eye contact | jikook

three

on jungkook's way home, he tripped over a slightly crumpled notebook that was laying closed on the ground.

he bent down and took the book into his dry hands. he inspected it carefully, the book seeming awfully familiar.

"who's is it?" he mumbled to himself, turning the book over to see if a name was plastered on it.

he saw the name: park jimin, in pretty handwritting with hearts and flowers doodled next to it.

his breath hitched, flashbacks of elementary school flooding his mind. terrible memories that he deeply regrets.

-

"class, please calm down. i have an announcement." the fourth grade teacher sternly spoke as the students started to quiet down, eyes landing on a certain small boy with pink hair.

"we have a new student with us today." the teacher motioned to the boy.

"introduce yourself." he smiled to the obviously nervous boy.

the boy purses his lips, looking down. he took in a deep breath and started to move his fingers.

"hello, i'm park jimin. please take care of me." he signed out and bowed.

the class seems confused as the all blankly stared at the boy.

"he's deaf, so please," the teacher spoke up as jimin started to pull out a neat notebook with red flowers littered across the cover of it.

"if you want to communicate with him, write in his notebook. and be nice." the teacher looked at some students who he knew were trouble makers.

those students being:

kang daejung
kim chanwoo
lee dowon
park hosung
jeon jungkook

those students silently glanced at each other with a knowing smile on their faces.

jimin started to walk to his seat that was picked by the teacher. that seat being directly in front of jungkook and daejung.

the lesson went on and then there was a short 5 minute break.

daejung reached over the table and tapped jimin's shoulder.

"hey deafie." daejung evilly smiled while the others laughed, including jungkook.

jimin saw the smile as a nice one, simply greeting him.

jimin held out his notebook, motioning for daejung to write in it.

daejung pitifully looked at the notebook and pushed it away roughly.

"i don't want to write in your stupid book." he spat out, jimin just looking at him, having no clue what the cruel boy was saying to him.

jimin glanced down at his book, slowly looking back up at daejung.

"look, read my lips." daejung leaned closer to jimin, jimin's eyes falling to his lips.

one thing jimin's mom taught him about society is that not everyone is accepting and not everyone knows his struggle. not everyone knows how to sign. not everyone will understand and will either hide their judgement or openly show it.

jimin grew up to be strong. sure, he was still young but doesn't mean he's automatically weak.

his father left him when he found out the boy has been born deaf, not wanting the responsibility.

his mom made up fairytale-like stories for jimin about his dad. jimin used to believe them but he knows better.

seeing his mother crying at the dining table at midnight with his grandma consulting her opened his eyes.

the conversation they had, telling the truth about his father.

jimin tried to concentrate on daejung's lips. his mother has worked with him on lip reading so he's not that bad at it.

"you're not important. you're little book you have here, stupid. don't bother trying to fit in because you won't. you'll only be wasting your time." daejung glared at jimin and leaned back in his seat, eyes looking over to jungkook who was laughing.

jungkook noticed jimin's eyes and bitterly said, "what?" jimin looked away, holding tight onto his book.

a few days later, jimin is seen walking with someone, who jungkook believes, named seokjin.

everyone eyed the pair, walking through the halls. seokjin's smiling with jimin and jimin was laughing at whatever seokjin was doing. he looked happy.

jungkook rolled his eyes at the sight, he isn't quite fond of the boy. he doesn't know why, though.

during lunch, jungkook was walking back to the classroom because he forgot his lunch box in there.

he was lazily walking in but abruptly stopped when he saw a familiar pink haired boy sitting at his desk.

jungkook scoffed, walking over to him and hitting his head.

"ow.." jimin said, words coming out strangely.

jungkook started to laugh, jimin slowly looking up at him with a questioning gaze.

"why'd you do that?" he signed out.

"i don't know what you're saying." jungkook responded, seeing jimin holding out his notebook.

"don't bother." he waved him off, starting to walk to the door to go back to the cafeteria.

he was stopped by the pink haired boy shoving his notebook onto jungkook's chest.

jungkook glared, pushing the boy back.

"get off me, weirdo." he quite literally spat at jimin, pushing past him.

jimin appeared in front of the boy again, pushing his notebook at jungkook.

jimin doesn't know why he's being so persistent towards jungkook, just something seems interesting about him.

jungkook had enough and turned their bodies around and pushed jimin harshly on his desk.

"i said, stop it." jungkook shouted in his face, as if jimin could hear him if he yelled.

jungkook's hands were holding jimin's shoulders down, jimin's hands pushing at jungkook's chest, trying to pry him off.

"get... off me." jimin tried to sound out which only made jungkook laugh more, putting his guard down.

jimin picked up his two feet and kicked jungkook's stomach, sending the boy to the floor.

jimin then got on top of the boy, hitting his chest repeatedly.

jungkook flipped them over, trapping jimin's petite body with his long legs.

he started to hit jimin, over and over.

jimin pleading to stop, tears rolling down his cheeks. jungkook took in the sight of jimin crying, his actions coming to a halt.

he got off the boy and walked out of the classroom, jimin sitting there on the floor sobbing.