Sticks and Stones • Park Jimin

xxii.

Jimin got to school just about the same time as normal since he'd walked, but he hadn't had to deal with all the kids on the bus today, so it had been worth it.

But as he walked toward his classroom, he felt everyone's eyes on him.

Do they know?

Will they stop me?

Are they glad?

He sat in his desk and waited for class to start. He started hearing words from whispers traveling around the room.

What a slut...

I heard he slept with the whole team.

Why would anyone want to sleep with him?

He's disgusting.

He's such a player.

What? Jimin wondered. Who is a player?

After all this time, Jimin should have seen it coming, should have just assumed the worst, but in the end, yes, even in the very end of everything, he was still too naive to expect the reality.

Kyung-soo sat on his desk, smirking. "Hi there, Jimin."

Jimin was quiet for a moment. "Hi Kyung-soo."

He just kept up his smirk. "Heard you've been busy."

Jimin frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kyung-soo grinned. "You know. Busy sleeping around."

"What?"

Kyung-soo leaned back slightly. "It's kind of disgusting, that any girl would want to sleep with you, let alone the whole volleyball team. But it's also disgusting that you did it anyway, isn't it?"

"What?" Jimin repeated. "I didn't-"

"But you did," Kyung-soo said, leaning in closer to Jimin and lowering his voice. "You did because I said you did. Remember yesterday? When you didn't do what I told you to do? And I told you that there would be a consequence? This is the consequence, Jimin. This is the price for disobeying me. But just remember, it was your choice. It didn't have to be this way."

Jimin didn't know what to say.

Even stranger, he wasn't sure whether he cared anymore. Yes, the whispers still hurt, satiating the dull ache he'd grown accustomed to.

But it would all be over after today.

No more whispers.

No more laughing.

No more Kyung-soo.

Jimin thought back to their game of dodgeball, when he'd been left with just a purple ball that he'd protected the whole game before setting it down on the grass.

He'd protected and treasured his life for as long as the game - life - had gone on. Now it was time to set it down.

He thought of his mom, getting up early to make him breakfast.

He had to set it down, though. There wasn't any other way.

Was there?

"So, Jimin. Remember this when I tell you to do something next, got it?" Kyung-soo asked maliciously before hopping off Jimin's desk to laugh with his friends.

There wasn't.

So Jimin stood up from his desk, grabbed his backpack, and slowly walked out of the classroom just as the bell for the start of class rang.

What's with Jimin?

Did he finally snap?

Why did he leave?

Did he just walk out?

Jimin smiled at the new conversations. At least the last thing he heard from them wasn't

Jimin is ugly

or

Jimin is fat

or

Jimin is short

or

Jimin is a slut

So Jimin went up to the roof, feeling - if not completely ready - content.

another update for you guys because i sense you're starting to get antsy
also
anyone see that Got7 reference in the last chapter? 😏 comment here with it and i'll give you a shoutout in the q&a