"THERE ARE NOT GRADES OF RACISM. THERE'S RACISM."
- Dede Gardner

MI-YOUNG PARK FELT BETRAYED.

Did those jerks really leave without me?

Whereas Mi-young would always wait for the two boys after school, they seemed to have ditched her without hesitation.

Ungrateful little hoes.

Pouting at the thought of walking all the way home by herself, she saw a familiar boy staring at her.

Why is he always staring?

Mi-young hesitantly raised her hand and waved lightly at the boy.

She was surprised to see the boy enthusiastically wave his hand back with a large smile gracing his face.

Well he sure seems happy.

About to trek her way home, she saw the boy approach her.

Oh, here we go.

"H-h-hi!"

"Oh, hey."

"Are you walking home by yourself?"

"It would seem so."

"O-oh, well me too!"

"Cool."

Trying to walk around the cheerful boy, she was stopped by his voice.

"W-would you like to, uh um, walk home t-together?"

"Um, sure?"

"Yay!"

She furrowed her eyebrows at the boy's strange display of excitement, but decided to ignore it.

She quickly walked ahead of the boy, who was still smiling to himself, but was abruptly stopped when she heard the boy shout at her again.

"W-wait up!"

Mi-young rolled her eyes and turned around.

"Hey, what's your name again?"

"J-jungkook. Jeon Jungkook."

The boy flashed her a bright smile and his eyes crinkled into the shape of crescent moons.

Well I guess he's kind of cute.

"Oh, nice. I'm Mi-young."

"I know."

"Huh?"

"We've, uh, we've met before, like a lot. We even sat together in lunch today. "

"Oh."

"Yeah..."

Feeling guilty of constantly forgetting the boy and his name, she decided to act nicer.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that. I hope we can be good friends from now on! Now, let's walk home, shall we?"

The boy's eagerness was evident.

Nodding his head aggressively whilst his two front teeth shyly poked out between his rosy lips, his eyes were gleaming at Mi-young, who couldn't help but smile at how cute the boy was.

Aw.

~•~

Don't say anything stupid, don't say anything stupid, don't say anything stupid.

Trying not the trip over his own feet, Jungkook walked beside Mi-young as closely as possible, without seeming too creepy.

He bumped his hand against her own, hoping to get a positive reaction, yet the girl seemed unfazed and frankly uninterested in the boy.

Jungkook pouted.

Would it be weird to hold her hand? Yes, Jungkook she didn't even remember your name, c'mon.

His hands were sweating.

Breathe, just breathe.

"Are you okay?"

He was shaken out of his daze by Mi-young's sweet voice.

"Me? O-oh yeah! I'm great! This is the best day ever!"

Mi-young looked at him like he was crazy.

And that's when Jungkook knew he messed up.

"Uh, erm, best day ever because I got a good grade on my physics test!"

"Oh, nice."

Nice save, bro.

Eventually, the duo were in front of the Park abode and it was, unfortunately for Jungkook, time to part ways.

He couldn't help but stare at the girl's face.

One look into her glistening eyes and Jungkook could already feel his heart beat uncontrollably.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Jungkook urgently shook his head.

"N-no. It's just, uh, you're really pretty, especially your eyes."

"What?"

"Well, uh, I think your eyes are some of the prettiest eyes I've ever seen, and I-I think you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen! I mean, like you're so—"

"Are you making fun of me?"

Jungkook's eyes widened.

"W-what? N-no! Of course not! I would never—"

"That's not very nice."

"W-wait—"

"I gotta go. I'll see you around."

And with that, Mi-young ran up her porch steps and into her house, leaving behind a dumbfounded and upset Jungkook.

Why would she think I'm making fun of her?

Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows in frustration.

Can't she see how beautiful she is? How mesmerizing her eyes are? How every little thing about her eyes encapsulate all the beauty there is in this world?

Every word she uttered, every action she did, and every breath she took left Jungkook wanting more.

All he wanted was to be closer to her.

And closer he was going to get. He made sure of it.

~•~

"Are you making fun of me?"

"W-what? N-no! Of course not! I would never—"

Lies.

"That's not very nice."

"W-wait—"

No.

"I gotta go. I'll see you around."

As Mi-young entered her house, Jimin and Taehyung were in the living room playing video games.

"Oh Mimi! We're sorry we had to leave you after school, we got this new game and—"

"Save it for someone who cares, Taehyung."

"Well damn, someone's in a mood."

"I'm always in a mood when you're around."

"And that's what I like about you, you're so feisty, Mimi!"

"Gross."

Taehyung snickered while Jimin ignored the habitual bickering of the two.

Mi-young ran up the stairs to go to her room, until a voice stopped her midway.

"Mimi, where are you going?"

"To my room."

"But you always hang out with us after school!"

"I'm not in the mood, Taehyung."

"Pfft, you're never in the mood."

Without responding, she continued to run up the stairs and into her room.

Slamming her door shut, she dropped her backpack onto the floor and went towards her vanity table.

She looked into the mirror and all she could think was—

A mess. I look like a complete mess.

Mi-young furrowed her eyebrows as tears strewed her face.

Suddenly, she heard someone knock on her door.

Before she could say anything, Taehyung barged in.

"Jimin and I are ordering some food, do you want— why are you crying?"

"It-It's nothing."

"Clearly it's not nothing if you're crying about it. What's wrong?"

"I don't know, just upset that's all."

"Upset about what? Look if this is about Jimin and I not waiting for you—"

"No, you idiot. I'm not that sensitive."

"Oh, so then what is it? You know you can tell me anything, Mimi."

She looked at Taehyung and noticed the way his eyebrows furrowed with concern and worry.

His eyes glazed like honey, stared into her, studying the way her eyes withheld such pain and sorrow.

He could see the walls that used to barricade the seemingly cheerful and sarcastic facade Mi-young put up, collapsing all at once.

He could see it all.

"What's wrong, Mimi? You know you can tell me—"

"Why do you tease me about my eyes? Are they that ugly? Are they that small? Is there something wrong with them?"

Taehyung raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Is that why you're so upset right now?"

"I don't know, I just— I don't know."

"Oh Mimi, don't worry about such things."

"B-but—"

"You can always get them fixed."

"Fixed?"

"You know, plastic surgery? There's nothing wrong with getting a little work done."

"W-what?"

"Don't most girls back in Korea get it done after they graduate high school?"

"W-well, yeah but—"

"So why cry about how slanted and ugly your eyes are when you can get them fixed?"

"B-but—"

"I mean, unless you want your eyes to look like that, then so be it. But then you can't go crying about it."

"W-well—"

"Everyone needs a little work done, you're not the only one. Besides, double eyelids are a big thing in Korea, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Maybe Jimin could get it done with you. He's been awfully sensitive every time I mention his small eyes too."

"Oh."

"You're not the only one, Mimi. I mean I'd get it done too, but I love my eyes the way they are."

"W-well I love my eyes too—"

"Do you though? Are you sure about that?"

"I-I don't know."

"Yeah you do. I mean why else would you get so sensitive every time I tease you about your eyes?"

"I-I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right. Now c'mon let's go eat."

"O-okay."

Sniffling Mi-young walked out of her room and down the stairs with Taehyung.

He put his arm around her shoulders and smiled adoringly at her, and all she could think was how lucky she was to have him there for her when she was feeling insecure.

I guess a little work wouldn't hurt.

And this was just the beginning of how Kim Taehyung managed to break Park Mi-young.

It was all too easy.

~•~

A/N: Sorry if my updates are so slow! Exams are finally here for me :/ but I think this was one of my longest chapters so far, so I guess I'm improving? Lmao bear with me—

Honestly I'm not sure about how I want this book to end because now I'm thinking of changing the ending I originally had in mind oOPS.

I'm so indecisive lmao.

I also don't completely love this chapter, so I might change this later on, but I just wanted to update this book before my exams start.

I hope you're happy and healthy and eating well! I love you and I really appreciate all your support❤️

Thank you.