All Roads Lead to Us (Street Racers #1)

twenty years ago

"Leave her alone!"

Loud sobs have been tearing Jungkook's throat apart for what feels like an eternity now. Someone's pulling him back, hands locked, unusually strong grip for a 10 year old. Four older boys tower over his best friend, laughing. Jungkook wants to stop them from picking on her. He wants to make them cry as much as they made her cry, he wants to push them, scream at them. He can't. He's just 8, weak and scared of the world and everyone who walks through it.

The boys they don't know throw her decorated notebooks into the fountain, break her Powerpuff Girls pencils, pull her hair. No one is here to help Jungkook and Yeeun, and Jungkook feels like he could rip his arms out, just to save his best friend.

When they finally leave, laughing their way out of the park, Jungkook dashes across the well-trodden path, and catches his best friend into his arms. They are both crying.

"I'm sorry, Yeeun. I wanted to help you." Jungkook sobs. He wants to hold her tighter, make it stop hurting. He thinks he can feel how much it hurts her. "Wait, I'm going to get your things!"

He can't accept how helpless he was. That he could just watch. Water in the fountain reaches his knees. He's weeping as he fishes out the soaked pages and glue-less stickers.

His breath hitches when he looks at the smeared ink, and Yeeun's torn bag, and her flushed cheeks, and red eyes. He doesn't know why it hurts him so much when Yeeun was the one treated like that. He doesn't know why he feels like he could disappear right now.

"Jungkook. Let it go." Yeeun cries, as he tries to fix broken things. She's holding his arms now, trying to hug him. "Come here. Did they hurt you?"

He can't answer. He is hurt. He is in so much pain, but he doesn't know why.