Jungkook sniffs, his cheeks damp with tears. His knee is bleeding, he'd scraped it when Yugyeom tripped him in the hall. The sound of mocking laughter rings in his ears as he keeps his eyes and head lowered, not wanting to see the gleeful faces of the other students as they look at the pathetic, small boy.

"Hey! You leave him alone!", an angry voice rises above the jeers, a petite, brunette boy pushing his way through the small crowd to stand protectively in front of the pale, injured boy.

Yugyeom rolls his eyes at the smaller boy, his chin raised in defiance of the tall bully,"Oh look, it's the other nerd. Whatcha gonna do if I don't leave him alone, freak? You gonna tell on me?"

Taehyung's chocolate eyes spit fire at the taller boy, his little hands curled into fists, "If I have to-"

"What's going on out here?", the teacher shoves her way through the crowd, scowling at the noise, before her eyes take in the scene. "Yugyeom, you're bullying other students again? Principal's office, now!"

The bully rolls his eyes before shooting a glare at the stubborn smaller boy who's still glaring back at him. As he scoffs and walks away, Taehyung pivots to kneel by Jungkook, his eyes now filled with concern. "Kookie, are you ok? Let's get you to the nurse so you can get cleaned up!"

The raven haired boy nods, giving a tremulous smile up at the brunette, "Thank you Tae. You shouldn't have done that with Yugyeom though, he'll get back at you later."

Taehyung shrugs, a big, boxy smile lighting up his face, "You're my best friend Kookie. As long as I have you, I don't care what some stupid bully does!"

Five years later

The fist slamming into his stomach forces the breath from his lungs, the throbbing pain shooting through his jaw and ribs making him feel like he's going to be sick. But what hurts worse than the beating he's receiving is the one who's hitting him. As Taehyung slides to the ground, he looks up at the face of his attacker. His best friend.

Growing up, Jungkook had been smaller and weaker than the other boys in their grade. But since starting high school, he'd shot up in height, and had begun hitting the gym, so that now his shoulders were wide, and his chest and arms well-muscled. His ink black hair was parted over his forehead, his skin porcelain pale, his firm lips drawn back in a sneer. Taehyung had always known that his friend cared more about his reputation than he did, but foolishly he'd believed that their friendship still mattered more.

However, over the last month Yugyeom had begun pulling Jungkook away to hang out with his popular group of friends. The same boys who used to bully the other boy, now found him worthy to be part of their clique since he was strong and handsome now. At first, Taehyung had tried to be happy for his friend, since he knew being more popular made Jungkook happy. But as his friend had become more popular, he'd started ignoring his best friend. Taehyung would try to smile and wave from across the cafeteria, and the other would glance away as his new friends snickered. He'd even stopped answering Tae's phone calls.

All that had culminated in today. Tae had left class and gone to walk home, only to find himself surrounded by the group of bullies, Jungkook standing with them. It was no secret that Taehyung was gay, and the stronger boys had jeered at him, calling him a "fag" and a "queer" before they'd begun beating him. At first, Jungkook had stood back and watched, until Yugyeom had looked over at the quiet boy, "Kook, come on, show this freak what happens to queers like him!"

Tae had lifted his eyes to his best friend, blood streaking his face from a cut above his eyebrow. He'd seen the silent apology in his Kookie's own dark eyes, before the larger boy had delivered a brutal punch to his jaw. The beating had only gotten worse from there, with Jungkook delivering the worst hits.

When the group finally gave up and wandered away, their laughter rang out as they slapped each other's backs, Yugyeom slinging an arm behind Jungkook's neck. The ravenette dared a quick glance at the limp figure on the ground behind him, briefly catching the other boy's tear-filled gaze. Taehyung had known Kookie for so long, he could see the plea for understanding in the other's eyes. He knew Jungkook hadn't wanted to hurt him, but the appeal of finally having popularity and acceptance was just too strong.

Later that night, Jungkook wiped at his teary eyes as he stared at his phone. He wanted so badly to talk to Tae, to apologize for hurting him and beg his forgiveness. But he was too much of a coward to say a word, instead hoping that Tae would send him a text first. He thought about sending a message asking if they could be secret friends, so he wouldn't have to suffer the guilt of hearing the other boy's voice. But after a long while of staring at the device, he snorted in disgust at his own stupidity for wanting to be popular, before putting the phone down and going to bed. 'I'll make it up to him later. Tae knows how important this is for me. He'll understand.'

At school

He struggles to breathe, his throat feeling tight as the teacher's words sink in, the solemn look on her face and the shocked whispers from his classmates seeming unreal.

"Unfortunately, we received word that your classmate, Kim Taehyung, has died. His death was apparently a suicide. We have grief counselors available for all of you, and we are going to be starting an educational program on recognizing signs of depression in young adults. Please come to us if you have any concerns.'

'No. Tae wouldn't do this.' The pencil in his hand snaps, his shallow breaths coming too fast.

'This is just a bad dream. I'm gonna wake up, and I'll call him and apologize. He's my best friend, he would never leave me like this.'

Hot tears begin to silently trail down his cheeks, dripping from his jawline, his eyes wide and stunned. His mind replays the events of yesterday, the feel of Tae's smaller body beneath his fists, his painful cries echoing in his ears. He remembers that last look they had shared as he'd walked away, the tears in the battered boy's beautiful chocolate eyes.

It feels like he's swallowed razor blades and they are slashing at his throat and heart as another older memory drifts across his mind.

A smaller Taehyung standing protectively over a weaker Jungkook, defending him when no one else would. His innocent, boxy smile as he'd assured the crying ravenette, "You're my best friend Kookie. As long as I have you, I don't care what some stupid bully does!"

A broken sob finally slips past Jungkook's pink lips as he replays that moment. 'But you didn't have me anymore, did you?' Raising a hand to stifle his sobs, he jumps up and runs from the classroom, his mind screaming in pain, 'I'm so sorry Tae! Please, come back! Give me another chance!'