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17 year old, Y/N knelt on the floor, her fingers trembling as she arranged the blankets on the small cot. Jungkook sat cross-legged on the floor nearby, hugging his knees, his wide doe eyes fixed on her.
"Why do we always have to stay here?" The 6 year old Jungkook asked, his voice soft but laced with confusion. His tiny hands fidgeted with the hem of his worn-out sweater, one that was far too big for his small frame.
Y/N stilled for a moment, her back to him, before she turned around and forced a smile. It was a poor imitation of warmth, but she didn’t want him to worry. "It's safer this way, Jungkook," she said, kneeling in front of him. Her hands reached out to fix his unruly hair, but her gaze faltered, shifting to the floor.
"Safe from what?" he asked, tilting his head. His innocence struck her like a knife every time.
She swallowed hard. "From people who might... take you away from me." Her voice cracked ever so slightly, and she cursed herself for it.
"But why would anyone do that?" he persisted, his voice growing louder, more frustrated. "I don’t understand! You’re always hiding me, making me stay quiet. I don’t even know why we live here now.”
“Your parents are dead, so you don't have anyone except me do you?” She asked.
“No, Why can’t we go back to Taehyung hyung’s house? He wouldn’t—"
"Stop!" Y/N snapped, her voice sharp and raw. The room fell into silence. She immediately regretted raising her voice when she saw the way his bottom lip trembled.
She closed her eyes, drawing in a shaky breath, and when she opened them again, her expression had softened. "I’m sorry, Jungkook. I didn’t mean to yell."
He sniffled, his small frame trembling as he wiped at his eyes with his sleeves. "I just... I miss my parents," he mumbled, his voice breaking. "I don’t understand why they left me."
Y/N felt her chest tighten as tears threatened to spill, but she held them back. She had to be strong—for him.
Scooting closer, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. He buried his face in her shoulder, his small hands clutching at her shirt.
"I know," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I know you miss them. I miss them too. But they’re... they’re not coming back, Jungkook. And I promised them I’d keep you safe, no matter what."
His sobs were muffled against her shoulder, and Y/N rested her chin on his head, closing her eyes as her own tears finally fell.
"I’m doing this for you," she murmured. "Because I can’t let anyone take you away from me. You’re my family now, Jungkook. And I’ll protect you... no matter what it takes."
He believed that. He believed when she said he was her family. He believed that she would protect him.
But he wasn't sure why suddenly just a few days after she changed.
