LIMIT ° you . kth . jjk [18+]

ten

[ jungkook ]

Small drops of rain pelted against the red canopy of the seventeen year old's umbrella as he slowly traipsed through the empty morning streets of Hongdae. He had gotten up hours before he had to, as usual -- blame his internal clock that somehow enjoyed breaking his slumber at the most inconvenient times -- and he decided that today, he would actually go to school early and get ahead in the class syllabus. 

That was before dark clouds drifted overhead, and a dreary shadow stretched beyond the skies, drowning Seoul in a sluggish shade of gray. A thick fog soon blended with the cracked asphalt on the ground and the ashen azure above, reducing his vision to nothing as the young male breathed in his newfound solitude. Some called it depressing, but Jungkook found peace and refuge in rainy days. So he took his time, listlessly walking through shallow puddles as he neared the school.

Once he entered the towering building, the young boy was surprised to see the halls already crowded with early birds as they rushed from lockers to their respective rooms. He could only assume they were there at the ungodly hour of 8 for club duties. Unless he had actually taken more than an hour to traverse a 20 minute walk from his apartment to the school. That was possible too judging the ruddy state of his previously pristine umbrella. 

With black sneakers drenched in muddy water, the boy kicked them off eagerly as he scrunched his nose, distressed by the icky feeling of wet socks before he changed into his school shoes. Most of his friends usually teased him for being a stickler for rules. They could have fun with their comfortable runners and colorful laces, but he saw no reason to wear out his perfectly good outdoor shoes if he didn't need to. What others saw as good behaviour was simply just logic. 

Shoving the umbrella into shared bin, he quietly made his way into his homeroom, anticipating the peace and quiet of solitude. What he saw instead was the familiar back of his friend, slumped over the table, in a serene sleep. Sometimes he forgot that she was an honor student like him.

Song Ahreum. 

Jungkook wouldn't have paid her any attention if fate had allowed it. However, the two of them shared an inordinate amount of classes together. Of course, being stuck in the same homeroom meant that they would see each other often, but even outside of that, they almost had all the same electives at the same time. It was impossible for him to ignore her. 

And then there was her obsession with his close friend, Taehyung. 

Jungkook didn't know when his apprehension of her slowly turned to admiration, but it happened and the young boy could only blame it on their growing friendship. He had never seen a girl pursue another man with so much passion. No matter how much Taehyung turned her down, her sadness would only last a few moments before her steadfast resolution brought her back to her feet. It was a bit pathetic, sure. But it was kinda, sorta, just the tiniest bit cute as well. 

Soon, he found himself looking forward to their meetings. The older girl had the ability to bring a smile to anyone's face and as cheesy as it sounded, she was like blinding ray of sunshine that illuminated her surroundings wherever she went. Today as well, amidst the fog and the bleak rain, the sleeping figure of the girl just looked so damn peaceful and calm. He would've settled down beside her and closed his eyes in a tranquil slumber if he had the courage to do so. 

But he didn't. 

And he couldn't. 

Because he wasn't Taehyung. The only person she had her eyes on. 

Jungkook didn't want to call it jealousy. For the longest time, he had agreed to play the role of the supporting friend. The bystander. When Taehyung announced to the group that he actually gave Ahreum a chance, the youngest simply smiled, happy that his friend would finally reach a conclusion of some sort.