Who you used to be - [p.jm]

19. Stigma

Flashback
(Before Jungkook joined Bangtan)

For the first time in several months, Taehyung was present in class again.
He was sitting next to you, talking to Jungkook who was seated on the other table.

"Oh? Who do we have here?", you teased him as you took your seat.

He had always been nicer to you than the rest of the guys in class were, so you figured that you could joke around with him. He was a chill dude.

Taehyung laughed: "Yeah, I'm actually here. Looks like I can't be saved from my sea of absences, though."

"Where have you been all this time?", you questioned.

His lips formed a line and he looked like the natural color was washed off his face in the matter of seconds.

"I had some problems at home, but it's all fine now", he smiled weakly, giving a slightly creepy feel to it.

You shivered for some reason.
His face was a lot paler than usual and his voice had gotten more flat and serious - as if his emotions had been drained out of him.

You could tell that something more serious had happened, but it wasn't your place to ask.
Taehyung hadn't been coming to class for almost the whole year now. Was it because something happened to him?

He noticed your suspicious gaze and avoided it.
"Sorry, it's nothing."

You and Jungkook exchanged confused looks and placed your books on the desk. As soon as the teacher had entered the classroom, his eyes fell on Taehyung.

"Kim Taehyung, see me after class", he said with a monotoned voice.

It couldn't mean anything good if he talked like that, you knew that well. You wondered if they could expel Taehyung because of his absences.

Class passed very quickly because you were constantly distracted by Taehyung's weird behavior.

Normally, when he came to class a few times, he kept joking around and made you laugh all the time.
Now, he was quiet and seemed quite depressed. He spared you a few pleading looks, as if he just wanted to get out already.

As requested, he waited for everyone else to leave so that he could talk to the teacher.
You were just too curious to let it be, so you positioned yourself in front of the door to eavesdrop. It was one of the things you had to know, being an assassin and all.

You knew Jimin and the others were waiting for you in the cafeteria, but you just had to listen to this.

The teacher's screeching voice could be heard from over miles away.
"Where the hell were you Kim Taehyung?! We almost called the police, your parents weren't picking up, there was nobody at home...-"

Taehyung interrupted him with a cough.
"Sorry sir. I just didn't feel like coming."

He was lying, obviously. Your teacher didn't really do a good job in his profession as he slammed his fist against the table and clearly didn't recognize the lie.
"You want to tell me that you've been dropping school to 'chill' at home??"