stuck with him;; k.v. ✓

22 (jeongguk's perspective, pt. i)

tw: mention of death of a close one

I remember my mom saying that I practically opened my eyes to the world for the first time with Gureum by my side. Gureum, that four months old loyal and lovely little white pup.

I was not so comfortable with many people around, since I was a toddler. But, Gureum was different. He was the only friend I had and needed. I woke up with him, had breakfast with him curled up by my feet, he even accompanied me to school and like the confident doggo he was, he wagged his tail as he entered the car again and was driven back home. We played, we bathed, we cuddled, we slept, we did everything together.

I told him things that no one else knew of. Because I believed him more than myself. Whenever I was down, he would keep his snout on my lap and nudge me with his paws to play with him. And that instantly brightened me up.

With the years, as I grew, Gureum grew too. The only difference was that, I stepped towards my adolescence and he stepped towards his senility.

"Gureum-ah!" I was thirteen then. I skipped towards my room, with a soccer ball in my hands, "Let's go out buddy!" But, when I opened the door, my smile faltered. That was not what I expected to see.

"Gureum." I mumbled, shoulders dropping, as I walked in slowly and found the old doggo, lying on his stomach by my bed, weak whimpers leaving his throat. He looked up at me, his tail wagging slowly, as he sat up and trudged towards me before plopping down in front of me and looking up with his round eyes.

It did not feel right to me and at that moment when I hugged him, it did not feel like earlier anymore. He did not feel like earlier anymore.

And within a few months, I knew why.

I believed that I had never cried that much before. Nothing had ever bothered me till that extent. But, Gureum, when the vet said that he was no more, I could not keep myself collected.

I hugged my mother and wailed till I had passed out. My best friend had left me. I loved him so much and yet he left.

And I swore that I would never love someone so much, that it would hurt. I would never cry again.

⩋

"Hey, Jeongguk!" I rolled my eyes at the call, before looking back and finding a girl running towards me. It was Shin Yuna. Again.

At first, when she was a new transferee, I used to think that she was a sweet girl. A big mistake. How could I even expect someone to talk to a shell-bound boy like me?

Until there were reasons.

I made a big mistake introducing myself and smiled at her, the first day she spoke to me. Because... She seemed nice?

But, later on, I understood why she wanted the friendship.

"Can I borrow your notes? Actually..." She shrugged, with a seemingly bashful smile, "I was a bit busy yesterday. And today as well, I won't be able to attend the theatre. Could you please excuse me on my behalf to Mrs. Lim? She surely wouldn't say anything to you."

There it was. The reason.

"Yeah, sure." I muttered, turning back around and stuffing my hands deeper in my hoodie pockets, as I walked away from her.

That was the reason everyone, who wanted to be my friend, had. That was why I stopped responding to my schoolmates.

About Yuna... well, I couldn't do anything about her. She was my father's (perhaps, third) cousin's daughter.

But, I didn't want to put up with anyone else. Because everyone was fake.

Alright, not everyone. Jimin was an exception. He was genuine with our friendship. But, even if I felt sorry about the fact that the friendship was pulled on more from his side, I couldn't care less.