playing by the rules || j.jk

XXXII

"Chapter 32"

Ji-Young's POV:

Monday came by like an ominous, black cloud. When I woke up to my school alarm, I desperately wanted to not go in. My eyes were still swollen and red - sometimes becoming crusted shut after crying in my sleep - from the excessive crying that had taken place over the weekend. Jin forced me to go and shower over six times this weekend, just so he could change my sheets for clean ones, throwing the tear and snot stained ones in the washing machine. 

Jin had been suppressing his sadness about mum, trying to stay strong for me. However, his face, which was usually lit with a smile, was dull and emotionless. His eyes were empty, deep abysses. The brown of them, which usually shone a warm cinnamon brown, instead shone back a bitter coffee colour. 

I wiped my nose on my sleeve, shivering as I woke up to the cold draft forcing itself through the gaps in my window frame. It had been warm up until this weekend, when suddenly the wind carried in a numbing, polar wind and the ground frosted over. Winter had come, stripping the trees of their exquisite accessories and turning the grass sickly. Like death, winter was cruel. As was the feeling of guilt, which had been rapidly sinking in over the weekend. 

I could've killed Jungkook. 

It had played and replayed in my mind, keeping me up at night. Restless. Shifting in my sheets. Sweat down the nape of my neck. The worst case scenarios just flooded my every thought. 

In need of a distraction, I decided to be brave and face school. Perhaps the stupidity of teenage girls and the complicated trigonometry formulas would at least sidetrack my thoughts for a while.

-

For your information, it didn't. 

Word had gotten around that Jungkook was in hospital. Some girls had already made up their own stories of how it happened, making up these fantastically ridiculous tales. It hurt most when groups of his friends walked by, from smokers to jocks. They all asked me if I knew and I just shook my head. I could see in their eyes they knew I was lying, however they simply nodded and walked away.

Walk. Something so simple. Something he perhaps would never do again.

Over the weekend, I had researched the best and worst stories of car accidents. So many ended up handicapped for the rest of their lives. And whilst some stories ended heartwarmingly, you still felt a tinge of sadness for them. And for those with tragic ends, those with suicide or a life being tube fed, a bedpan under them at all times, you wanted to cry with them. Despite having seen Jungkook in decently good shape, I couldn't help but worry something could still change.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice myself walking right into a slightly taller males back. 

Crashing into a firm and steady object, my eyes widened in shock and apologies began slipping out of my mouth like how a waterfall rushes off a cliff. But I felt relieved when the owner of that incredibly firm back turned. I sighed in relief.

"Oh, sorry Chim." I smiled awkwardly, adjusting my backpack on one shoulder.

"J-Ji-Ji-Young!" He stuttered, Taehyung suddenly whipping around too. They both looked to each other, eyes wide before looking back at me, smiling and chuckling awkwardly. Taehyung scratched the back of his neck with one hand and Jimin dragged Taehyung's other hand away. "Don't worry Ji, it's fine. We just have to go to class now!"

"W-well we have the same class-" I began, trying to follow them but they rushed off quicker.

"N-no we have to do boy stuff first, maybe go to the toilet or smoke or something-" They cut themselves off there before dodging into the next hallway and likely up the stairs to the second floor and then the maintenance ladder to get to the roof. It was their favourite place.

I knitted my eyebrows, sighing and rolled my shoulders before walking to my class, questioning why they were so flustered. Do they blame me for what happened to Jungkook? Am I going to lose them as my friends too?

I never quite managed it to first period, instead just sat inside a cubicle in the girls bathroom and just repeated my entire weekend. Crying, crying and more crying.

Author POV:

Jimin pulled Taehyung into the right corridor, the direct opposite direction which he knew Ji-Young would be headed. Rushing up the stairwell, he dodged into the second door on the left, Mr. Robins classroom. He was never in on a Monday but for some reason always left his door unlocked. Not a good call, so many students used his room as a makeout spot or perhaps worse if they were in the mood for it. 

"We narrowly avoided a disaster a minute ago" Jimin panted heavily, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead and onto his rounded cheek. Taehyung too panted, struggling to force his words out.

"W-Why did you m-make me r-run?" He wheezed, the two years of heavy smoking now showing its detrimental affects on his young body. "God I have to bin that pack I just bought, I'm sounding like my grandpa."

Jimin chuckled lightly, before regaining his composure. "We have to stay away from her. Jungkook said he doesn't want to see her and she'll start asking questions-" Taehyung pushed a slender finger to Jimin's plump lips, hushing the elder.