Chapter Seventeen: Broken
(A/N: chapter requires edit.)

“The final examination for the first semester is fast approaching, so I expect that everyone will be diligent to pull their grades up for the term,” Ms. Park said as she walked around the classroom while explaining to us the last activities for the first semester of our senior year, the final examination. “I know that there are only ten spots to be recognized, but I hope all of you will use this as a motivation to do well in the exams.” She stopped at the empty seat beside me and commented, “Jungkook is absent again?”

The moment she said that was the moment the door opened, revealing Jungkook, who was coolly walking towards his seat. “I’m sorry, I’m late.” was all he said as he sat down without giving me a stare. Ms. Park could only sigh as she went back to her table and instructed us to turn our books to a certain page.

Within this day, I must be able to tell Jungkook of what I saw. I know I have been too much yesterday, but as a concerned friend, he must know that his relationship with Hae Ra has nowhere to go anymore. The girl who tried to fix the damage was only adding more damage to the innocent man, and I can't let her hurt him again this time.

But as I predicted before I saw Hae Ra, Jungkook will spare me no glance or time. He was back to his old self, which basically is not talking to anyone. Did I hurt him that much? I know I told him that I am done with him, but I meant I am done with all this and I just hoped we could be friends who will always be there for each. A friend who acts only as a friend, nothing more. He did not join us for lunch and the girls didn't ask me any reason about his sudden disappearance, they could have felt the situation already.

I have no one to tell about Hae Ra but Jimin. It was only be the two of us who knows about this and I had to beg him not to tell the rest just yet. I wanted to talk to Hae Ra and tell her to stop this, but how? We haven't exchanged numbers, we never had a close bond like a friend, in the first place. Jungkook isn't talking to me just yet, so what's going to happen?

I went to my locker during dismissal and the place was unusually packed. There were mostly girls who looked worried as hell. The part where my locker is was not crowded so I easily got my things. There was no tulip for today, but a tiny box inside my locker instead. There was a note saying, this is how we will meet, someday. I smiled a bit, learning that the tiny box has a lock on it, disabling me to open it. The key must be with him and that is how I will be able to know that he is the one giving the tulips. Of course, there were still crumpled papers in my locker which were less that the usual. There were also few papers on the ground like the culprit was in a hurry to out them in. I was about to leave when I heard a girl say, "Shouldn't we call Principal Bang already? He will not stop beating Jungkook if no one dares to get in between them."

I immediately squeezed myself in the crowd to be able to get in front, and there was Jungkook, lying on the ground, lifeless. The student who I punched the other day was the one who drained Jungkook's energy from the punches and kicks. I haven't seem everything but with the looks of it, Jungkook wasn't fighting at all. The student made a tch sound and laughed, "You are too weak, Jungkook. Now that I got my revenge, I'm done. This is the last time I am telling you, stop getting in my way." Then he left. The students kept on rambling and gossiping without even helping Jungkook who was lifeless on the ground. He was leaning on the lockers as he stared weakly on the ground, trying to ease the pain he is feeling. The side of his lip has a wound and I can see how he is hurting. I clenched my fist and went towards the lifeless boy, I sat beside him and turned to the students, "Why didn't you even call a teacher? All you want is an entertainment! Leave!" I shouted. Some students felt guilty and some students felt irritated as they left the area. Slowly, all that's left was me and Jungkook, with him only looking at me lifelessly. A tear rolled down on his cheek and I wiped it with my handkerchief, wiping the little bloodstains on his face. He wasn't speaking to me so I just gave him a solemn look and helped him to get up, "Let's get you treated in the infirmary."

"I don't need it-" he tried to move away from me but I held onto his waist firmly as I placed his arm around me.

"I don't think you could pull off an attitude on me," I told him. "Let's go."

The nurse already left but we are lucky that the infirmary was still open. I made Jungkook lay down on the bed while I get the first aid kit. Once I got it, I went and sit on the edge of the bed and made Jungkook sit for me to treat his wounds carefully. I placed ointments on the bruises near his eye and on the wound near his lip. Once I got everything finished, I pulled both his hands to see if there are bruises or wounds. Luckily, there are none but his hands looked like he really did not fight back. I let his hand away and looked at him, "Why did he do this to you?"

His forehead creased in pain as I dabbed more ointment on the wound near his lip, "He was the one behind the threats you are receiving."

"Why didn't you fight back?" I asked him, "You were never like this. Before, you would get all those wounds because you started fighting. But now, look at you. You looked so drained."

"I changed," he said. "You know I am no longer that man before."

I could only sigh as I asked him, "Is there other place where felt like hurting?"

There was a long silence until he said, "My heart, it hurts."

I looked at him with a confused look and remembered Hae Ra, "You know already?"

He looked away, "Know what?"

"Hae Ra." I started, "I saw her-"

"Thank you." He said, still looking away from me, staring blankly at the wall, "But can you please leave me alone?"

"But can you walk properly?"

"Can you stop caring about me when you felt like I'm a burden when you do? It will only make feel bothered that I am wasting someone's time." He said, startling me. He turned to me and gave me a pleading look, "Just leave, I'm sorry."

I suddenly felt sad. I wanted to stay with him, take care of him and make him feel comfortable. But I never realized that he thinks he is wasting my time every time I am with him. I sighed in defeat as I stood up and bid goodbye to him. As time passes by, my guilt is eating me whole because I have made him feel that he is not an important person who can use anyone's time. He never changed, he was still the old him who is pushing away people so they won't see him suffer. But why is he like this?

...

Friday arrived and I saw Jimin leaning his back on his black car, catching the every girl's attention. Once he saw me, he stood straight and waited for me to come over him. He did not send me a message saying that he will take me somewhere so I have no idea why he's here. "Do you need anything?" I asked him. Jimin could only smile as he messed with my hair using his right hand then held my wrist, "We're going somewhere." He looked at me with pure excitement. I looked at my wrist that was held by him then back at him with a confused look.

"Where?" I asked.

"Dinner?" He said in a hesitant tone. "Don't you want to?"

I thought for a while because this will be the second time that we will go out together- just the two of us. He looked away from me and said, "We're food buddies, remember? Why do I feel like you do not want to join me for dinner anymore? That's making me sad."

I smiled at his sudden cuteness and poked his cheek, "Aigoo, you're suddenly acting like a child that's too cute. Let's go then!"

He grinned inwardly as he let go off my wrist to open the door and let me in. After I got in, he closed the door and walked towards the side of the driver's seat. He drove off as soon as he got in and the engine.

This time, Jimin took me to a place that doesn't look so elegant as his mother's restaurant but is still nice and cosy. It is a food place near the Bangtan High that offers authentic Korean food like tteokboki, bibimbap, samgyupsal, and others to name. Of course, Jimin and I were ecstatic to try samgyupsal because nothing can go wrong with meat! We immediately placed meat on the griller and wait for it to get cooked. No, cut the waiting, while the meat is cooking, we were already eating the greens and the side dishes, leaving us with eating the meat alone. Jimin is definitely the best food buddy, though he was my first food buddy of this sort, because we never ran out of interesting things to talk about. Food jokes, things about school, university, and even his friends. I realized that if Jimin had a girlfriend, she would never be hungry, tummy-wise and emotionally.

"Jimin," I spoke after we paid for the bill and left the food place. We were now on our way to the park to sit and wait till the clock strikes nine. We actually spent an hour looking around for a good place to eat, then the rest were all about eating, chatting, ordering more food, and eating. I was so full, the flab on my tummy got bigger. "Can I ask you something?"

"You're asking me now." He chuckled as we sat on a bench. "What is it?"

"When was the last time you had a girlfriend?"

Jimin looked at me with a surprised look. I laughed, "You don't really need to answer that if you find it too personal."

"I had a non-existent relationship with a girl once." He started, I looked at him intently to show that I am glad if he's tell me more about it. He chuckled in a shy manner as he composed himself and continued on, "We were junior high school and we just felt like we like each other. We went out and eat, talk, and everything. But we