Dear Best Friend | 김태형

Realise || Chapter sixteen

You knocked sheepishly on the door to the changing room, making sure it was loud enough to be heard from inside. After a moment, no-one answered, and you heard no noise behind the door. It was clear - you assumed, and so you opened the door to walk in.

Almost as soon as the door closed behind you, you smelled the strong, sour stench of teenage boy's sweat. Oh, god, how can any of them even walk in here without dying almost instantly?

Your stomach felt like it was sinking down to your gut as you stepped further in.

The room was practically made in sections, alike the girl's. There is a large square entrance room, with nothing but a few benches in. You didn't want to stay in that room too long; somebody would find you.

You moved in towards the second room, and after opening the door near the left of the room, the smell seemed to fade a little. You wondered what they all did in that particular first room, as the girls never used it other than a pathway.

The door to the next room pushed open with a slight creak, making you cringe. You felt yourself hold your breath as you saw a large row of lockers, and many stalls along one wall.

Jimin had told you that they usually used the third room, as it was quieter and there were a few empty stalls. Apparently, Tae was in there.

You tried to ignore the underwear lying on the ground as you passed it, and rolled your eyes as you saw a pair of shoes hanging from a light. The third door was a little further away, because the changing room was huge.

You considered calling for Tae as you closed the third door behind you. There were many stalls in this room, however these were a little more cramped. You noticed in one of the rows, that there was a door shut, unlike the others.

That had to be him.

However, you decided against calling out for him, worried that he'd actually left and it was just some dude sneaking his girlfriend in or some crazy shit like that.

You gently paced your way towards the door, making sure you were as silent as possible. As you tip-toed, you were certain that someone was in there.

Just as you reached the door, you didn't stand directly in front of it, in case he'd see your shoes. You leaned back against the pillar supporting it, and listened for any sign of life. After a few moments, however, you furrowed your brows and frowned as a sniffling noise filled the room.

Is someone crying?

The noise was interrupted momentarily by a rough cough - more like a chocking sound - and you knew that whoever was in that stall was bawling thier eyes out. You frowned as you bit your lip, listening to the sniffles and coughs. If not Tae, then who could it be?

You were patient. It took a long while, but eventually the deep toned sobs died down. You inahled a large breath of air, and prepared yourself as you knocked on the stall door. The sniffling stopped immediately, and you heard some shuffling around before someone answered behind the locked door.

"Hello?" The voice said, and you squinted as the tone wasn't matching that of Taehyung's usual. You stayed still for a moment, contemplating what to do.

"Is someone there?" The boy asked, his voice rough, sounding like it was just dragged through a pit of rocks - torn and broken. This time, however, you felt your heart rate quicken as you recognized it as Taehyung's.