Happy reading!
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Warning: This chapter mentions death, anxiety, depression and other sleep wake disorders.
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"Hey, you! Stop right there!"
The security guard of the school called Jimin when he saw him crawling on the floor and trying to sneak.
Jimin immediately stood up, his body straightened when the guard walked closer to him.
"W-Why? I have a class, can I talk to you later?" He stuttered and smiled as he tried to walk away from the guard because he knew what was the reason why he called him.
"It's you again huh? Where's your I.D? You didn't swipe it on the scanner earlier. I'm not blind, I saw you." He was checking Jimin who's looking so pale. Sweats trickling down his forehead. "You know the rules of this university right? No I.D, no Entry."
Jimin shut his eyes close. That was why he doesn't want to leave the house. He felt like he left something but he couldn't remember what was it, and since he's going to be late, he just ignored it and rode the bus.
And now, he just noticed that he left his I.D at the apartment when he was about to enter the gate.
"Ahjussi, please let me pass just this once. My first subject will start in just few minutes and I can't be late!" He rubbed his palms in front if the guard and begged, but the guy didn't seem to care. "Please, please, please..."
The security guard scoffed.
"I'm just doing my job. If I let you in, our Head will get mad at me." He shook his head and took out a slip from the small bag on his waist. "Write your student number and go straight to the Director's office."
"But I'm going to be late, I don't have time to go there." He complained even more.
He might need an award winning act again but it looks like the guard won't buy it.
"No. I said what I said. Go to the Director's Office."
"Ahjussi. I'm begging you." He rubbed his palm together, poorly begging to the guy so he would pity him.
"If you don't want to go to the Director's Office, then might as well leave because I won't let you enter."
Now, Jimin doesn't have any choice but to intensify his acting into Oscar's level.
"I-I came from a very poor family. I am living on my own in a very small and cheap apartment which is hour away from this school. I am a scholar and a graduating student. I have an exam for my first subject and if I fail to take the exam today my grades will also fail, I won't be able to graduate." He wiped the corner of his eyes and looked at the guard who was just staring at him silently. He sniffed a little and lifted his head so the tears won't fall from his cheeks. "My future depends on this, and if all of that happens, I will blame you Ahjussi. Do you want that?"
The security guard didn't speak at first, still processing what the young man said to him.
"Why are you crying? I-I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"Will you be happy if you take the chance away from me to graduate in college?" Jimin added, still facing the guard, walking away slowly but he kept talking to him.
Until he got away from the first guard, but there's another one standing near the glass door and he cussed mentally because he knew he will check his I.D too. The bulky guard was about to block his way but he stopped because the guard from the gate told him something in their earpiece.
It seems like his acting worked again.
The bulky guard gave him way and he didn't waste the chance to run upstairs to the second floor.
"Those guys never learned." He chuckled, catching his breath for every steps he make.
Out of five things that he said, two of them were lies.
First, they don't have an exam today. Second, he's not a scholar. He just tried to guilt trip the guard and used his acting skills so he could get away from him.
Jimin was laughing mentally because it was successful but still, the nervousness was winning through his mind as of the moment. His heartbeat drummed inside his chest, and when he finally reached the 3rd floor, he sprinted towards their room, sliding his feet in the slippery floor like he was skateboarding.
He stopped in front of their room and peeked on the small glass on the door.
"Fuck me." He strongly cursed when he saw their professor standing in front of the class and already calling their names for attendance.
"Kim Haru."
He heard his professor's muffled voice and the beat of his heart thumped back to life because he's not calling his surname yet.
Luckily the door isn't lock so he twisted it carefully, trying his best not to make any noise. The old man was too focused on flashing his index card in front, eyes fixed on it.
Jimin crawled on the floor and one of his classmates caught him. Jimin just brightly smiled, eyes disappearing as he waved his hand at the girl. He winked at her to shush her from which the girl immediately blushed because of that.
Good thing is, he always sits at the back so it's not that hard to go straight at his chair. He simply put his bag behind him and sat down as if nothing happened.
"Park Jimin." His name was called and he raised his right hand.
"Present!" He shouted from the back, his hand remained in the air and he literally caught everyone's attention.
"You must be in a good mood today Mr. Park." The professor said.
"Ah, yes Sir." Jimin replied, flashing a smile.
Of course, who wouldn't be in a good mood? Despite of everything that happened earlier, he still managed to be on class without being late.
"And because of that, you will be the first one to answer in our recitation today." His professor told him and grinned wickedly. "It looks like you're well prepared and studied everything."
"What? Recitation? There's a recitation? But I didn't know Sir!"
Bewildered from what the old man told him, Jimin's eyes almost popped out from the sudden announcement.
"Well, that's not my problem anymore Mr. Park. I already posted the topics in Edmodo yesterday, you just have to do an advance reading." He sternly said.
Yesterday.
Yesterday, he just watched a K-Drama on his laptop and he didn't bother to check their class group since he was too invested watching it.
Jimin looked around his classmates-who are looking at him too, and it was too obvious in their faces that they are really confident for the recitation.
The professor proceeded on calling the students until he was done. He took out his pen and began flashing the index cards on his hand.
"Based from your reaction earlier, I guessed you didn't study for this recitation Mr. Park, right? But don't worry I will ask you one of the easiest question that even a highschool student can answer it."
Meanwhile, Jimin was mentally praying to all the gods he knew. He wiped his forehead because he's sweating too much even if the aircon was on.
"Oh Jesus Christ, help me and give me knowledge to answer the question."
He prayed, mumbling the words as he closed his eyes.
"Give me at least one example of Sleep Wake Disorder." The professor stated, raising his brow and crossing his arms.
Jimin secretly did a mini celebratory fist. He's really lucky today.
"Insomnia." He confidently answered, his professor was pacing back and forth, caressing his beard.
He thought that maybe, after he answered that simple question, his prof will let him sit, but there's one thing about the old man that he knew-and that's if he's not satisfued with his student's answer, he will bombard them more questions.
"Tell me more about insomnia."
His classmates were discussing on their own, whispering ti each other and sharing their answers. While the boys sitting in front of Jimin were looking at him, and some were obviously looking at his crotch.
"It is a difficulty in falling asleep at bedtime. The person who experience this may have difficulty in maintaining sleep. It occurs at least-" He paused for a moment and think. "At least 3 nights per week and present for at least 3 months?"
"You're not sure?"
"I am, Sir." He quickly answered.
"And from what it is frequently associated with?"
Jimin breathed out, his face turned to a serious one.
"Anxiety, depression, alcohol use, dementia, and substance use disorder." He enumerated, earning a smile and nod from his professor.
"That's impressive Mr. Park, I thought you didn't study the topic?"
Jimin shook his head. "I really didn't study that, Sir."
Now, the attention of his classmates were on him.
"Don't be so boastful Jimin, you're just saying that because you want to look humble." Jongin butted in before laughing with his friends.
Jimin rolled his eyes to the guys and focused his attention in front.
"That's enough!" The professor shut him up but Jongin was still laughing. "You may sit, Mr. Park."
Jimin could breathe properly now that he finally answered the questions.
"Open your DSM and find the Sleep Wake Disorders. Remember that you can't diagnose yourself, or label yourself that you have the specific disorder that fast just because you found a similar symptoms. You have to meet all the criterion indicated there, and only mental health professionals can diagnose a person, so be careful." The professor reminded them.
Maybe his classmates were impressed and some were wondering how did he answer it with ease even though he said that he didn't study for the recitation. But honestly speaking, he really doesn't know that much about the topic.
Little did they know, Jimin suffered from insomnia when he was still in first year college due to depression when his parents died, that's why he knew what's the disorder all about.
Jimin just watch and listen from his classmates answers. He just stared blankly at the keychain from the guy at the bus that he was holding.
The question for him just brought back the memories when his parents died. He was 15 that time when they were living happily in Busan, until one day, he was at school when he received a call from their neighbor, telling him that his parents were found dead inside their house.
The suspect was their creditor. He knew back then that they're not rich, that they still need to borrow money so that they can eat at least 3 times a day and fund his studies. His father needed some maintenance for his heart disease and couldn't go to work because his body was weak.
That time, their debts piled up. They were unable to pay their creditor, and before the incident happened, their neighbors told the police that they heard them arguing inside the house. His father had a heartattack and his mother was strangled to death.
After the hideous crime, the suspect was arrested and now dealing with life sentence imprisonment with no eligibility of parole. But for him, even if he rot in jail or hell, that's not enough, it wouldn't bring his parents life back anymore.
For 2 years, he lived with her Aunt from his father's side in Busan but later on, he runaway because he had been mistreated. They made him feel like he's not a family member.
Everyday, Jimin would wait for them to finish eating before he eat alone. Usually, he eat the leftovers. They treated him as if he was just a slave inside the house, they would let him do all the laundry, dishes, and even cleaning the whole house.
His life was like hell as the day passed by.
While they were out, enjoying and having fun with their lives, he was there in the corner, alone and sad, hugging and consoling himself that everything will be okay, he can still live a normal and happy life.
And being an independent person he is, he realized that maybe, he can finally live on his own, that he can stand with his own feet. So that night, he left the house, only with himself and the money he saved while studying.
He left Busan, went to Seoul and rented a small and very cheap apartment. While he was studying, he tried to find a part time job and from that. He was so stressed. He suffered from depression. He couldn't function at all, he couldn't sleep at night, overthinking about what the future holds for him. But despite all of that, he didn't want to give up.
He doesn't want to.
He wants to pursue his studies and graduate so that, at least, he will make his parents proud. He wants to fulfil his promise that he will finish his studies and find a stable job.
He seeked for professional's help and as the times goes by, he gets better, and now he's finally healed. He did it and he was happy. But because of what happened to him, he didn't have the chance to make friends. But in some part it, that doesn't bother him anymore. Yes, he still talks to his classmates but he likes to be alone and he get used to it.
For him, that is way better.
His personality now is way more different than before. He's positive, confident, and happy. He's still enjoying his life even though he has money problems.
Few minutes, the bell dings, signalling that the class is finally over and the students shouted like animals as they hurried outside the classroom.
He was fixing his things inside his bag when some of his classmates finally left the room while the others remained inside.
"You're mine now." He uttered, hooking up the keychain to his bag because he doesn't have any plan to return it. "This is just a keychain so I think, your handsome owner won't even look for you. So, there you go!" He even shake his bag when the keychain was finally attached to it.
It looks good.
"Hey, Jimin." Jeongyeon called him when he was about to leave the classroom, immediately blushing when Jimin turned around and faced her.
"Hmm?"
The girl pursed her lips, as he friends pushed her towards Jimin.
Jimin just looked at her, waiting to say something but it was too obvious that she's being shy just by standing in front of the man.
"Uhm, do you have any plans later after classes?" Finally, she managed to speak.
Surprised with the girl's sudden question, Jimin blinked multiple times. He knew that Jeongyeon likes him but it was the first time she had the courage to ask him. It was more like, all of them teased the girl to him and he never thought tha Jeongyeon will develop feelings for him at all. And he also knew that the question will head into something.
"Why?" Jimin asked.
Jeongyeon looked back at her friends, trying to ask for some help but they just let the girl speak on her own.
"There's a really nice restaurant near the school. Can we uh, go out and grab-"
"I'm gay."
Jimin was quick to cut her off. He didn't let Jeongyeon finish her sentence and answered her straightforwardly.
"I prefer hotdog and hotdog, than buns and hotdog. Sorry."
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