Who Shrunk The Boy Band?

1. Silence

Jungkook's hands were shaking more than necessary, but he also knew that he didn't have much time to do this. If he spent too long in the garden shed, he would be caught. Quickly, he rummaged underneath the dirty work desk in front of him and grabbed the radio he had hidden underneath it. It was badly damaged since he had found it in the garbage one day on a run to town, but he had tinkered with it long enough to get it to work. He had his biological father to thank for that sort of savvy.

Jungkook just wished he had his biological father's steady hands. No matter how much he tried to keep his hands steady enough to turn the antennas in an attempt to catch a signal, he couldn't. Jungkook continued to try to adjust the antenna with the tinfoil on it until he heard the static filled scratch that caused his heart to leap in his chest.

"...stay tuned. BTS' latest single drops next..."

"Yes. I didn't miss it," breathed out Jungkook in relief as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

He kept the radio where it was as he began to fiddle with the volume dial to make sure it stayed loud enough to be heard but not loud enough for him to be discovered by his stepfather.

Ever since his mother had become involved with his stepfather, Jungkook had to keep his love of music to a minimum. His stepfather hated music with a passion. Jungkook never knew exactly why that was, but it didn't matter. His mother loved his stepfather so much — and the promise of a stable life that he brought — that she thought a musical sacrifice wasn't a big deal. To Jungkook though, music was his life. It was a colossal deal to him. However, even though Jungkook didn't have a choice since he was only seventeen, he gave up his love of music for the sake of his mother. He loved her and knew that she was doing what she thought best for them. After all, life hadn't been kind to either of them since the death of Jungkook's biological father.

Jungkook refused to give music up entirely though after he and his mother had moved in with his stepfather. He just got crafty about how to listen to it. Sneaking into the garden shed was just one of the many ways he came up with.

Just as the advertisement on the radio was coming to an end, Jungkook heard a noise outside the shed. He left the radio where it was to peek out through a wiped hole in the dust-streaked window to see that his father had entered the backyard and was looking around for him.

Cursing under his breath, Jungkook raced back over to the radio. He grabbed it in his hands and was only able to hear the first few notes of the first verse of BTS' new song before having to twist the dial to mute the sound completely. He had barely managed to hide it again before the door was thrown open.

"There you are. What are you doing in here?" asked his stepfather.

"Looking for something."

"Like what?"

Jungkook scanned the work desk in front of him, grabbing a garden hoe and turning to show his irritated stepfather who hulked in the doorway.

"I was making sure I had the tools I needed to tend to the garden properly."

"Uh huh."

His stepfather didn't seem convinced as he fully entered the garden shed, walking over to Jungkook. Jungkook backed up until his back was against the work desk.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing. Why do you think..."

Jungkook's sentence was cut off as he was shoved sideways. He stumbled a bit as he tried to catch himself. His stepfather began to pull out everything underneath the work desk and Jungkook could do nothing but watch in horror as his stepfather unearthed the radio he had hidden. His stepfather held it in his hands as he turned to look at him.

"What is this?"

Jungkook couldn't find the words to address the obvious. All he could do was stare wide-eyed at his stepfather who chucked the radio down at the concrete ground at their feet. The radio shattered, breaking apart even more so as he began to step on it.

"How many times do I have to tell you I will not tolerate music?!"

Jungkook didn't say anything in response. He wouldn't give his stepfather the satisfaction. He waited until his stepfather was gone before scooping up the broken pieces of the radio.

"So much for hearing that song..." sighed Jungkook in defeat.

Jungkook spent the rest of the day making sure that the garden was tended to in a way that would please his stepfather. When his mother caught him walking up the stairs with his shoulders slouched later that afternoon, she called out to him to stop. He obeyed, pausing halfway up the staircase but didn't turn to face her. He could hear her footsteps approaching behind him, turning when she put a hand on his back.

He loved his mother dearly and didn't want to make her feel badly for marrying this man. Jungkook turned to look at her and as soon as she saw the look on his face, she furrowed her brows.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, the same reply he always told her.

She knew that it wasn't nothing — as she always did — so she did what was she normally did. Slipping her hand into her pocket, she handed Jungkook the key to the car outside.

"I need some things at the store in the next town over," she said. "It may take a while to find everything, but take your time and don't hurry back."

A small smile trickled across Jungkook's face as he understood his mother's code. Every time he was down, she would do this for him. She knew her son and how much he enjoyed music. The town over had the music and the sound that Jungkook lacked in his every day life. Even if his mother didn't need any groceries, she would pretend she did so he could go enjoy the music. She understood what Jungkook had sacrificed for her when she married this man and wanted to show him how much she loved him.

"Like I said, take your time, alright? I'll make sure some dinner is saved for you."

Jungkook smiled wider, giving his mother a quick hug before walking back down the stairs. The car sat in the driveway and Jungkook tried not to look overly eager as he slid inside and turned the ignition on. As he drove towards the neighboring town, he began to wonder what BTS' newest song sounded like, humming an old hit of theirs to himself to occupy his curious mind.