𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ²¹

Jungkook stops talking to me.

I mean, not completely. But he's not acting like he did before. In only a few days, all I get is a bunch of distant smiles and one-word answers when I try to start a conversation. It baffles me out of my mind, because I'm the one that's usually pulling away, not him.

I'm currently walking down the hallway with Jimin after school one day, who's blabbering in my ear about news on the new Star Wars film. I'm not really paying attention, to be honest.

We turn a corner, and I almost drop my books at the sight that I see. Jimin doesn't notice that I stop walking.
"-and so I think Han Solo is coming back because it just doesn't make sense why he-"

"Jimin." I say loudly, trying to get his attention.
He turns around, looking bewildered at why I'm way behind him. "What?"

I point to all the way down the hallway. He looks over, and sees what I saw. Jungkook is standing there talking to Jong in, our worst nemesis. It's not aggressive or anything, they're just talking.

"Does Jungkook normally talk to that
asshole?" I ask.

Jimin shrugs. "I mean, not normally. But I've seen them together a few times now. Jungkook is always super shaken up after."

I frown. Even from the other side of the hallway, he looks pretty normal to me. As I watch, I see Jong in say something, and then Jungkook's face contorts into that of total rage. He lifts his arm up, like he's going to hit him, but Jong in grabs his wrist and twists it back down.

Jungkook flinches back, cowering away. Jong in says something else, and Jungkook looks away in defeat.

What the fuck? Jungkook never backs down from a fight. He always fights; he would fight even if his life was at stake. And yet here he is, surrendering to Jong in.

"Seriously?" I ask Jimin. "The fuck is going on?"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll tell you if you ask," Jimin tells me. "It's really his business though, so we should get going"

I'm still staring at Jungkook and Jong in, though. "You go on," I say to Jimin.
"I'm gonna talk to him."
Jimin shrugs, looking hesitant. "Okay, but don't accuse him of anything. I'm sure Jungkook has a reason for whatever he's doing"

"Yeah, okay." I'm only half listening. Jimin turns away and is soon out of my sight.

I wait by the wall, waiting for Jong in to leave before I go up to Jungkook. Jong in is still saying something to Jungkook, but soon he grabs his bag from off the floor.

Right before he's about to head down the hallway, he gives Jungkook a shove in the chest that pushes him a few feet
away. Then, he finally leaves. I push myself off the wall and walk towards Jungkook, who's still standing dejected in the middle of the hallway. My heart is pounding and I can hear roaring in my ears. I'm so angry, I think I can actually see red in the corners of my vision.

Jungkook sees me when I'm a few yards away, eyes widening at my fast approaching self.

"Tae," he says. "I can expla-"

"No." My voice is firm. "Don't come up with excuses. I want the fucking truth and all of it."

Jungkook sighs and runs a hand through his hair. There's a moment of tense silence, Jungkook obviously reluctant to say anything. There's this dead look in his eyes, a look that I really don't like. I know because it's the look I see all too often in the mirror.

"Kook," I ask, more softly. "What's going on? Why aren't you telling me anything?"

"We really need to talk," Jungkook says, not meeting my eyes. His voice is quiet, barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, we do." I don't like the way he's talking, though, and I'm scared of how this conversation is going to end.

"Can we go to our roof?" he asks. I know what he means. One of the tall buildings close by has an easy way to get to the roof, and Jungkook and I go there often to look around at the view. I nod. "Let's go."

It's nearly dark by the time we get there. It gets dark early, now that we're almost into winter. There's a chill in the air.

Jungkook and I drop our bags down on the ground. I'm looking up at the stars that are starting to become visible in the night sky.

~~~~~~~