Rating: All Ages
Pairing: Vkook
Prompt: A story wherein Jungkook gets bullied in school and deals with insecurities and depression. He thinks about ending his life, but when he meets Taehyung, his life changes for the better.
Genre: Romance, Angst, fluff, moral-story.
Avoid: Action, Spy Au, Gang Au

---

Title: Bridge over Troubled Water

Have you ever regretted anything in your life? Ever asked yourself the "what ifs"?

Jungkook had. And he'd been asking ever since.

He kept on wondering "what if". What if he stopped crying? What if his mother chose him? What if, he jumped over the bridge that day?

He never regretted living, for living permitted him to get a glimpse of the world his mother loves. To hold her hand while walking at the park and hug her tight during thunderstorms. To kiss her cheek every time he went home from school, and to just spend even a little time with his mother he loved so dearly.

What Jungkook regretted was not being enough for her. Lacking in every way that he couldn't make her stay. And every teardrop that fell that day his mother left him at the bridge eight years ago got him feeling emptier inside. Not only was he feeling like he's lacking, he was. He's missing an integral part of his life and nothing could replace that. Nothing could replace a mother's love.

Nothing ever went according to plan. Well, not for Jungkook anyways. He wanted one thing, he got another. He wanted to switch schools, to be in one that accepted him for who he was, but his father wouldn't allow him so he stayed in a school full of homophobic people. He wanted his mother to choose him instead of leaving him with his father who always ignored him, but she didn't. He wanted to just leave, but his mother asked him to stay. Which was unfair, because she didn't.

He used to think of his mother as his bridge, as the one who will get him through the troubled water, lead him to safer grounds. But, why was a supposedly sturdy bridge, the one that would withstand the test of time, suddenly break and crumble for reasons Jungkook could not understand? Jungkook hated that bridge then, but couldn’t stop walking on it.

It got him thinking why didn't he do it? Why didn't he jump off the bridge that day? It would've made things that much easier. For his father that looked at him with sad eyes, reminded that he was the reason his mother left. His high school would be in peace, no longer having a student the bullies loved to make fun of for being weird and preferring the same . Everyone who ever knew him would be generally happier. He would no longer be a burden. So why didn't he?

Jungkook’s phone chimes, breaking his trail of thought. Jungkook takes out his phone and checks who messaged him. And that's when he remembers. The reason he didn't jump off the bridge that day.

Taehyung.

Jungkook smiles. He now has Taehyung in his life.

Jungkook is currently walking over the same bridge his mother left him on, the one he usually passes on to go home. It holds so much meaning to Jungkook, for different reasons. It’s the place where Jungkook was broken and where he was fixed again.

Jungkook sits on the concrete railing, overlooking what used to be an overflowing river full of life and vibrant colors from the plants that used to surround it. He replies to Taehyung's text asking where Jungkook was, and puts his phone back in his pocket. He reminisces the time he met Taehyung.

It was on this bridge, the very day Jungkook decided to end his life.

---

It started out as an ordinary school day, or at least as ordinary as it got for Jungkook. He went down the stairs to grab a quick breakfast. His father was not home again. It didn't surprise Jungkook anymore; he's used to his father this way. If it wasn't for his father's deep love for his mother, Jungkook would have been orphaned by now. Not like Jungkook felt his presence in his life anyways.

Jungkook put on his black school uniform that morning, not expecting to learn anything, not expecting to be treated normally, not expecting anything to be different. And nothing changed, except everything.

He entered his classroom, not missing the way they continued talking even when he's there, unlike the previous days when they would instantly become silent. He didn't miss the louder than ever snide remarks his classmates sent his way as he walked to his seat at the farthest corner at the back, near the window. He wished he could bring out his earphones to listen to music and drown them out, or even just pretend to listen to music, but school policy got him doing otherwise. He didn't even care about school, but he still wanted to be a good student. He didn't need his father to have more reasons to hate him; his father had enough without him doing anything. This was the usual way they treated him, at the same time unusual with the minor changes that Jungkook noticed.

Classes were tolerable for Jungkook, his classmates caring more about their grades and future than making Jungkook's life miserable and he didn’t need to interact with anyone when classes were ongoing. What Jungkook hated was lunchtime. It was a struggle every day. And that day's lunch time was the worst.

The teacher finally announced that it was their lunch break. Everyone made their way out to the cafeteria, not including Jungkook who just stayed in their room. On most days they would just let him be, isolating him and not have anyone talking to him. Other times they would to no end, call him names such as "weirdo", "nerd" and "", his uality heavily frowned upon by everyone, by his classmates as well as his teachers especially the principal, but they never did anything more to him. They never harmed him physically. Only shoves down the hallway and tripping him in the corridors, but Jungkook knew it was a small thing compared to what he's seen in TV shows of other people being bullied. So he let it be; he didn't do anything about it. That day something changed and Jungkook felt heavier somehow, a weight pushing down on him. He knew it wouldn't be the same lunch break for him.

Four of his guy classmates sauntered back into the classroom, each one holding a glass bottle of different flavored juice. They stopped in front of Jungkook, who was just doodling away on his notebook, not having a care in the world. One of the guys spoke up, trying to get Jungkook's attention. Jungkook didn't look up, the nervousness he was feeling evident in the way his fingers tremble, the hold on his pencil no longer steady. He knew the moment he looked up it would be over. Their previous treatment of him would be over and something new would begin.

Jungkook was in the middle of drawing the details on his bridge, when a splash of orange marred his work. He raised his head, and that's when he knew he just made the biggest mistake of his life. The other guys emptied their bottle on Jungkook's head; the latter's uniform now soaked all over.

"Oops," one of the guys said, the one with the blonde hair, not sounding sorry at all.

"My hand accidentally slipped," the other guy, with short cropped black hair, said.

"What? You're just gonna sit there?" another one, the brunet, taunted.

Jungkook sat there shivering, from what, he didn't know. It could be from the coldness of the juice or the fear for his life. He didn't do anything, except try to pass it off as a normal occurrence. He pulled off his black blazer and put it at the back of his chair, leaving him in his plain white undershirt, which was also soaked by the juice. He stared at one of his bullies, the one in front, who looked like their “leader” the way the other guys surrounded him, and tentatively smiled.

"It's fine," Jungkook said in a soft voice.

Jungkook flipped to another page of his notebook, not caring that it was still wet. He continued to doodle; fingers still shaking, drawn lines unsure. He wanted everything to be over. Something was about to happen to him and he couldn't handle the tension. He’d rather have them ignore him.

The guys all gave out sounds of annoyance, expecting more from Jungkook’s reactions. The leader hushed them, and walked closer to Jungkook. He grabbed Jungkook by his shirt and pulled, until they were face to face, his eyes boring into Jungkook's soul.

"Listen here, face, things are 'bout to change. You have to change. Got that?" Jungkook gulped, nervous for his life. He felt beads of sweat fall down his forehead. The leader pushed Jungkook back to his chair. He made eye contact with his friends, then back to Jungkook, and smirked.

The next thing Jungkook knew, there were fists hitting his face. Kicks sent to his body, and he was being beaten up. He fell down from his chair, and they still sent punches and kicks all over his body. One of them got a hold of his notebook and tore down his drawings, scattering the pieces of paper on Jungkook's head, as if showering him with confetti.

"Please, stop," Jungkook whispered.

"What? What was that? I can't hear you over your gayness!" the guys laughed and continued with their hitting.

"Stop," Jungkook managed to say, a little louder this time.

The leader signaled for the others to stop. Jungkook tried to stand up but only managed a sitting position. He looked around, confused. Was that all it took? The leader crouched down to Jungkook's level and stared him in the eyes.

"If you want us to stop, then you got to stop. Stop being gay. Will you do that?" the leader cocked his head to the side. "No? I thought so. Boys."

The leader snapped his fingers and the beating continued. One of the guys, Jungkook thought it was the blonde one, pulled him up from his position on the floor and pushed him down again. Jungkook no longer bothered to stand up, his attempts being useless.

The boys soon got tired of beating him inside the classroom. The leader grabbed Jungkook by his hair, and dragged him outside, where he didn't know everyone in school would be waiting for him. Jungkook’s body hurt all over, and he knew bruises were about to appear soon. He was somewhat thankful at that moment he wasn’t bleeding yet, his body tougher than he thought.

Everyone was in the hallway, trying to catch a glimpse of Jungkook as he got dragged to who knew where.

It's not like he was the only gay person in the whole school. However, he was the only openly gay guy while the others remained in their closets. He looked at the faces of the students, each one with a satisfied smile on their face. He saw Hoseok, the reason he was in this mess in the first place.

He remembered flashes of his freshman year, Hoseok giving him empty promises, stealing kisses and everything away from Jungkook. He remembered being caught while kissing inside the janitor's closet, things getting heated between them, then Hoseok denying him and claiming they were just getting cleaning supplies for the dance studio when Jungkook came on to him. Jungkook's life made a turn for the worst, while Hoseok was still the beloved dance team captain.

He saw Namjoon, who he thought was his friend, who promised to be there even through the hard times, but suddenly left his side when things got rough.

Jungkook saw everyone, and no one at the same time, their faces blurring together into just a crowd. He desperately wanted to be saved. Anyone, really. Anyone who can save him. He wished his mother was still there. Maybe she could bring a stop to this. She did promise she