LOVEGAME OVER

32 - Pwned

Taehyung is half-sleeping on Jimin's shoulder as his best friend is eating an apple, listening to Hoseok talk about his family. But the boy's gaze suddenly freezes and he stops talking, looking at something behind Jimin and Taehyung. The smallest of them three turns around, careful not to wake Taehyung up, and gasps.

Yoongi is walking not too far away from their table, but he looks awful. His clothes are dirty, dry blood on his collar and around his mouth. Jimin notices his lower lip is slit. He also has a black eye, and his hair is messy.

"Yoongi-hyung, what—," Jimin starts.

Their older friend seems to finally notice them. He glances in the direction of the main building, and back at them, before reluctantly coming to see them. "Sorry, I'm late," he blurts out as he cuts the other teenager off and silently stands next to Hoseok.

"No, really, what happened to you, man?" Hoseok asks, reaching out to try and touch the boy's face. Yoongi taps his hand away, but does not produce an answer. "Did you fight?"

Yoongi shrugs and takes the half-eaten apple from Jimin's hands, biting into it. Jimin is just gaping at him.

"Hyung—," he tries again.

"Jimin, it's okay," Yoongi firmly states. "Drop it. I have to go."

He wipes his lips with the back of his hand, clicking his tongue in disgust as his sweat mingles with blood in his mouth. He glances at his shocked friends, and moves as if to leave, but Hoseok does not drop it. He lowers his voice, quickly glancing at Jimin — and Taehyung, who is somehow still asleep — and whispers, "Is everything okay at home?"

"Yeah, why you asking?" their friend mumbles casually.

"Yoongi, you're covered in blood."

"Didn't have time to wash it away. I'll go change after lunch."

Jimin shakes his head in disbelief, making Taehyung groan and open his eyes. He directly makes Yoongi out and frowns. "Why are you like this?" he asks with a yawn.

Yoongi keeps gazing at the apple he is eating. It is not clear if he has heard Taehyung or if he pretends not to. Taehyung insists, "Hey, are you alright? You left early the other day."

"I'm fine." He is still not looking at Taehyung in the eye.

"But you really look—," the younger student resumes.

"I said I was fine!" Yoongi speaks up. He clenches his fists, squeezing the fruit in his right hand, and finally leaves the table. "I'll go wash my face and change."

When he disappears, Taehyung mutters to his other friends, "What's wrong with him? He yelled at me."

"Can't you see he's going through something?" Jimin hisses. "He obviously got beaten up."

"By who?" Taehyung asks, concerned.

"I don't know, he doesn't want to talk about it, apparently."

Taehyung is left bewildered. He thought Yoongi was safe at his place, he thought he would never get hurt there. But the moment he left his place, he got injured. He had to do something. Yoongi was his friend.

At the end of the day, Taehyung madly looks out for the older student, and finally finds him trudging to get to the bus, and he dashes so he can hold him back. "Yoongi, wait!" Taehyung pants. "Do you– Do you want to crash at my place tonight? I, hum– I unblocked a new level at–"

"No. Thanks." Yoongi takes his arm back, and concludes sourly, "I'll go back home."

"But your home is–"

"No, Taehyung. It's your home. It's never been mine. It will never be."