FORGOTTEN || JIKOOK ✅

17.

JUNGKOOK POV

It took a couple of days before the Principal called me and told me that I could come back in
for lessons on Wednesday.

The weekend had been pretty unbearable if I was honest with myself.

I had no planning to do, no marking to do and no Jimin and Ari to keep me distracted and happy.

My house felt empty and
deathly quiet. I hated it.

It turned out that Ari being my daughter wasn't something
that was going to stop me
from teaching at the school.

They would consider moving
Ari into a different class but it didn't really seem necessary
at this stage.

It was the relationship with
Jimin that what the Principal wasn't so pleased about.

But I told her we weren't together anymore over the phone so I told her it didn't matter.

"Is that so?" she said.

I could hear her raising her eyebrow through the phone
and it made me sick.

"Nice to hear you value
your career, Mr. Jeon."

"Yeah, that's what it was." I snapped, after I hung up
the phone.

I'd not heard from Jimin in
about a week and it was
starting to make me worry.

I wanted to call him but the longer I left it, the harder it became to pick up the phone.

At this point, an apology for being a massive prick didn't really seem like enough.

I didn't even give him the
chance to explain himself,
what the fuck was I thinking?

He wouldn't want to be with
me now anyway, not with
the way I'd treated him.

I don't think I'd want to be
with me right now either.

I was starting to think that it
was better before I knew
about him and Ari.

It was at least simpler.

Going back into my classroom was super strange.

It didn't feel the same as it usually did.

It still had the brightly colored wall displays of children's work but it just didn't make me as happy as it used to.

It all felt a little bit tainted.

When the classroom door opened, the children piled in, their eyes widening at the site of me, some of them waving, some of them beaming with happiness, others of them perhaps not so keen or even remotely bothered.

Ari dragged herself in last, eyes downcast, not even looking up
to see me until she reached her desk and took out her books, ready to start work.

"You're back!" she exclaimed.

"That's right." I said to the
whole class.

"I'm back and I've heard you've been very good for Ms. Hart
while I've not been well so
thank you for that."

The lie tripped off the tongue
so quickly I didn't even blink, diving straight into the work
we had been doing before I'd vanished.

When the bell rang for recess, the children scurried out of the room and onto the playground.

All except one.

Ari stayed behind, slinking up
to my desk with a big grin
hidden on her face.