The Quiet Boy

Chapter 13

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Taehyung sat on the bed next to Hoseok watching the same three play another game. His legs were up against his chest and his arms wrapped around them with his chin resting on his knees.

"You wanna play?" Hoseok asked turning to Taehyung.

"No, I'm okay."

"You sure?"

Taehyung nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Okay, then. Just say something when if you want to, okay?"

He nodded again.

-

Soon Taehyung grew bored and his attention directed to Yoongi and Jeongguk who seemed to be occupied with the computers and talking about whatever was on it as the said two were pointing at stuff that was placed on the screens.

He grew curious as to what they were doing so he got on his hands and knees and crawled over to them. He kept himself crouching as he put his hands on the armrest. "What are you guys doing?" he tried to say as loud as he could cause the other three were loud.

It seemed that only Yoongi heard as he turned his head and looked down at Taehyung. A smile spread on his lips at the sight of the other. He looked adorable with his hands on the armrest, his mouth hidden behind his hands and looking up with those large innocent doe eyes. It reminded him of a small child.

"We're working on a project for our history class," he told him.

"Like slides?"

"Yes and no," he said as he began to type something. "We need slides but we also need a physical project and it has to be able to work so we can demonstrate it. We also need a blueprint to show how it works and what pieces do what to make it do what it does."

"When is it due?"

"Next week Tuesday." he stopped typing and used the mouse and began clicking on things.

"You guys started pretty late," he told him.

Yoongi gave a light chuckle. "Yeah, we did. We were a bit lazy."

"A bit?"

"Aye! Get out of here, kid!"

Taehyung giggled and went back over to the other three.

-

"Do you like the food?" Ms. Jeon asked Taehyung.

Being surprised by the sudden attention directed towards him by Jeongguk's mom, he jumped quite hard and it was obvious that he did. He didn't expect her to talk to him. "I-i-i-its-its-its-its g--go-go-go-good." he pulled his hoodie over his head out of embarrassment. He felt so embarrassed that he just wanted to disappear. God, why did he have to be this way? Why did he have to be different?

"C-can-can-ca-ca-can I u-u-use th-the res-rest-rest-rest-r-r-room?"

"Yeah, it's upstairs first door on the right."

Taehyung nodded and got up, quickly dashing away from the table towards and up the stairs.

Jeongguk's mom could tell something was up with her son's new friend and Jeongguk knew what it was. It was obvious, too obvious to miss. Even the others seemed to be confused. "Jeongguk, can I talk to you?" his mom said and pointed to the living room.

"Y-yeah, sure." The two got up and exited the dining room.

"What's going on?" she whispered not wanting the others to hear. "Your friend-"

"Taehyung," he told her.

"Taehyung." she corrected herself. "Is he okay? Does he have a stutter?"

"No." he shook his head. "His speech is perfectly fine but he does have umm anxiety."

"Does he ha-"

"He does but this was his first time in a while."

"How long has he had them?"

"I don't exactly know. I've only known him for a month or two."

"Well did he-"

"Mom I don't think I should be talking about this. It's not my place to be telling you. Maybe you should ask him." he pointed to the said male who was now walking down the stairs.

She turned around and saw the said boy, his hood was still on and he was looking down with his arms wrapped around himself.

"Taehyung sweet-"

Taehyung jumped causing him to miss the last step and fall.

"Oh my god." Jeongguk went over to him. "Are you okay?" he held him up.

Taehyung nodded in reply.

"Are you hurt?" Ms. Jeon asked, worry lacing her voice.

"N-n-n-no-no-n-no." he shook his head rapidly.

"Hold on. I need to talk to him." Jeongguk whispered into his mom's ear.

"Okay I'll just wait over here." she walked back into the dining room.

Jeongguk sat Taehyung on the couch and he sat on the coffee table in front of him. "Is everything okay, Tae? You're scaring me a bit."

"I'm sorry," he said quieter than usual. That showed that something was wrong.

"Tell me what's going on."

"I-i umm I umm i-i-i don't-i dont-i don't -"

"Tae, relax." he rubs the other's leg. "Nothing's going to happen because you're telling me what's going on. Now relax and tell me."

Taehyung nodded and continued to talk. "Gguk-ie I-I'm not comfortable around adults. They make me nervous and I feel scared. I don't want to be mean but your mom-" he began to fidget with his fingers. "She-she scares me, really badly. All adults do an-and-and talking to them makes it worse to the point where that-that-that-that thing starts up and I hate it. I hate it so much." his voice began to crack on the last sentence. "It sc-scares m-me, Gguk-ie, rea-really badly and-and it hurts-ts so b-bad." his tears began to spill from his eyes. "I just-i just wa-want it to g-go away." he broke into a sob.

Jeongguk gave an upset sigh. It hurts seeing him like this. Way more than before as if he had just lost his mom. He's not sure why but all he knows is that he wants to do as much as he can to help him more.

He got up and sat next to the crying boy and pulled him into a hug letting him cry onto his shoulder.

"Why can't - I b-be - nor-normal?" he said in between broken sobs.

"You are normal." he rubbed Taehyung's back. "No two people are the same. You're perfectly normal."

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