❝because hyung, i am not going back without you❞ ||
● jinyoung embarks on a journey to bring his estranged best friend jaebum home, believing that he is less likely to succeed, specially when he is the reason of jaebum's disappearance.
● a jj proje...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"He looks like a monkey," one boy points and laughs.
"Yes, a monkey, a monkey."
Others join him as well. Five year old Park Jinyoung cries silently, head bowed, lower lip jutting out, heels digging into the dirt as he swallows the insults. Getting cornered by other kids who find him comical for no reason was the first shock of his life when he was admitted in the first grade.
Some pull his ears which appear a bit too big for his face, some poke pencils into his full cheeks and call him fat. Jinyoung doesn't understand why other kids don't like him or try to include him in all the games they play together. He doesn't tell at home but his mother understands. She knows something is going on with her child as she turns up at the school one day and consults with the teacher. The teacher tell her that Jinyoung is facing difficulties to get along with his classmates but she doesn't specify the worried mother that it's not Jinyoung's fault.
On a Friday morning, he gets teased once again in the classroom. A girl with pigtails roll up paper balls to throw at him and it just hits him straight in the eye. Jinyoung cries out, pushing the heel of his palm into his eye to somehow stop the irritation caused by the paper ball. But then he also hears the pigtail girl yelling and screaming. It takes him a solid two minutes to reopen his eyes and focus on what was happening.
Jinyoung finds a boy yanking his attacker by her pigtails, shaking her head vigorously. The girl scratches and kicks at him and his bony frame isn't enough to block the blows successfully and she manages to hit him in the groin.
His savior doubles over and starts crying on the floor, clutching himself between his legs until the teacher arrives and raises her eyebrows at the whole mayhem.
"Jaebum pulled my hair," the girl complains and her face stained with tears look convincing enough.
The boy named Jaebum is removed from the floor and after a brief questioning is taken to the nurse in school. The girl doesn't do anything to retaliate. However, Jinyoung's age does nothing to prevent him from understanding that the boy Jaebum was on his side and he pulled the girl's hair because she had hit him with a paper ball.
Jinyoung doesn't realize quickly but he finds a friend that day.
On his way home, slinging the big backpack which dwarfs his body, he hopes to see the other boy so he can thank him. Jinyoung's mother has taught him to thank anyone who is helpful and never forget an act of gratitude. Not to mention she has told Jinyoung that one day he'll grow tall, just like his deceased father. Jinyoung believed her and looked forward to that day.
Fortunately he finds Jaebum while passing by the nurse's office. Jaebum lies still on a gurney as there is another occupant on the single bed in the room. Jinyoung simply walks in and discovers himself in the close proximity of Jaebum for the first time.
Jinyoung tip toes to look at Jaebum's face, his eyes closed and lips parted. He is probably asleep, Jinyoung thinks. He knew Jaebum but not by his name. He went regularly to the class and he didn't even know the name of half of his classmates. The boy lying on the gurney was too thin to the point people might mistake him of being malnourished. He has a smaller face compared to Jinyoung's. Jinyoung wished he had a face like him, so that he won't get teased by his classmates.
"Hello, are you awake?" he asks hesitantly to which a pair of eyes part open.
"Thank you for helping me," Jinyoung smiles and waits for his answer.
"How did I help you?" Jaebum picks his neck up just a bit to watch Jinyoung.
He believes and confirms that Jaebum is talking to him for the first time ever.
"You fought with Nayeon because she hit me with that paper right?"
Jinyoung sounds unsure. Maybe there is some other reason for Jaebum to pick a fight with Nayeon. Why else would Jaebum stand up for him when nobody in the class would? All he wanted was Jaebum's confirmation then.
"Oh, Nayeon is not a nice girl."
Jinyoung doesn't repeat his question and takes the satisfaction to believe that Jaebum beat up Nayeon for him. He finds happiness in that. Nonetheless, he thanks Jaebum again.
"Thank you very much Jaebum."
Jaebum just smiles a bit and nods as Jinyoung turns on his heels, ready to leave for home.
"And you don't look like a monkey."
Jinyoung is surprised at Jaebum's declaration, more delighted than surprised actually. He smiles at Jaebum, believing his words. Jinyoung waves happily. Atleast someone in this world other than his mother thinks that he doesn't look ugly.
That marks the day when Park Jinyoung finds a new friend who will go onto understand him, believe in him and tell him day in and day out to be more confident about how he looks.
On an autumnal afternoon, in the nurse's office, dwindling in the lost days of childhood, Park Jinyoung had found Im Jaebum.
