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신발
THE FRONT DOORS of the mall opened to the four boys; Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook. They had been allowed to go to the mall for a quick trip due to the fact that Jimin's current soccer cleats were ruined, considering he was one of the team's best kickers. He also just failed to try and keep them in good shape, something that he was somehow thankful for at that moment because it meant that he could get out of practice just once.
Namjoon, however, was sent to keep Jimin in check, along with Jungkook and Taehyung who had begged to tag along. They knew Hoseok, Yoongi, and Seokjin would get back at them later for that, but they didn't care. Getting out of practice was the rarest occasion and even if they loved soccer, they needed to take a short break at least once.
"We're here to buy your shoes, and that's it, alright?" Namjoon cocked his eyebrow at Jimin as they walked down a corridor. They were passing several small kiosks, each being visited by Jimin to stall time.
"But hyung, coach never lets us out of practice! This is our one taste of freedom," Jimin complained.
"You can get freedom by quitting the team, you know," Taehyung remarked.
"I can't. You know how much of a lady magnet I've become since I joined the team. They can't resist me," the boy scoffed, running a hand through his light blonde hair.
"Really? What ladies are you attracting besides the moms at our soccer games?" Taehyung raised his eyebrows at him.
"Many ladies! In my classes, and stuff..." Jimin's voice trailed off, allowing Taehyung to release a victory laugh as Namjoon just sighed beside them.
They continued their small argument as Jungkook listened, quietly as usual. He wasn't much of a talker in his group of friends, being the youngest and the shyest. They all adored him for that and gave him all of the attention that he so humbly claimed he didn't deserve.
He was, undoubtedly, the best soccer player in the school in his friends' eyes, but he would never willingly take this title. He was well-admired for his humbleness, along with his kindness that made those around him become better versions of themselves.
As they continued walking down the hallway, something in the corner of Jungkook's eye caught his attention, and he turned his head to see an old man, laying on the floor and reaching for his cane. He seemed to have fallen and was struggling, with others continuing to blindly walk by him.
The sight had Jungkook hastily running to him, where he helped the old man to his feet while grabbing his cane.
"Oh! Thank you, kind boy," the old man smiled and bowed slightly at Jungkook as he grasped onto the cane, leaning his weight onto it.
"Of course, sir!" Jungkook smiled widely. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"
"I am fine, young man. You are so kind, with a very good heart," he sweetly laughed, his wrinkled eyes forming small crescents.
"Thank you, sir," Jungkook bowed slightly as he stepped back. "I have to get going now, it was very nice to meet you, sir!"
"Likewise!" the old man bowed back before Jungkook walked back to his friends, who looked at him with proud faces.
"That's my Jungkookie," Jimin wrapped his arm around Jungkook's shoulder, bringing him down to his height as he playfully messed with his hair. Jungkook only laughed, gently pushing Jimin off before they continued walking down the hallway.
After turning a corner, Jungkook heard Taehyung suddenly cough, as if he choked on something. They curiously looked at him, noticing his eyes fixed on something in the distance. They followed his gaze, seeing two girls in the distance walking toward them.
"It's Bitna," Namjoon smiled at the sight of his childhood friend. "We should go say hi."
"Nope," Taehyung shook his head firmly, pressing his lips together. He suddenly turned around, ready to walk away before Jimin grasped onto his arm.
"You can't keep running away from her. We all know you're madly in love with Bitna, it's painfully obvious. What if you told her how you feel right now?" Jimin asked him, looking at him impatiently.
"Are you kidding? In this mall? On a Tuesday?" Taehyung gawked at him, his eyes wide.
"Nobody's confessing any love today, we don't have time," Namjoon interrupted them. "Let's just go say hi and find your shoes."
With that, the four made their way toward the two girls. Jungkook recognized the other girl to be Mina, the new student he had met the day before by a sticky situation in the cafeteria. He did admit; he was quick to judge her at first, but after their conversation in chemistry later in the day, his view of her changed. She seemed like a genuinely good person, considering who her father was. He could see her being a close friend in the near future, something that made him happy especially because he didn't really have any other friends besides the boys on the soccer team.
After their short little rendezvous, the boys made their way to buy Jimin's shoes, supporting a mentally unstable Taehyung who was stuttering about Bitna the entire time.
-
"Mom, I'm home!" Jungkook shouted as he closed the front door, slipping his shoes off. He picked them up, neatly setting them onto the shoe rack as he fixed his backpack and sports bag on his shoulder. He made his way into his house, his bag occasionally hitting the wall of the small hallway he was walking through until he stepped into the kitchen to see his mother, along with his father beside her. He was helping her cook dinner, the rich smell of kimchi stew filling Jungkook's nostrils.
"Jungkook, you're home!" his father exclaimed, patting him on the back before brushing past him to grab something in the fridge. Jungkook made his way out of the kitchen, setting his bag and backpack onto the dining table before running his hands through his hair, feeling the sweat on his forehead.
"Did you score any goals, son?" his father asked as he mixed something on the stove.
"It was just practice, dad," Jungkook laughed.
"Are you hungry?" his mother raised her eyebrows at him from behind the kitchen counter. Jungkook would think that his parents would be tired of cooking after a full day of doing that at the restaurant they owned, but he would be proved wrong every night.
"Not right now," he replied, grabbing onto his bags once again. "I'll eat after I do my homework," he stated before making his way to his room, opening the door, and seeing his small bedroom. His wall was covered with several posters, some of the famous Iron Man character along with a few others from Marvel. He was quite the geek, and a nerd if he would say so himself.
Jungkook plopped his backpack onto the bed, opening it and turning it upside, watching all of its contents drop onto the red blanket. He began picking up his notebooks, tossing them onto the desk beside his bed, in addition to his pencil case. When he thought all was cleaned up, Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows as he noticed something leftover on his bed.
It was a small vial, nearly the size of his thumb, containing some sort of red liquid that he hadn't seen before.
What's this? Jungkook thought as he picked it up, holding it in front of his eyes to examine the liquid. He gently tapped the glass, watching a few bubbles stir from the action.
Out of curiosity, he fiddled with the cap before twisting it off until suddenly, a cloud of red smoke hastily exploded in Jungkook's face, fogging his vision as he stepped back in retaliation.
"What the...?" he blinked, barely noticing his drowsiness before he abruptly fell unconscious onto his bed, face first, filling the room with silence.
