mom's eyes, feeling a smile growing on his face, knowing that things were about to change, that people wanted him, that he wasn't a failure...

"Well, Jungkookah," she said with an amused twist of her mouth, "Come decide what your life is going to be like now, my son."

His heart leaped in simultaneous fear and excitement, and he walked over to the table.

Mrs. Jeon:

"Look son, come here. Now this is your life, but here is what me and your Dad were thinking. You have offers from 7 companies. Some are asking for an audition, but some want you based on your Superstar K audition. I feel like those that want another audition, you have to do it over video-chat, we can't go to Seoul multiple times. Does that make sense?"

He nodded.

"Now what about you, what have you been thinking about?"

"I don't know," he said, "I guess maybe the Big 3 companies... they don't seem to want me as much as some of the other companies. Big Hit Entertainment had emailed me some of their other trainees that they wanted me to work with, so I wanted to watch that and see what I thought."

"Jungkookah, what we mostly need to talk to you about, son..." his Mom's heart thumped, she realized she was terrified either way... she reached out her hand to take his... "...Are you sure you want to do this?" she searched his face.

"Yes Mom, are you kidding? This is all I want!" he was jumping up and down with excitement.

"But Jungkookah, Seoul is not a one-day trip, do you understand? Most of these companies are saying that as soon as you sign with them you are moving there and working 12 hours a day training. Is that REALLY what you want? You have rarely ever spent the night away from home and this is MOVING away for...for life!" Tears came to her eyes suddenly and she realized how emotional she was getting. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, or at least speak more calmly... "You are 13, son, are you really ready to not have your Mama feeding you every night and tucking you into bed?"

"Mom, come on, you don't tuck me in, anymore." He broke her gaze, tried to laugh it off. Yes I do, Jungkookah, she thought wistfully, every night.

Jungkook:

He was serious suddenly, took her hands, "Mama I'm..." he swallowed, "I'm scared, but I'm more scared not to." He wasn't sure how to say what he meant.... "This is what I want, I don't want to keep..." his eyes cast around desperately for the right words. "...going to Baekyang Middle School." He couldn't express how he felt...trapped. Like an animal in a cage. Like a butterfly in a net.

She searched his eyes, saw his desperation, and dropped hers, nodding. "Okay, Jungkookah, okay,"

"I'm going to go watch the stuff that Big Hit just sent me and I will let you know what I think, okay?"

"Okay, okay, Jungkookah. But first come have breakfast."

He settled down in front of his computer a short time later. They had sent 4 file attachments, videos. He downloaded the first one and opened it, called "Rap Monster Battle."

A tall handsome teenager in sunglasses came into focus on the screen...a beat was playing in the background and he could hear the roar of the crowd. He lifted the mic and bounced in rhythm to the beat; his voice came powerful and steady with the beat. Jungkook listened to the words in amazement... he realized the boy played with words, that there were multiple meanings... At the end, this...Rap Monster... ripped off his sunglasses, and looked straight into the camera. Jungkook swallowed and felt that prickle that he most associated with GDragon and his shock of white blonde hair, his angular face, his collarbones and small but muscular figure...