Single Father • Namjoon + BTS!Kids

lii.

Jungkook sighed. Fourth grade wasn't fun. Actually, none of the grades had been fun. Not even preschool, after Jimin disappeared. Namjoon had transferred them to a different school because he hadn't been able to stand the sight of the old one, and because he was new, Jungkook hadn't known anyone. But even when he had no one to play with, Tae refused to play with him.

Even now, when they were both in the same fourth grade class, Tae wouldn't play with him. They went to school together and left school together, but when he didn't have to spend time with Jungkook, Tae generally didn't. At home was a somewhat different story, since Tae wasn't faced with the reminder of school, which was where Jimin had gone missing, but their relationship had never healed.

Jungkook was pretty sure that Tae blamed him for Jimin's disappearance.

Jungkook blamed himself too, but Tae hadn't even bothered saying it to Jungkook's face. He just looked at Jungkook with disappointment. Because he'd trusted Jungkook to watch Jimin for one day when he hadn't been there. Because he'd trusted Jungkook to protect Jimin. Because Jungkook had failed to do either, and now Jimin was still gone, only present in old pictures that Namjoon had turned face-down.

Jungkook stared at the math worksheet in front of him.

What's the point? None of this matters, anyway.

He didn't bother picking up a pencil but instead put his head on his desk, ready to take a nap.

Taehyung got up from his desk a few rows behind Jungkook and brought his worksheet to the front, handing it in.

He stopped by Jungkook's desk on the way back. "You should do your assignment," he said quietly.

Jungkook just snorted. "Don't think I don't see what you're trying to do."

"What am I trying to do?"

"You think that if you study hard and make yourself all smart and whatever, you'll be able to figure out what happened. Where he is. If he's still-"

"Just finish your worksheet," Tae said, cutting him off and walking back to his seat.

Jungkook just sighed. He didn't mean to antagonize Tae. He just felt bitter that Jimin, even in leaving, had ruined something for him. He'd used to be so close with Tae. Now they could barely be in the same room together.

***

Taehyung couldn't deny what Jungkook had said, even if Jungkook had been pissing him off lately. At school, he kept his head down and just did his own thing, but at home, Tae had to pretend that everything was okay for Namjoon. It was an agreement that they'd all decided upon: if they had problems, they would figure them out themselves. They didn't need to make Namjoon worry about any of them. Instead, they were supposed to pretend that everything was Gucci and they were all happy and they were still a perfect family, even if Namjoon still tucked in Jimin's bed at night. He'd finally learned how to do the corners. He'd had 5 years of practice, after all.

Tae was studying hard, still holding out hope, that if he couldn't find him, that he could at least figure out what had happened, could figure out where Jimin had been taken.

Could figure out who had taken him.

He knew that all the adults had already spent hours, days, weeks, months, years puzzling over it. He didn't know why he would prove to be any different.

But none of those adults were Jimin's brother.

Maybe Tae would see a different angle somehow. Maybe he would figure everything out with one clue. Maybe he could find Jimin.