BROMANCE | VKOOK - Chapter 30: Chapter 30

"Oh, what the hell", Jungkook let his head fall against the locker behind him, eyes glueing to the view he was getting this early in the morning. It had been another two weeks, now a whole month in total since he had last seen Taehyung.
Things had changed around here, but what changed the most was the boy he was seeing in front of him.
Taehyung was back.
Hair dyed black, dark circles beneath his eyes, wide clothes and his smile vanished from his face. He walked in, Tzuyu by his left side, holding hands with her. Eyes straightforward to not miss a step, as if he had to focus to walk. Tzuyu was awkwardly glancing around, the school had never seen her before and showing up while Taehyung holding her hand was automatically as if she was taking place on a throne.
A throne that had belonged to Lia for years.
When Lia saw the two of them, her face became pale and she just walked off. Lyza and Jungkook however could only gasp, still staring at Taehyung who looked so different. There was no teenage boy left, he seemed matured and he seemed changed. Just that Jungkook couldn't make out what it was, yet.
"Fuck, he's even hotter now", Jungkook bit his lips, pressing his math books to his chest as he watched Taehyung stopping in front of his locker. He looked up, finally.
His piercing gaze instantly met Jungkook's and for a second, the tension in this hallway was undeniable.
Taehyung gulped dryly, focusing on his breath as he looked back at Tzuyu and gave her a smile. Jungkook only lifted his brows, trying to calm his heartbeat. Then he turned around and stared at Lyza, "Should I go talk to him?", he asked quietly.
"No, wait till lunch break. He seems off", the girl commented, still eyeing Taehyung. The boy had started walking again, and now seeing him from behind, they could see that he was limping and after every two steps, he held his back with his right hand and seemed to be in pain. It was hardly visible, but for people who knew Taehyung it was more than obvious that he was acting different.
He passed by his boys, not even telling them hi. All he did was straightup walking to class, always Tzuyu by his side. Jungkook decided to follow but when he saw them taking a turn in the wrong direction, his heart dropped to his chest. The boy pulled Tzuyu behind the next corner and started kissing her, pressing her up against the wall while Jungkook could only watch.
He balled his fists, but he didn't know what to do.
Should he just go in between them?
He was his boyfriend at least, right?
He turned around and walked away. For once he felt too insecure in himself to go there and ask for an explanation. Taehyung disappearing for weeks and then showing up like this - it just didn't seem right to Kook. And he didn't want to make a scene right before class.
The time passed by quick and soon it was time for lunch break already. Jungkook headed to the cafeteria with Lyza, they were meeting up with Jin and Namjoon because those were the only ones left.
When their eyes searched for Taehyung, they saw his group of friends sitting at a table on their own, staring into nothing while Taehyung and Tzuyu sat down at a smaller table just for the two of them. They seemed alright, they were joking around and smiled and seemed happy, in love.
It felt like getting stabbed in the back.
Jungkook had been worrying for weeks and now he got this, not even an explanation or anything, no. Taehyung sat there right in front of Jungkook's eyes, kissing a girl that wasn't into boys apparently.
Right now, it looked quite a lot as if they were into each other.
"You should go there and make him explain", Jin stated after a while, "This isn't fair."
"What if it's just for show?", Namjoon asked, looking there as well. Lyza nodded, "I don't think that's real what's going on there."
"It's still not okay to cheat", Jin said. "He should have broken up with Jungkook before, or he should have told him about this little show he's pulling here."
Jungkook stopped listening to his friends and got up, walking over to Taehyung's table. His steps were quick, trying to convince himself that turning around was no choice this time. So he stopped there and looked down on the couple. Both eyed Jungkook curiously-, but clueless.
"Hey Jungkook", Tzuyu greeted him with a smile. Taehyung's face remained blank but he gave him a nod. "Good morning."
"Where the fuck have you been for the past month?", Jungkook blurted out, "And why haven't you answered any of my calls?!"
Taehyung looked at him sternly, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I got a new number, I didn't get any of your calls", he explained firmly. "Why does it matter tho?"
"Bro, you're literally my boyfriend and you vanished without telling me shit! I was worried as hell", Jungkook sighed out, anger building up inside of him.
"Jungkook", Taehyung inhaled deeply, watching Jungkook closely, "I'm not your boyfriend, what are you talking about?"
"We kissed. You asked me out", Jungkook argued, "You can't act now as if this never happened!"
"I'm not into men", Taehyung said sharply, his voice almost sounding robot-like, as if this sentence was something he was trained to say. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, good luck finding someone, Jungkook", Taehyung gave him a tiny smile before he looked down, avoiding Jungkook's eyes.
The younger tried to calm his breath, hands shaking a little. This couldn't be real, no fucking way. He'd wake up in a couple of minutes and everything would be alright, he'd be in bed and Taehyung would be by his side and all of this would just be a huge fucking nightmare. This couldn't be reality, it could not.
"You love me", Jungkook said, voice cracky.
"I do", Taehyung nodded, "You've always been like a little brother to me."
"Taehyung", Jungkook pleaded, tears filling up his eyes, "Don't be like that-"
"I love you and you love me, Jungkook", Taehyung looked back up and tried to hold eye contact with Jungkook as he started crying, "But not in the same way."
That sentence broke Jungkook in so many ways, he couldn't even put into words.
He worked so much to get Taehyung this far that he wouldn't see him as a little brother anymore, he did so much and what for? For nothing.
He just decided that he didn't want it anymore and turned time back, pretending all those happy times they shared, had never existed.
"I thought-"
"Jungkook, just go back to your friends. I'm trying to have lunch with my girlfriend, come on. Don't be annoying, you're not twelve anymore."
"Your girlfriend is a lesbian", Jungkook balled his fists, "She doesn't even like you!"
Both teenagers in front of Jungkook flinched at the word lesbian, the girl frozen in her movements. Taehyung gave Jungkook a warning glare, "She's not. Stop insulting her."
"Where is that an insult?!", Jungkook yelled out, "What happened to you?"
Taehyung looked down, biting his lips, "Please just go. Whatever you and me had, it's over and it will never happen again, okay?"
"Yeah, tell that to yourself if that helps you sleep at night", Jungkook said sharply, "But I'll find out what the fuck you went through this past month and I'll get you back."
Taehyung gasped, "And how do you think you'll do that?"
They shared a look and for the blink of an eye, Kook could swear he saw something in Taehyung's eyes. As if he was begging him to make his words come true. To come and save him, somehow.
"I'll figure it out", Kook grumbled, "But we both know that you belong to me, not to a girl."
"Don't be silly", Taehyung sighed, "I'm straight and I'll be leading a business soon, I have no time for your childish activities."
"A business?", Jungkook groaned, "The one we were ready to destroy?"
"No one can destroy Mr Kim, he's the most powerful man in this country", Taehyung said bluntly, then turned back to his food and didn't give Jungkook any more answers.
The only thing Jungkook's mind kept repeating was how Taehyung didn't call his own father Dad, instead saying his name really politely.
And that's when it clicked in Jungkook's head.
Something horrible must have happened-, and Taehyung's father was responsible for that.
The boy just walked away, sitting back down with his friends and hummed, "Well I'm single. Who wants to fuck me?", he joked sadly and the others only gave him pats on the shoulders and knew that his jokes were just him trying not to cry in the middle of school.
"Did he break up with you?", Jin asked worriedly.
"He pretended as if nothing ever happened. As if I was just being delusional and a stupid little kid", Jungkook gave them a tired smile, "He seriously thinks he is straight."
"Show him your dick, maybe he's not so straight then", Jin chuckled.
"Jin, no", Namjoon grumbled. "Not the right time for jokes."
"Right, sorry."
"Has anyone seen Jimin today?", Jungkook asked then but the others quickly shook their head, "No, have you?"
"No", Kook bit his lips. "He only showed up twice last week."
"He seemed sick, maybe he has the flu", Lyza said after a while, trying to calm everyone down because their faces became way too worried at that. "He was wearing a mask and sunglasses on both days, not showing any of his skin. I feel like he's sick and needs rest."
"Or he gets beaten up at home and showing up to school would draw attention", Jungkook said sharply. "Come on, it's obvious. We're trying to make us think that it's nothing for a month now, but Taehyung limps too, he is in pain as well. Jimin himself says it's from practice but he didn't join practice in so long-, he cannot have bruises from there."
The others nodded when Jungkook pointed all of this out.
"So, what do we do?"
"Nothing", Jungkook said. "If their father finds out we know something, it'll just get worse for them."
"So you want to keep letting it happen?", Lyza asked surprised.
"No", Jungkook shrugged, "But I finally get why Lia and the others are not doing anything."
"Bro, all his friends look like dead bodies walking for the past weeks-, they're losing it. Not doing something is killing them", Namjoon said, "I have never seen the cool kids being so quiet and backed off. Even Hoseok and Yoongi haven't bullied anyone in weeks."
Jungkook sighed deeply.
"God, this is all so fucked up."
*
Afternoon classes were over and Jungkook was on his way out of the building when he saw Taehyung heading into the boy's toilet, looking behind his back sheepishly as if he was trying to hide something. Jungkook, being the curious kid he had always been, followed the older in there.
At first he had no clue what to say when he would stand eye to eye with the boy-, no one around them to do shit.
But once he walked in and saw Taehyung in front of the mirror while putting a bunch of pills into his hands, Jungkook didn't even had to think anymore what to say.
He rushed over and touched Taehyung's shoulder before he could swallow those pills down, "What the hell!", Jungkook squeaked out, "What are you taking that many pills for?!", he grabbed the pills without even giving Taehyung a chance to explain, getting them away from him.
The older was frozen after Jungkook's touch, staring into the mirror while his face went blank and he had no expression on it anymore.
"Painkillers", he said bluntly, "Just painkillers."
"No one takes like ten painkiller pills at once", Jungkook snapped and turned the package he was holding in his hands and read what was on it. "You're supposed to take only one. Too many could kill y-"
Jungkook went silent, gulping dryly as he realized that Taehyung had read all of this as well, for sure. Everyone reads what's on the package before taking pills.
If they're in the right state of mind.
"Taehyung", he whispered and threw the whole package with pills into the rubbish, staring at the older worriedly. "What is going on?"
"Nothing, I just fell off my bike and now I need painkillers. The ones you just threw away, thanks for that"; he said, voice sounding distanced as he stepped a bit further away from Jungkook. He couldn't bare feeling the boy's breath in his neck, his eyes on him and his hand just a tiny little bit away. It all got to him and made him feel things again he tried so hard not to feel anymore.
"You don't even drive your bike, you have a car", Jungkook commented, "Why are you lying to me?"
"Why does it matter to you?!", Taehyung suddenly yelled out, "Just get the fuck out of here, please."
Jungkook shook his head, tears filling up his eyes, "No, I'm not leaving you- You just tried to-"
"So what", Taehyung balled his fists and turned to Jungkook, "Nothing fucking matters."
Kook started crying, not able to hold it back anymore. To see the boy he loved so dearly like this, it broke him again and again. Taehyung's glare was empty and his lips were dry and swollen and when Jungkook looked closely he could see dark bruises surrounding his collarbones.
He reached out for the older's shirt, pushing it up a little to look at his stomach and Taehyung just let it happen, not saying a word.
His stomach was also covered in bruises and dried blood, "Taehyung what-"
"I got into a fight." He crossed his arms and looked away. "Let my shirt down, please."
"Did your father do this?"
"No"
"Who else did this then", Jungkook asked in a small voice, "I'm not letting you leave my side if you can't promise me that you're safe."
"That doesn't make sense", Taehyung said, staring at the door in fear, "I won't ever be safe if I'm not with you. You're my safe place", his voice was barely audible, the boy so scared of someone entering the room and hearing his words.
"Why don't you stay with me then?", Jungkook asked, reaching out for the older's hand but he pushed him off and stepped backwards, "I can't."
Jungkook looked at him for so long, not answering.
He saw him struggling with tears that kept coming up, he saw how he pressed his hand on his hurting stomach and scratched his neck awkwardly.
"Taehyung, I love you", Jungkook hummed.
And that got him, the older broke into tears and stumbled forwards into Jungkook's arms that held him immediately. Jungkook wrapped his arms around him and just held the shaking boy who couldn't stop crying once he started, tears rushing down his cheeks and turning Jungkook's shirt into a mess.
"It's all gonna be okay", Jungkook whispered, brushing above the boy's back while he was holding him still. "I promise."
That only made him cry even more.
"I'll get you out of there, I promise", he hummed but Taehyung stepped back again, breaking free from the hug. "I don't want you to, Jungkook. I'm not into you", he said and forced himself to wipe his tears off and put his pokerface back on. "You're just a little brother to me. Stay out of my business, okay?"
"How am I supposed to do that if I find you in the school's toilet, trying to kill yourself with a bunch of pills?", Jungkook asked doubtfully, "How can you expect me to look away from all this?" He pointed onto the bruises, the tears and the pills in the rubbish. "I can't just leave you alone with all this."
Taehyung gave him a weak smile, "I appreciate that you care for me, but I'd rather have you minding your own business, okay?"
"Not as long as I know for a fact that you love me just like I love you", Jungkook shook his head, "I'm not giving up on you that easily, Tae. I'll get you out of there."
"You look pathetic", Taehyung hummed, staring at the ground. "Running after an older guy who is straight, literally having a girlfriend. Some crushes are better left as crushes, you should learn that", he explained firmly.
"Fine. Look me in the eyes and tell me you're not in love with me anymore. Tell me you're in love with this girl and that you want me to get out of your life for good. Tell me and I'll do it", Jungkook said sternly.
Taehyung gulped.
A long, long silence set in and Taehyung couldn't get himself to look up and meet Jungkook's curious eyes.
Those eyes that held a whole universe within, the way they always sparkled through the darkest night and looked even prettier now that they were all glittery by the tears the boy held back. Taehyung had those countless moments rushing back into his mind, times when he held Jungkook in his arms at night or kissed him passionately under the moon. All the sweet little dates they had, the laughs they shared and the stares that started off as awkward glances between a young boy and his best friend's olde brother but became loving glares soon after, eyes of lovers.
Jungkook meant the world to Taehyung and he was in love with him.
Saying he wasn't would be a straightup lie.
Yet Taehyung nodded, looked up and met Jungkook's eyes. He inhaled deeply, three times and then said,
"I'm not in love with you anymore, Jungkook. I want you to get out of my life, I have a girl I love and I don't need you anymore. Please leave."