"Look at that idiot." Jimin deadpans, pointing at Yong Sik. "I don't get why the school even keeps scum like him here. It will only ruin our reputation."
"Money can get to people's heads." I say swiftly and he blows out.
We are currently sitting on a park bench out in the yard. I am drawing something on my sketchbook while Jimin observes the other kids that switch between playing hide and seek and chase. I wouldn't mind joining our classmates, but Jimin said that he wants to be careful with his body because he has to go to dance practice after school and can't afford to have the slightest injury.
Hanging out with Jimin is nice.
Even though we don't have a lot of stuff in common he's still a pretty interesting person. He hates school, just like me but his grades are fairly good. He wants to become a dancer and he likes swimming. We're both athletic and artistic and I appreciate that.
In the short time I've known him, I gathered that he likes being in the spotlight. Not in the flashy, annoying, showing off kind of way. He's quick witted and expressive, which is something I admire. He's also very emotional but he only shows it through his craft. Despite his friendly approach, he can become passive aggressive when things don't go his way.
"I seriously can't stand looking at him." Jimin says, his nails digging into the dark blue paint of the wooden bench. "That scum should have been expelled that day he got our classmates to attack you."
"Relax hyung, he's not gonna bother us anymore." I mutter turning the page of my sketchbook, my eyes focusing on another sketch.
"You don't know that," Jimin retorts chewing his nails. "What are you drawing?" He leans over to get a glance at my sketchbook and I close it in an instant.
"Nothing."
"You're weird."
I lift a brow.
"Don't look at me like that. You were fine with me watching you draw and when you switch pages you're suddenly being shy."
"I'm not being shy." I say. Cautious is a more appropriate word.
"Whatever nerd." The bell rings and I yawn. Jimin extends his hands over his head and stretches like a cat. All the kids head inside the prison-building and when I walk towards the entrance I can feel Jimin's small hand pat my shoulder. "Why are you going inside? We have PE now."
PE. The only class I'm actually enjoying. Well that and art class.
"Let's go change."
We change into our PE clothes that consist of a white T-shirt and red pants and then go out to the court. I lock away my sketchbook in my locker and begin walking in a quick pace since I've been waiting for this moment all day. Jimin hurries after me and doesn't say anything. I suck at all the subjects, but at least I'm good at sports.
"Is there a way for me to not play?" Jimin grunts.
"Come on hyung, this is fun." I smile.
"You call chasing after a ball with twenty other people fun?"
"I don't get why you don't like soccer." I turn to him. "The sport is fun on its own but it's the competition that gets you going you know? The burning determination to win."
"Bo-ring."
"The real fun is strategy. You need to be able to work with others in the field in order to win. You need to be able to read each other's minds with one mere glance or nod as you race after the ball on your opponents goal. Teamwork is key."
"That's nice, only you're never the leader." Jimin says. "It's either Yong-Sik or some other moron the one that chooses their own team."
"Yeah, well I don't care about my 'leader'. I only want to win. And I'll do it with or without him." I say firmly.
"Funny how you were talking about teamwork a second ago."
"Whatever, Yong-Sik is no longer in our class."
"Yeah, that is true but that doesn't mean he isn't on the field."
"What do you mean?" I scramble as I spin around only to see Yong-Sik with his new gang from the other class. "What is he doing here?"
"Apparently, his class has PE the same time as ours." Jimin pouts. "Let's see how many goals you'll make with that piece of meat on the field."
I clench my fists. "I'll make a goal with his head as the ball."
"That's violent." He smirks. "Payback can be tricky."
We pace into the field and I can suddenly hear ruffling sounds.
Pages being forcefully ripped from a book.
Nails impatiently tapping on a wooden surface.
I shake my head violently. There is no book. No desk. I'm outside for crying out loud.
Why am I hearing all this now?
But the sounds get louder to the point I have to squinch my eyes.
"You okay Kook?" Jimin's voice tears through the peculiar sounds.
They're still there, but they are not as loud.
"Yeah, I'm fine." His voice suits well as a distraction.
"If you don't feel well buddy, just say so." Jimin says softly. "Its not like I wanna play soccer."
"You know, you can always play volleyball."
"I don't want to play with the girls."
"Why?" Volleyball is fun.
"I-I don't want to talk about it." He stutters. His cheeks flush red.
"My Mom says that if you don't wanna be around girls it's either because you like a girl in the group or you like boys."
"Jungkook shush!" Jimin yelps and jumps on me clasping my mouth. "Geez what do you talk about with your mom?"
I grin against his hand. "Tho you liketh a girlth?" My voice comes out muffled.
He nods with eyes closed.
"Wow what's that like?"
Jimin removes his hand from my mouth and stares at me with raised brows. "Wait what?"
"What?"
"What did you just say?"
"Um...what?"
He shakes his head. "No, dummy before that!"
"What's it like?" I inquire and he nods. "Yeah, what's it like to like a girl?"
"You've never liked a girl before?"
"No,"
He cackles loudly and honestly I don't even know what's so funny.
"It's so funny-people would normally ask who I'm having this crush on yet here you are asking me what it's like to like someone!"
"Shut up."
"You've seriously never had a crush before?"
"I'm only eight. I haven't lived long enough to find the right person."
"I've had my first crush when I was six!"
"O-Kay." What am I supposed to do with that?
"You're such a nerd."
Mr Kang' whistle goes off and she calls us all up front while another whistle simultaneously rings summoning the other class to the opposite direction.
"Alright class, since we're all here we will start with a nice warm up run before you play. Ten rounds. No cutting corners." Mr Kang says. "Come on! Let's get started!"
"Is he trying to kill us?" Jimin whines and I laugh.
"Let's go!" I say. "If you want to impress that girl you have a crush on, you better don't collapse on the field." I begin running and he starts running to catch up with me.
"I'm not gonna collapse on the field!" He pants.
"Wanna bet?"
Our ten rounds finally come to an end and I feel energized and more than ready to play soccer with our classmates. On the other hand there's Jimin, with sweat stains under his armpits, his dark hair once fluffy and neat, now is unruly. Despite, the mess he is right now he didn't in fact fall flat during the warm up run. Some of our classmates gave up on the third or fifth round, but me, Jimin and some other kids were persistent. And so were a few students from the other class. Including Yong-Sik.
I raise my hand for a high five and his palm meets mine weakly. "You survived buddy!"
"I. Hate. PE."
"I thought you would be good at sports since you train so much."
"I dance Jungkook." He snorts. "I don't run a marathon like a headless chicken."
"Aish, kids these days are so lazy." Mr Kang spits. "Look at you. Half the class gave up before we even started. What am I doing in this school?" He mutters and drops the net that contains the balls for us to play. "Help yourselves." Yong-Sik and another classmate of mine run to catch the soccer ball.
What the heck is he doing at our side of the court?
"Ms Sung' class is going to join you for soccer. So instead of spending time to choose teams your classes will compete against one another." Our PE teacher tells us and my blood boils.
He isn't supposed to be in the same space as me let alone the same court.
But this will be interesting.
I will enjoy beating him down to the curb. I was always on his team, because he would only choose the best.
Now we're on opposite fields.
We' re enemies.
" I say we take this opportunity to get back at him." Jimin says in a whisper.
I totally agree with you my friend.
didn't want to get back at Yong-Sik during the game.
No, that would have been pointless.
Because my team won.
And I didn't want to spoil that moment.
I would rather wait. I want to do what he did to me.
I want to tear him to pieces just how he ripped the pages from my sketchbook. I want to take something that's his and destroy it.
"Is this how you give him payback?" Jimin snorts as we head to the locker rooms. "By beating him in soccer?"
"I'm not done yet."
"I was thinking of making him trip on the field." He coos. "Leave a mark on him. Perhaps break a bone or two depending on how hard he falls."
"You're vengeful." I comment.
"I like to think of myself as having a strong sense of justice."
That's fair.
"So what is the plan?"
"We wait." I say simply.
"We wait?" He echoes.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I need a moment to inspect him. I know that his uncle died last year from a heart attack and he treasures this expensive antique pocket watch he got him from London, I think." I think out loud.
Jimin grins deviously. "You want to take from him just how he took from you."
"I could beat him up, but he will heal in a week or so." I want to do permanent damage to him.
I want Yong-Sik to remember that he lost something precious because of me.
Everytime he wants to remember his uncle he will bring out this pocket watch, only to find it broken.
Just like him.
He will have nothing to go back to. Everytime his parents take out their anger on him by hitting him, he will have nothing to comfort him afterwards. He won't have any sign of hope to cling onto.
He will be all alone.
"Okay, so you're gonna break his watch. Big deal."
Oh, but it is a big deal to him.
We wait for everyone to leave the locker rooms. Yong-Sik is usually the last one to leave, so I use that to my advantage. He looks around to see if anyone's still here, but he doesn't see us.
Jimin and I watch him as he finally removes his shirt. His back is filled with bruises. Purple marks with yellow undertones stain his body and Jimin's jaw dangles.
"What the heck?" He gapes.
"His dad beats him up." I say nonchalantly.
Jimin's eyes widen like plates. "How do you know?"
"He's always the last one to come out of here. Why do you think that is? He was obviously trying to hide something."
"Why do you have to know everything?"
I shrug. "Let's get this over with."
"Fine."
Just when Yong-Sik is trying to put on his shirt he sees us approaching him.
"J—Jungkook?" He stammers. "Jimin. What are you doing here?" His hands are working the shirt over his head and he finally puts it on.
My eyes fall on the door of his locker that is slightly ajar. I open it and find the shining watch on the top shelf.
I take it.
"Wait what are you doing?" He asks, his voice shaky.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" I place the watch on the floor.
"Jungkook—I don't think this is a good idea." Jimin mutters, but I ignore him.
"Jungkook please," Yong Sik pleads.
I crush the precious object under my heel.
"No!"
A tear streams down his face.
"Why did you do that Jungkook?" Jimin says. "I told you not to do it—you already knew he was a victim of abuse!"
"He took from me, so I take from him." I say coldly.
That's when we can hear footsteps approach us.
"What is going on here?" A boy with squarish features asks. He's from our class, but I don't remember his name.
"Nothing much." I say and walk away.
"Why is Yong-Sik crying then?"
"Listen Taehyung—" Jimin starts but he cuts him.
He sees Yong-Sik curling into a ball on the floor holding the old broken watch as he weeps.
"Wow," he says "this is how you got back at him?"
"This is none of your business."
"Do you not feel anything seeing him like this?" Taehyung asks.
"He had it coming."
Why is he grinning the entire time?
His dark brown eyes slice through mine, but this little rescuing act doesn't fool me. I can't quite put my finger on it but I'm sure that I'm not mistaken.
This guy is not what he seems.
"Are you okay?" He asks Yong-Sik patting his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Let's get you something to eat okay?" Even though he's acting like the bigger man right now, his eyes are dark and dare I say menacing.
He's confusing.
"Why are you even here in the first place?" I ask, suspicion laced in my voice.
"I forgot my jacket." Taehyung says simply as he helps Yong-Sik to collect the remains of his watch. He then goes to his locker which is conveniently enough across Yong-Sik' and grabs his jacket before they pace out of here, leaving me and Jimin alone in the locker room.