Ch. 5
Protecting You~Protecting You~
The school started again. There was a good change indeed. After telling me whole story, Youngjae was more open to me and he gradually be closer to my friends also which was a good thing. Now, Youngjae smiles more often and I feel so happy for him.
I will always pick him up from his apartment and walk with him to the school and I also will go with him to the café. I often spent my times with Youngjae. And slowly, I know more about him and Jaemin. That he is really a bright kid compared to the past self.
Taecyeon didn’t show up much too my like and Youngjae was less burden by it. I always told him that I will go with him wherever he goes, even accompany him to the bathroom. And I will keep my promise to him.
One day, I came late to school because I dreamt about Youngjae (again). I woke up very late, but I knew that no one will scold me because of my father’s position and beside I never got late before. I joined the class after the first lesson which I sneaked in to the class.
“Hi, Youngjae…” I greeted him like usual. Youngjae is writing something on his notebook.
“How was the lesson?” I casually asked him as I put away my bag and take my notes. Youngjae didn’t even answer me which is odd.
“Youngjae-ah…” I called him again.
“Sorry, hyung. I have to go to the bathroom.” He said as he stands up and walk away. I looked at Mark and Junior.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked them. They shrugged their shoulders, “Don’t know. Been odd since class started.” Junior answered. I gave him an odd look.
“Hyung, better go to him…” Jackson adviced. I nodded and dashing to the bathroom.
In the bathroom, I saw Youngjae was pinning against the wall with Taecyeon above him. I couldn’t read their expression since I only saw the side of their faces. I felt rage controls me.
“Hey!” I snapped. Both of them turned their heads to me. Youngjae was looking at me, shocked, while Taecyeon gave me a smirk. I didn’t like it a bit. Taecyeon moved away from Youngjae as he muttered, “Remember that!” Then he went away, walked pass by me. Youngjae looked as he disappeared.
I hurriedly ran towards him, “Are you okay?” I asked in worried tone. Youngjae looked anywhere except me, “I am fine.” He simply said, avoiding my gaze.
“Did he do something to you?” I asked again, still worried about him as I found his odd action.
“No. I am fine.” And with that, he walked away passed by me. I stood there confusedly, “What happened to him? Really?” I muttered in confusion.
His odd action continued till school ended. I was getting ready to walk home with him like I usually did, but he refused me, telling me that I need to stop walking him away and that he didn’t want to be burden for me. And with that, he went away, again. I sighed. Really, what’s wrong with him?
In the night, I find it hard to sleep as I kept thinking about Youngjae and his odd behavior. There was definitely something happened. There must be something. I know it. Youngjae was okay, yesterday. Eventually, I fell asleep with my mind full of Youngjae’s thoughts.
~^^~
It has been exactly four days Youngjae was absent from school. And it got me very worried about him. His phone was off and his home was empty. The old woman next door didn’t know where Youngjae and Jaemin. I felt so empty without him. I miss him. I know that something must be happened and it related to Taecyeon. And somehow, I found it more odd that Taecyeon has been quiet too. All of my friends agreed with me.
At the lunch time, I kept staring at Taecyeon who sat down with his friends in the table not too far from my group’s. He had blank expression despite the loud cheers from his friends. Some times, he would look up to his phone and took a big sigh. I know it. There must be something.
After school was over, I slowly packed my books and walked down the stairs. I was a bit surprise when I saw Taecyeon stood at the end of the stairs. Alone. He played with his phone, just like the lunch time.
I have nothing to do with him although actually I wanted to confront him about what he had done to Youngjae. I just walked away passed him when suddenly someone grabbed my arm.
“JB. I need to talk to you.” Taecyeon said in low tone. I turned my head, suspiciously looking at him before detaching his hand from mine.
“Well… I need to talk to you too.” I said. He stared hard at me, a bit surprised.
“So?” I crossed my arms above my chest as I leaned down on the wall behind me. I was waiting for him to say something. He opened and closed his mouth repetedly before asking. “Have you heard any news from Youngjae?”
His question got me surprised, “What?” I asked him back in small muffled voice.
“I… I know it’s kind a odd… but… really… if you got any news about where Youngjae is… would you… would you like to tell me?” He said, almost with a desperate tone. I looked at him, judging his expression. He was less scary than his tall and muscled built body.
“Why did you care? The last thing I know is that you bullied him, even threatened him. So, why are you asking him?” I asked in amused. I know that somehow, Youngjae’s disappear was related to him.
He was silence for a moment before opening his mouth and voicing some words that got me surprised, “I… I… want… I want to apologize to him. Uhm… for all I did.” He sincerely said. I gasped, didn’t know what to react with this sudden confession.
Suddenly, I felt like bursting out a laugh. He looked at me confusedly and hurt, “Yah! It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me about Youngjae. Forget I ever ask.” He said angrily before walking away. I grabbed his hand.
“Wait!” He turned to look at me. “I don’t understand.” I simply said, honestly.
He let a big sigh, “I don’t understand either…” he mumbled. “…just, if you know about him, please tell me.” he said, desperately.
“What’s wrong? I know that you somehow related to his disappear. Tell me, Taecyeon. What did you do to him that day?” I asked, holding back my anger. He looked so vurnerable but I couldn’t sway with that look.
“You don’t have to know. Forget it all.” He said, running away from me. I stood there, frozen, thinking hard about what the actual happened.
~^^~
“Hyung, come on… You have to eat something or you will get sick.” Jackson said. We’re all in the canteen. The guys managed to drag me here. I refused to eat since my mind really occupied with Youngjae and Jaemin. I am so worried about them. It’s exactly a week since his absence. Even the school didn’t know about him. Slowly but sure, it drove me crazy.
“Hyung…” Junior tried to convince me.
“JB. You have to eat so you can search for Youngjae again.” Mark said. Hearing his name, making me turned my head to him.
“I’ve been searching all over the city, Mark. No result.” I said, pushing away the foods.
“Hyung, you need your strength. Don’t give up yet. Come on, eat…” Junior tried to feed me, but I refused, pushing away his hand. They all sighed.
“JB hyung? Are you sick? You look all pale…” Bambam and Yugyeom joined us. They put their hands on my forehead.
“You are burning!” Yugyeom exclaimed, making all the students turned to our way.
“Shut up! I am definitely fine!” I said, taking their hands from my head. I abruptly stood up and wanted to leave the canteen soon. But, the last thing I see was floor before all black out.
~^^~
I slowly opened my eyes and find myself wasn’t in my room, wasn’t on my bed, wasn’t on my pajamas. I turned my head as I heard a door being pushed open and a man in white came towards me.
“You are awake, Jaebum?” He said softly.
“Finally. It’s good. I will inform your relatives. Now, let me check you.” He ran a stethoscope on my body. I felt dizzy by the coldness.
“You have to rest some more and don’t be stress, Jaebum-shi. I will leave you alone.” The doctor smiled at me. I looked up at him, stretching my mouth to voice out.
“Y-Young…Youngjae…” I managed to get that name out.
“Huh?” The doctor looked at me confused.
I gulped down, feeling a bit strong to voice out, “Youngjae…”
“Youngjae?” he asked. I nod.
“I don’t know who he is, but I will tell your relatives that you are awake now.” He was about to walk away, but I weakly grabbed his hand.
“No. I… I need Youngjae.” I spoke up again.
“Jaebum-shi… You’ve been unconscious for about two days. Now, just rest while I inform your family and friends.” He carefully detached my weak grip and walked out the room. I stared hard at the ceiling. Eventually, after that, a nurse came to my room and gave me a pills which made me fell asleep immediately.
I woke up again due to the familiar voices around me...
“Do you think he would be happy?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you tell him about his condition?”
“Of course. He caused this after all.”
“And?”
“Youngjae didn’t give any reaction.” Junior said. I opened my eyes slowly upon hearing the name that I miss so much.
“Y…Youngjae?” I muttered softly.
“Oh. Hyung! You are awake?” Jackson loud voice greeted me. I nodded, feeling a bit strong than before.
“How are you, hyung?” Junior asked as he helped me sit up.
“You said Youngjae just now. What happened to him?” I immediately asked, making the guys exchanged gaze.
“Tell me, Jinyoung-ah…” I used Junior’s real name as the sign that I am serious.
“You heard wrong, hyung. We didn’t talk about him.” Junior tried to lie.
“You are a bad liar, Jinyoung-ah. Tell me. Now.” I sternly said.
He looked at the guys briefly before taking a deep sigh, “I met him yesterday.” He started. I shifted a bit to the more comfortable position.
“And then? Where is he? How is he? Is he okay? Is Jaemin okay?” I asked in one breath.
“Jaemin?”
“His brother.”
“Oh. I don’t know. I only met him in the café yesterday. He was… uhm… how did I say… terrible…” he mumbled the last word, but I caught it.
“What? Why?” I asked, impatient.
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me, hyung. In fact, he ignored me so much at the café. But I managed to say to him about your condition. When I said it, he looked at me deeply, but expressionless. I didn’t know what he thought.”
I took a deep sigh. Somehow, I expected it to happen. Youngjae was ignoring and avoiding me so much. Unconsciously, I let a tear poured down.
“… I… miss… him…” I mumbled between the sobs. It’s the first time I cried in front of the guys, but I didn’t care, really. It hurts so much.
“I should apologize to him. I… I didn’t do enough to protect him. I am a bad person.” I kept blaming myself. The guys patted my back to calm me down. I should say, at least, I had them. But, I couldn’t because I really need Youngjae.
That night, after the guys left, I couldn’t fall asleep. It’s really hard to sleep when my brain kept working, thinking about the certain brunette that caught my heart. Unconsciously, I let my tears poured down again as I kept muttering that I really miss him and I really miss his smile, his laugh, his face, his presence.
“H-hyung? J-jaebum hyung?” I heard a familiar voice, but I didn’t trust it. The dark just making me hallucinating about it.
“I must be missing him so damn much till the point I am crazy to hallucinate his sweet voice…” I mumbled.
But, the voice continued to called me, “J-jaebum hyung?”
Feeling curious, I lifted up my head to see Youngjae’s silhouette stood about the door. I whipped away my tears as I adjust my eyes to see it clearly.
“Young… Youngjae?” I softly whispered, afraid that I might be wrong. But, the silhouette came closer to me and suddenly hugged me. The familiar feeling is back to me. The warmth slowly filled me up again as I slowly brought my hands to wrap his fragile body and inhaling his sweet scent.
“Youngjae-ah… I miss you…” I mumbled against his shoulder.
~^^~
Literally wrote and post it in an hour.
I hope you guys enjot this late update and quick work.
Excuse any mistakes. ^^"~
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