UNBLOCKED

22 | i liked it

》new message!

me:
meet me at the park
by the swings 1pm

me:
i need to talk to you

____________________

jinyoung walked slowly over to the empty swing set, looking vacantly around the quiet park. families had disappeared for lunch, and the place was silent.

jinyoung sighed tiredly and sat down on the creaking swing, letting it drift mindlessly back and fore. all the shit since they'd started back at school that year... what had even happened between youngjae and jaebum that summer? jinyoung just couldn't deal with it all. if he had mark with him, it might've been easier.

jinyoung stared at the text he'd sent earlier and chuckled to himself. "probably won't show," he murmured.

but to his surprise, a figure approached from afar, dressed in a snuggly yellow hoodie.

jinyoung smiled briefly.

"hey, youngjae."

"what is this all about?" youngjae asked softly, a little panicky. "your text scared me..."

jinyoung offered him the other swing on the swing set, and youngjae sat nervously down. "sorry," he apologised, "i just really need to ask you about something."

"couldn't you have done it on text?" youngjae whispered, burying his hands in his sweater sleeves.

jinyoung shook his head. "it's been causing me a lot of shit recently, and i just need to hear it from you in person."

"...hear what?"

"the truth."

youngjae bristled a little. "the truth about what, jinyoung?" he asked anxiously.

jinyoung hesitated. "im jaebum."

youngjae stared at his shoes and chewed on his lower lip. "i-i don't wanna-"

jinyoung turned to him and placed a hand on youngjae's arm. "please," he begged, "i need to know the truth."

youngjae's eyes slowly began to fill with tears. "i'm a horrible person," he whimpered, covering his face with his sweater paws.

"youngjae," said jinyoung, "please tell me the rumours aren't really true. tell me you're not a-"

"a slut?" youngjae choked on the word.

jinyoung met his eyes and youngjae slowly began to shake his head.

"i didn't," youngjae insisted, "i didn't do it, i swear. what they say..."

"it's okay, it's okay," jinyoung told him gently. "i believe you."

then youngjae began to cry harder. "but i'm still an awful person. it's all my fault..." he rubbed at his eyes in frustration, sobbing pitifully.

"youngjae... what happened?" jinyoung pressed. "in the summer-"

"it's all my fault!" youngjae repeated. "i didn't wanna do it, but i was scared and i didn't want- i ruined..." he cut himself off, sobbing harder, until jinyoung took the boy in his arms.