Chapter Text
[☾︎]
This morning had started hurriedly as it usually does.
Monday’s haven’t been that hard these past weeks, why? Summer vacation.
A blessing for everyone, something everybody needed, from kids to adults. Still, today, it’s the most hated day in the whole world, no, not only Monday but the first day of class Monday.
Taehyung had woken up later than expected, his stupid alarm had not gone off, making the only thing able to wake him up; the most responsible person in his house, Jihoo. Taehyung’s four year-old son. The person who woke up every day at 7 am, not caring if it was vacation, if it was weekend, if it was holidays. The boy who would do his bed and room without Taehyung telling him to. The one who would choose his clothes and dress all by himself. The kid who stood next to his dad’s bed with a cup of coffee on hand and the elder’s phone on the other, saying,
“Dad, wake up, today’s my first day and we’re late.” Shaking Tae’s shoulder until he woke up, panicking and doing everything he had to do at the speed of light.
By the time Taehyung had dressed up, grabbed his things and drank all his coffee, Jihoo was already sitting in the living room’s sofa, waiting for him patiently.
“Jihoo, baby, your breakfast!”
“Done daddy.” He said as he lifted a paper bag with his name on it, announcing the things inside it; Banana milk, sandwich, strawberries. Taehyung smiled brightly and kissed his son’s forehead.
“You’re the best.” Taehyung grabbed Jihoo’s hand and raced outside to garage trying to get the car out as fast as he could. Cursing at the garage door and the moment he decided that an automatic door could be a good idea. He drove fast through the city, making 10 minutes to Jihoo’s school when he usually makes 20. Thank God the traffic wasn’t so heavy because they were able to make it to the school just in time.
“Ready baby? Have a wonderful day, Uncle Jimin will come for you and I’ll see you later at home so you can tell me all about your first day, okay?”
Jihoo smiled brightly and kissed his dad’s cheek.
“Okay, I love you daddy”
He opened the door and got off the car to start walking to the school’s entrance.
“I love you too sweetheart”
[☼︎]
Jungkook woke up at 5 am looking and feeling like trash, as if a bus ran over him. It wasn’t weird that first days and new beginnings take the sleep away from him. Being known for being a sunshine, something his close friends could tell was that Jungkook was a mess inside his mind. Always worrying more than he should, losing sleep over thoughts like an old woman not being able to cross the street or an abandoned dog. A kid whose parents don’t pay attention to, the move, the things he has to pack, the things he will have to unpack, and of course his new job.
Being a kindergarten teacher has always been easy for Jungkook, he’s good with kids. Affectionate but firm when he has to be. Responsible and kind. Jungkook’s got a lot of patience and he’s hardworking. His last job didn’t turn out great though. He was happy, his kids were making some big progress and everything was just right, until a few moms saw him in the street holding hands with his now ex-boyfriend. Then they started “worrying” about their children’s education. Accusing Jungkook of being a bad influence to the kids, of not being qualified to the job and even being “dangerous” for the male kids. It was not the principal’s decision to fire him, he was totally okay with Jungkook being gay, he knew that Jungkook was more than qualified for the job and that finding a teacher as good as him would be harder than any “Impossible mission” Tom Cruise had ever done.
Still, there was a lot of stupid money in between, just like there usually was. People with money and influences win, so in the end, Jungkook lost his job and his boyfriend, all in a week. Knowing of this, Seokjin let him help with his music classes on the afternoons, and survived from the very generous payments he would give the younger.
Even though Jungkook was surviving he wasn’t really happy. The elder missed his job, the kids, and was becoming really anxious without nothing to do in the mornings. Until the sun would shine again in his life.
“There’s a vacant for a kindergarten teacher at my school.”
According to Jin, the last teacher quit due to “personal reasons”, and Seokjin being good friends with the very kind woman who was his boss, recommended Jungkook for the job. Just like that, a month after he lost everything and a month before the end of the summer he had a new job.
The only problem was that Jungkook’s apartment was almost an hour away from the school. Seokjin offered Jungkook a place to stay at his house. A place to stay as long as he needed. Although Jungkook thought it was very kind from his best friend, he didn’t want to be a hindrance in Jin’s house. He started looking for apartments, growing tired about the fact that they were usually very small, or very expensive. But almost a week before the end of the summer, just like magic, he found a nice and big house being sold for what seemed like nothing to Kook; long short story the woman living in the house had married a rich man and she didn’t need the house anymore. She didn’t really need money, she wanted to sell it as soon as possible so she could leave to Japan and live with her new husband. Therefore the price was low like anything else, Jungkook, always wanting to have a house of his own didn’t lose time to make a deal with the woman and buy the house.
That was why today, on his first day in his new job, his house was filled with boxes. Boxes that were waiting to be transferred to their new home.
Since he woke up so early, Jungkook had the opportunity to take a long and relaxing bath before dressing up. He brushed both his hair and teeth, before having breakfast and prepared his material for today’s class.
Excitement ran through his body the moment he got into his car and started driving to the school. Jungkook knew Seokjin would be waiting at the entrance so he could bring him to his classroom and introduce him to the kids. It placed a giant smile in Jungkook’s face, knowing that he would finally do what he loves the most again.
“Twenty minutes earlier Mr. Jeon, excellent!”
Jungkook hits Seokjin’s arm with his black leather bag and the elder laughs.
“Why do you hit me? I’m being formal and serious for one day in my life and this is how you take it?”
“You’re just being a kid like always.”
The two walked inside the building and Jungkook immediately noticed the warmth. The feeling of being surrounded by colorful walls and drawings, laughter and smiles, had Jungkook aweing the halls with a childlike innocence.
The school was big for a kindergarten. Jin showed Jungkook the corridors, the students’ and the teachers’ bathroom, the playground, the cafeteria and his classroom. A big room with yellow walls and small furniture. There was a whiteboard, a lot of toys packed in plastic boxes with animal figures. A shelf with books for kids and a cork board on the opposite side of the classroom.
After his short but helpful trip through the school, Jungkook stood outside his classroom, watching the kids going through the door into the yellow room. The elder greeted everyone with a smile and a warm “good morning.” He was being introduced to some parents who left their kids crying at the door of the classroom by Seokjin, who was there all the time, helping him. Supporting him.
The first day always tends to be chaotic. Kids aren’t used to being apart from their parents for so long. Staying at a place they don’t know, with an adult they don’t know, surrounded with new kids that are just the same. It’s normal for them to cry when their parents leave. Some parents cry too, and Jungkook is used to it. Although he knows this, it’s never easy to calm a bunch of small kids screaming their parents’ names.
The current state of the day, after 10 minutes that the parents left, Jungkook still had eight of twelve kids crying over their parents. The rest of his children were sitting in the corner of the classroom playing with some stuffed animals Jungkook found in the toys box.
He’s hugging them and singing a sweet song to calm them down, and it seems to be working for some who have slowly stopped crying. On the other hand, there is this one kid sitting out of Jungkook’s reach, crying and screaming louder every time Jungkook sings a verse of the song, making his others classmates upset and worried.
Just when Jungkook is about to leave the other children to go and talk to the five-year-old kid, something really heartwarming happens.
There is a small boy standing in front of the crying one. Jungkook watches as the young boy extends his hand to his classmate who is crying in the floor. In response the only thing he gets is more crying, but he doesn’t give up. The young boy sits next to the other boy and wraps his arms around him, giving him a kiss on the top of his black soft hair. The last action takes the black-haired boy aback, so he stops crying and looks at the other one impressed.
“Stop crying, it’s okay, your mommy will be here soon, but she will be very sad if you cry like that.”
Jungkook is surprised with the younger’s words.
“Now wipe your tears and stand up, come play with us.” The little brown haired boy takes out of his pants pocket a tissue, that he gifts to his classmate for him to clean his face.
Then, when he manages to stand up and finally walk to the other kids, the boy who helped him looks at Jungkook and smiles.
“We’re ready teacher, you can start the class now.”
Saying that Jungkook was impressed wouldn’t come close to what he was feeling at all.
After that, everything is easier. All the kids sit in the floor making a circle, saying their names and ages plus something they really like. That is how Jungkook discovers the name of that kind and amazing child, Kim Jihoo, and that his favorite fruit are strawberries and he loves bunnies because they’re cute when they jump.
The following activities were games to get to know each other that Jungkook and the kids really enjoyed.
Ten minutes after the day is over, Jungkook is sitting in front of his desk, watching all the kids draw flowers, birds, and other animals for the corkboard.
As the time passes the kids start leaving. Happier. Waving goodbye to Jungkook and gifting him small pieces of paper with hearts on them, telling him they hope to see him tomorrow too, requesting for new songs to learn and more games to play.
The last kid in the classroom is now Jihoo, who is standing in front of the shelf where the books are resting, waiting to be adopted by someone who could caress and appreciate their pages.
“What are you doing Jihoo?”
“I’m looking at the books.”
Jungkook bends a little to be on Jihoo’s height.
“Do you like reading Jihoo?”
He nods eagerly and smiles brightly, Jungkook wonders where did he get that sweet boxy smile from.
“I don’t know how to read well, that’s why I’m coming to school, but my daddy and I always read books before going to bed and he helps me when I don’t know a word.”
Jungkook looks at him with attention as he speaks.
“Do you like any of these?” He says pointing the small books.
“This one, it has a bunny. And I want to know the bunny’s story.”
Jungkook reaches for the book with the white cover and a little bunny drawing on the side.
“You can bring it home if you want. Read it today before going to bed and tell me what’s it about tomorrow, okay?”
Jihoo’s eyes started shining and in the next moment he was hugging Jungkook.
“Thank you Mr. Jeon!”
“You’re welcome sweetie.”
Seokjin’s voice reaches Jungkook’s ears as he calls the younger’s name.
“Jihoo’s uncle is here to bring him home.”
Jungkook nods and tells Jihoo to go get his things as he helps him put the book inside his small backpack. When he walks out of the classroom he can see Seokjin standing in front of a much shorter guy with blonde hair, full lips and sweet smile.
“Minnie!”
Jihoo’s voice echoed in the empty hall as he ran to the male who lifted him in his arms.
“Hi baby, how was your first day?” Jihoo smiled and replied with an “amazing.”
“Jungkook, this is Park Jimin. He’s Jihoo’s uncle and the person who will be coming for him after school.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Jeon Jungkook.” Jungkook responded, shaking Jimin’s free hand.
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Jeon. Thank you for staying with Jihoo and waiting for me”
“It’s nothing.”
“I’ll try to be here earlier next time.”
Jungkook shook his head and replies that Jimin shouldn’t worry.
The sound of a cell phone makes everyone go quiet and Jimin apologizes, pulling the phone from out his bag.
“It’s your dad, we should probably leave now.” The blonde tells Jihoo.
“Thank you again Mr. Jeon.”
“It’s nothing.”
Jihoo smiles and waves at Jungkook.
“See you tomorrow Mr. Jeon!”
“Goodbye, Jihoo.” Jimin turns around and is about to start walking, when Seokjin, who had been quiet until now calls his name.
“J-Jimin, I-I’ll see you around?” Making Jimin’s cheeks turn red and he nods, but he doesn’t stop walking.
“Y-yes hyung.” Then Jihoo’s voice calls his uncle’s name and it’s followed by the sound of Jimin’s body colliding against the lockers. Jungkook wants to burst out in laughter, but he likes his new job. He just pinches his arm trying to content it.
“Minnie, are you okay?”
Jimin shyly nods at his nephew and keeps walking, never looking back, probably trying to avoid the other males’ eyes. After Jimin and Jihoo are out of sight, Jungkook allows himself to laugh out loud and punch his hyung’s arms a few times.
“What was that?” He manages to ask between laughter and tears.
“Shut up” Seokjin says, pulling from Jungkook’s hair causing the younger to scream dramatically in pain.
“Do you like him hyung?” Jungkook asks, not laughing this time, but trying to look serious.
“It’s none of your business.”
“C’mon hyung, he’s head over heels for you. I mean, he hit the lockers just to look at you and say goodbye.” Jin gives him a death glare and the younger, who is about to break and laugh again breathes deep and tries to control himself.
“It’s complicated.”
“I bet it’s not. I know you and you’re probably just too shy and awkward to ask him on a date.” Seokjin doesn’t comment on it and although nobody says it, they both know that Jungkook had won this time. He’s right. Every time Jin and Jimin met something weird happened, they would stumble into each other, or say embarrassing things. Still, Seokjin is willing to take Jimin on a date, at least once, before he died. He just needs time to grow the balls to ask him without making a fool out of himself.
Jungkook’s last box was already on the back of the truck Seokjin had brought to help him. He looked at his empty apartment with pain on his back and nostalgia on his heart. Eyes filled with tears as he remembered all the good times there. He can almost listen to Yoongi’s voice calling his name, laughing and telling him how much he loved him. Jungkook swears he can almost see him still there, sitting on the couch in the living room, turning his head to the door where Jungkook is now standing, and greeting him with that beautiful gummy smile of his after a tiring day at work. “You look awful” He would say, but despite of that being true, he would hug Jungkook and place kisses all over his face, complimenting him about how pretty he looked when he was sleepy. If he could only go back to those days, when everything was better, before he lost his job and before he lost the person who claimed to love him, no matter how much would it cost, Jungkook would totally go back to then not even having to think twice about it. Because he miss Yoongi, his job, his life and how happy he felt back then.
Seokjin’s hand squeezes his shoulder and kisses his cheek, making him get abruptly out of his thoughts, snapping back to reality and the empty place.
“Don’t worry Kookie, everything will be better now.”
The younger nods as he wipes his tears away and closes the door in front of him, letting all his past behind. Although he hopes for better days in the future, there is a part of him that stays here, inside the blue wallpaper, not wanting to let go.
“Let’s go hyung.”
The ride home is silent, Jungkook not really in the mood to talk… Jin knows it, and he respects it. That is something the younger boy appreciates about his hyung. He would never push things further from where Jungkook could bare them. He would always give him space if he asked for it, but also hold him close when he needed it. It was some kind of gift that Seokjin was blessed with. Knowing when Jungkook was having a hard time and when he needed to be alone. When he needed to be spoiled and taken care of. Comforting is how Jungkook would describe it. The feeling of having his best friend was like that, and it made him feel safe.
“We’re here.” Jungkook looks through the window, analyzing the house, trying to get used to the idea of a new place to live. Wondering if it could ever become what his old apartment used to be… a home.
Maybe he spent too much time looking because before he knows it, Seokjin is tapping on the crystal and motioning his hands for him to come out of the car.
“Do you have the keys?”
The brown-haired boy nods and walks towards the house’s principal door. Putting the key on the lock and swinging the door open with a cracking sound that bounces against the walls on the empty rooms.
“We should put some oil on this, I’ll bring some next time.” Seokjin says as he turns around and starts walking to the truck where his friend’s belongings are waiting.
Discharging all the bags and boxes from the back of the truck is the easiest part of everything. Finding where every box belongs, is a piece of cake too, since Jungkook made sure to mark every single one of them and classify them depending on the content. Still, moving around the house, looking for the bathroom, trying to decide which room would be Jungkook’s room, bringing boxes up and down the stairs was exhausting.
All the hard work leaves both friends lying on the living room’s soft carpet, trying to catch their breath and relax their burning muscles. There’s a comfortable silence between them. Jungkook tries not to think about everything he has lost, but maybe it’s too soon to let go, because without noticing, small tears are falling from the corners of his eyes again. Seokjin must have noticed because in the next moment he breaks the silence.
“When’s the moving company coming?”
Jungkook’s eyes travel to his watch causing him to groan when he realizes that his furniture will be missing for at least one more hour. He hates to wait, especially after all this tiring work, God he wishes he could just stay in bed for the rest of the day and rest.
“They should be here in like an hour.”
Seokjin sits properly, looking at his own watch and massaging his tummy.
“I’m hungry Kook-ah, I’ll buy you food. We can go to a restaurant near here.”
Jungkook looks at himself and at his hyung, both of them are sweaty and wearing old clothing that looks dirty enough to for them to be banned from any restaurant.
“I don’t think we’re in conditions to.” The elder then smells his own white shirt, causing him to make a disgusting face.
“You’re right. We could just buy some Chinese food at the restaurant in the corner of the street and then eat here, how does that sound?”
“Perfect!”
Maybe it’s the sweet taste of the duck, or the good flavor of the noodles. It could also be the stupid joke his hyung just made or even his loud and funny laugh that stopped making Jungkook embarrassed long time ago. Even now, as people stares at them looking worried for Jin’s mental health, Jungkook enjoys the sound of his hyung being loud. There’s actually a lot of things that could be the reason, but Jungkook doesn’t care. Right now, he feels happy. Just for a moment, he forgets about his apartment, about his ex, about this new big and lonely house. About anything that could make him worried or upset. He feels better as he thinks that maybe, it’s just a matter of time, that he will get used to the house, and his new job. That after all, changes are good. And maybe a new beginning is the thing he need to move on.
Later that day, when the furniture has been set and Seokjin has left, even though Jungkook feels better, he cries. He lies on bed, surrounded by unpacked boxes filled with books, clothing, shoes and other random stuff, feeling lonely, cold and broken. In order to heal, he sobs loudly, letting all his pain come out at once as his body rocks and his eyes pour. There is no shame or regret when he feels the sadness rushing over him. When the room becomes darker and there’s no more sounds outside the house. From his own perspective, he cries so loud that maybe the neighbors could hear, hell, maybe even Yoongi could hear him grief if only he wasn’t so far away. Despite of all these facts, Jungkook doesn’t try to contain himself, he doesn’t suppress the need to scream. Instead he allows himself to be messy, to cry out loud and to remember all the good memories, to recall Yoongi’s voice, scent, face, touch, laugh; to miss and to experience the suffering in its totality.
It may be weird, but Jungkook thinks it is better this way. He knows these feelings will be washed away if he lets them stream down his cheeks. Like a glass with dirty water, being poured more and more liquid until it overflows, and all the dirtiness drains. Leaving a glass filled with clear and light water again. Perhaps it’s because right now, everything feels horrible, but Jungkook cries for hours and this time, he doesn’t feel lighter, he doesn’t feel clearer. And when he finally stops crying, there’s still the feeling of emptiness and heaviness inside his chest. Therefore, Jungkook wonders, how many more hours will he have to cry just so he can heal?