Still Healing || Jikook

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Daily quotes:
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"sometimes you feel the urge to help people but you don't know why that migh be destiny"
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The sun crept in, casting pale light across Jimin’s room, tracing a path over a stark stain on the floor—the memory of last night’s chaos etched into the rug.

He stared at it for a moment, then forced himself out of bed, feeling every inch of exhaustion in his bones.

He moved slowly, as though in a trance, fetching a bowl of water and a sponge.

Kneeling beside the stain, he pressed the damp sponge to the fabric, his hands shaking slightly as he scrubbed.

Despite his efforts, the blotch barely faded, the dark reminder lingering stubbornly.

His vision blurred, and before he realized it, hot tears were slipping down his face, silent, merging with the soapy water on the floor.

He swallowed hard, blinking them away, whispering to himself, “I tried,” though even he could hear the hollow ring to his words.

He rose unsteadily, his hand brushing against the wall for support as he made his way to the bathroom.

The water ran over his hands and face, washing away the traces of tears but not the feeling of unease that had settled deep in his chest.

As he reached for a towel, he realized his clothes weren’t where he’d left them the night before.

A quiet frown crossed his face, and he glanced towards the washing machine, hoping maybe he’d left them there by mistake.

But it was empty, just like the rest of the house.

“Strange…” he muttered to himself, finally grabbing a leftover shirt from the closet and heading downstairs.

He bit into the remains of yesterday’s sandwich, though he could hardly taste it, and swallowed a few gulps of water before brushing his teeth and making his way toward the door.

He stopped in his tracks at the sight of his father, standing in the kitchen with a hand resting possessively on his stepmother’s shoulder.

The woman’s eyes shifted away quickly as Jimin entered, but his father turned to face him, revealing a makeshift bandage wrapped around his left eye.

Jimin felt the corners of his mouth twitch involuntarily, a grim satisfaction flickering across his face.

The stepmother’s gaze sharpened, and she couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice. “Are you proud of yourself? Hurting him like that?”

Jimin’s eyes met hers, his voice cold and unbothered.

“Maybe you should be asking him that question.”

Her face twisted with rage, but Jimin had already turned away, heading out the door and into the morning air.

He inhaled deeply, trying to shake off the heaviness pressing down on him.

The walk to school was the same as always, quiet and isolated, but when he arrived at the gate, he immediately saw Jinhyun leaning against the wall, arms folded, wearing his usual smug grin.

Jimin’s heart sank, but he pressed forward, bracing himself as he walked by.

Jinhyun’s hand shot out, grabbing Jimin by the collar and jerking him to a stop.

“What’s the rush? You think you’re better than me now, don’t you?”

Jimin held his gaze, his face expressionless, unwilling to give Jinhyun the reaction he wanted.