The rusty door jerks open and Jimin scurries into his house, hanging his jacket onto the pegs near the door. He slips off his boots and into his fuzzy slippers when he sees Bora standing in front of him, hands crossed in front of her chest and an icy glare fixed on him.

"Why did you have to do that?"
She spits out as Jimin scoffs.
"I could be asking you the same thing."
He mutters, walking up the stairs to his bedroom.
"It was an accident!"
She yells after him and he turns around with a sigh, hand resting on the faded wooden railing.

"You're not that clumsy, Bora."
"So you don't believe me?"
"That's not the point."
"Yes it is!"
"What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to believe me! I've known you way before she showed up."

He sighs, nodding his head.
"Alright.. I believe you. But you didn't have to say those things to her."
He says, commencing his ascent till he reaches his room. He hears hurried footsteps stumble up the creaking stairs and groans when he sees her walk into his room, plopping on his bed.

"I need to sleep, Bora. Go-"
"What did you send her?"
She asks, staring up at the ceiling.
"Something she wanted. Now please-"
"What was it?"
"Jesus Christ, a pair of boxing gloves she was looking at! Now go to your room!"
He exclaims, hands raised in annoyance.

She sits up, playing with her fingers on her lap as her ebony locks cascade down her shoulders, hiding her face.
"I-i don't want to.."
She says, voice barely above a whisper. Jimin's facade droops, as he slowly sits down next to her.
"Are.. are you having the nightmares again?" He asks softly.

She nods, her hair bouncing with each nod and he sighs.
"Alright. You can sleep with me here tonight."
A smile graces her petite face as she wraps her hand around his neck, hugging him tightly.
"Thank you! Your bed is way softer than mine anyways."
She states, dunking under the covers soon after.

A small smile tugs his lips as he lays next to her. As annoying as she had grown, he could never hate her. She had faced atrocities no teenager should, and has emerged from them better than he expected.

That night still replays in his mind, every memory as vivid as possible. The smell, the cold, each droplet of rain that fell on the two of them. He could feel it all.

He was 19 years old, hurrying home while the rain pounded on his worn out umbrella. The coach made him stay back to clean up because he had arrived an hour late. His alarm didn't go off and ended up throwing it against the wall, rendering it useless.

The roads were busy with bustling traffic even in the rain, and Jimin had almost gotten splashed upon by some unlicensed hooligans. The hole in his umbrella didn't make things any better and he took long strides to get home as soon as possible.

Soon after, he had made it out of the main road and was now into his street. He was cautious everytime, for there were thugs always around, lurking in the shadows, waiting for someone to pounce upon.

He heard rustling and he flashed his torchlight into a small alley. There was nothing but an overflowing dustbin, and the alley lead to a dead end. His heart pounded in his ribcage as he turned away, only for the sound of metal clanging to echo through it.

With a startle, the light from his torch falls on a dented can near the dustbin, like it had fallen out. But that was impossible unless the dustbin had been shaken. Soon enough, the faint sound of a cry reaches his ears and he slowly walks towards the dustbin.

"H-hello?"
He calls out, voice weaker than he expected. Thugs would use these ways to lure people into the alleyways and rob them. Jimin was well aware of this for it had happened to him once before.

He sees the dustbin shake a little and he approaches it. He was standing right in front of it now, and he shone his light into it, scrunching his nose at the foul smells that rose up.

He backs away when he hears a stifled cry and a sniffle. His eyes fall on a small pair of feet and he steps to the side. His light lands on the trembling figure of a girl, crouched near the side of the dustbin with tears streaming down her face and messy hair. She was barefoot, with her hand covering her mouth to prevent her cries from attracting anyone.

His breath is caught in his throat at the sight and he manages to reach his hand out to her. She backs away, shaking her head.
"P-please.. go away!"
She yells, voice raspy from all her sobbing.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
Jimin says softly, with his hand still reached out to her.
"You look just like t-them. I don't trust you." The girl spits out, wrapping her hands around herself in an attempt to protect herself.

Confusion enters Jimin's mind as he looks down at his attire. He was dressed in black from head to toe, for he liked the colour. He realises what girl meant, and shakes his head immediately.
"I'm not a thug, I swear."

The girl's hair sticks to her head and she was wearing nothing but her innerwear. The rain continues to pummel down on the pair, as she stares at him, fear rampant in her mind. She bursts into heavy sobs, her body shaking with every wave of sorrow that racks her. The large drops of rain mixing with her sorrowful tears as she wails like no other person Jimin has heard before.

She cried and cried. As if the soul could bleed an ocean through the eyes, that was the enormity of her sobbing. It startled Jimin as he tries to approach her but she would only wail louder.

"Were you robbed?"
He asks and she turns her head away from him. She shivers and the chocolate haired boy sighs, holding the umbrella between his shoulder and his neck as he removes his jacket, placing it on her.
If she wasn't willing to come with him, he wouldn't force her. With one last glance, he slowly walks away from the girl.

He was about the leave the narrow alley, when the girl yells.
"Wait!"
Her voice cracking from her intense crying. He turns around to see her with his jacket on, reaching to her mid-thighs. She was nothing but skin and bone as she stumbled towards him. Her legs were exhausted from running, and her limbs were failing her.

She falls midway and Jimin rushes to her, placing his hand around her shoulders and lifting her up.
Pulling her under his umbrella, his arm stays around her as she walks slowly, keeping her up.

She sniffles, and he notices more tears escaping her eyes. His heart clenches at the sight. He had always been sympathetic to beggars he'd seen on streets, making sure to give them enough money for a meal when he would barely have enough to survive the month.

"We're almost there.."
He says softly and girl relaxes a little into his embrace.

Soon enough, they stumble into his house and he shuts the door. The girl trembles, standing in the middle of the room with her head hung low. Now that she was under the light, he could see how thin she was. Her calves and thighs were the same size, and her arms were nothing but skin on bone.

"I'll prepare a bath for you. You can wait on the couch."
He says quickly, pointing at the couch as he runs up the stairs. The girl slowly walks into the living room, clutching his black jacket to her body tightly, the cold still not leaving her shivering body.

Soon after, he returns and his eyes soften at the hunched girl that had fallen asleep on his couch, hugging herself. He lightly taps her and her eyes flutter open, sitting up straight.

"Come.."
He says, holding his hand out to her.
Once more, his hand wraps around her shoulder, holding her up as she climbs up the stairs towards the bathroom.

Her eyes widen at the bathtub, foam and bubbles overcasting the water as steam rose up from it. The smell of vanilla and cinnamon filled her nostrils as Jimin rubs the back of his neck.

"I.. uh.. I hope you don't mind the bath bomb."
For the first time since he'd seen her, a small smile graces her face as her glassy caramel orbs connect with his gaze in gratefulness.
"Thank you.."
She says, voice wavering and Jimin smiles, eyes pushing up into crescents.
"Not a problem."

She slowly removes his jacket and he turns away immediately.
"I'll get going now.. I have spare clothes. You can wear them."
He says quickly and hears a hum from the girl. Taking the signal, he walks out, closing the door behind him.

Soon after, she emerges from the bathroom and changes into the clothes Jimin placed for her. His shirt reached down to her mid-thighs and the sweatpants merely hung on her hips. She walks down the stairs cautiously to see him sitting on the couch, tapping his foot impatiently as he gazes outside the window in deep thought.

The light patter of raindrops tapping against the window resembled a ticking clock, reminding the girl that she couldn't stay here forever.
Jimin's eyes are drawn to her presence and he sits up straight.
"Hi.."
He says awkwardly and the girl sits down next to him.

"Look.. I'll leave by tomorrow morning and get out of your hair. I've already been too much of a nuisance and I apologize."
She says, her voice resembling a gravelly pavement.
He shakes his head immediately, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You're not a nuisance.. here, I'll call your parents and let them know-"

"Don't do that!"
The girl yelps, standing up immediately, hands visibly shaking as the broken girl near the trashcan surfaces, her face like cracked porcelain. Fragile and broken.
Jimin raises his hands in a gesture of calming her down.
"Alright.. alright. I won't."

He pats the seat next to him and the girl sniffles, lowering herself next to him once more.
"What's your name?"
She asks softly, eyes not meeting his.
"Jimin.. Park Jimin. What's yours?"
He says with a small smile.
"Park Bora."
"We have the same surname.. nice."
He says, in an attempt to make the peculiar girl smile.

Instead, she lowers her head into her hands. Jimin purses his lips into a straight line as he leans back into the sofa, eyes travelling the girl's petite body. She was pathetically undernourished, and so he immediately went to the kitchen, placing a microwave meal in the oven.

It was the only meal he had left for the day, but decided that the girl needed it more and willingly sacrificed it for her. He leans against the arched wall to the living room, folding his hands across his chest.

"Why were you out so late?"
He asks, choosing his words carefully.
The girl's scarlet rimmed eyes meet his and she shakes her head.
"You don't want to know."
"I've been through shit too, so I don't mind."
He says comfortingly and her shoulders visibly relax.

"I.. I was running away from them."
She says softly.
"From thugs?"
She nods, goosebumps coating her milky skin.
"Why would you come here this late anyways? Shouldn't you be at home?"
She laughs, eyes humourless.
"Because my parents threw me out."
Jimin exhales, running a hand down his face as the microwave bell rings, cutting through the tension in the air.

Nevertheless, he continues.
"And you decided to flee into one of the most dangerous streets in town?"
"I didn't know!"
She spits out, chest heaving as she sends him a sharp glare before her eyes soften again.
"Ho-how old are you?"
Jimin asks, his mind trying to piece everything together.
"I'm sixteen.."

Deciding that he best not pry further, he nods his head and places the plate of mac and cheese in front of her.
The deafening crack of lightning strikes through the air, it's flashing lights blinding, leaving the trembling girl tranquilized.

The love that had been inside her as a child had been crushed. It's a lie that given enough pressure will convince someone that coal can become diamonds and it's a lie that a child's love treated with disregard will self-repair.

After silently eating her meal, Jimin shows her the guest room and silence befalls the small house. Jimin was fast asleep in his room, but Bora clung to herself under the cold white sheets as she stared out the window.

Her large doe eyes gazed at the blurred world before her, wondering where and why everything went wrong. Wondering why her parents decided to throw away years of love and happiness because she revealed the type of people she loved.

Why was it a sin to be different? Why was it a sin to break out of societal norms and expectations? Why was it a sin to be in a relationship with anyone outside the combination of a man and woman?

Her thin fingers reached up to her face, brushing the pads of her fingers across her cheek, the area still tingling from the impact of her father's merciless hand.

Soon, the heavy drops of rain outside transferred itself into her frail body till it filled up, unable to contain itself anymore and emerged in wells under her eyes, pouring down her cheeks.

Like a child in reverse in its mother's womb, the broken brunette brings her knees to her chest. A litter of black and blue stained her abdomen; something Jimin failed to notice. She was beautiful, like a rose in bloom. But like every rose, a string of thorns grew out of its stem that pricked at her soul.

Ever since that night, she shut off a certain part of herself. Shoving it away in a dark corner to rot, only to emerge in her dreams turned nightmares. Like most people related to - out of sight, out of mind. But for Bora, the proverb seemed flawed.

As long as she kept those memories out of her mind, she wouldn't see them in her dreams. Those painful memories are books with chapters, deep and horrible; and so she left them on the shelf to gather dust. She hoped that with time, the pages written with those horrors would wither away.

For she had so much more of her life ahead of her, countless blank pages to fill. And this time, she would choose to write in the chapters of her life.the pages written with those horrors would wither away.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this backstory chapter! It took me quite some time to ponder about and write, so I hope this makes up for it 👀

I hope that you, the reader, will feel and understand the message I'm trying to convey here :)
As you can see, she has been abandoned because of her identified sexuality, which many budding people have experienced from narrow minded families.

I felt the need to include this because as I stumble upon new stories on wattpad, I tend to make friends with new people. Horrifyingly, most of them are hiding in the closet of their heart because they aren't ready to tell their families who they really are, afraid that they will be disowned and disregarded forever.

So they remain in their closet, shrouded in darkness, living the lives expected of their families and societies around them. It's horrible, that we're in the 21st century and homophobic people still exist in the world.

I'm speaking from experience, as I still remain in my tiny cube, unrelenting homophobia knocking at my door everyday. After everything humanity has been through, is acceptance too hard of an action to request?

I'll leave it at that, and see you in the next chapter 💕

Yours hoefully,
✨Kim✨