Your eyes

Chapter 21

Taehyung's POV

       There's a certain emptiness in my chest and I begin to feel suffocated as my bullies surround me, sickening smirks on their faces. The leader stands in front of me with his arms crossed, and my skin crawls.

       I feel sick and suddenly it feels like nothing has changed. I feel like I've simply transported to five months before, when I was forced to go to that horrible school. When I was forced to...

       Desiring for the change that I was dreaming of, I bite my bottom lip and try to stand up for myself. "L-Leave me alone." I try to defend, but it doesn't seem to change anything. My voice is weak and shaky and I can't even try to look up at them. I haven't changed after all. They haven't changed. Everything's the same.

       The leader, Zico, laughs loudly, and his lackeys snicker in response. "Now, now, little Tae, you know we can't do that." He purrs and reaches forward, placing his arm over my shoulders. My stomach flips and a certain anxiousness rises to my head. My heartbeat heightens and I can feel myself starting to panic. Stop.

       Seeing my silence as an agreement, my harasser continues to speak. "So this is where you've been hanging out? We've been looking for you everywhere, Tae, why'd you move? Did you think you could escape us?"

       I bite my bottom lip in an effort to keep myself calm as his face gets closer to mine. My skin crawls, disgust settling in my stomach. Get away from me.

       Zico laughs slightly and places his hand on my shoulder. Adrenaline pumps through my veins and I can barely breathe. I can't form any words to reply, not that I even want to speak. This doesn't make my bully happy, however.

       "Why aren't you speaking, Tae? Huh?" He questions, digging his nails into my shoulder. "You think you're safe now?"

        My head pounds and my eyes begin to burn as tears begin to gather in them. Leave me alone.

       Please.

       "What are you doing?" A familiar voice breaks through the tense atmosphere, and my stomach sinks sickeningly. That voice... Jungkook. I don't want him to see this.

        My head stays lowered and I can feel my body shaking, my mind dizzy. I can sense my bully turn to gaze at Jungkook, a certain hostility filling the air. The tension around us only heightens, and I can tell that something has changed. I don't dare to look, but I know that Jungkook is angry. I've never seen him angry, but I can tell. I can just feel it.

        Zico shifts slightly but he keeps his arm where it is draped over my shoulders. "Catching up with a friend. What's it to you?" He replies casually, sizing Jungkook up with his calculating eyes.

       There's a slight pause before Jungkook takes a step forward, a deep frown in his features. "Let go of him." He growls, the sound of his voice scaring me slightly. This is the first time that I've seen him angry, but... I don't like it.

       Zico scoffs slightly, and his lackeys walk over to his side. "Why should I?" He questions haughtily, a smug smirk on his face. "There's nothing wrong with catching up with an old friend." He repeats his own words and places his face close to my own once again. I want to push him away, I want to scream, but I'm scared to. Memories pass through my mind, reminding me to just obey. It's so much easier that way.

        Obviously unconvinced, Jungkook keeps his ground, glaring at the harassers. "Let him go." He repeats, his voice giving me chills. All I want to do is throw Zico's arm off of me and run to Jungkook, but I don't even have the confidence for that.  I'm so pathetic.