Deranged // Taekook

Chapter Twenty-Two: EXTRA

Jungkook didn't find it weird at all that his former friend had dropped him for a whole year and ignored him during the first month and few weeks of high school. He accepted Daniel's poor apology and immediately befriend the older boy again without any questions.

Then one day in the fourth month of high school, Daniel invited Jungkook to his house. He promised to clean everything and make sure everything looked perfect so Jungkook wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Jungkook had reluctantly agreed to go. He had never been to Daniel's house but he trusted Daniel enough now to believe the older male wouldn't do anything to trigger a panic or anxiety attack.

That Saturday afternoon, Jungkook's mother happily took him to Daniel's house. She had praised Jungkook for finally acting like a normal teen and doing things normal teens did like spending the night with their friends. Jungkook was too nervous to pay her any attention.

Just like Daniel promised, his house was absolutely spotless and everything was in order. Jungkook was grateful and it made him relax just a bit. They had hung out in Daniel's room for about an hour doing nothing. They talked a bit — Daniel actively avoided talking about what happened to their friendship after he graduated middle school.

After a while, they fell silent. Then Daniel asked a question that confused Jungkook.

"You don't like people touching you because of the germs right?"

It seemed like a harmless question but Jungkook was still confused by it. He had explained to Daniel long before this why he didn't want to be touched so why was he asking now?

Nonetheless, fourteen-year-old Jungkook answered his friend with a simple nod. They sat distant from each other. Jungkook was sitting in a white chair while Daniel sat in the middle of his room in a purple bean bag chair.

"Are you gay?" Daniel had asked, taking Jungkook by surprise.

Jungkook genuinely didn't know how to answer that question. He could've easily said no but he was unsure if it was true. He's never been attracted to anyone unless you considered the platonic attraction he had towards Daniel. When he thought about it, he couldn't imagine himself in a romantic or sexual relationship with anyone. He considered answering that he was asexual since it was the only thing that made sense to his young brain at the time but before he could answer, Daniel spoke again.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to I was just asking because everyone thinks you're gay."

Jungkook stayed quiet as Daniel kept talking.

"We're all attracted to something—"

"I'm not comfortable talking about this..." Jungkook had quickly cut him off, "why are you asking this?"

Daniel had just shrugged and they fell into an uncomfortable silence before his phone dinged from a text notification. He had abruptly stood up and requested they go outside. He didn't give Jungkook time to argue since he knew the younger boy wouldn't agree to go. Jungkook had no choice but to follow as he didn't feel comfortable sitting in Daniel's room alone.

Daniel's house had a huge cornfield behind it. His mother usually harvested the corn and sold it as a side job. The corn stalks were incredibly tall and just looking at them made Jungkook uneasy as Daniel guided him towards the field.

"I don't want to go in the field," the nervous fourteen-year-old had said as he stopped in his tracks. Daniel had told him he wanted to show Jungkook something cool inside the field. That didn't make Jungkook nervous, what made him nervous was the giant heaps of dirt near the field and the corn that would hover over his head and brush against his skin.