Dark Paradise | KOOKV

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫¹⁸

—

School mornings were what Taehyung disliked the most. He longed to stay in bed and sleep, but he couldn’t risk another day of absence. Yes, he wasn’t at school on Monday and Tuesday. Having already missed four days of school, he knew that falling behind would impact his chances of finishing high school on time. The thought of having to repeat the school year haunted him. Determined to leave behind the bad memories.

But what then? What are his plans for the future? Perhaps college or a job? What kind of work does he desire to do? Which college should he go to? So many questions swirled in his desperate mind.
Was there even a future for him? Happiness seemed elusive, then what about a promising future?

He sat down next to Jungkook, who smiled at him. Jungkook seemed a little bit concerned, because Taehyung missed two more days of school.

Despite feeling tired, Taehyung managed a polite smile in return.

"Good morning, Taehyung" Jungkook greeted him.

Taehyung nodded, his own "good morning" barely audible. He mentally facepalmed, wishing he'd spoken louder.

The teacher stepped into the classroom, capturing everyone's attention with a light tap of her stick on the table, a signal that the lesson was about to begin.

Korean literature. Taehyung despised it.

"Good morning, class. Today, we'll delve into modern Korean poetry," Mrs. Lee announced. Groans echoed throughout the room.

"Enough complaining! This topic is very important. If you don't pay attention, you'll fail this school year" she declared firmly. Her gaze swept the room, lingering on a particular spot. Anger ignited in her eyes as she marched toward a table where a boy dozed off, his head resting lazily on his hands.

With a sharp strike of her stick, the boy jolted awake. "Jung Hoseok, this applies to you too! No more sleeping, focus on my class! I expect you to see you at detention today!" Her voice crackled with anger as Hoseok nodded apologetically.

Clearly, someone wasn't in the mood today.

Taehyung shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing at the clock. Modern Korean poetry? It felt like a cruel joke. He'd rather be anywhere else, maybe even back in math class, wrestling with quadratic equations. But here he was, trapped in a room with a teacher who seemed to relish their collective misery.

The teacher, projected an image of a serene landscape on the screen. Blossoming cherry trees framed a tranquil river, their delicate petals fluttering in the breeze. Taehyung wondered if this was some elaborate torture technique.

"Poetry," Mrs. Lee continued, her voice lilting, "is the soul's expression. It captures the essence of life, love, and longing." She paused, her eyes scanning the room. "Today, we'll explore the works of Yoon Dong-ju, a poet who dared to dream amidst adversity. He.."

Taehyung stole a glance at the clock, tuning out the teacher's chatter. His gaze fixed on the blackboard, lost in thought.

The next two hours slipped away, and the lunch bell chimed at 11 a.m. Just as Taehyung was about to get up, Jungkook halted him.

"Hey, um. Do you maybe want to eat lunch with me?" Jungkook asked.

The blonde haired hesitated. The idea of sitting with Jungkook's friends made him uneasy. What if they didn't like him? He wasn’t sure how to act or what to say.