Walk With Me || Taekook FF

Path Filled With Thorns

It was raining during the summer. Cities flooded and no signs of cars anywhere. 

Most people did not dare step outside during this heavy and damp weather. They were either to be carried away by the typhoon's wind or to be washed up by its flood. My family and I had decided to isolate ourselves from the storm. We had been lucky enough to store as much of food and our personal needs before camping in. 

My dad was constantly checking for water dripping from above. Since we weren't that rich, our roof isn't at all high in quality for a weather like this. Our mom had to check in every once in a while if everyone was doing okay. My brother and I had just been locked up inside our rooms doing our own things. 

While everyone else was in despair, I was feeling light about the situation. Rain was always so nice and calming to begin with. Disasters and the effects after and during the rain is what I believe to be pure bad luck. It had nothing to do with this harmless drops of water falling from the sky. These falling droplets are a blessing but people never seem to see it. They become ungrateful. That's how I decided that everyone was selfish and unfair. They can't see the beauty in disasters. They can't seem to have peace with anything they can't control. Same goes for people. If they can't understand how you work, if they can't control you and see you as different. They get scared and leave you alone. Naming and labeling, all to those people who seem to be different from society. People who have gone dark. People who are no longer or have never been in the light. People think we're outcasts. Mistakes. That's why the dark and the light can never go together.

"Hey, how are you holding up?," mom came in through the door. She fit half her body in with her hand against the door. She was always the caring type. Always genuine. But honestly, she's mostly just doing all that for the job of being a mother. I quickly glanced at her and resumed looking back at my window. "Good." A quick and simple response. There's no need for anything more to say. Nobody wants to hear more from people like me. Just then, she left, shutting the door behind. 

I pulled my blanket towards my body as I slowly sink down to my bed. I close my eyes and slowly drift to sleep. Thinking of nothing at all.

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Woke up the next morning with the sun on my face. I blink multiple times to try and adjust to the bright light. I sat up and rubbed the sleep off my face, while I yawned. I stretched and decided to take a shower. "God.. The rain had already stopped." 

Walking out of the bathroom, I decided to take a morning walk around the house. Changing into simple clothes, I step out of my room and passed my family at the dining table. "Where are you going?" my dad asked when he noticed I wasn't going to sit with them. I continue to walk towards the entrance, "Morning walk around the house, I'll come back to eat after I'm done." Without hearing any more than that, I immediately stepped out without any shoes on. 

I prefer walking around the wet porch with my bare feet. Stepping on the damp ground, I felt how cold it was and I shivered. The feeling of skin contact to the mix of the cold dew early in the morning and last night's storm. It felt like daggers stabbing through your feet. Walking made it seem like I was walking in a path filled with thorns. I went on and did 10 turns around the house. On my last turn, by the fence, I saw a few people passing by. I didn't bother looking. After all, it's not like I was interested in people other than my family. About to continue on another turn, I stopped when someone yelled my name. "Hey, isn't that Jungkook from our class?", someone asked.

"Oh my god, is he barefoot? Ew, I didn't think he was that poor!", another continued on. Sure all that person said was true. I was used to all that in school. But to drag the insults from school back here to my home. It was really unfair. People are unfair. To think that they have all the right to do this. I tensed for awhile but as always, I couldn't bring myself to fight back. So all I did was the same thing I've been doing for the past years. Ignore.

I left, ignoring their comments. I've learned that it's best to just ignore something you know you can't fight back. The moment I was about to open the door, a voice said from behind. "Who are you guys?"

The voice sounded familiar. I looked back to see my brother passing through the back. He had a cup of coffee in his hand. He stared at the people by the fence. He shot a glare, doing his best to intimidate them. I noticed how they all tensed up. The frightened look in their faces formed a smirk on face. Just a second ago, they were acting all high and mighty. Now they're all just tensed by one look. "Leave," my brother said " If you come back and say shit about my younger brother. I'll beat the shit out of you!" Without a second wasted, they all went running. I laughed and so did my older brother. He went to me and hand the coffee over from earlier. "Damn, it isn't hot anymore thanks to those little shits."

Of all the things I'm most grateful for, I'm grateful for my brother. He was the only one who'd ever truly stick up for me. He wasn't just doing it cause he's my brother. He's doing it because he genuinely cares for me as a person. That's why I look up to him. "Thanks, you didn't have to do that by the way. I'm pretty sure we both could've just ignored them."

"Well, that's true but I can't just ignore them especially since it's been going on for quite awhile now. So how could I?", he looked genuinely worried for me. I hate that look most of all. When someone looks worried about me. Even more so when it's from my brother. I don't like having people worrying about me. So I faked a smile, "It's really fine, Hyung. Just ignore them, they really aren't worth you time." My brother, without furthermore words, just shook his head and chuckled. "Okay, okay. Let's go back in, you'll get a frostbite if you stay out here any longer," he looked down at my feet, " Especially when you're barefoot like that."

I totally forgot I had no shoes on. The stinging pain of frostbite finally settled in. " Aah! Y-yeah, Let's head back in." Then as we walked back in, I heard my brother sigh from behind me. I know he noticed my fake smile, but I just brushed it off. As long as I'm handling this by myself it's all gonna be fine. But back then, I regretted it...

Because that was the last day I saw him.