°cherry tree°- •비민•

発

The rain was pouring, sky darkening by the minute as my nervous self lagged behind my friends. I felt my body grow colder by the minute, in absolute need of a jacket to cover my naked forearms. The bermudas I was wearing failed to cover my calves, obviously, resulting in the area turning cold to the touch.

I crossed my arms to collect the small amount of heat I could produce, watching as everyone paraded around with jackets over their uniforms, and I was the only boy wearing bermudas and a half-sleeve blouse.

My friends walked in front of me.

Showing off, pretending I wasn't here.

Friendship is a strong word.

It has been a problem for most of my life, and I envy the students that always have someone to talk to, someone to lean onto, while all I had was my mother back in Daegu. And now I moved out.

I heard them talk bad. Snicker. Gossip. I watched them beat up people, I have been beat up by them, and I'm too scared to do anything. I'm weak.

I knew that sometimes, you need to stand up for what you love, but I didn't have anything to protect. I didn't want trouble. I never have.

Every new student. Every new figure. They always found a way to talk bad of them. Once, they talked shit about me when I was right behind them. I ignored it. I pretended I didn't hear. I pretended i didn't see them point and laugh when I left them for even a second.

I hated them.

I hated Namjoon and Jungkook.

I wanted to do something.

So I did.

I spoke up.

I asked them why they were suffocating him. Him, the new transfer student. I asked them why they always said he was a moron, a loser, I was so confused. I was so scared. But it felt so right.

I spoke up.

And I regretted it.

They both turned to me, showing the same disgusted face. They told me to scram, they said I wasn't needed in their lives. I held in my tears, my nose red from the sniffing to prevent myself from sobbing.

"I'll fuck off if you want to. It was my goal anyway, Namjoon." I spun around and left.

I walked out of the institute and to the back of the school, immediately, without considering my choice. I noticed how they didn't follow me; nobody ever did. Only I followed everyone around, like a sheep, a slave.

At that very moment, I promised myself to change.

To become stronger.

I didn't visit the area often- nobody visited the area often. I rarely saw anyone there.

My eyes landed on the key of the area.

A big, weeping cherry tree. The April time meant it was blooming, the wind spreading around its pink petals, despite the cold weather, it was there.

It welcomed me, as if it was a person. I felt attracted to it, I ran towards it without a doubt, feeling tears stream down my face, but I was not really crying.

I sat by the trunk, rising my knees to my chest and wiped my tears away with the back of my cold, freezing hand.

Soon enough, the rain dropped harder, soaking me from head to toes. I was cold.

I was so glad to be alone, to be able to sit without worrying about being judged. I felt so free--

"Are you okay?" A voice made me jump. It was sweet, it felt as if it was dancing around the cold air and warming it up.

It made me sick.

I couldn't help but stutter in response, as I was more than caught off guard. As much as the voice was comforting, I wanted to be alone. But I didn't have the courage to tell them I wanted to be alone.

It made me sick of myself.

"I'm Jimin. What's your name?" I froze, gripping the grass on the floor with my left hand and scratching my thigh with the right one. It was him. Him, as in Park Jimin.

The new kid.

The target.

For a second, I wondered if he knew about all of this. I could just pretend I didn't know, right?

"I-I'm Taehyung," I quickly said.

I wasn't crying anymore, but my heart was beating uncontrollably. Of all of the 1000-something people here, it had to be him, for some reason.

"A-Are you feeling better?"

His soothing voice made me feel bad for everything he is going through, for what Jungkook and Namjoon are saying about him.

It's really confusing. The fact my body is here, but my soul is not. Don't you think so, hyung?

I shake my head, ignoring the voice in my head. Something was... off about him. I couldn't see his face, I never have, but it felt off. Strange.

"I-I am, kind of. T-Thanks." He giggled.

I didn't see him, he was sitting on the opposite side of the tree.

"Ah, I-I really didn't do anything, Taehyung."

I bit my lip and looked away from nothing in particular. "S-Sorry,"

That was the beginning of a story. A beautiful, yet problematic story.

The beginning of our story.

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