Chapter 3

The Rebellious One

 He watched the glass break.

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Jeon Jungkook. He lived a perfect life in a big house with expensive cars and owning two pets that he could play with. He had butlers and maids following his every move, didn’t need to lift a finger. He had everyone at his beck and call. His father and mother loved him with all their hearts and he loved them in return.

But then one day, he woke up and fairytale was over.

Jungkook realized that his life was not as perfect as it seemed. The big house was not big—it was enormous. Too enormous for little Jungkook who lived there on his own—trapped in his kingdom. The butlers and maids don’t serve him—they imprison him. Watch over him like a dragon, making sure he doesn’t leave the tower. And his parents were not the King and Queen he thought them to be—they were one of the wizards and witches.

They scorn him, cast a spell on him—cursed him. Roaring their lies and spitting fire as they drive Jungkook to the pinnacle of success—or what they believe would be success. They pressure him, crush him, try to erase his identity, and mold him into someone they like—someone he didn’t want to be.

Jungkook was not the prince they claimed that they saw him. He was not the prince they claimed to love. Jungkook was a slave. A slave to their greed and pride. He was nothing but seen as a mere prize. His parents said that they wanted him to be happy. Jungkook knew better. They don’t wish for his happiness. They wish for his success.

Success so that they can brag about him—prancing around with his medals and trophies as if it was their own. They feed off of the envy that their peers feel when they present just how perfect their son is. They like to show it off to everyone—look, how perfect this family is.

Rich. Beauty. Brains. Talent. Perfection.

Those were words one can associate the Jeon family. Those were words one would associate Jeon Jungkook. Those were words his parents wanted to hear—anything less is pointless. They wanted the best—expect the best from him.

Almost like a sculpture of a glass. So fragile yet beautiful. Everyone would admire it under the light—only for their eyes to see but not for their hands to touch. Touch it, and you would break it. And with the presence of the cracks, it becomes less beautiful. It becomes flawed.

And so, he watched the glass break.

Because beneath the perfect front was the claws of imperfection. Imperfection was the image in front of him. His parents’ clean and crisp appearances broke as they engaged in a battle. His father’s neatly combed hair was a mess as he spat fire, degrading his mother with his foul words.

But facing the dragon was a snake.

His mother’s smooth, soft skin was crunched into a scorn as she hissed back venomous words. Suffocating the room with her venom, making Jungkook want to choke himself and die right there and then.

 Mistrust

That was the reason for their fight.

Infidelity

That was the main problem. That was supposed to be the main problem. But no, Jungkook shook his head. That was not their main problem. Because the words that came out of their mouths were—what would the people think?

The problem was there. The problem was within and yet all they could think of were the outside opinions. His father was making out with another woman and this had driven his mother crazy yet they dwelled more on what others would think. Vanity. Jungkook hated that word.

The problem then brewed inside. Jungkook could hear snippets of it—divorce. His parents planned. But there was hesitation to it. Not because there was an ounce of love left between them. But because they were afraid to ruin the perfect picture they built for years. Jungkook wondered if perfection was the cause of their fall.

If his parents hadn’t been so obsessed with being perfect, would they have loved more? Would they have noticed the things that went wrong and patched it up before it became worse? Perfection, Jungkook thinks with irony, has broken is perfect family.

Once upon a time, Jeon Jungkook was a child who lived in bliss—lived in his fairytales. Until one day, the dragon came and coveted all the joy he collected for years and left him to pick up the broken pieces of that once perfect picture.

Broken was Jungkook.

He slipped in one of his performances. His painting ranked second in his latest contest. His grades declined. And for the first time, he was sent to detention.

Students and teachers wondered what had happened to their Golden Student. What had happened to the perfect and ideal person they had all looked up to. And Jungkook couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at the disappointment in their eyes as they looked at him. He wondered why they were disappointed in the first place. It was not like it was his job to reach their expectations.

He was human. He had downfalls.

But they didn’t seem to understand that. His parents especially didn’t understand that.

There was a storm in the Jeon Mansion. Tables were turned, pictures were ripped and voices were raised like swords clashing against each other. His father roared, his mother spat and Jungkook tore them apart. He shot their words down with equally, if not more, lethal words that left them tattered where they stand.

Jungkook spoke words he never knew he would say. It had shocked them to silence. His father was seething with rage, his mother’s nails making her palms bleed and Jungkook stood there, eyes wide and gaping as he regretted the words he had released. Words that will never be erased. Words that changed everything.

“I hate you. I wish you weren’t my parents!” he had said.

Jungkook may have blamed his parents for everything but he didn’t hate them to that extent. It surprised him that he had spat them out at the heat of the moment.

Before he could utter an apology, he was condemned. His parents have started the hunt and have caught him—burned him at the stake, threw stones at him and sent him to eternal damnation.

It was sad. It was lonely. Jungkook’s heart broke as he stood in the new prison he was sent to.

In front of him is a dull sorry excuse of an academy. It was a dormitory school. But to Jungkook, it looked more like a prison. It was huge with all of the buildings and facilities, but Jungkook felt suffocated.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see his chauffer taking his luggage out. His butler accompanied him as he was led into the black gates of hell. Jungkook used to think that hell was a place of scorching fire that will eternally torment the sinful souls. But now, he realized, hell is a lonely place. It’s cold. It’s dark. And you enter it alone with nothing but your thoughts accompanying you—suffocating you with the regret and sadness that will consume you whole.

He was slipping in between his mind and reality as he walked across the empty halls—and yet Jungkook felt like he was walking barefoot on the thorny path and as the stones were thrown at his direction. Jungkook felt like a sinful man sent away to atone for his wrongdoings. What had he done so wrong to be sent away from home like this?

His parents didn’t even accompany him. Probably too disgusted to see his mangled and dirty soul get swallowed by the grasp of hell.

Jungkook looked up from his gaze on the floor to the blonde man with eyeglasses before him. The man introduced himself as Kim Namjoon, Principal of the Campus and said that he will accompany Jungkook to his room.

Like a robot, Jungkook followed the man as they entered the elevator. He watched the orange lights as they went up.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The light stopped at five and the doors opened. Kim Namjoon led him across the hallways in silence. If Jungkook’s mind was not occupied, he would’ve been more polite and started a small conversation instead of ignoring the principal’s presence. If Jungkook’s mind hadn’t been occupied, he would’ve noticed how Namjoon has gazed at him—scanning him as if he could see everything in the young man’s mind.

But Jungkook’s mind was occupied and he didn’t even notice that they had arrived in his room until Namjoon cleared his throat. He turned to the Principal as he was told that this will be his room for the rest of his stay.

Jungkook turned and stared at the numbers.

504

Jungkook blinked before he turned to the Principal. “Your roommate is already inside. He arrived just a little earlier than you. He’s probably still unpacking right now.”

Jungkook nodded at his statement. So he had a roommate then. That was something Jungkook has never tried before as he has never been in a dorm before and he was the only child. Jungkook can’t help but miss his room at home. But he’ll have to settle with this for now.

“You two should try getting along. After all, for the next two years, you’ll be living with him after all.” Namjoon said. He bid his good luck and goodbye and was about to leave when he stopped as if he had just realized something.  It almost surprised Jungkook when Namjoon raised his voice, “Ah! You’ll also have a third roommate.”

Jungkook raised his eyebrow at this. He thought that he was only going to share with one person. Apparently, there were three of them in one room? Too crowded for Jungkook’s taste. But he simply nodded at the principal before he turned the knob.

For two years, this was where he was going to be.

Sorry that Jungkook’s story was more rushed. I wanted to update his now so that I can finally start with the story. I’ll probably edit this if I get inspired. Please comment and subscribe if you haven’t yet!

—Chrysallion