Exchange student | VKOOK [C]

26: part three

Taehyung heard the doorbell ring and his phone ringing.

It wasn't the first call he had.

It wasn't the second either.

Neither was it the third.

Or the seventh.

Why wasn't he picking up?

Why couldn't he bring himself to pick the phone up and answer the call?

Why?

He sighed as he heard his father open the door and conversing with someone.

He hated how he made his father go through all of this, dealing with his friends and such.

If only there was something he could do.

He was sure his friends had come here when he had gone to the hospital earlier that day.

His body hurt.

He has been prodded with some needles and the doctors seemed to be having a problem with getting his vein.

So he was left with multiple bruises on his skin as well as what the doctor had told him about that would look like hickeys.

He first found them the day after he found out about his illness.

They were hiding under his shirt.

They hurt.

They didn't hurt so much for now, but they were spreading out on his body.

He now had them on his thighs and on his arms, his neck and chest and belly.

He hoped it wouldn't get worse than this, but who was he kidding.

He didn't know whether it was going to get worse than this.

It was going to get worse for sure.

He heard his phone ring again and sighed.

He put it on airplane mode and dropped it on the side table.

His father stepped into the room, sighing.

"Taehyung, I really hope you know what you're doing. These are your friends."

Taehyung opened and closed his mouth like a gaping fish. He couldn't find the words to speak to his father.

Because he was right.

~-~

Mr Kim knocked on the door, opening it and sliding into his son's room.

Taehyung was sitting criss-cross on the bed, staring at the wall in front of him.

"hey son." he said as he walked towards the younger's bed.

"appa?"

"hm?"

"can I go to school tomorrow?"

"you're not- I don't- no."

"why?"

"son, you're not... We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."

"can't we reschedule? Maybe later? In the evening?"

"n-"

"please appa. I promise to come home the moment I feel sick."

"Taeh-"

"please appa."

"I'll drop you off."

"yes appa."