My Light, My Jimin

Chapter 3: Debate Club

YOONGI

I'm used to feeling indifferent toward everyone. It's a natural response for me. One that I've kept close to my heart for as long as I can remember.

I'm not used to how my ears perk up at the mention of Park Jimin's name. Apparently he's a child prodigy, already on his way to earning his Associates of Arts degree after being the top of his class.

He is not the first boy to snarl at me, or to give me the cold shoulder. He is the first boy I've ever wanted to learn more about, something that his class schedule couldn't provide me.

I should probably forget him, go back to planning for tomorrow's lesson and making sure all is well on the PowerPoint presentation from last year. Instead, I'm eating in my office with Namjoon and Jin; a decision we all came to when realizing how packed the burger joint was inside.

The tiny room smells of burgers and fries, along with the potent smell of Jin's lingering onion ring breath. I sit at a small student desk I was able to squeeze through and Namjoon sits with Jin on the couch, a privilege they have earned ever since coming out to me; I don't share my couch with just anyone.

I eat slowly, relishing every bite of the greasy hamburger. It's not bad, but the "fast" part of fast food doesn't come to me as easily, and Namjoon is fully aware.

"Seriously, Yoongi, you're freaking me out," he says as he points at me with a fry. "I've never seen you this quiet after four classes. Something's up."

I lift my shoulders. There isn't anything to talk about, and even if there was, I wouldn't risk speaking in a work place like this. Plus, I don't want to make Jin uncomfortable by being left out of a conversation.

But as a close friend of mine for so long, Namjoon is already peering at me like I'm a puzzle to solve. To him, I have always been, at least that's what I presume he thinks of me. My personal challenges are my own to deal with, but Namjoon disagrees with my logic; he believes we need to be on equal ground, he tells me things, I tell him things. It works for the most part, though I do tend to keep the dark parts of me relatively hidden.

Namjoon leans forward, a quizzical eyebrow shooting up. "Is it a teacher?"

I roll my eyes. "You don't have to be so formal, you know."

He chuckles at my sarcasm. "Hey, you of all people can't say that you've never gossiped before. It's what makes work interesting."

"Yeah," Jin adds. "We have no kids and we're not married, so what's left to do?"

"Judge people?" I offer.

Jin makes a ding ding ding sound like I've won a prize.

Namjoon smirks, taking a sip of his soda. "I heard over in Busan they hired a teacher that has a record of being charged with harassment."

"Is it true?" Jin asks.

"I don't know. It's all speculation, but once that idea is planted, you're done for."

It takes me a moment to understand that "done for" means fired in Namjoon's terms. To me, it means losing your reputation, a name built for yourself that others see like a profile picture. One bad image could send an entire lifetime of professional work out the window, separated from the rest of society forever. I've heard of people coming back from such accusations, but they were never the same after.

"God, what are they thinking? Bringing someone like that into a school? I don't care if everyone is over sixty years old, it's still unnerving to know someone like that exists," Jin says.

"Maybe they didn't even know he was like that," I say, finishing a fry. "I mean, there aren't any labels taped to our backs saying what we are. How could the staff know they hired someone like that?"