You're my Hanahaki Flower - Jeon Jungkook

¤ 5 ¤

¤ How many secrets can you keep? ¤

By the time Jungkook had recovered enough to go back inside, our lunch break had almost come to an end by the time we returned to the canteen. This made me throw away the rest of my food - although with a bit of regret, as there were only a few bites left. On the otherhand, I was glad to see that Jin had managed to finish the meal set, which he showed me proudly. 

Besides after my statement about his disease, Jungkook had gone very silent to the point that he said nothing to me on our way back to the canteen, and a bad feeling started pooling inside my stomache, pushing my appetite away.

As soon as we got back to our table, Jungkook left my side and joined Hyeri's side again. For the rest of what was left of our lunch break, he didn't look at me once and when I joined in on conversations he was holding, he would soon turn silent or even start new ones. When it was time for us to head to class, he only gave me a vague goodbye not even looking at me properly.

"Did something happen between you two, when you headed out?" Yeonji whispered in my ear slightly surprised and worried but I shook my head in denial, as I didn't have an answer to that either. 

As time passed and the end of the school day was nearing, the bad feeling inside me, only got worse. I couldn't explain what or how it came to be, but it's that kind of anxious feeling when you're suddenly done with school and everything, but you still feel like you've tons of stuff left to do. Only because school ended all of a sudden, even I could even use this as a comparison for the feeling I was having. 

Usually, I would see him here and there a few times - in between classes and such,  but it felt like he was purposely avoiding me. Maybe I was being paranoid or maybe I was just too used to seeing him everywhere, but I still couldn't shake off that anxious feeling I had. The worst part of it? Not being able to think of a single reason, as to why he was acting like this.

As the school bell rang - indicating my last class was over, I let out a relieved sigh. I could go home, relax and let the bad feeling dissolve. Somehow now that school was over and it was time for me to walk home Jungkook - as usual, the feeling seemed to melt away into the background. 

I knew that since Yeonji was in a different homeroom class than me, she had already headed home. Her homeroom classes always finished an hour earlier than mine, so it was pretty rare for her and me to walk home together on certain days. 

After getting my books and homework from my locker, I headed to the entrance, where Jungkook would usually wait for me. Or so I had believed would be the case, until I got there.

The bad feeling inside my chest - that had slowly melted away as class ended, once again took over my whole body and clawed at my throat. Jungkook was nowhere to be seen at the entrance, and his class always finished 10 minutes earlier than mine. Besides if he was late, he would text me beforehand. 

I leaned against the wall next to the entrance, hoping he would still show up. Hoping that I had it wrong, that he didn't leave without. That he didn't suddenly stop talking to me and that he didn't suddenly avoid me. Hope which was, of course, foolish to have, but can you blame the heart when you truly love someone? No, you can't. Because you'll always keep hoping. 

Only two minutes later, someone tapped my shoulder and asked: "Are you waiting for Jungkook?"

"Huh?" Startled I looked up to see Jimin standing next to me with a curious but friendly look on his face, "Oh Jimin, hey! No, I'm not waiting for Jungkook."

I quickly thought up an excuse - not wanting to explain the situation or to make it awkward, because I myself had no explanation for it. I held up my phone and pointed at the dark screen, "I'm waiting for a text from my brother, he wanted to go shopping with me but I still don't know where to meet him."

"Oh, I was about to say." Jimin somehow looked relieved and I quirked my eyebrow up confused as to why he would be relieved. "Jungkook left with Hyeri quite a time ago, so I would feel bad if you were waiting for him."

"Oh, you don't need to." I smiled at him, but my insides churned up and I felt like I was going to suffocate. The clawing anxious feeling was now taking over my whole body and gave me a numb and stiff feeling. "I'm just waiting for a text. From my oh so great brother."

As if on cue my phone buzzed, and a message showed up. I didn't know from who it was, but I opened it and acted like it was from my brother. Of course, the message wasn't from him, but it was a message I would rather not have had either. 

"He wants me to come home," I explained to Jimin as I quickly locked my phone, hoping he hadn't stolen a glance at it. "Then we can go by car from there because my mom is coming too."

"Mhm, that's smart too. Saves time." Jimin just nodded his head understandingly, "Which way do you live actually?"

"I live in Upper east ..." I answered him and immediately his smile drooped as he let out a soft sigh.

"That's the total opposite of me." Jimin sighed once again with an adorable pout. Had I not been troubled by Jungkook and his behavior, then I would've melted at this adorable males sight. 

"Ah, that's a bummer." I tried to act like I slightly cared because he was so honest, but right now I just wanted to lock myself up in my room. If possible for the coming few years. 

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" Jimin said as we reached the gate and had to go separate ways. Somehow he sounded hopeful and once again I couldn't place his emotions at all, but I still smiled at him. He couldn't do anything about the fact that my best friend was being an arse right now. 

"Yes, totally. I'll see you tomorrow~" I nodded my head before I quickly rushed away towards home.

The suffocating feeling was only getting worse, and my chest was hurting too. Not in a way where you would be left breathless, but in a numbing way were the pain at a point became soothing and the only thing you felt at that moment. At times I wondered if I was the one with the Hanahaki disease whenever I had this anxious feeling in my chest. And if Jungkook as coughing up the petals for me, but then again, I that had been true, it would've been even more painful for me. 

Somehow I couldn't comprehend why and how Jungkook could just ditch me like that. The thoughts and possible reasons were just not getting registered in my mind. Only because his mood had switched from all good too, I don't want to talk to you anymore, in a few seconds. I mean, I knew and understood - more than anyone, that Hyeri was important, so important that she could save his life. But in the past, he had always been the one to throw a tantrum if I was the one who didn't wait for him.

Yet somehow I could still tolerate this all and talk to him tomorrow, if not for the lie he had just told me. It hurt so much that he texted me, and told the biggest lie he could tell me right now. Why did he have to lie about how he went home? Did he expect me to get mad? I just can't seem to understand, because I've never opposed his love. If something, I was more proactive in getting him closer to her, than he had been. 

It was my luck and a curse that I had to open the message in front of Jimin, if not I might've just let a frustrated scream right there and then. Because obviously it wasn't from my brother - who I had used as an excuse to cover myself up, but neither had I expected it to be from Jungkook.

Jungkook: One of my classes got canceled last minute, so I went home early...