REDAMANCY

Twelve

Chapter Twelve
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Destinesia
(n.) when you get to where you were intending to go, but forget why you were going there in the first place
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4 months ago...

"Let go of me!" Jimin yelled as Byungchul pinned him against the cold brick wall. The rest of his group caught up and stood around them, smirking.

"What's a weak little boy like you gonna do to strong men like us?" Hyuntae quipped. "Too gay to think straight." The other snickered at his supposedly witty insult.

"So what if I am?" Jimin growled, struggling against Byungchul's hold. "It's got nothing to do with you guys."

"Oh it has everything to do with us!" One of Byungchul's sidekicks, Daekyung, feigned shock. "It's damaging on our reputation to have the likes of you conversing with our friend."

"Pull your heads out of your asses." Jimin snapped. "You know you only used him to bargain with teachers and keep your grades safe so your mothers wouldn't beat you over the head with a rice bowl for failing."

"Run that mouth one more time." Byungchul said, tightening his grip on Jimin's collar. Suddenly Jimin began to realize what he'd gotten himself into and desperately wanted to get home. He knew what Byungchul and his groupies did to kids who refused to hand over their bus money for Byungchul and his group to pig out on vending machine food. He knew how they intimidated younger schoolgirls in the quiet, unmonitored hallways during school hours. He wanted to be no part of it. He was fine with being a coward and getting away unharmed.

"Ok!" Jimin cried. "I'm sorry, I'll stop. So let me go!"

"Why would we do that, baby?" Jihoon mocked.

"Stop!" Jimin didn't want to hear any more.

"Well there's no need to yell at us." Byunchul's voice was dangerously calm.

Then he punched Jimin straight in the jaw.

Jimin collapsed on the ground, his mouth filling with the taste of metal, and his uniform pants tearing at the knees.

Hyuntae kicked him hard in the side. "Filth." He said with a smirk. "That's all you are. A threat to our reputation."

"I've done nothing to you." Jimin managed to say in between coughs. "Why are you doing this?!"

Byungchul slammed his foot down on Jimin's head until he was pressed against the cold asphalt. Small rocks dug into his skin and he'd cut his lip.

"You still fight us back, dipshit?" He snapped. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Aish, I'm sick of this small talk, and I don't feel like getting my hands dirty. Go at 'em all you want guys." He turned and sauntered off.

"Byungchul!" Jimin shouted, willing the older to turn around and change his mind.

"Shut the hell up, Park." Jihoon hauled Jimin to his feet and slammed him against the wall again.

—

"Jimin?" Jimin's mom called up the stairs to him. "Are you still studying? Come down and have dinner."