Amor de mi Alma || 2Jae

Chapter 9

That Monday is the first time that Youngjae hasn't handed in any fundraiser forms. The shock of the fact that Youngjae Choi - the Band's best player and one of the most desirable boys of 11th grade who never fails to hand in things on time or do his work - echoes through the room in whispers and worried glances from Jinyoung and Yugyeom while Kunpimook has to explain to Jaebum that Youngjae is never one to act like how he has been doing in their shared Physics class that morning.

He dismissed Jinyoung trying to talk with him and instead pulls his sleeves down as he picks up his mallets, beginning to play a few scales. After a few minutes of being unresponsive, Jinyoung decides to leave Youngjae to himself.

Youngjae hasn't been himself in the past few days. On Thursday and Friday, he attended his exams but left without a word as soon as he was finished. On Saturday he called in sick to his work, and on Sunday he really was sick, so Monday just feels like death to him.

But nevertheless, he still finishes his band-work and plays everything correctly so something must've stayed upright in his brain to be able to do that.

During lunch, Youngjae hides from his friends' questions by hiding in the second-floor bathroom. Five minutes after he finally sits down, Jaebum pops his head inside and calls for his name, but Youngjae remains quiet and eventually Jaebum leaves again.

He manages to steer Yugyeom off the topic when he asks about it in their first English class of the semester, and he returns home without having to answer any of Jinyoung's and Mark's worried questions and without having to face Jaebum, who has been inching closer to finding out what really happened to Youngjae each time they talk.

The following day, during Physics, Youngjae accidentally hands Yugyeom a paper with his sleeve rolled up a bit, showing just the edges of the bruises on his right wrist, and though he catches Yugyeom looking at it, the boy doesn't ask or even point it out, much to Youngjae's relief.

But it seems that Yugyeom had told Jinyoung about the bruises and Jinyoung had told Jaebum because during band, while the flutes and trumpets and saxophones work on a line in Appalachian Spring, the older boy pulls Youngjae beside the bass drum and forcefully rolls up Youngjae's sleeves, fingers running over the bruises, and for some reason Youngjae doesn't stop Jaebum.

"Who did this to you?" Jaebum asks in a hushed whisper as Mr. Divins addresses the flutes. "Youngjae, why are you hiding this?"

"I - eh..."

"Tell me."

"It was a man, I don't know who. He targeted me after work last Wednesday." Anger shines in Jaebum's eyes and he lets go of Youngjae's bruised wrist. The younger immediately pulls his sleeve over it. "I just didn't want you to worry so I didn't tell you."

"You should have," Jaebum says. "If this happens again, talk to the guidance counsellor or your parents, or even the police. And tell us next time."

Youngjae nods and the rest of the band gets called to play again, and the two appear from behind the bass drum. 

Youngjae is a bit surprised at Jaebum's response. They've known each other for around five or six weeks now, and Jaebum is already pretty comfortable around Youngjae despite his social anxiety, and he doesn't even know that Youngjae knows of it.

"All right everyone," says Mr. Divins at the end of class, five minutes before the bell rings. "Before you go to pack up your stuff, I've got the schedule here for you all to take. I've already decided to take the earliest flight possible, so prepare to get up really early on the Monday of April first. Along with the schedule sheets are the forms to go on the trip and make sure to return those at least by Friday so I can order the tickets. Chaperones will also be needed, so check in with your parents to see if they want to come."