Bittersweet // Jikook

02

Despondency; noun Low spirits from loss of hope or courage; dejection.

Over the next few weeks the two boys grew closer, Jimin was still very weary of Jungkook even despite how pleasant the boy had been towards him. He had seen how girls had fallen into his trap only to have their hearts broken and be humiliated in front of everyone they knew. It was a sad sight to see, but for some reason Jimin felt so safe around the other boy he didn't feel the need to forensically analyse every single thing his new companion did and it was good.

Jimin had been spending a lot more time away from home nowadays, he was tormented with feelings of despondency when he would arrive home to see his father nowhere in the house and his mother crying helplessly on the floor. She loved him endlessly and that's what hurt Jimin the most about it. He despised his father because of what he had done to the family, and now he was leaving on a nightly basis to find some girl to sleep with only to rub it in his mother's face when he came back stinking of sweat and sweet perfume. 

“Jimin?” his mother's soft voice called out to him from outside the door alongside a knock that had been barely audible. “May I come in?” She barely whispered. She had always been soft spoken, but now it seemed she was scared to talk in case someone turned on her like her husband had.

Jimin just let out a little hum as if to say 'go ahead' and sat upright in his bed which was covered with baby blue sheets. His mum entered the room with a broken smile on her chapped lips, the bags under her eyes were more noticeable and she had became visibly thinner over the past weeks. The young boy despised the man who caused his mother to break so much and he just wanted to do something, anything to help but he couldn't. It was out of his power.

“Jiminie, he's gone again.” she sat down at the foot of her son's bed, making a poor attempt to hold back her tears which started to pour down her cheeks at the thought of the man she vowed to spend the rest of her life with in bed with another woman.

Jimin's only response was to hold his mother's hand, like Jihyun had to him when he would cry over bullies or lost friends. He had learned so much about people from how his brother treated him. It was as if Jihyun had been sent to look after Jimin until the time was right, like a guardian angel of sorts. He was still with his little brother in his heart.

“Do you think he’ll leave us?” All Jimin could do was shrug with a sad look on his face.

“maybe we’d be better off if he did...” The boy sighed, holding back his own tears. They both knew that what he said was true, his mum wouldn't have to work double shifts to pay for alcohol and they'd have enough money for proper dinners and new clothes instead of that evil man stealing it for booze and drugs. “I’ll make things good again, mom. I promise.”

With that his mum gave him one last hug and left the room as she wiped away the last of her tears, hearing the door close downstairs and an unfamiliar voice of a man who sounded so much happier than his dad. The giggling started and for some reason, Jimin didn't feel guilty because his mother seemed happy for the first time in almost six years. She was finding a way to be happy whilst simultaneously getting back at her husband for destroying her and her Kid’s lives.

Suddenly Jimin’s phone started to ring, signalling that he was recieving a call. He picked the device up off his bedside table and looked at the screen, seeing a goofy picture he had taken of Jungkook the past week appear on it and he swiped the pad of his thumb across to accept the call.

“Hey, buddy!” the caller greeted, making the older boy unable to suppress the smile that was appearing on his face. “How is my new favourite person?” with that Jimin erupted into a fit of giggles.

“I’m good, Ggukie!” he shyly said, feeling suddenly excited for no apparent reason. “Why did you call?” He questioned the younger.

There was a short silence before a small laugh from the other end of the phone.

Jungkook began to talk “I heard something... I’m just making sure it's not true.” his voice went quiet and full of concern. “D-Did something happen to your brother...last year?” was all he said but it was enough to trigger the awful memories of that day.

Jimin couldn't speak, he couldn't even cry. He just hung up and let the phone fall onto the mattress, allowing the memories to come back one by one unable to keep them hidden any longer.