Safe Haven. (JJP FF)

iii: project pals

Jinyoung woke up with a stinging pain on his body and a painful back due to the inconvenient sleeping position.

Previous events were recalled, and made Jinyoung's head heavier. He stumbled out of the Boy's bathroom stall and towards the nurse's office.

"What happened this time around, Jinyoung?"

Jinyoung was met by the gruff voice of the long haired male nurse Chieri. Chieri was the only person Jinyoung could count on in situations like these.

He was the only person Jinyoung could actually count on in any situation. Even if he had a cold personality, he had a slightly softer spot for the little boy due to his circumstances.

"Got hit."

"By those punks?"

"Y-Yeah."

Chieri sighed and disposed of his cigarette butt, and went to attend to Jinyoung with his expert hands and trustworthy aid.

He hadn't been fired from his job because he was highly experienced in the medical field, he fixed a guy's sprained ankle that he'd got from fighting in school premises, and in turn, kept the school record clean. But in reality he knows the rotten core that lies in the school.

Jinyoung already knew the procedure, so he pulled up his shirt so that Chieri could examine him. He'd hang his head low being ashamed of the fact that Chieri had to see his bruised, besmirched body.

Jinyoung blinks the rest of the tears away, listening to the sound of Chieri's clattering of medical instruments, anxiously awaiting the lecture that usually followed.

But to Jinyoung's amazement, Chieri just quietly treated his wounds, checked for broken bones and bandaged them up. But the nurse spoke after he fixed Jinyoung's torso.

"Why don't you inform this to your aunt Jinyoung?"

"I-I'm....I can't...."

The older raised a brow "Why not? Just inform your aunt and get away from this hellhole, Jinyoung."

"I... I'm already a burden to her, Chieri... I don't want to burden her more..."

"Hey, Look at me, you are not a burden to anyone, it's her own free will she took you in, and she continued to do so, which means she wants you. You are in no way a burden to her. You can never be one!" Chieri emphasized grasping Jinyoung's shoulders.

"But I can't.... T-There's a lot of... memories in this place... For her."

Chieri sighed. It was impossible to persuade Jinyoung when he was rooted to his decision.

"Fine... At least you don't have a broken bone this time. You can go if you're not in too much pain. Still free to stay if it hurts or you don't want to go."

"I'll go..."

"You sure?"

"Yeah... Yes." Jinyoung would never admit it, but he never stayed even if it hurt because he owed a lot to Chieri. He couldn't pile up more and more. Chieri's got his own business.

The bell rang, and Jinyoung staggered to his Science class. That was his last class of the day, since he'd wasted 2 classes in the washroom and clinic and after that, he would be free to go home.

When he entered the class, he was met with the familiar look of Jaebum, who in return, shot a small smile and a hand wave.

Jinyoung was surprised for a moment, but then he thought he could've been waving to someone else, so he continued to his own seat, slumping down the moment he sat.