Jungkook & Jimin

A New Leaf (pt. 2)

Jungkook had lost count of how many sleepless nights he's had just like how the ceiling had been stripped of all its color. He's just been thinking of every kind of scenario possible with his new father-in-law, what he would say, and what he would do. He was hoping that listening to music would help him just calm down. Maybe listening to music would finally give Jungkook a break from whatever was happening around him.

Jungkook had no intention of forcing his mother and this new guy apart, but he didn't want anything to do with this new guy. He just wished things were the way they used to be back in Busan with his mother and father together. And he just couldn't figure out what went so wrong to cause such a ruckus in his life. Jungkook couldn't comprehend what happened between his mother and father because, before all of this, he had it all.

Don't complain, Jungkook thought to himself as he listened to the beat of the song, Mom is happy again and dad is happy with his girlfriend. Mina's doing well at her new school and has friends. Mina's happy. Everyone is happy.

Tears welled up in Jungkook's eyes as the thought of change crashed into all of his thoughts. The small droplets trickled out of the corners of his eyes and ran down the sides of his face and kissed the headphones that hugged his ears and whispered "it's-gonna-be-okay" tunes. Jungkook took a ragged breath and closed his eyes.

Why can't I just be happy like everyone else?, he asked.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Jungkook quickly sat up and brought hands to his face to wipe away any evidence of tears. In came Seokjin, Yoongi, and Namjoon, with a box of pizza and lamb skewers, as promised in the group chat from the night before. Jungkook threw his headphones on his pillow and stood up.

"Woah...," Yoongi softly muttered.
"Hey, Jungkook-ah," Seokjin said to cover up Yoongi's gasp. "We brought you something to cheer you up."

Jungkook glanced at the food in Seokjin's hands and smelled the aroma of the pizza and mouth-watering lamb skewers. Usually, Jungkook would be the first one to dive into the food and inhale everything immediately. However, not even the delicious food seemed to quell Jungkook's mind.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry," Jungkook said.
"Seriously?" Yoongi asked. "You never refuse lamb skewers!"
"Sorry, hyung. I'm just...not in the mood."

Seokjin hesitantly put the box of pizza and lamb skewers on Jungkook's desk—and saw the unopened bottle of pills hidden behind a picture frame—and the three boys gathered around Jungkook.

"Okay, what is going on?" Namjoon inquired. "We care about you and this is not something you would do."
"It's really nothing, hyungs," Jungkook said. "My mother is getting married and I just have to move on. It's just going to be this Park guy, my mother, and Mina. I don't have to deal with Mr. Park, I just have to accept that he's my mother's new husband."
"Well, does Mr. Park have any kids? 'Cause if he has kids, you're gonna have to be involved—especially if they're youngers!"
"My mother's never said. But it's not like I'm ever told anything in this house. The only important thing is my mother's career, Mina, and Mr. Park."

Seokjin hugged Jungkook from the side with one arm and gave him a small smile. Yoongi got up from the bed and grabbed the chair from Jungkook's desk and pulled it up in front of Jungkook.

"I still don't understand why you aren't considered 'important' to your mother," Yoongi said. "You and Mina aren't the same; you're going to be interested in different things. I don't know what she expects of you."
"C'mon, hyung," Jungkook sighed, "we've talked about this already. With the way Mina's going, she's going to make a shit load of money. She'll be able to support herself if her husband bails on her. As for me, the arts path is incredibly competitive and not many make it. Yes, I'm one of the top students at SOPA, but, it's not good enough for my mother. Education and academics are preferred over the arts because the arts are just supposed to be hobbies."
"Well doesn't this seem a bit hypocritical? Your mother's marrying an MC."
"Yes, but Mr. Park didn't plan on being an MC. He just happened to have good looks, a good voice, and good connections which kind of led to that career. Apparently, he studied in America and planned on being a journalist for some newspaper back here. He's apparently really smart, so he and Mina will hit it off for sure."