chemistry | jimin

09

ever since the first few days i met him, he has started to slowly come out of his barrier. i noticed his smile getting wider, and his words getting braver.

i sat before him and took out the chemistry textbook, getting ready for the first lesson. i checked the clock on the wall, 7.30am. the class starts in another half an hour, and there was no one right now, except for me and jimin.

right, we both like to come to school early.

"so..." i rubbed my hands, shivering at the cold breeze coming in from the window. it was quite a windy day today.

he noticed my behavior and quickly took out his blazer jacket to put it on me. i showed a smile of gratitude and brought my legs up to the chair, crossing them.

"chulin—"
"jimin—"

we both said in unison and laughed. "you go first," i told him hurriedly.

he played with his fingers and looked everywhere but me. it was like he was back to the first few days i started trying to talk to him.

"i... don't know how to start. wait." he turned his back to me and started taking deep breaths. i could see the rising movements of his shoulders and i laughed. he noticed and quickly turned back to face me, fixing himself.

"um... do you remember when you had a... c-chubby classmate in elementary school? the one that.... always gets bullied..." he was starting to fidget.

"yea, his name was jimin—" i stared at him. no, it wasn't him.

"well, the thing is, i guess, no i mean, i'm actually, the park jimin. your elementary school friend." he held out a hand to stop me from saying anything and i quickly closed my jaw that was already close to dropping on the floor.

he took in a deep breath. "you were the only one that protected me from all the bullying, and i can never stop being thankful for all you have done. but i couldn't take it anymore... so i switched schools. and now that we're here, we met again, i really didn't know how to face you. so i pretended to not know you," he stopped, licking his lips.

"but when you kept pestering me— not in a bad way but, you were still the same friendly chulin since last time. i feel like i don't deserve you, i just—" he choked on his saliva and i quickly patted his back. he gently shoved me away in embarassment and i sat back down on my seat, taking in everything.

"i started working out," he continued again. "i didn't want to suffer again, in my new school. so i got fitter, stronger. i had this invisible wall around me, that makes me difficult to talk to people again. it was hard, knowing that people likes you and talks to you only when you're handsome, cool, everything. it was hard for me to trust people again. but when i saw you after so long, the first lesson of chemistry—"

"i felt like we had a special connection, to stumble upon each other again after a few years. i never would have thought i would see you again.

he shook his head at how bad he tried to express himself, hoping that i didn't hear it. he stared at my blank face. "u-uh i'm sorry. do you hate me? yea i know, i was that fat kid that everybody hates—"

his words were cut off as i engulfed him into a hug. "you don't deserve all the negativity. i want you to break that invisible wall, start talking to people. i have amazing friends that never gave up on me, and it's time for you to have some. and to start, you have me. you gotta get over that history of yours, start afresh. you are not going to be reminded of your past again. let everything be bygones."

when i pulled away from the hug, a tint of pink was showing all over his cheeks. his eyes were watering, as he muttered out, "thank you."

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