Metanoia || Taekook

Chapter 11

Jungkook looked at Yugyeom who stood before the group of patients. Yugyeom's painting next to the boy and a nervous look on his face. After four presentations it had been Yugyeom's turn to explain what he had made and why. Turns out the boy had made a drawing with on one side only dark colours and sharp strokes, representing the angry and sad feeling he had these days. On the other side were bright colours with soft and round strokes, representing the good moments he experienced since he had arrived on the ward. The line in the middle of the two opposite squares was a little bit blurred showing that Yugyeom was getting closer towards his goal; mixing those two worlds without a border and accepting that it was okay to feel how he felt. Of course the younger got a small round of applause after his presentation and it didn't take long before it was Jungkook's turn.

Jungkook slowly walked to the front of the room, his painting tightly in his hand and an unsure feeling in his stomach. The ravenette hated presentations, he wasn't good in it and they always made him stutter. He never knew what to say and if he did say something it came out completely wrong.

With a deep sigh Jungkook placed his drawing next to him against the small board Jin had set up and he immediately noticed all the eyes that were on him.

"That's beautiful." Jungkook heard from somewhere in the room and a small blush crept on his cheeks. He knew he had talent but to hear some complete stranger confirm it somehow made him flustered.

Jungkook locked eyes with Jin and the elder instantly gave him an approving nod. "Whenever you're ready Jungkook."

Jungkook looked one last time into the room, still seeing all eyes on him. Expecting eyes, judgemental eyes, jealous eyes and over enthusiastic eyes.

Of course Taehyung once again sat with a really big smile and his thumbs up on a stool not that far away from Jungkook. The ravenette had no idea why the blonde had taken such a liking towards him but in some way it kinda creeped him out. Taehyung was someone who's next move you couldn't predict, someone who was kind of a mystery to the young ravenette and he didn't like that at all. Jungkook liked to know what happened in people's minds because if you know what people will do then you can act on it. With Taehyung he had no idea and it freaked Jungkook out in all kinds of ways. It all just seemed too good to be true but Taehyung never dropped his attitude, making Jungkook think he was losing his own mind and Taehyung just was like that; hyper and bubbly. Maybe he sought too much behind the blonde bubbly boy.

Jungkook removed his eyes from Taehyung's face and he let them wander towards his own painting. With a deep sigh he started his presentation, already dreading the next few minutes.

"I've painted how I felt right after my mother died. I painted the street we always walked through when we got to the lake behind our house." 

Jungkook took a deep breath before he continued. "Normally the street has a lot of lights and people in it but after my mother died the street always seemed empty to me without any joy. So that's why I painted all the houses with the curtains closed and the lights out. To show that the once so welcoming street wasn't giving that warm and joyful feeling to me anymore. That's also the reason why I only used grey tones and turned off all the streetlights." 

Jungkook took another deep breath deciding that he had explained his painting enough. He shortly looked over at Jin, pleading him with his eyes if he could sit down again. He hated this so much. 

Jin gave the younger a short look, his presentation had been short but it was clear to the elder what Jungkook tried to tell. Even Though he wasn't happy with the small amount of time Jungkook had taken he gave the younger an approving nod so he could sit down again. At least Jungkook was working with him now. It wasn't much yet but they would get there within the next few weeks.

A sigh of relief left Jungkook's mouth after the approving nod from Jin and within an instant he had grabbed his drawing and walked back towards his seat, completely blocking out the soft applause that was given to him.

A soft tap to his shoulder woke Jungkook up from his own thoughts. He turned a little to his left once again coming face to face with the huge smile on Taehyung's face. Taehyung softly grabbed Jungkook's arm with the drawing, turning it a little more towards him. "Can I see?"

Jungkook's eyes darted from Taehyung towards his drawing, not being sure if he should give the elder his precious painting. What if he broke it or got dirt on it?

As if Taehyung could read the younger's mind Taehyung let go of Jungkook's arm. "I will be very careful with it."

Jungkook's eyes darted once again from his painting towards Taehyung before he gave the elder a short nod while he handed over his painting. It was just a piece of paper, right? All the time Taehyung had held the younger's painting Jungkook kept a close eye on him. Something that proved not to be needed at all, Taehyung was really careful with the piece of paper in his hand while he admired every little piece Jungkook had made. "Can you teach me this?"

Jungkook's eyebrows shot upwards at the sudden request. He had expected a lot from the blonde but not this. "I...uhm...I don't know." 

If Jungkook was honest with himself he felt flattered that the blonde found him good enough to be the blondes teacher but the only problem was that Jungkook didn't want to spend more time with Taehyung. The two sessions every week were already tiring enough for Jungkook, he didn't want to deal with the blonde outside of those moments. Taehyung just was.....well a weirdo in Jungkook's eyes, someone who he didn't want to spend his free time on.

As if his prayers had been heard Jin called Taehyung to the front of the group, giving Jungkook an escape to end the conversation and not giving the blonde a real answer to his question. 

Taehyung handed Jungkook his painting back before he slowly walked to the front of the group. With great care Taehyung put his painting down and the huge smile on his face turned into a small one. "I've made my life on the ward."

Jungkook's eyes wandered towards Taehyung's painting and he could already guess what Taehyung was going to say. Taehyung's painting was completely black and grey with a few yellow dots between the dark colours. Jungkook knew this feeling all too well and at the sight of Taehyung's painting it became clear within an instant how the blonde felt.

"I've made a 2d painting, representing the depth my life misses on the ward. Not much is happening within those walls and that's why I painted it simple and flat." Taehyung continued, his eyes slowly roaming over the group. 

"I've used mainly black colours to represent my feelings but there are also a few yellow spots 'cause sometimes a little spark of something good and colorful lights up my life at the ward." Taehyung's eyes instantly found Jungkook's and the younger immediately looked away from the blonde, not really knowing why Taehyung had looked at him while he spoke those words. 

What Jungkook had also noticed though were the lack of yellow dots on Taehyung's painting. If those represented the good moments for Taehyung at the ward Jungkook was kinda surprised there were so few of them. Taehyung always seemed bubbly and energetic but his painting told a completely different story. A story that somehow fitted with Taehyung's burnout diagnoses but it still made Jungkook have some doubt about that. The whole bubbly and energetic vibe still didn't fit into that picture and Jungkook was sure there was more to the blonde then met the eye. 

What Jungkook also noticed was how calm and collected Taehyung had presented his painting, it wasn't chaotic at all like Jungkook had expected. Same goes for the way Taehyung had touched Jungkook's painting, it all looked almost normal. Like Taehyung didn't even need to be here.

That thought didn't stay long with Jungkook though because before he knew it Taehyung sat next to him on his stool again. A huge bubbly smile on his face while he swung his legs back and forth like a little child.

This boy really was something.

____

A/N

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