An Analogous Universe

Chapter 42

[Jungkook's past]

It was another dull morning. School seemed to be more and far more tiring for him. With the endless bullying and the addition of another scandal, he was exhausted. Somehow, his parents' story had leaked. And it was more than painful for him to hear that he was the cause of this. And he thought so too.

Only if it was his life that was taken, they could live. They could have a healthy life and the powerful bond would've remained still. Jimin was enough for them. Jimin was perfect, they could live happily with Jimin by their side. But then again, they loved Jungkook. Jungkook didn't want them to feel the same he is right now.

He, and Jimin had been crying every single day afterwards. It was a week. A week of torture. Jimin tried to smile, to stay strong for his younger brother, but.... It was hard. And he broke down every time Kookie cried. They mourned together.

It was when Jungkook was sitting at a corner in the rooftop, crying shamelessly with his head buried in between his knees. When he heard a voice,

"Who are you?"

Jungkook absentmindedly flinched, slowly looking up to meet the voice's face. As he looked up with slightly swollen and big eyes, he stared at the boy with a long face. The boy had brown hair, pointed nose and a pair of lips that wore a frown. Although Jungkook couldn't make out much for his watery eyes, he could make out a familiar aura from the boy.

"I'm sorry." Jungkook spoke. A slip of tongue now that he said sorry for almost everything. The boy didn't scare him, it was just his demeanor now a days that made him like this.

"What are you sorry for?" the boy asked. Jungkook blinked in surprise. It had been such an unused question that he actually didn't know how to prepare an answer for that, not that he ever needed to. And he didn't have to apologize to Jimin for anything. Jimin would generally say 'It's not your fault.'

"I-I..." he trailed off, lowering his head down as it again touched his knees. After a second, Jungkook again looked at Hoseok. Waiting for his response, the boy spoke,

"You don't even know why you are apologizing. That's just......" he paused, thinking a probable continuation of his sentence. Jungkook waited for him to speak further.

"It was out of habit, huh?" he looked at Jungkook in the eye. As tears glistening in Jungkook's eyes, frail face and tired, depressed aura spread from the curled boy, the brunette boy still staring. Jungkook nodded at him, hair bouncing slightly at that.

"What's your name?" he asked. Jungkook contemplated whether to answer that or not. He did not seem like a bully or even dangerous. Without another thought, Jungkook replied,

"Jeon Jungkook."

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It was a better afternoon. When Jimin and Jungkook found it refreshing to take a walk on the bridge near their school. School had just ended and both of them had gone through the torture of eating and showering. It was Jimin who would cook, and it was also Jimin to force him into showering. After that, Jungkook would come out after an hour or so. Jimin felt terrified every time.

As they were halting their steps, four boys marched towards them. The lot of them varied on their emotions. Two of them extremely excited while the other two had lesser effect of excitement per position. The third boy was slightly cheery and the fourth on row had whatsoever no expression. Jungkook was about to run the other way as jimin suddenly grasped his wrist in his hand, looking at him in a way to stop. As the boy stiffened in his stance, the other two boys reached their proximity, smiling widely at who Jungkook thought would be Jimin.