Flower Boy [JIKOOK][COMPLETE]

Chapter 40: A distraction.

Jungkook:

'Jungkook...Kookie?'

My mum hovers between the crack in my doorway, hesitant to enter. It's been about a week since I last properly talked to her. Unless you count properly talking as the occasional grunt to signify 'yes' or 'no'.

One night in particular, I remember my parents talking on the landing outside my room, thinking I couldn't hear.
Mum was telling Dad things like 'Honey, he keeps pushing me away and I don't know what to do' and 'I feel useless, I don't know how to help him', like I'm some nut job.

It's not like I don't know what I'm doing though. I know I'm pushing her away. But I can't help it. I can't bring myself to please anyone anymore.
Even if it is my own mother.

She lingers for a few seconds more, debating to herself whether to even bother talking to me. I lay spread out across my bed, staring up at the ceiling... as I had been doing so ever since-

'...Taehyung is downstairs.' Mum tells me, cutting off my thoughts. 'He's worried about you, will you come down and see him? Just for a moment?'

Taehyung?

My friends had come round before, sure. But that was only Sena and Hana, not Tae. And I had refused to see them anyway. I wasn't going to make an exception for Taehyung, even if he was one of my closest friends. What would be the point of seeing him anyway?
I'd be no fun, and I'm not up for the bombardment of questions like
'Jungkook, are you okay? and
'Tell me what's wrong'.

'Tell him I'm not here.' I mumble to my mum, not moving an inch. She sighs before shuffling out my room and pulling the door to, just short of the door frame. Usually her leaving a crack in the door as she exits my room would infuriate me, but I have no energy to close it myself, being pinned down to my bed under the weight of my mind.

Just moments later, as I was settling back into my familiar routine of self pity, the door is pushed open once again. 'Mum, please. I know you're going to try and make me come downstairs again. But please, leave me alone...I'm not ready to get up...not today okay?Tomorrow maybe.' I promise her, but I knew I was lying. I've become good at giving people false hope.

'It's me.' A deep voice replies. I look up to see Taehyung, standing in the middle of my room.

'O-oh...Tae-' I stutter, sitting upright in my bed. Why did he come up?! I look a mess. I attempt to smooth down my bed hair.

'...How are you?' He asks, but I could tell he was tiptoeing around any sensitive subjects. Saying fine would be a lie, so instead I say nothing. I suck on my bottom lip and look down, twiddling the chord on my sweatpants between my fingers. He slowly approaches and takes a seat next to me on the bed, making it sink a little.

'I'm just letting you know now, I'm taking you out.' He states confidently. Take me out?
I look at him questioningly.
'You can't stayed cooped up in your room forever Jungkook.' Correction, I can try.
'Let's go out, like old times, remember? Like back in Daegu when it was just me and you against the world huh?' he chuckles and punches my arm softly.

'Uh...I don't know Taehyung.'
I mumble. 'I don't know if I'm ready to face the world. Not today. Tomorrow maybe.'
I tell him, using my favourite go-to false promise.

'Since when did you call me by my full name - are we strangers now you've locked yourself away?' he adds. I hadn't even realised.
Maybe we HAD become more distant...

As I go to explain myself further, i.e. make more excuses, Tae leans down and picks up something that was lodged between my bed and the bedside desk.