The Ugly Duckling [Jinkook, Minjoon, Taegiseok]

8: Self Image

Ages at the moment:

Jin and Yoongi: 17

Hoseok: 16

Namjoon: 15

Taehyung and Jimin: 14

Jungkook: 12

~~~~~

Namjoon got to Jin's room and set the plate down next to the wall by the door. He straightened up and knocked on the door with three confident sounding knocks, despite being somewhat nervous.

After a moment or two, the door opened and Namjoon came face to face with Jin's black and white mask.

"Namjoon?"

"Hey, Jin..." Namjoon smiled awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, if that's okay."

Jin paused for a moment before nodding and opening the door wider so Namjoon could get in.

"Come on in. Jungkook and I were just reading a book together on my bed." Jin said, walking back in. "You aren't interrupting much."

"Am I 'not much' to you?" Jungkook scoffed playfully with a frown, tilting his nose in the air. "I should be everything to you, Jinnie. How could you do this to me?"

"Oh hush, I spend all of my precious time with you. I think you can spare a moment so I can catch up with my own brother." Jin rolled his eyes, but the mask made it difficult to see.

Namjoon closed the door behind him and looked around the room. A lot had changed since he had last been in there.

"The door is closed. Take the mask off," Jungkook demanded.

"No, I can't. Namjoon is here," Jin crossed his arms stubbornly.

"So?" Jungkook huffed. "He's the nice family member. He won't care about how you look."

"But I don't want to--"

"Jinnie, you're beautiful," Jungkook promised quietly. "You've been maturing quite nicely. I'm sure Namjoon would be happy with what he sees, not insulted."

"I'm still here, you know," Namjoon mumbled as he looked around, inspecting and looking for something that he noticed the room was missing.

He went to the closet and checked. Not there.

He went to the bathroom. Not here either, which was very surprising. No bathroom didn't have--

"Jin, where did all your mirrors go?"

Namjoon and Jungkook didn't see Jin's face crumble, but they did see his shoulders sag and his posture bend.

"I threw them all out about a month after I started wearing a mask."

Jungkook knew this already, but it came as a shock to Namjoon.

"Jin..." Namjoon frowned in sadness, his eyes wavering. "You didn't even keep a single mirror? You don't know what you look like?"

"I don't want to know what I look like!" Jin snapped. "I'm just going to be disappointed at my reflection!"

"That can't be healthy," Namjoon sighed. "I worry for you."

"I don't need your pity."

"I didn't say I pity you, I said I'm worried about you."

"Same thing."

"There's a huge difference," Namjoon argued. "To be worried, I actually have to care about you."

Jin pulled his legs up and hid his face in his knees despite still wearing the mask, and he cried softly. He didn't realize how much he missed and needed his brother. How it was possible for someone to actually care about him.