The Story of Us | Jikook/Kookmin

40 | 'S Not Always Flowers

Jungkook POV.

- Did any one of you know? -Yoongi hyung's voice sits cold and bothered in the middle of the silent room. He passes his eyes briefly over each other us, plopping his back on the couch with a loud sigh when nobody speaks a word. -This has to be bullshit.

There is another silence, a much longer and much more difficult one. Anxiety is boiling my inner world, memories of the old times firing threads from my brain to my throat.

- Sorry, you guys. -Namjoon hyung pats my shoulder apologetically, signing the couch for me and Jimin hyung to sit. -Didn't wanna welcome you like this. We were just watching the news.

I'm too lost in thoughts to even realize how I was sat after that moment, all I can make it is the figure of Jimin hyung heatedly discussing about the issue with the others. He looks so vulnerable, so insecure - a little like his old Busan self at the beginning of the year. I blink in distress, massaging my temples to get rid of the pain that is creeping into my skull. 

- Is it true? -I ask randomly, realizing only after that I startled the others in the room. The attention is enough to have me blushing. 

- What, the maltreatment news? -Hoseok hyung faces me on the couch, his tone informative more than questioning. I pass him a short nod. -Of course not, what do you mean?! -He laughs ridiculously. -We went through some shitty stuff in BigHit but we were never maltreated, let alone being hospitalized. 

- I've seen the kid from TXT just last week. -Yoongi hyung points outside of the window. -We just bumped into each other the other day, he looked totally fine. He said they were doing good!

- Well obviously he's not going to tell you hyung. -I object, being the only one holding an opposing perspective. 

- Yah, Jungkook-ah. -Tae hyung calls in this time. -They are accusing Bang pdnim of maltreatment, does that sit right with you? If pdnim would enforce 'rigorous training schedule' on anyone, that would be us. We came from nothing, not those boys.

- That's right. -Hoseok hyung claps once while showing Tae hyung. -We were around in their trainee days, they were pretty well off. 

I hold myself back, trying not to say more than I already have. But there is a perturbing buzz eating my brain out, making it harder to control myself every second that proceed.

- Why are they bringing us into this? -Jimin hyung asks from next to me. -I... I don't understand why our names had to be mentioned.

My heart is beating so fast on my chest that I feel my vision darken a little. I hate to see him insecure like this, and because of this shit of an issue. 

- It's Dispatch, media outlets, their usual game. They want to mess it up as much as they can. -Namjoon hyung smiles warmly at him, as if he wants to stop hyung from ruminating in his mind. -It's pretty bitchy, but that's how the industry works. You already know that.

- Fuck the industry. -Words slip out of my mouth before I can hold them back, and once I have, I don't bother with looking anyone in the eye to breed guilt over swearing. I c-can't deal with guilt right now, if anything.

- Did you... pay an illegal amount of compensation? -Yoongi hyung cuts the awkward silence, yet with an awkward tone himself. He's obviously referring to me and Jimin hyung, though I'd rather not open my mouth right now.

- No, no we didn't. -Jimin hyung replies for both of us anyway. From the curt look I steal at him with the corner of my eyes, he is alarmed, leg shaking up and down nervously. -We did pay an extra amount than you guys did for leaving the group, but that was because we had a violation...