Broken & Ruined | TAEKOOK

twenty-three

Class hours ended and as usual, he went to the study hall. Even though they studied in group during breaks, since the last class ended a little bit earlier, he decided to read for at least 20 minutes. He sat on the same chair yesterday. He also set an alarm before he started.

A few minutes later, he found himself rereading the paragraphs in an article he found. Yet his mind wasn't on the topic he was looking at the monitor. He was thinking about what the girl had told him. He also learned her name, Soyeon. She was a second-year high school. He was surprised to know that it wasn't the first time she was treated like that by the same person she referred to.

"You can tell me," Taehyung told her.

"How can I trust you?" Soyeon asked.

"Just trust me. We have to make sure this kind of incident will not happen in the future, to other students."

"I-I don't think I can go detailed."

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me everything that happened or how it happened. But we should file a complaint against him."

Taehyung let out a deep breath and lifted his head. His gaze fixated on the ceiling and watched the orange hue of sunlight fade. He remained like that, his mind fogged with the information he learned from her. And it reminded him of the nights and times he was also wronged by adult men, including his so-called father. His teeth grind each other and the veins in his head became visible as he tried to suppress his anger. The fact that he had experienced the same injustice and offense, he wouldn't let that person victimize another student in the future. Soyeon didn't deserve this. Nobody did.

He was snapped into his reveries and inner thoughts when he heard his alarm. He did not finish the document he was reading but he had to pack his things and head home. He fixed the placement of his glasses on his nose and wore his bag on his back. He forgot to open the lights earlier so he only had the monitor on. He turned it off, and the room became darker. He heaved a deep breath and thanked the illuminating sky to give off a subtle glow.

He stood up and was startled to discern a figure standing in the doorway. He caught his breath and eventually managed to get back his regular heartbeats.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were standing there," he told the person. He could discern his face from the delicate light of the dying daylight. His hands were in the pockets of his trousers while he was leaning comfortably against the side jamb of the door. He plastered a wide smile. His specs moved when his cheeks pushed it up as he beamed.

"Did I startle you?" He asked, chuckling. Taehyung did not give him a response and fixed the chair before he walked towards the exit where Mr. Oh stood.

"I didn't mean to watch you if that's what you thought," he told him. "But it's hearting to see a child full of passion, determination, and very reliable," he added. He stood properly and slid his hand from his pocket to put one of them on Taehyung's shoulder. He shuddered but had to hide his discomfort.

Mr. Oh told him, "Your parents must be proud of you."

Taehyung stretched his lips to form a flat smile and bowed, "Thanks, Mr. Oh." The teacher smiled. "I have to head home now." Mr. Oh nodded and Taehyung walked past him.

He was taking steps downstairs when his phone rang. Jungkook was calling. He picked it up, "Hey."

"Are you free tonight?" Jungkook asked on the other line.

He continued walking downstairs. "Why? Aren't you in your dorm?"

"I am. But I have nothing else to do here. Maybe I can go there and we can grab some noodles?"