★━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★
It took me some seconds to interpret what had happened. The ring that echoed in my ears after the horrendous blare of the slap, made me shiver with fear.
"That's not how you should be treating your son!" The boy next to Jungkook stepped up, "Why would you hit him!?"
"You're no one to tell me what do I do with my son, you ungrateful jerk!" The man roared and I pushed Jia behind me, her jaw dropping at the sight.
"Yah, what is this? I thought you would be ashamed after seeing the fall in your grades. And you... you're going on dates with some chick? Do you even know how much money I've spent on your studies?"
His bitter choice of words made me piss my teeth in agony. Jungkook just clutched his left cheek tighter, not even moving an inch.
"This is the second time I've visited this place and found this brat instead of you. Have I bought this apartment for this jerk to doze off everyday? Is this some kind of sauna or hotel, eh?"
"I... I gave him the permission," Jungkook had whispered and I just held my breath, not knowing what to do. "He is my friend."
"Friend? You call that a friend? This brat has been living the life in the apartment that I bought for my son! And..." he examined Jungkook from a closer sight and I just gulped, "what is this? What happened to your hair?"
The pause in the atmosphere made me anxious. A group of girls walked past me, stopping by to look at them.
"I...I dyed them."
"You dyed your hair?"
The next thing he did made goosebumps pop up on my skin. Grabbing a handful of his hair in his tight fist, he pulled so hard that Jungkook yelped in pain. The distance was enough for me to hear the hiss escaping his lips, but neither of us were able to do anything.
"Your grades are going down, you aren't worrying. You're skipping classes. You're not available in your house but in your place this jerk is sleeping in your bed. You're nowhere to be found and when I come here I'm finding out that Jeon Jungkook is gone out to have the time of his life with a girl. And that too, with a changed hair colour. What's next? Are you going to audition as an idol?"
"I'm sorry."
Just these two words echoed in the lobby and I felt tears stinging my eyes. The group of people slowly began to dismiss and I felt Jia tightly clutching at my waist in fear.
He pushed Jungkook away, and stumbled on his own steps. The sight gave me an intuition that maybe he was drunk. When he looked at me, I quickly looked down at my feet, holding Jia's hand.
"Appa... I'll work hard. I'm sorry for everything. You can beat me up later, but for now, please... just let me go one last time."
"Where to?" He spat in his face and Jungkook lowered his eyes.
"I need to send her home. I'll be back soon and you can take it all out on me. I'll change my hair back to the original and I won't skip a single day."
"Can't she go back herself? I can see her legs. She can walk," he looked at Jungkook, "or do you need to carry her?"
I sniffled lightly because my heart was pounding too loud when his father started to walk in my direction. I took a step back, towering over Jia who pressed her back against the wall.
"Yah, being a grown up means you can travel on your own. Stop wasting my son's time and money! You, and you, all of you are making a fool out of my son and this brat being an idiot obeys everyone!" He spat in my face and I could feel his mouth reeking of alcohol. The smell made my stomach churn with disgust.
"I will...go back. I'm sorry." I whispered and turned back, only for Jungkook to hold my wrist, stopping me in my track.
"Appa, I told you I'm in charge. I promised her mom. She's a girl and it's getting dark."
"You promised something to your own parents too. Don't you remember?" He whispered to Jungkook and I tried to wriggle out of Jungkook's grasp, but he only held my wrist with a tighter force.
"I will fulfil everyone's promise. That's why I'm born, right?" His voice was cold, "I will do everything that makes you happy and won't do a single deed for myself. I'll work so hard until my body crashes and my breath resolutes. I will work until I forget I'm not a human anymore..."
He then tugged at my wrist, not making a single eye contact with his father and darted across the lobby.
"Yah! Yah!" His father shouted from behind but he kept on walking. I didn't blurt a single word but held Jia's hand while Jungkook held mine.
"Jungkook-ah!" His friend called out as he came running behind us. Jungkook turned around and I noticed the tiny bruise at the corner of his lips.
"Taehyung, are you okay?" Without letting go of his grasp on my wrist, Jungkook examined the other boy, "he didn't hurt you, did he?"
"I'm fine, Jungkookie." He whispered and turned to me, his eyes filled with regret and sorrow, "I never thought we'll meet like this. Hope you're okay after whatever happened."
I nodded, feeling my throat thicken as we kept walking until we walked out of the gates and onto the streets.
"Why did he do this to Jungkook?" I muttered, "what was his fault?"
The boy named Taehyung sighed as we kept walking. "He messed up his presentation and got expelled from the meeting that he was working on for some days, or that's what I heard him mutter when he entered the house."
"And then he drank. He often does this. After my grades were being emailed to him, I knew he'll soon come to see me but I didn't know that day was today." Jungkook whispered and I turned to him, my eyes fixed on his dark bruise that was covered in dry blood.
"He hits you? He takes out his own frustration on you and your friend?" I took a step closer, using my finger to touch his bleeding injury. He didn't react but stared back at me with no emotion.
"Yes, this was the second time this year. Jungkook can't defend himself because he doesn't have any power over his father. His father is a monster."
Jungkook's words echoed once again in my mind and now I understood what he meant.
They raised me to be a 20 year old man.
That's what I was told, to study hard and become independent, by the age of 18.
Being the puppet I am.
My heart swelled with agony and I couldn't resist the tears falling down my eyes. I lowered my head, taking a step back.
"Hana, are you crying?" Jungkook whispered to me but I shook my head, a sudden wave of unfamiliar emotions washing over me.
The smile he flashes every time, the laughter, the happiness, it's all fake.
He fights within himself but no one knows...is this depression? Is this sorrow? Is this uncertainty? What is this that makes him suffer but not let out a single sob?
"I'm not crying, I'm just..."
"You're not? Then wipe this sweat that's sticking on your cheeks. It doesn't look good." Jungkook smiled down at me.
Huh...copycat.
"Please don't go hard on yourself, Jungkook. I don't like this. I can't see this happening to you. Do something that makes your parents proud, don't do anything that makes them mad and treat you like this."
"You think I don't try?" He whispered and I looked up in his eyes, "this is what I mean when I tell everyone, that I'm not enough. Until my grades are high, my parents are happy. But when I take some time out for myself, even a minimum drop in my scores make them mad. That's why I avoid everything. I hate the life that I'm living but I have no choice."
"I don't know what to say about this," Taehyung said as he buried his hands in his pockets, "his father always calls me poor, penniless and whatnot. He curses at me and my father, saying that I'm just pretending to be Jungkook's friend so that I can make use of his luxuries."
"I told you it's not like that, Taehyung...my father is a diligent man, but I haven't gotten his traits. I want you to stay in my house. I don't care about him. And once I become independent, I don't want to see his face ever after."
"What about today? When you'll get back, would he hit you again?" I asked, afraid of the impact.
"He'll probably be asleep by then. He doesn't always hit me, it's just his frustration. But even if he does, I'll manage."
"How can you?"
"...what?"
"How can you manage with him? I could never, if I were you... I would've given up long ago."
"That's the spirit which keeps me going. One day I'll become someone he'll either be proud of, or jealous of." He smiled proudly, touching the corner of his lip, "I want to show him that I'm not affected, even though a part of me dies inside, whenever I look at him."
"You're so strong."
"I'm not strong, I'm just used to the pain and destruction caused by them. It used to hurt a lot, but now I feel nothing."
"Jungkook-ah, let's not go back tonight, I'm afraid he might-"
"Don't be scared Taehyung. Even if something happens, I'll protect you. I'm the one in charge of everything. Either good or bad." Jungkook patted his shoulder and looked down at Jia.
"I'm sorry little J, you had to see that. Just think of it as a nightmare, alright?" He bent down to look into her horrified eyes.
"Please be safe, big J." She whispered to him and I lowered my head, which was pounding with too many questions.
"I will be," he kissed her cheek, which made Jia smile a little.
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
He looked up at me, "maybe we won't be able to see each other for a long time, but today, the time that I spent with you was golden. I'll never forget it."
"Wh-Why are you saying that we won't see each other? You aren't going anywhere...are you?"
"I'm not." He smiled, and the sudden urge to give him a tight hug swirled in my mind. I tried to shake it off because I was confused, hesitant and mad.
"Jungkook, where do I go?" The other boy asked, confusedly looking at him. It made Jungkook let out a chuckle and I became more curious.
He's laughing? How can he look so happy once again? How does he do this?
"You can wait by the coffee shop, I'll drop them and will be back there. And yeah, make sure to switch off your phone." He answered and a cab stopped by the road.
"Let's get to your home." He clutched Jia's arm and walked by, and I simply followed behind.
I thought it was just me who had these kind of parents... but his are worse!
Now I understand him, little by little...
And I'm willing to help him, even though I can't do anything...if my presence can affect even one percent of his sorrows, I'm willing to do so..
Because I can't see him pretending anymore...
A/N
Dramatic, but a little clichè drama is essential, ya know ;)
So you see, some parents are toxic. Taking out their own frustration on their children to calm their own nerves. What happens to those kids? They grow up to become unnatural in nature, secretive and pretentious. Also, sneaky. People with strict parents know the feeling very well :")
Who knew the boy who's smile is so blinding is living the life of a prisoner? You would know nothing about a specific person if he/she is good at hiding it. That's why we say, be kind to everyone, you never know what they're going through.
Vote and comment your opinion. Be open, this is a safe place <3