The Rejects [YoonMin][NamJin]

Chapter Four

Mrs Kim didn't force Yoongi into any conversation early that morning as she drove him to school.

He'd spent the entire weekend with Jin, tucked away in the bedroom, playing games, watching movies and napping.

So far, nothing had happened.

No voices were raised, no exchanges turned heated, and no signs of physical violence or aggression were displayed. Most importantly, no one entered the room during the night reeking of whiskey and lacking self-control.

Jin had been a decent roommate the whole time Yoongi was there, giving him the space and privacy he needed.

He didn't complain when the younger boy spent a ridiculous amount of time in the shower, embracing the heat that had become a distant memory. And he was fine with letting Yoongi get changed behind the locked door, too.

When the blonde came out every morning, the pair went and had breakfast together, sitting at the table.

Yoongi was thankful that Mr and Mrs Kim had already eaten and went about their business, leaving the two to continue getting acquainted. He wasn't ready to sit around the family table and engage in idle chit-chat ye; it was too soon and too much to think about.

He had his guard up, and it was solid and impenetrable, which was apparent in the way he shut down specific topics of conversation, but Jin didn't mind; there were plenty of issues he was happy to avoid.

Mrs Kim was pleased to see the younger boy engaging a little and showing a fraction more interest in his surroundings. He still kept his head down and eyes low, avoiding contact with people, but they scanned the environment as he sat, taking note of new things.

That was when she could really look at him.

He was skinny, his little arms looked like they could barely lift his cutlery, and his long, boney fingers looked like they would break if he held on too tight.

The thin white t-shirt hung from his slender frame; it was well-worn and at least two sizes too big. The elastic in the collar had stretched long ago, making the garment hang low and expose his milky-white skin.

It also revealed bruises.

Not enough to show the true extent of what he'd been through, but enough to show that the last group home was no better than most of the others he lived in.

That was when Mrs Kim decided to go shopping, leaving the two boys to their peaceful afternoon.

As Yoongi shuffled uncomfortably in the car, he pulled at the new t-shirt and jacket he received, a little uneasy thanks to the tighter fit.

It wasn't that the smaller t-shirt was unpleasant; he just wasn't used to it. And he wasn't accustomed to the zip-up jacket being so snug.

He didn't know how to react to Mrs Kim's generosity.

When she presented him with two paper bags filled with clothes, he was stunned and unsure of what to say.

The woman purchased a dozen simple t-shirts with both long and short sleeves, a few pairs of jogging bottoms and jeans, along with basic essentials. There was also a waterproof jacket and a new pair of sneakers.

She guessed his size based on the older boy and looked at his shoes before she left. But anything that didn't fit well, she would willingly return it later.

Mrs Kim knew the exchange was difficult for Yoongi to comprehend, so she didn't even wait to hear a thank you; she just walked away, smiling when a slight mumble fell from his lips.

And this morning, she handed him a backpack before they got in the car.

Just a plain, black backpack containing a notebook, a few pens and pencils, a water bottle, and a wallet with lunch money.