𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐲 || 𝐤𝐢𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠.

6

it didn't feel like three weeks had passed since dahee started tutoring hongjoong, but it had. they were in their fourth week already and hongjoong was making surprisingly good progress with his studies. dahee was proud of him. with the amount of effort he's putting and the progress he's making, they might be able to cover all the stuff he's missed in lesser time than she had expected.

like the boy's academic progress, their friendship has also grown quick. hongjoong was still the same with his flirty antics, maybe even flirtier now that they've gotten more comfortable with each other. from their first ever interaction, dahee thought she wouldn't be able to stand his narcissistic self but he was kinda growing on her.

their relationship grew from being just study buddies to actual close friends. even at school, they'd spend time together, along with seonghwa who was glad to see the girl spending time with him and his best friend. she was always alone at school and to finally have company, she felt great.

well, aside from the nasty comments some jealous girls would always make about her suddenly growing close with the two school heartthrobs. especially the usually cold bad boy. they didn't understand how a bad boy like him could even want to hang out with a loser like her. but it didn't bother her that much since her only goal was to quickly finish school and get out of the hell hole called home.

the past three weeks at home had been the usual for dahee. getting beaten up for the smallest things she did. it wasn't everyday but it was still miserable for her. she can't recall the last time her body had been clean of bruises and cuts. she really just wanted to be able to go about freely without having to cover her arms.

"hey, dahee? isn't it hot being in that jacket all day? you've never taken off that jacket," seonghwa had once asked her. she simply answered a no, saying that it's usually chilly and that she gets cold easily. the boys found it odd that she had never taken off her jacket before, the furthest she had gone was leaving it unzipped. but they let it go, not wanting to make her uncomfortable because maybe she really does get cold easily.

-

it was another normal day for hongjoong and dahee. tutoring, joking around and the boy either making her food or ordering takeout as payment for her tutoring him.

it was during their dinner when hongjoong had suddenly blurted out a question he didn't even realise he was thinking. "are you gonna give up on me?" dahee stopped chewing her food, looking at the boy with raised eyebrows. "what?"

"oh, sorry. i was just thinking that because today's lesson was hard and you kept having to go through it over again for me. i thought maybe you'd eventually get tired of teaching me," he confesses. she didn't think he was the type overthink about something as simple as that.

"of course not! i'm not giving up on teaching you, joong. take it slow, don't beat yourself up. you've been doing really good and i know you'll continue doing good. this is one of the biggest chapters we'll have to go through so it's totally fine. even if i have to go over it a thousand times for you to get it, i'll do it. i won't give up on you." she places a hand over his on the table, her thumb lightly rubbing the back of his hand comfortingly.

to say the boy was thankful for her was an understatement. he was deeply moved by her determination to get him back up on his feet, even if it takes her months. he was grateful the girl was willing to do that much for him. he wasn't used to this much genuine kindness from people other than seonghwa. though he does have many admiring him, he knew it was only for his looks and tough demeanour.

girls left and right chasing him because he was a good looking bad boy, typically a high school girl's ideal type. but he doesn't want someone who only likes him for his looks. who wants that? he wants a girl that can love him for who he really is, see past his flaws and accept the real him. he wants someone who can fix him. he wants dahee.

he didn't know when or how, maybe it was just because they've been spending so much time around each other but he felt a sort of connection to the girl. she was always able to make him smile over the littlest things. and she always knew what to say to him. he didn't want to admit it but he kinda maybe might be falling for the girl.

"oh, wow i– t-thanks, dahee." he answers, flustered. "why would you even think i'd give up on you?" she asks him as she stands up to put their now empty plates in the sink. hongjoong takes a while to think of a response as he clears their glasses. the both of them then make their way to the couch after washing their hands.

"i don't know, because people leave? when they think you're not good enough, they give up on you. they decide that you're not worth it anymore and you're a burden so the best thing to do is leave." dahee was stunned at his answer. why did it seem like it was more personal than just a typical response to a typical question?

"joong, no. maybe some people are like that but i'm not. i won't do that to you. look, i don't know what it is that caused you to have that mindset but believe me when i say you're good enough. you have always been and you will always be, okay?" she once again reached for his hand to comfortingly rub it. 

he looks up at her with a grateful smile and she returns it before he looks down and sighs deeply. "it's my mother."

dahee looks at him with a confused expression, blinking profusely. what did he mean by that? and after another sigh, hongjoong begins to tell him his life story, from when he had a happy, loving family as a boy, to a teenager with no family now.

no one else knows about what happened other than seonghwa and ms lee. seonghwa because he's his best friend and ms lee because she had to know what was happening to her student. but seonghwa was the only one he willingly told this story to.

despite the short amount of time they've spent together, dahee had showed him nothing but a pure heart so he trusted her enough to share his painful story with the girl. he wants another person that he can find comfort in. he wants another person to listen to him and provide him the comfort.

and listen dahee did. she gave him the reassurance he needed, showing him once again that pure heart of hers. though they've spent quite some time together, he still can't believe how perfect of a person she was. he's glad to have found her and he wasn't about to let her leave any time soon.

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a/n: gAAAAAH this book hit 1k thank you so much to all of you reading and supporting me :(((( i love you guys and please please please do take care of yourselves and always remember to wash your hands !! <33