I decided to cut chapter 7 in parts. The rest of the parts will be updated soon.

Chapter 7: Broken Trust part I

Jungkook stays up all night, wide awake. His mind reeling with thoughts about Seokjin, his father, the boy he now knew was Luhan, and everything. He raised his arm up, palm open as he levitated all the things around him before he closed them and gently placed all the things down on the ground. He’s been doing the same thing for the night, hesitating.

With Seokjin’s input, he became even more confused with his father’s actions but he knew one thing by now—it was not good. Regardless of the reason, Jungkook saw nothing justifiable in his father’s crime. Kidnapping a 20-year-old college nursing student and keeping him locked for who knows what reason, Jungkook failed to see the good in it.

And so he lay in his bed, eyes awake and hesitating. Should he do something about it, or should he turn the other cheek and pretend to know nothing? Is he willing to become an accessory for crime? He closed his eyes and Seokjin’s worried face flashed in his mind. He opened them with a groan because why am I thinking of him again?

He must not be attached. Attaching himself to someone means vulnerability—something Jungkook can’t afford after his mother. Jungkook will not care for Kim Seokjin. Jungkook will not be attached to the likes of him—or to anyone for that matter.

But every time guilt eats up his heart as he remembers Luhan, Seokjin will come after. Unless he got rid of the guilt, Jungkook believed that he will never get rid of Kim Seokjin.

As the bell rang, everyone rushed out of the door, eager to leave school and head home or go out with their friends. Usually, Jungkook would stand up and leave with the crowd, while Seokjin would panic and chase after him.

This time, however, Jungkook waited for Seokjin, much to the latter’s surprise. When Seokjin has finished packing his stuff, Jungkook walked and Seokjin followed. Jungkook settles for a slower pace as he placed a distance between him and Seokjin, and the rest of the crowd.

In the lowest of voice, he then said, “Can you sneak out of your house tonight?”

Seokjin stared at him with wide eyes. The idea of doing something rebellious was not something that the elder was acquainted with. But he reconsidered that this was the first time Jungkook initiated anything, Seokjin couldn’t miss the opportunity even if his morals were completely against it. “It depends. Why?”

Jungkook offered no explanation except to glance at Seokjin with an unreadable expression. But the intensity of his gaze made Seokjin gulp, “10 o’clock tonight at the park. Don’t bring anyone with you but have your phone in case. And bring any kind of weapon.”

“Weapon? Wha—”

“And if I don’t come at 10 o’clock, you must leave immediately.” Jungkook warned, “Even if I’m a minute late, don’t wait. This place is not the safest place, especially at night.’

“But—”Seokjin wanted to voice out his qualms but was cut off when he was called by a teacher to come to the faculty room. As the elder paused to respond, Jungkook immediately left him behind.

That night, Jungkook’s heart was beating loud he feared that they might burst. This would be the first time he’d go against his father and if he’d get caught, he’d be thrown out for good.

He didn’t know what his father was up to, nor what his father needed from Luhan, but Jungkook needed to end it. He was going to bust Luhan out of here, give him to Seokjin then cut off ties. No more guilts, no more attachments. He’d end whatever bond was starting to form between him and Seokjin once and for all.

He didn’t have a solid plan, and he could only hope for the best that he would be effective in his act. He prepared coffee for his father and mixed a pulverized sleeping pill in it. Jungkook didn’t have any prescription but he risked using his prowess to steal for the first time.

Jungkook surprised himself with that but he thought that it was the lesser evil. He swore to himself that it will happen only once.

Knocking on his father’s door, Jungkook’s palms were sweating and he was shaking. But he steeled himself and took a deep breath before he heard the knob turned. He was met with his father’s wide-eyed expression. Jungkook felt his hair stand at the crazed look his father displayed.

“C-coffee,” Jungkook stuttered, heart beating wildly, “F-for you. I thought you might need it.”

Jungkook’s father eyed him suspiciously with the same crazed expression before it morphed into a kind one. But Jungkook felt that this one was scarier than the previous. “Thank you, Jungkook. How thoughtful of you.”

“Yeah, I thought I—”

“But not now.” His father cut him off with the same kind yet chilling smile, “Perhaps next time?”

“But—” Jungkook was cut off when his father slammed the door on his face. , he thought. He backed away and glanced at the clock.

9:30 PM

, , , Jungkook cursed in his mind as he settled the tray down. Pacing back and forth as he tried to think of what to do. Jungkook was not one for this. He doubted himself a lot, never the one to plan and always the one to act on impulse. There’s a reason why he was hesitant.

Because whenever he had a plan, he never knew what would happen if he fails. He’s not one for ‘what-if’s and it always lead him to make decisions he’d regret. Right now, Jungkook was planning and there was nothing inside his mind except for the thought that Seokjin might be waiting for him and it was dangerous.

It was dangerous.

Jungkook realized once again. Seokjin was alone in a park of a dangerous zone at night. Jungkook’s heartbeat quickened and his hands started shaking once again. What to do, what to do, what to do.

He thought over and over again like a mantra. He was nervously standing there, racking his irrational mind for ideas that would never come. By the time he opened his eyes, the clock was cruelly moving its hands.

9:48 PM

12 minutes. There’s not enough time.

It would take Jungkook about 10 minutes to run to the park from here. But he doesn’t have Luhan yet. Jungkook’s lost. Extremely lost as he clutched his head and apologized repeatedly. I’m sorry father. Just this once.

He clenched and unclenched his fingers, nails digging into his palm before he stood. There was hesitation in his mind but as he closed his eyes and his hearing sense heightened, he heard the clock moving once again. Time waited for no one and Jungkook has made his decision.

He knocked on his father’s room once again. His father opened it and the rest was a blur to Jungkook.

He regretted that night.

But he delivered an unconscious Luhan to Seokjin that night. The elder was crying, sad, happy and most of all, confused. But before he could ask or even say anything, Jungkook replied. “I don’t have much to say and it’s useless to tell you anything anyway.”

“Jungkook—”

“I’ll send you home.” Jungkook said with a stoic face, but his eyes reflected sadness, “Goodnight.”

He touched Seokjin’s forehead and the other’s vision fade to black.

The next day, Luhan’s parents were crying when their son has returned to them. However, he was wide-eyed and always afraid. He refused to speak and he was strange. The doctors that checked up on him had unusual findings in his blood. There was something foreign but every time they tried, Luhan would thrash around and scream.

Many of the nurses were bleeding. They didn’t know why, but they bled.

The next day, Seokjin woke up in his bed. He remembered nothing of yesterday’s events. He remembered less. Some of his memories were gone. There were blank parts in his mind. Seokjin didn’t understand why or what was missing. But he felt that it was something important.

He cried.