Broken & Ruined | TAEKOOK

twenty

It was his first day of school, yet he hadn't met Jungkook during vacation. Though he wasn't expecting him to come and visit him since he told him not to, he couldn't help but wait for the time they'd meet again. Maybe while he's visiting the playground where they first met, or trailing the streets he went when he was lost, he was hoping he'd run onto him. But it never happened.

Sometimes, he'd help Bo-gum collect stuff and assist Pops in the shop as well. When they talked about 'something cool' inside Pops's shop and Bo-gum invited him inside so he could finally see it, Pops did not allow it. They were disappointed, especially Taehyung, because he just grew more curious. So one day, Bo-gum decided to be silly and disobeyed Pops. He helped Taehyung sneak inside.

He did not find any extraordinary inside Pops's shop at first. He knew that the shop was a house. But then Bo-gum told him that the house was just the exterior of 'something cool'. He guided Taehyung to the back of the shop, and there, he witnessed that people going in there were those who trained to fight, and they were turning into monsters inside the ring; they were boxers. Visitors come when there are matches, gambling, and placing bets on who they think would win.

Taehyung was surprised when he learned that Pops was actually training Bo-gum. But the surprise didn't end there. Kids, as young as 10 can go for a match! And it wasn't all just for fun. Bo-gum confessed it was illegal. That's why it's hidden and Pops was skeptical about letting other people know. He remembered Bo-gum telling him, "But you're my friend now, and I trust you. So it's okay."

And probably, that explains Bo-gum's strength when he effortlessly picked tires and his speed when he's working. Pops considers his job as training. Taehyung couldn't believe it, but he was amazed! It really was something cool.

He kept the secret, but he explained to his mother that he wasn't working because he felt he needed to: he told her that he liked helping in Pops' shop and it just felt rewarding to receive something after doing their work. Aside from that, he was happy while doing it, and Bo-gum was a funny and cool friend.

Taehyung stepped inside the classroom where students his age were sitting on their seats, all eyes were on him. With the attention he was receiving, he immediately felt nervous. The teacher introduced him to the class and pointed him his seat.

The class went seamless and when the bell rang for a break, the classroom immediately turned into a mess. His classmates went to their friends, chatted, and laughed, while others had their own worlds. He didn't know how to interact with any of them, so he only observed. He noticed some of them looking in his direction. When he turned around and saw no one behind him, he confirmed they were looking at him. His heart thumped, he had no idea why were they staring at him.

Maybe because he was new. But he couldn't really tell the looks on their faces. He was slightly startled when one of the boys approached him, "Hi."

Taehyung awkwardly smiled and greeted back, "Hi."

"I think I saw you," the boy told him, tilting his head as he tried to examine his face. "Yeah, I saw you! I know you!" Taehyung was surprised. He didn't think he knew him because he had only met him this once.

"You know me?" He asked.

"Yeah!" The boy enthusiastically answered. "I saw you collecting garbage on the streets and everywhere. I recognize you because you often walk past us— and you have collected stuff from us too! Right? You ask people if they have spare something or whatever," he stated. Taehyung's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. He wasn't expecting that somebody would actually recognize him.

"I was right, yeah? I know it was you! You often go with the other boy." Taehyung felt like he would melt in his chair because of the attention and whispering he was receiving. Some were confirming that the boy's guess was right, while some were reacting as if being disgusted. If some thought that he was only doing that because he's industrious and responsible, it probably missed his ears.