The Boy From The Bridge - Jakehoon

Chapter 124: Smile -> Goodbye -> Gone? 5/5

"How's your nose Jay" Jungwon said as a joke, his voice trying to hide that it trembled with fear and guilt.

Jay and he had been walking towards the police station in silence, the only sound being the pitter-patter of the raindrops on the pavement. The darkness of the night seemed to match the heavy feeling in their hearts as they both worried about what was to come.

Jay's nose was still bleeding, a reminder of the earlier altercation with Jungwon. He kept a hand pressed against it, trying to stem the flow, but Jungwon could see the blood seeping through his fingers. In spite of his earlier betrayal JUngwon was happy to have him by his side providing stoic, silent support. 

"It's fine, man. I'll live," Jay said, giving him a small smile. "I just there was another way"

Jungwon nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat. "I know. I just...I couldn't let Kook take the fall for me. I need to take responsibility for what I did. It's my actions that bring me here, not anyone else and I can't run away from that."

Jay nodded, "I know. I get it and I'm here for you, no matter what happens."

As they approached the police station, Jungwon's heart began to race. He knew the police wouldn't be expecting a 16-year-old to turn himself in, so he was going to have to explain to them why he thought  they were looking for him. 

The neon sign of the police station loomed ahead of them, casting a haunting blue light on the wet pavement.

Inside the station, the atmosphere was tense. The sound of footsteps and muffled voices echoed off the walls as they walked towards the front desk. Jungwon's heart was pounding in his chest as he approached the officer on duty.

"I... think I need to turn myself in," he said, his voice shaking slightly. 

The officer looked at him in surprise, and then quickly regained his composure before asking, "What for?"

Jungwon's heart felt like it was in his throat as he spoke. "My name is Yang Jungwon, I had a fight at school...."

The officers' expressions grew serious as they listened to him speak, and they began to ask him questions, some of which were difficult to answer. He told them about his reasons, how he was feeling guilty about what he did and how he want to take responsibility for his actions. He elected not to mention Jungkook at first, and then when he did he was as coy as he felt he could get away with. 

Jay stood beside him, offering silent support as he answered their questions. The atmosphere inside the station ominous and Jungwon couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of his stomach. 

As they waited for the paperwork to be processed, Jungwon and Jay sat in silence in the waiting area. The room was dimly lit, the only sounds being the clicking of keyboards and the low murmur of voices. The smell of stale coffee and disinfectant hung in the air, making Jungwon feel even more on edge.

Jay sat next to him, one hand on Jungwon's shoulder the other still holding his nose, offering silent support. They had neglected to tell the police that Jungwon had also punched him. When asked he had said he'd walked into a lamppost, which earned his some unfair remarks about his now. Jungwon was grateful for his silence and his presence, there was something resolute and strong about who Jay was. Dutiful even when he couldn't really do anything. 

Half the time he looked like his mind was on the other side of the room. Close but not there. Jungwon wondered what was on his mine. Was it just him or was he thinking about Sunghoon, Jake and Jungkook - maybe his girlfriend or maybe it was something else.