chapter thirteen. [unedited]

   jeongguk put up his folded, clean clothes into his drawer as he went back into his living room. yugyeom was making some dinner in the kitchen- which left jeongguk alone to his thoughts. the air was silent after his and taehyung's conversation after school, leaving him conflicted. he was never so unsure about a decision in his life. this boy had saved his life, and yet jeongguk even considered the words of a girl he had not even known as long as he had known taehyung.

  but, in theory, jeongguk did not know nearly as much about taehyung as he did yeona. 'taehyung seems to be a simple guy, just caught in the wrong moments at the wrong times, and he never gets in trouble unless it's not his fault. he was willing to save me, and he didn't even know me.' jeongguk looked up at yugyeom, who was humming to some kpop song. the voice rung against the walls and echoed in jeongguk's ears. he felt a tingle in his throat- a tap in his foot. his body was moving to the therapeutic beat.

  he felt his throat throb. yugyeom was so blind to his surroundings, so jeongguk decided to try to hum along. the process was not the nicest, as it hurt him dearly- but it was the first noise he had heard from himself (other than awkward coughing and grunting) in so long. it was muffled, it was strained and weak, but it was surely something worth noting.

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  taehyung flipped his hair out of his eyes, his bedroom looked the same. he slid his white shoes (converse) over and undid the laces. the sky was darkening and he wanted to get out of the house as soon as possible. he stood once he was all suited and went to the door. he saw his step mother stood there, her hands on her hips.

  "where are you off to, dear?" she's ask taehyung, "your father just got home and i was coming up here to ask if you would like to participate in this school assembly. i got a note about it at work, and it said to see if students were interested, you'd have to do a short project about something that interests you, and then present it to the school in the gym. it looks really good on your applications, and it would be a good way to earn extra credit- since not every student is doing it. i think you should go for it." she rambled, seeing to forget about why taehyung was getting ready to leave.

  "sure, fine. i'll do it. i'm going to get an order for you." taehyung inhaled sharply, lying through his teeth and going around his step mother and skipping down the steps. the carpet was rough under his shoes, cigarette burns and dirt lingered around the corners and the hallway was full of dirty clothes. his father was in the kitchen- seemingly on the phone. taehyung's father had served a few years in prison for past complications, but now he was a free man, as he liked to put it.

  taehyung slinked to the door and slid out of the house like a snake. the air hit him like a train, his face glowing a soft red as he jogged down the sidewalk of his worn down neighborhood. he spotted a girl, sprawled in the street as late-night cars dodged her body. he hurried onto the pavement and dragged her from the cold night and into a more secure area, shaded by a tree. taehyung always looked out for everyone he knew- and that girl seemed helpless, maybe a little older than he was.

   taehyung made it to a turn in the road, he could hear the soft murmurs of the squirrels as they slept and the grass as it twitched. he could even see the ripples of the waves in the pond as he approached it. fireflies flew around a particular thorn bush. he made his way up a slope and looked upon the water. he had no mission, no determination to receive any order, because he lately decided he was done with that. he wanted to shape up and become a different man. he wanted to start off new.

  he sat by the water's edge, it was calming, the crickets loud in the distance, but he liked it. taehyung stared at the sky, not even twitching when a figure joined him along the side of the lake. "here to talk about your boy crush again? well, taehyung. you know i'm always here to listen."

  taehyung turned to the dark haired boy. "i know you are, yoongi. i appreciate it. you know. i learned some sign language for him- and i proved to him that i wasn't a druggie."

  "did you also admit that you cried over the possibility of him not trusting you?" yoongi teased, nudging his friend and moving to catch a lone minnow in the waters. "it was cute, though. you sobbing all ugly on my shoulder."

  "shut up." taehyung said, embarrassed. yoongi was a childhood friend taehyung had met. yoongi had messy hair, big eyes, and cut up skin- like him too, he was also living in harsh conditions. sometimes it scared them at how alike they were. "it was a valid reason to cry! i like him a lot and i just want him to trust me, and to think of me as a friend."

  yoongi smiled sadly, "it's been a while since you liked anyone- since y'know." yoongi could see that taehyung had tensed at his words. he should not have brought it up. taehyung stared straight at the water, letting out a long sigh and turning to yoongi with confidence.

  "i know, yoongi. but i trust jeongguk. he won't be anything like.. him."

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