Twisted Life, Thorny Love

33. I am so sorry

They were called in soon enough. The Principal had verified the CCTV camera and had shamed the girl for forcing herself on a taken man and had fined Taehyung for going overboard. 

Taehyung was still confused about the whole situation and thus ended up watching the video recorded by the camera with wide eyes and an open mouth. 

Jin had insisted on paying Taehyung's fine as Taehyung was completely in a state of shock. The Principal had kindly given him a week off to sort things out. 

As for Jungkook, he couldn't think of anything else. The only image running in his mind was that of Junha crying and trying to tell him that Taehyung hit him. 

The Principal sent them home. Jin insisted on dropping Jungkook seeing as he was in no state to drive himself, but Jungkook insisted that he wanted some time alone. 

He started his car, but his body worked on muscle memory as he drove back home. He gripped the wheel tightly as tears ran down his face. He just couldn't imagine Junha getting hit by Taehyung of all the people. 

His heart ached for Junha, who couldn't express himself properly. His heart ached as he thought about how the kid went through it and no one even understood him. 

His heart ached for Taehyung whose heart broke every time Junha seemed scared of him. He had seen Taehyung cry over Junha's behaviour. He knew it wasn't Taehyung's fault. He wouldn't stoop that low to hit a kid if it weren't for his anger issues. But he wasn't in a position to think about it right now. Not when Junha's face wouldn't leave his mind. 

"He beat me, he beat me" Junha cried.

Jungkook frowned as Junha kept repeating the same sentence. He looked at Taehyung. Taehyung looked just as confused as he was, and maybe a little heartbroken. He looked at the others. Everyone except Jin was confused. Jin was frowning at Junha.

"Why will he beat you, Junha? Uncle Taetae is a good boy. He won't beat you" Jungkook said. "No. He beat me" Junha cried. Taehyung stared at Junha with glistening eyes.

"Junha, why will I bea-" Taehyung tried to go closer, but Junha started crying with more intensity. Taehyung backed away instantly, looking at Jin for help. Unfortunately, Jin was too busy frowning at Junha to notice Taehyung.

"Hey, Junha-ya, calm down" Jimin said, walking towards Jungkook and taking Junha from him. The tears that Taehyung had kept under control until then ran down when Junha readily went to Jimin, burying his face into Jimin's neck.

"He won't hit you, Junha" Jungkook tried once again. Junha looked up at his father. He stared at him with big eyes, full of tears. His mouth was wet from how hard he had been crying.

"He beat me, Papa" Junha pouted at Jungkook. 

Jungkook screamed out of frustration as he hit his steering wheel with all his might. Thankfully, the roads were empty because of the work hours. 

He drove straight to his parents' house. He didn't even park his car properly. He ran out of the car with tears still running down his face. 

"Junha!! JUNHA!!JUN-" "Hey! Hey, Kookie! Hey, calm down! What's wrong, baby?" his mother ran to him and hugged him tight. "Eomma, Junha! Where is he?" Jungkook cried. 

His mother felt tears prickling the corners of her eyes at how pathetically Jungkook cried in her arms for his son. 

"Shh" she tried to calm him down, running a hand through his hair. "He fell asleep just now. What happened, honey?" she asked. 

"I-I......I am t-the most horrible f-father a kid c-can ever have, Eomma! I-I failed him, I f-failed him" he sobbed. 

"He won't hit you, Junha" Jungkook tried once again. Junha looked up at his father. He stared at him with big eyes, full of tears. His mouth was wet from how hard he had been crying.

"He beat me, Papa" Junha pouted at Jungkook.

He sobbed harder as the scene came back to his mind. "Aigoooo! You are the best father a kid can ever have, Kookie! You didn't do anything wrong. Calm down, baby" she said, bringing him to the couch and letting him bury his face into her shoulder. 

"T-The one time h-he needed me to understand w-what he was saying, I-I didn't, Eomma. He cried so m-much and almost b-begged me to understand, but I didn't" his sobs increased. 

His mother realized that she wouldn't get the answers right now. She gently pulled away from him and pointed towards the bedroom. 

Jungkook ran to the bedroom and got onto it. He wrapped his arms around the tiny figure and pulled him close to him, holding him tight against his chest. 

"I am sorry, tiger! I am soo sorry, I didn't understand you, I am s-so sorry" he kissed the crown of his head and started crying again. He gradually gave in and slept along with his son. 

He woke up to a tiny hand running across his jaw and a tiny figure sitting on his stomach. "Papa, Gummanin" Junha smiled widely at his father. No matter when he woke up, it was always 'Gummanin' for him.

"Junha! Junha, Junha...." he kept chanting as he caught hold of him and brought him close to his chest once again. 

"I am soo sorry, tiger. I am really very sorry for not understanding you before! Did Uncle Taetae beat you?" he asked, pulling Junha away from his chest so he could look into his eyes. 

Junha pouted heavily and nodded. He reached out and pulled Jungkook's hair and hit him on his shoulder and then pulled the front of his shirt up and down. "This" Junha said. 

It took some time for Jungkook to realize that Junha was showing him how Taehyung hit him. Tears welled up in his eyes once again. 

"I am soo sorry, Junha! I will protect you from now on. I won't let anyone do anything to you. I am soo sorry, tiger! I am sorry" he cried. 

Junha was still on Jungkook's stomach. He reached forward and gently wiped his father's tears with his tiny hands. It broke Jungkook's heart further. 

"Papa, don't c'y" Junha said, eyes glistening with his own tears. Jungkook pulled him close to his chest once again and stayed in that position for a while before getting up and carrying him into the living room. 

"Mom! I am going home!" he hollered. "Ohh, okay. Are you gonna tell me why you came back crying for your son in the middle of the college?" she asked, walking out of the kitchen. 

"Later" he said. "Okay. Take care, bun. Come and live with us for a couple of days if it becomes too much for you to handle" she said. "Thanks, Eomma. I'll think about it" he said. 

"Junha, say bye" he said. "Bye" Junha said, waving at his grandmother and off they went, buying ice cream and chips on their way.