"You really don't tell your parents anything, do you?" Jungkook asked Jieun as the three of them took the lift downstairs for Jieun to send them off.
Jieun hesitated. "I don't want them to worry."
"So... they don't know anything from the bullying, the rotten eggs, your anti fanclub, the watch incident, your expulsion... nothing?" Taehyung asked, flabbergasted.
"Nothing," Jieun said, nodding quietly.
"But why?" Jungkook frowned. "And how - like, how did you even keep it a secret from them?"
"I bathed at a public shower after the rotten eggs incident, the watch incident and the expulsion... I begged the teachers not to call them, saying that I'd tell them myself." Jieun sighed. "But I didn't. And well, for the rest, I just kept it all a secret."
"Why though?" Taehyung frowned as well. "Aren't your parents there to support you? Even if you don't want them to worry, it's such a huge matter! You can't just rely on your own strength alone!"
"I have four of you, don't I?" Jieun was starting to get worked up. "I can rely on myself and you guys, I don't need to tell my parents every single little thing-"
"No, you should," Jungkook said calmly. "You really can't rely on yourself all the-"
"I have to!" Jieun exclaimed. "My parents are not young anymore. And-" Jieun's voice cracked. Once bitten, twice shy. "Their health matters more to me than my own well-being. I had to keep it a secret guys, I have my own reasons." Jieun swallowed hard. "I'm sorry but you guys won't understand." Never, ever.
An awkward silence ensued.
Taehyung pursed his lips, then placed a hand on Jieun's shoulder. "Whatever it is, we're here for you, Jieun. Stay strong."
Jungkook watched on carefully, but didn't say another word to Jieun. "Let's go, Taehyung."
Jieun looked at the both of them and nodded. "Thanks guys. And... I'm sorry for my sudden outburst. Go home safely."
Jieun waved goodbye to Jungkook and Taehyung, but she could only see Jungkook's back as they walked away, because he didn't turn back again. Taehyung, on the other hand, turned and waved to her, motioning for her to go up first, but Jieun stood there, watching Jungkook carefully.
He seemed upset for some reason, but she didn't know why.
Only when Jieun had disappeared round the corner, Taehyung ran to catch up with Jungkook, who had already boarded the bus that just arrived. Taehyung took a seat next to Jungkook, in the nearly empty bus.
The two of them sat in silence for a while.
"Are you upset?" Taehyung finally asked.
Jungkook didn't respond immediately. "No, why?"
"I thought..." Taehyung's voice trailed off. "I thought you might be upset about her not telling her parents things and stuff, since you-"
"No." Jungkook cut Taehyung off immediately.
"Well, I'm just asking." Taehyung shrugged. "Sorry if I offended you by asking you that."
Jungkook didn't respond.
"So..." Taehyung continued. "How did Jennie manage to convince the principal to let Jieun stay? Begging? Bribery? Blackmail?"
Jungkook didn't answer Taehyung's question directly. "It's not as easy as you think."
"Huh?"
"We still need to find the real culprit before the finals," Jungkook said dryly. "If not..."
"What?!" Taehyung's eyes widened. "If not what?"
"If not... she'll still be expelled from school."
"What?!" Taehyung's mouth fell open. "You didn't say that earlier!"
"She doesn't need to know," Jungkook said nonchalantly.
"What?" Taehyung exclaimed. "Of course she needs to know! This is regarding her whole future! What if we can't find the culprit-"
"Then we just have to."
"But-"
"Do you have no confidence in yourself?"
Taehyung flinched. "I do, but... it's too big of a risk. Who made these terms? The principal herself?"
"No," Jungkook pursed his lips. "I did."
Taehyung raised his eyebrows. "How can you do that? This is so risky - if Jieun gets expelled, how will you take responsibility?"
"That's why, I told her if I don't find evidence then, I'll leave the school as well."
Taehyung's jaws dropped. He stared at Jungkook in silence, as if he was staring at a madman. Well, he probably thought Jungkook was one at that point.
"You like Jieun, don't you?" Taehyung finally said.
For the first time, Jungkook turned to look at Taehyung in surprise. He was expecting "you're crazy" or "you madman" or something of that sorts... just not what Taehyung had said. "What makes you say that?"
"You've never done that for anyone," Taehyung laughed. "So... you like her, don't you?"
Jungkook didn't answer. He looked away.
Taehyung pursed his lips.
The silence was deafening.
"How about you?" Jungkook asked, finally breaking the silence.
"Huh?"
"You like Jieun, too. Don't you?"
~
"So... which one of them is it?"
Jieun returned back home after calming herself down, only to see her mom and dad standing at the door, smirking non-stop at Jieun.
"Huh?" Jieun squeezed her way through the door, between her parents, taking a seat on the sofa in the living room. "What are you talking about?"
"You know what we're talking about..." Jieun's mom said with a grin as she took a seat on Jieun's left.
Jieun's dad took a seat to her right, still smirking. "Which one's the boy you like."
"What?!" Jieun laughed. "What are you talking about? I told you both of them were my close friends."
"Ha!" Her mom laughed sarcastically. "Nice try, Lee Jieun. But I've known you for close to 18 years. I can tell when you like a guy."
Jieun frowned cynically. "Since when have I ever liked a guy?"
Her mom thought for a while, then laughed. "Okay, never. But still, I can tell when my daughter likes a guy, okay?"
Jieun was amused. "So which of them do I like then?"
Jieun's mom frowned. "That, I don't know. But I do know it's one of them."
"That's ridiculous."
"Don't deny it," her dad said, raising his eyebrows. "Your mom told me about how you talked to a guy on the phone and couldn't stop smiling..."
"Mom!"
"Oops."
"...and I also witnessed Taehyung hugging you that time and you guys having a heart to heart downstairs." Her dad finished. "So... is it Taehyung?"
"No, dad!"
"It's Jungkook then," her mom said with a smile. "I knew it. He's a wonderful child, just a little bit on the reserved side. But really cute."
"Mom-"
"But Taehyung's cute as well..." her dad continued before she could even interrupt. "I mean, both are great but if I were to pick one to be my son-in-law, I'd say Taehyung. He seems really reliable. Oh, and that face of his-"
"What are you talking about?" Jieun's mom flared up. "Jungkook's so much sweeter. Did you see the way he looked at our daughter during dinner? And those eyes of his- They speak a thousand-"
"What!" Jieun's dad spat back. "Did you see the way Taehyung put food into our daughter's bowl earlier? He even knows what food she likes, like isn't that the sweetest thing any guy can ever-"
"Then why didn't you do it for me, huh?" Jieun's mom retorted, red in the face. "If you think it's sweet, why didn't you do it for me, Mr Lee?"
"Well-"
"Okay, enough!" Jieun laughed, pushing apart the two of them who were about to start shouting into each other's face. "What are you two even doing? Let's stop this and go to sleep."
Jieun stood up, but her parents pulled her back down.
"Not till you tell us which of them is the one you like, missy."
"You're already almost 18, it's time for you to start dating."
Jieun laughed. "You guys are abnormal. Other parents want their child to focus on their studies and you're asking me to get a boyfriend right now?"
"It's because you're different, Jieun." Jieun's dad looked at her seriously. "You went through a lot. We want you to find someone who can bring you happiness."
"And right now, there are two very amazing choices right before your eyes," Jieun's mom added, touching Jieun's head lightly. "Regardless of who you pick, know that dad and mom just want you to be happy."
Jieun pursed her lips. What did she do to deserve such wonderful parents? "I understand, mom... and dad. And thank you."
"Please update us if there's any progress."
"Dad!"
"You know you can tell us anything, right?"
No, she couldn't. "Yes, mom."
"We love you, Jieun."
"I... I love you both too."