The Truth Untold | TaeJin

16. You need help!!

📌📌 CW // TW // Mentions of trauma and depression. 📌📌

*****

Seokjin hummed softly. He was sitting by the pool with his mobile phone pressed to his ear as he listened intently to his professor, who sounded very distressed with his request.

"Seokjin, I really don't understand. I begged you to stay, didn't I? But you were adamant about leaving. You wanted to be a teacher, and I respected your decision. You promised me that you would be fine and that you would make me proud. But...", Prof. Han groaned, exhaling tiredly, "I called you like a hundred times when the news broke out about your student. But you ignored me. You never contacted me even once in the past three years, and now, out of the blue, you are contacting me to request accommodation for a person with no further explanation. Seokjin-ah, what's happening? Who is this person? Why should I hide him?"

Seokjin bit his lower lip, deep lines appearing on his forehead as he pressed his eyelids close. He felt great pain tear his heart on hearing the person whom he idolized sound so disappointed with him.

"You are worrying me", Prof. Han conveyed, although he didn't receive any reply from his former student. "But I am going to do this for you, Seokjin. This person, Won-il, whoever he is, can stay in my house for as long as he wants. But you owe me an explanation when all of this ends. I am going to hold you on that, Seokjin."

"Yes, professor", Seokjin agreed, relieved.

"Also, hmmm... I want you to know that my offer still stands", Prof. Han informed Seokjin after clearing his throat.

"P-Professor...", Seokjin felt his heart swell with gratitude, and tears prickled at the corner of his eyes. "Thank you, professor", he managed to utter, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Well, I will be looking forward to hearing from you soon, Seokjin. Take care of yourself."

Seokjin closed the call with his professor after mumbling a soft thank you and glancing at his friend, who was sitting near him with his head hanging low. With a heavy sigh, he diverted his gaze to their feet, which were dipped in water.

Refraction of light, Seokjin remembered Namjoon once talking about this phenomenon of light with great enthusiasm, where there is a slight deviation in its path when a ray of light travels from one medium to another. This causes the clear pool of water to appear less deep than it really is, or the objects submerged in the water to appear much closer to the surface than they really are. Seokjin wondered if human emotions travelled the same way from one person to another. Does the intensity of the emotions get shallower as they pass from one person to another? Is it possible for a human to fully understand another human's problems and struggles? Do people really feel the same amount of pain when someone explains to them what they are going through? Seokjin didn't know.

After Taehyung's emotional breakdown during the wee hours of that day, Seokjin came clean about his past with everyone. Namjoon was shocked, and Hoseok had cried, while Yoongi held his hand supportively until he finished recounting everything. However, Taehyung had remained impassive the entire time as he listened to Seokjin's side of the story. Seokjin didn't leave out any details, nor did he exaggerate anything. He didn't try to justify himself or attempt to earn their sympathy. He just told them what exactly happened and why he lied. He knew that he didn't deserve Taehyung's forgiveness, but he hoped that the younger would at least try to understand his reasons. He wished that his confession would dampen even a bit of the anger that was burning inside Taehyung's chest.