NINTH RUN

Pretending not to be lonely,

Pretending not to be in pain

Pointlessly pretending to be okay,

 Pointlessly pretending to be strong

Don't climb over the wall I've built in front of me

I'm the island in this vast ocean. Don't abandon me

Taehyung didn’t come to school.

Namjoon realized that the boy occasionally did not appear at school. This time was already for three days. Sometimes he would be absent for one or two days and at the other day for a week. Each time Namjoon asked him why he didn’t come to school he would say he was sick or his family was sick and he needed to take care his family, then he moved away from the topic.

Namjoon didn’t really know about Taehyung’s family even though they were seatmates. The only thing he knew was only Taehyung didn’t have any brother or sister. Taehyung was a happy-go-lucky person. He could talk about many things around him but he rarely said something about his family. Not that Namjoon cared about it.

At least on this occasional timing, Namjoon was relieved that he didn’t need to forbear himself to listen to Taehyung. Sometimes Namjoon would really want to shut the boy out from his world but sometimes he would also feel that it was good for Taehyung to stay on his side with his loudness. At least the boy was a reminder for Namjoon that this world was not all corrupted. There was also there a pure person like Taehyung. Sometimes the boy’s thought was surprised him.

“Hey, Jimin.”

Namjoon approached Jimin who was sitting in the middle row of their classroom, the row near outside window. Jimin flinched a bit when Namjoon called him. Probably it was because he wasn’t used to Namjoon came to him. It was Taehyung who would do that. Namjoon was also feeling weird about this situation. Why would he approach Jimin? He didn’t socialize with people in school, right? It might be the whole crew idea that Taehyung kept bothering him with started rubbing on Namjoon. He was getting used to the other members’ existence around him.

“Do you want to grab something to eat at canteen?” Because he was already calling the boy, Namjoon decided to continue the interaction and it was also because Jimin stared at him with curiosity.

“With me?”

“Ck, of course with you. Why I’m asking if I’m not going to go with you.” Namjoon clucked his tongue.

“Alright.” Jimin stood up from his chair reluctantly even though he didn't really want to grab some food.

Both of them walked out from the classroom side by side. It was a little bit awkward to see them together. Namjoon and Jimin were two persons who got a total opposite personality, but there was one similarity between them. It was they didn’t socialize with people at school. Then, it made the combination weirder. They weren’t even talking with each other when they were walking to canteen and when they were queuing for food distribution by meal coordinator.

That day lunch featured by soft tofu stew, some pasta with potatoes, soybean sprout side dish, and egg roll. Namjoon didn’t really excited about the menu. There was no meat there. But, at least they gave milk.

BRAK!

Just about when he wanted to walk toward an empty table with Jimin, someone tackled his feet and caused his meal scattered on the floor.

“Oops… I’m sorry for my long legs.” That was Rahoon with his friends, laughing at Namjoon’s fall.

Namjoon knew that Rahoon purposed the act. It was one of Rahoon's favorite things to do in the school. Let's tackle Namjoon when he was off guard because it was fun to watch and there was no teacher at the moment, lucky! Namjoon decided not to react to it instead he started to clean the fallen meals from his tray.

"Look, your meals all are dirty. You got no lunch anymore. Do you want mine?” Rahoon hadn’t finished with his childish play. He held out his bowl of soft tofu stew.

“Don’t bother with them.”

Namjoon whispered at Jimin who looked stunned at the scene. He tried to usher the boy away from the scene before something that Jimin held inside caused problem again. Jimin stuck in his place and before Namjoon could drag him out of the scene Rahoon pulled his act again. He poured today’s menu stew over Namjoon. 

Namjoon lost his word at the act at first. And before he could react to it another scream was heard. It was Rahoon’s voice. This time, it was him who drenched in soft tofu stew and the culprit was Yoongi who standing beside him still holding up his bowl.

“Is this fun?” Yoongi acted like he was experimenting but Namjoon could sense danger in his tone. “Why are you having fun by playing with food? I didn’t find pouring this food to another people is fun.”

Yoongi put down the bowl that looked like didn’t care about Rahoon’s death glare. Rahoon launched toward the older boy. Tried to fight him, but Yoongi was still the same. He stared at the boy, as he looked bored.

“Does the only thing you can enjoy to do is making other people suffer? Grow up, Boy. Would you feel the enjoyment if it was you who played the victim?” Yoongi held Rahoon’s arm when the boy launched a fist at him. He didn’t budge an inch or even released Rahoon’s arm. Those two boys glared at each other as they were trying to how far the other’s strength.

"Are you okay, Jimin?" Jin was looking at the terrified Jimin. The boy looked like having something going inside his mind. But Jimin didn't say anything. Instead slowly he dragged back himself from the scene and fled out from the canteen while everyone got their attention on Yoongi and Rahoon.

Jin couldn't blame the boy who wanted to get away. He also thought that it was good idea that Jimin left before everyone here got their attention to the boy because he reacted weirdly to the incident. The worst that could happen was he fainted like at the park. Those people would love to pick on people who weaker than them. Jimin's personality made him an easy target.

“Yoongi, you’re hurting the boy.