IT'S BEEN A WHILE | VKOOK

6 | Cycles

Jungkook's POV

It had to be Taehyung. Of all the people, Kim Taehyung. I slammed my bedroom door shut, collapsing onto the mattress.

Did his memories come back? Does he remember me? Who was that boy he was with?

I stared at the ceiling, at the bleak shadows cast on my bare wall, twisting and contorting before my eyes.

There was only one thing left to do.

I got up, walking numbly to my dresser. The blade sat lonesome on my desk, outlined in the stark moonlight. I picked it up, tracing my finger across its cold, familiar edge. Turning the blade around I caught a glimpse of my reflection. Petite yet sharp features, a feeble flame glinting behind onyx eyes.

"Sucks to be you, buddy." I whispered.

I plunged the blade into my arm, one word on my mind. Taehyung. Line after line, I plowed the blade into my skin. My vision blurred, surroundings coming in and out of focus as its sinister edge made contact with my arm.

Why?

Tears streamed down my face, dripping onto my bloodied flesh.

He was with a boy.

I crumpled in a shaking fit, trembling uncontrollably against the wall. He was with somebody else.

I was too late.

──────

I made my way through the crowded school halls, the drone of voices drilling into my ears. My form was shrouded in a jacket, its hood drawn low to obscure my face.

Keep a low profile. I thought, locking my eyes on the ground.

People gave me a wide berth, a large aisle through the middle of the hall. I could feel a collective gaze searing into my back, hushed tones swirling around me as I walked past. I didn't dare lift my hood, revealing my tarnished state ─ reddened face, cracked lips and sullen eyes.

Low profile. I chanted desperately. Low profile. Low profile. Low profile. Low prof-

I collided headfirst into a passerby, sending the student's belongings flying.

"Oops." I mumbled incoherently, my cheeks blazing as I gathered the textbooks splayed on the floor. Risking a glance upwards, I met the other's coffee coloured irises, widening in recognition. Taehyung.

"S-sorry." I said breathlessly. I took off running, my bag thudding painfully against my back.

──────

Taehyung's POV

I registered the boy's piercing eyes, delicate features tinted red. Jungkook. I thought.

"S-Sorry." He said before taking off running, leaving me staring in his wake, mouth hanging agape.

"You good?" Jimin said from behind me.

"Yeah. I think." I faltered.

I walked in silence, eyeing the stuffy atmosphere. The windows were ajar, moist summer air wafting through to blow at the posters adorning the walls. People threw me concerned looks, edging away from me while I fumbled with my new locker. Their muted chatter continued, indistinct overlapping into a monotonous buzz. Out of the chaos I grasped a few "Jungkook's" and "new boy's" and "tell him's". Worried, I looked to Jimin for help.

"Tae, I think we should get to class. I'm not liking the sound of this." He stopped abruptly as a boy approached him.

"H-hey." I stuttered. Jimin nudged me in the ribs. Shut up. His eyes seemed to warn.

The boy shuffled nervously. "Do you know him?" He said.

"Which guy..." Jimin said slowly, narrowing his eyes.

"The guy your friend bumped into." The boy said.

"Who? Jungkook?" I said.

"Y-Yeah. You should probably steer clear of him. He and his gang'd probably beat you up if they got the chance." He said. "Hey, how do you know each other? You seem new."

"Oh, I met him at a hospital a few years back, then I saw him again at an airport yest ─"

I was cut short by Jimin. "Taehyung. Let's go." The aforementioned said sternly, yanking me away.

"Hey!" I protested.

The older didn't respond, instead pulling me firmly down the hall. "How come you never told me about this 'Jungkook'?" He said.

"Honestly Hyung, I don't even know why he visited me that day at the hospital. I never knew him before that. The only time I saw him since was yesterday at the airport." I insisted.

"Sure." Jimin deadpanned. "Then what was with all the eye widening when you saw his face in the airport?"

"I-I don't know, I feel like I've seen him before but I just don't know." I said quietly.

Had I seen him before? I thought. Brows furrowing, I tried to place where I'd seen the boy. The more I thought, the more the answer seemed to fade away, any nostalgia slipping from memory.

"I don't know." I repeated blankly.

Jimin's expression softened. "It's fine. Let's get to class."

- J💜