forgetting the forgotten

chapter 3 - the reason

tw: suicide ; physical abuse ; verbal abuse ; alcohol abuse ; domestic abuse ; affairs

jeongin's pov

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"Happy Birthday to Jeongin! Happy Tenth Birthday!!" Minho laughs and sings. Under the bright lights of the dining room, a cotton candy cake sits half eaten. I clap again after opening my second present from y/n. It's a cute little heart-shaped box with many candies inside. Y/N Blushes and hides the tip of her nose with her long sweater paws.

After Minho finally finishes his cake, we go out to play with water balloons, and we get soaked. I run into the house bathroom and finish up drying myself.

Proud of myself for being able to reach the top of the sink, I enter the kitchen and look for the necklace I bought as a present for Y/N. Until I hear a faint talking noise in the pantry. I eavesdrop on a conversation that I can faintly recognize as voices between my mom and y/n's dad.

"Charlie, but we have to tell the kids eventually!"

"No, we don't. Don't call me Charlie, Y/N knows!"

I hear a gasp come from my mother's voice and I peer inside. They are holding each other hands and whispering. The darkness causes me to see only a glint of a teardrop running down my mother's face.

"How can we tell them about an affair? They're just kids!" They peck each other on the lips and smile sadly. I make a little squeak in shock, and the two adults whip their head around. Thankfully, I already ran to the dining room. Staring blankly at the wooden tabletop, I notice the cakes appearance changed to of a dark shade of red under the dim lights.

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"Dad...? I have something to tell you." I shuffle over to the couch he was drinking on. The table was covered with bottles and bottles of beer, and messy tissues everywhere.

"What the f*ck is it..." He looks up, half sober.

"Yesterday... I saw mommy hold someone else's hand." Dad quickly gets up and squeezes my shoulders to try to push more answers out of me.

"What? Tell me more!" My father was already having suspicions on an affair, and this caught his attention. As I told him more details, his grip on the bottle grew stronger and angrier. When I finally told him about the peck, he threw the glass on the floor. I scream and run backwards. I bump into mom. She looks exhausted and fearful.

"You little wh*re..." Dad says under his breath while limping towards us with a bottle in his hand. With heavy footsteps, I run away without looking back.

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y/n's pov

I can feel me, Minho and Jeongin growing farther away. And I always see new bruises on Jeongin's arms. I want to help him, but I can't bring myself to do it. I blame myself too much, and it doesn't seem right to try to comfort him.

If I didn't become friends with Jeongin, this would never had happened. Our parents would have never met. And Jeongin would never have to be in pain...

jeongin's pov

After a week of consistent beatings and verbal abuse, I feel like I have had enough. I take out a piece of candy wrappers from the small heart box.

"Hi Y/N,

You know about my mom and your dad right? I know you do. At home, I can't stand my dad, he keeps hurting us because of it. I can't endure the pain all over my body. I hope you're doing well. Don't bother looking for me, by the time you read this, i'll be gone. I won't ever forget you. Goodbye.

-jeongin. "

I tuck the paper and a necklace in my backpack, walking towards my fifth grade graduation ceremony.

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I stand at the cliff of the highest hill in Elm-wood Park.

The hiking course was long, but the distance from the cliff to the ground looks longer. When I let the air hit my bruised face, freedom ran throughout my veins. I crouch, and end up sitting at the edge.

I inspect my scratched knees and purple feet. The horizon looks infinite. I wonder if it will hurt. I wonder if it will feel like flying. That would be nice. I close my eyes and lean forwards. Scooting forward until I can feel the empty space,

I jump.

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This one was a little more dark, sorry :(

717 Page count.

-Jessie Kim