Shameless | JJK

iii. Tear

SOYEON ALWAYS PRIDED herself on her ability to cry alone. Albeit a quite depressing ability, it allowed her to not be a burden on others, instead dealing with her problems on her own like she had always done. It had worked thus far—she was surviving, at least—but of course, the universe deemed against her that fateful day, where for the first time in years, another would see her tears. Did that person have to be Jungkook?

"Soyeon?" Jungkook blinked, his wide eyes displaying pure concern as they met Soyeon's glossy, bloodshot ones. "Are you crying?"

Soyeon wanted nothing but to throw herself off of a thirtieth floor window. "W-What are you doing here?" she stuttered.

"I live here," Jungkook said, his eyebrows furrowed. "Come on, I'll take you to your dorm room," he nudged his head toward the elevators, slightly letting go of the door so that Soyeon could either follow him or get hit by the heavy door. She hesitantly chose the first option, following him toward the elevators as he pressed the up button. It was dead silent, even in the lobby, where it was hauntingly empty, as if all of the university students had dropped out and disappeared.

They walked inside the elevator upon its arrival, and Jungkook pressed his access card against the pad. "What's your floor?"

"Five," she mumbled.

"Oh—Me too," Jungkook chirped, pressing the button with his tattooed finger.

Soyeon had to refrain from smashing her head against the elevator walls. Of course he had to live on her floor. As if this situation was not weird enough.

After an excruciatingly silent elevator ride, they got off the fifth floor, and Jungkook was about to follow behind Soyeon before she suddenly stopped in front of the closing elevator.

"I, um," she sniffed, "My roommates are about to come back any second, so I was going to head to one of the lounges to compose myself, so you don't have to help me and all—"

"No way," Jungkook interrupted firmly. "I'll take you to my dorm instead. What if someone walks into the lounge while you're crying? Let's go."

Soyeon's eyes flickered to his in utter surprise. Why was he so caring? Why was he treating Soyeon with this sort of kindness despite knowing each other for mere hours? How was he not totally grossed out by finding her crying in her pink crocs with her mascara surely running?

Jungkook led her to his dorm room, on the opposite side of the building from her own room. The chalkboard beside his door that all residents had was covered in drawings of Pokémon, and Snoopy. She would have assumed three children lived there if not Jungkook and his two dormmates—Taehyung and Jimin were the other names on the door.

Jungkook unlocked his door, opening it swiftly and walking inside, Soyeon following behind him. The whiff of men and oddly enough—eucalyptus, hit Soyeon's face as she walked further inside. It was pristine, an odd discovery considering there were three boys living together.

"My roommates aren't here right now," Jungkook told her as he put his black backpack onto his desk chair. Soyeon watched as he took off his bucket hat, running a hand through his long, dark hair, almost hypnotized by him and the dangly earrings that swayed with his movements. He took notice of her awkward standing, pointing to his bed. "Come sit."

Soyeon hesitantly sat down on his bed, the white blankets dipping under her as he sat at the edge of his desk chair, at eye-level. Jungkook's hair fell on his forehead messily, though still looked as if it fit in place—Soyeon tore her eyes away.

"What happened?" he asked softly. "Why were you crying outside?"

Soyeon couldn't help but feel like it had turned into a therapy session, and it made her lips turn to a frown. "I don't know."