UNLOVED ( undergoing editing + rewriting )

chapter six : dad

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dad

dad/

noun

informal

one's father.

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Dinner had come and gone, but Jungkook remained locked in the guest room, unconscious. The family continued to eat in silence, seemingly unperturbed by his absence. Taehyung couldn't help but question the absence of their youngest brother, "why isn't jungkook with us, dad,?" directing a concerned inquiry at their father. The reply was dismissive, with Namjoon reassuring Taehyung that Jungkook would eat on his own.

As the meal went on, the anticipation of rain filled the air, accompanied by distant, ominous lightning. Both Taehyung and Jimin coiled in uneasiness at the stake of a thunderstorm. Jimin's face showed a hint of discomfort as he gazed out at the increasing storm, a flicker of anxiety crossing his features. It was their father who offered a comforting solution, suggesting that Taehyung and Jimin could sleep with their father or their brothers, if they felt afraid. The idea brought smiles to the two boys, and they thanked their father in unison before retreating to their rooms to get their pillows and other necessary items.

In the guest room, where Jungkook lay unconscious, something changed. His eyelids fluttered as tears began to flow uncontrollably, a result of the sleep paralysis that gripped him. Powerless, he struggled to wake up, his efforts in vain. The place seemed to be suffocating, midst he thought he hd befriended darkness , this was different giving the surge of immediae panic in the younger boy as he realized the tip of his digits wouldn't dare to budge. The tears fell freely, a manifestation of all the pent-up anguish he carried within him, tears that had never been released as joy or happiness.

Ten long minutes passed before Jungkook managed to regain consciousness. He opened his swollen eyes slowly, taking in the dimly lit room, squinting from the residual pain. His head, heart, eyes, and soul all ached in unison. He wondered if mental anguish could cause one to bleed, he'd be covered in it. Sitting up proved a painful task, but he forced himself, using one trembling hand to find balance. His fear grew as he observed the time on his cellphone – 11:50 p.m. it reads.

Upon hearing the couds grumble outside, as if there were too upset with the younger boy, his heart clenching in fear and his doe eyes seemed to squit momentarily, an had idea crossed his mind – perhaps he could make use of his headphones to block out the noises of the storm. He muttered to himself in the darkness, chastising his own stuttering voice. he was starting to get annoyed of his ownself.

Slowly, he stood up and ventured out of the guest room, with each step causing him to wince in fear as the lightning strikes grew closer. Walking down the dimly lit hallway, he approached the room he shared with his brothers. Slowly, he eased the door open, and it creaked, causing him to cringe at the noise. Their father, protective father since his wife had met her demise and leaving the care of their children in his hands only got alerted by the sound, had grown suspicious and rushed to confront whoever might the intruder be, fearing a potential break-in.

The instant their had father entered the room, he struck the 'intruder' without hesitation, causing the young boy to recoil in pain. "D-dad!" Jungkook whimpered, shielding himself from the blows as his father stopped, realizing that the intruder was none other than his own son. His voice took on a cold edge, a clear sign of impending punishment yet lacing worry that he failed to show over his anger.

"what are you doing here?," Jungkook backed away, attempting to hide the bruise forming on his face. He struggled to apologize as he remembered his grounding for misbehavior. His father frustration mounted.

"Didn't I tell you that you are grounded?" he said, his voice etched with anger. Jungkook offered a bow of apology, his eyes cast downward, the hidden side of his face beginning to sting, his palm felt sticky, he was bleeding.

His father's rage intensified unaware of the injury he'd caused his son. Instead, he reminded Jungkook of his punishment and ordered him back to the guest room. As the lights were extinguished, Jungkook returned to his solitude, trembling with fear and pain.

Once inside, Jungkook dropped to the floor, pain intensifying throughout his body. The pressure in his head grew unbearable, and he knew that a sleepless night awaited him, his mind wandered off to his father. Jungkook's relationship with his father was a complex one, marked by a noticeable absence of affection and attention. From a young age, Jungkook yearned for his father's love, like any child would. He watched as his siblings received their father's praise and approval, leaving Jungkook perpetually overlooked and ignored. It was as if he were invisible, a fact that left a deep void within him.

The few interactions he did have with his father were often distant and perfunctory. There were no heart-to-heart conversations, no fatherly advice, no words of encouragement. The indifference of his father left a lasting mark on Jungkook's young heart, making him question his worth within the family.

Despite the emotional chasm growing between them, Jungkook still yearned for his father's love. He hoped that if he could somehow prove himself, his father might finally see him and embrace him with the affection he so desperately desired. However, every effort was met with indifference or rejection, deepening the emotional wounds Jungkook carried within himself.As time passed, Jungkook couldn't help but wonder why his father couldn't spare a moment to connect with him. He was left to question his own worth and whether there was something inherently wrong with him that repelled his father's love. This longing for paternal affection would become a heavy burden that he carried in solitude, left to grapple with these emotions on his own. The lack of love from his father was just one more layer of pain and isolation in Jungkook's already challenging life. 

The clouds seem to be afterall, as angry at him alike his father, he wasn't sure if he wanted to ease to his bleeding or his jerkig form with every strike as the clouds broke in thunders. He couldn't help but lift his hands, ready to press them against his aching skull when the pain returned. The thunderstorm loomed, preventing any respite for him as he curled into a ball on the floor, bruised and bleeding, enduring his own private torment.