Chapter 12

The Stepbrother

 12

Taehyung wasn’t joking when he said he’d hang out with Hara later that afternoon. And the day after. And on Sunday as well. 

Hara is lying on her bed, the day before college officially starts for her, her cheeks still hurting from how much she has been smiling or laughing or simply grinning. It’s mostly due to Taehyung and Hoseok’s amazing sense of humour and very strong dislike of silence. 

Jungkook had stayed true to his word and kept his distance every time Hara got a call and left the house to hang out with his friends, and Hara was grateful.

She didn’t particularly like the idea of stealing his friends, but since Jungkook at showing his emotions, she decided not to worry about it. 

She falls asleep quicker than she had imagined, but it’s probably because she was hanging out at the park with the boys, getting to know them even more than she already does.

But she doesn’t mind, and she welcomes sleep like an old friend. 

The next day, however, is not as relaxing. 

Hara takes a shower and scrubs her skin harder than necessary, and while blow drying her hair she contemplates the benefits of putting on makeup. It would make her blend in with the other dolled up students, but at the same time it would add another step to her daily routine, and honestly she just cannot bother. 

“Hara, darling!” Yunho’s cheerful tone and wide grin are surprisingly uplifting and Hara bites back a smile and nods in greeting as she sits down next to her mother. “Are you ready for an amazing year?” 

“Yeah,” she mumbles, biting into a plain toast, and she wonders where Jungkook is but doesn’t bother voicing the thought. “Is Siwon going to take me?” 

“Oh, I thought Jungkook was going to drive you today?” Yunho frowns at Sora, and Hara ignores the glare her mother pierces into the side of her face. She should choose another seat from now on. 

“Nevermind, I totally forgot.” Hara tries to smile sheepishly and then quickly gets to her feet. “Speaking of which, I told him to meet me at the bus stop. I’ll be going now.”

“Are you meeting up with Taehyung and Hoseok?” Yunho asks, smiling over the rim of his glass, and Hara nods, returning the gesture. “Well, we will not keep you back anymore. Good luck today, Hara.” 

“Good luck, honey.”

Hara just offers them a nod and leaves, nibbling on the remaining piece of toast in her hand while smoothing out the skirt of her uniform. It fits perfectly, just like the rest of the attire, and Hara suspects it is because it’s tailored. 

She grins at Leeteuk when the butler holds out her coat, and she puts her toast between her teeth before slipping her arms into the sleeves.

“I wish you all the best today, miss,” Leeteuk says, a fond smile on his face as he watches Hara pull on her boots. She straightens up and removes the bread from between her lips. 

“Thanks, Teuk. I appreciate it.” Leeteuk blinks at the nickname but nods and opens the door for her, and Hara wordlessly leaves, exiting the premises while finishing her breakfast. 

She makes it to the bus stop and realizes she’s got two minutes before the bus arrives.

There’s only one other student there, and she offers the frowning boy a quick look before putting her hands in her pockets, shivering slightly when the cold air makes itself known through a sudden breeze. 

The bus arrives and Hara plugs in her headphones, watching everything pass by in a blur. She feels her stomach fill with knots, anxiety bombarding her brain with ‘what ifs’, but she pushes the negativity out through a long, calming breath and nods determinedly when the bus comes to a stop. 

Her phone buzzes when she enters the school building, and she grins at the screen while maneuvering her way around the students who barely notice her due to the uniform. 

First class is with us, save us a spot at the back!!!

Hara replies with a ‘will do’ and snorts when Taehyung replies with multiple smiley faces. 

She makes it to her locker and is about to put her phone away when she stops in her tracks.

The blazer is still there, and she realizes she should probably get it back to its rightful owner. It’s part of the dress code, and given his smoking habits he’s probably freezing his off on the rooftop right about now. 

Hara isn’t sure, though, if he’s got an early class today, but she still makes a beeline to the fire exit and jogs up the stairs. Her legs ache when she reaches the top, and she fixes the straps of her bag which is now two books too heavy, panting as she pushes the door open. 

Rooftop-boy is leaning against the railing, looking over the campus while inhaling toxins like it’s the solution to all his life problems. It probably is, what does Hara know. 

“Thought you might want this back,” she says as form of greeting, but the boy barely offers her a glance over his shoulder before returning to his staring. 

Hara somehow didn’t expect anything different and walks over to him, carefully draping it over the railing between them before turning towards the view ahead of them. She notices cars pulling up in the huge parking lot, instantly recognizing the matte grey maserati that pulls up closest to the exit area and parks perfectly despite its speed. 

“It bothered you.” Hara looks over at rooftop-boy who’s smirking slightly, his eyes focused on the students piling up multiple feet below them, and she arches an eyebrow. 

“What?” 

“The blazer.” He flicks the cigarette away and carelessly grabs the cloth. “Bothered you to see it so close to falling down.” 

Hara doesn’t know what to feel at the newfound knowledge about the surprisingly perceptive boy next to her and shrugs. “Costs a lot, wouldn’t want it to get ruined.” 

“Isn’t yours. Doesn’t need your worry.” 

Hara blinks in surprise at the snarky comment, but the boy sighs, slipping on the blazer. He then runs a hand through his hair and puts the other against his hip. 

Whatever internal war he’s fighting comes to a halt when Hara’s phone buzzes in her pocket, and as she pulls it out he walks backwards and then turns on his heel, leaving the rooftop without another word. 

Hara wants to throw a curse or something at him for not even thanking her but Taehyung is bombarding her with texts and she sighs, sending him a quick ‘coming, wait’, before making her way back inside. 

She’s got zero idea what floor the rooftop-boy exited on, but she makes her way all the way down and finds Taehyung and Hoseok waiting next to the lavatories. 

“Where were you? I thought you were gonna get a ride from Jungkook?” 

“Got lost on the way, and also that was just a temporary thing. Now come on, we’re getting late.” 

Hara gives Hoseok a light nudge and the male instantly leads the way while Taehyung frowns at her from behind, suspicion evident on his face. 

The classroom is surprisingly normal sized, and Hara follows the boys all the way to the back where Jungkook is already sitting, closest to the wall. Hara stops slightly in her tracks but makes sure to pretend nothing happened when the boy in question looks over at her with a bored stare. 

Before she can even consider her options, Taehyung makes a beeline for the seat in front of Jungkook while Hoseok claims the spot next to him, leaving only one chair vacant. 

Hara would rather sit on nails.

She turns on her heel and looks around, trying to look past glares and frowns to find an empty seat but the classroom is practically filled now, so she turns around with an annoyed frown and slumps down in the chair next to Jungkook’s. 

The boy doesn’t even look in her direction. 

Class finishes eventually, and Hara follows Taehyung and Hoseok to their next one, except she soon comes to realize that they don’t share it. 

“You’ve got calculus,” Taehyung pouts as he peeks over Hara’s shoulder, frowning at her phone screen. “It’s in the classroom down the hallway, first one to your left.”

“Stay strong,” Hoseok offers, the air, and Hara sighs and laughs, nodding as she steps away from them and makes her way past throngs of students. 

The classroom looks identical to the other one, and she quickly walks all the way to the back and claims the spot closest to the wall. As the students start piling in, an obnoxiously nasal voice fills the air and Hara mentally signs her death certificate. 

“What is she doing here?” Sunny shrieks, stopping in the doorway with a slave on each side. “This is all a prank, right? You guys have to be messing with me, please tell me this is a joke.”

“Nope, no illusions,” Hara says, leaning back in her chair to cross her arms over her chest. “I’m the new student, get over it.”

“Excuse me?” 

Hara tries not to roll her eyes and looks away from the fuming girl holding up a line in the entrance, but this seems to only aggravate the demon further, and after angrily stomping all the way over to Hara’s desk she places both hands on the table, perfectly manicured nails catching Hara’s attention. 

“Who do you think you are? You can’t just speak like that to me and expect me to accept it!”

“What are you gonna do about it?” Hara looks up and arches an eyebrow, reveling in the way Sunny visibly stiffens. 

“I-I’ll have you expelled!” she threatens, but Hara is pretty sure Yunho’s status won’t allow for that to happen. 

“I’d love to see you try,” she replies, feeling her lips tug into a cruel smirk, and she briefly wonders if maybe she’s being the bad guy here.

Hara has never liked bullies, and for some reason this feels a little like bullying to her. Except Sunny’s next words tip the weights and Hara is pretty sure any kind of harm done to Sunny is an act of public service.

“So that’s what it is, you’ve slept with someone haven’t you?” 

Hara’s eye twitches and she forces down a sudden urge to slap the girl smirking down at her. 

“Watch your mouth.” 

“Or what?” Sunny scoffs, still looking too cocky. “What are you gonna do?” Her voice is awfully loud now, most likely to announce her conspiracy theories to the rest of the class. “Are you gonna sleep around some more to gain pity from the principal? Or are you gonna seduce someone else? Tell me, is there anyone in this room you have slept with already? Or do you plan on targeting someone to add another name to the li-”

“Isn’t it too early for you bull, Choi?” 

Hara blinks away the unwanted tears that have gathered in her eyes just as Sunny flinches, quickly whirling around in the direction of the voice. 

Rooftop-boy arches an eyebrow. “Don’t you have like three sugar daddies to before their wears off?” 

Hara tries not to gape in shock.

Sunny sputters and blinks rapidly while her friends quickly pull her off to the other side of the room, which Hara notices has gone completely silent. Everyone is watching the interaction with wide eyes, not able to comprehend the scene before them. 

Hara looks up at Rooftop-boy who gives her a quick glance, his eyes completely void of any emotions, and he wordlessly walks up to her and claims the spot on her left. 

Hara allows him, because she it too busy staring at Jungkook.

He is standing in the entrance to the classroom, his jaw clenched, hands balled into fists by his sides, but he doesn’t do anything. He just gives Hara a hard glare before walking up to an empty seat at the front, wordlessly sitting down without as much as a glance back. 

“Chapter 3, page 54.” Hara flinches out of her thoughts and looks over at Rooftop-boy. He’s flipping through his book. “Professor Lee is a picky bastard, you don’t want to give him a reason.” 

Hara ignores the flush to her cheeks and quickly pulls her books out of her bag, and when the professor finally arrives and class starts, she pushes away the anxiety bubbling in her belly and decides to accept the comfort she finds in the quiet boy next to her. 

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Jinnie1204 #1
Chapter 36: It's a good story. Thank you.

P.S.
Authornim, if you just put a little bit of in this, I think it is more gratifying and interesting as well especially in this kind of plot that the characters both have dark past. 😀😜
JiLin1998 #2
Chapter 1: It‘s sad that her relationship with her mother is Not that good.
Seonghwalil
#3
Chapter 1: I love this fanfic so much, i currently read for my third times
_Gucci_Queen_
#4
Chapter 36: This is honestly the best fanfiction i've read q(≧▽≦q)
MsPancakes
#5
Chapter 36: Istg i was about to ing cry until sope kissed. Skdjdbshzvgwjandjsjsnehbdhskaksmbswtfffffffff broooooo “ψ(`∇´)ψ└(゚д゚)┐ヾ(゚∀゚ゞ) i think my brain just stopped like whaaaatttt?! I didn't even notice anything btween them ヽ(*゚ー゚*)ノ... Ok this needs a season 2 you cant just leave it at that aaahhhhhsjhehshsh! “ψ(`∇´)ψ.. But anyways, my dude this was a really great story i love it, thank you ಥ⌣ಥ ... ... Can't wait for season 2 ( ̄ω ̄;).....
Lol jk xD
MsPancakes
#6
Chapter 35: Nope. Not crying at all. . ...ಥ⌣ಥ
chonanay
#7
Chapter 35: Is jungkook yunho's real son? Like biological?
MsPancakes
#8
Chapter 34: I didn't even realize i wasn't breathing properly until hara showed up “ψ(`∇´)ψ, damn jungkook really loves her that much huh, didn't expect him to really lose his like that ಥ_ಥ
MsPancakes
#9
Chapter 33: Oh man i thought she really did leave and then be gone for like yrs and then she would suddenly show up and xD .. I be overthinking here “ψ(`∇´)ψ