Growing Pains

26

Jin rubbed his temple wearily.

He was tired, and he can feel a headache coming on.

Both Jungkook and Namjoon were driving him crazy.

Jungkook had become very clingy after his birthday, and would follow him everywhere like a shadow.

The only time he was free of Jungkook was when they were both at school because they went to different schools – Jin was in his final year of high school, and Jungkook was in his final year of middle school.

He doesn't understand this sudden change in Jungkook.

He doesn't know where it's coming from and why.

He had thought that now he was older, Jungkook would want to be with people around his age, have a girlfriend, and make lasting memories.

He had even encouraged Jungkook to pursue all kinds of activities so he could be with his peers but Jungkook had dropped dance and swimming so he would have more time with Jin.

Jungkook had even stopped dating, and this puzzled Jin.

After the steamy displays that Jin had witnessed at the cinema and coffee shop, Jungkook never dated those girls again.

Jin knew girls found Jungkook attractive.

He had seen how they would check Jungkook out when he walked his dongsaeng to his school gates in the mornings, and how they would hang around him at the gates on the days that he came to walk him home.

But Jungkook never spared them a glance, and often seemed irritated by their attention.

It made Jin worry that the younger will miss out on things.

And then there was Namjoon, who has also become more clingy lately.

He would stay by Jin's side throughout the school day, and the only time they separated was when Jin walked out of the school gates, and Namjoon went to his car.

Namjoon wanted to pick him up for school every morning, and take him back to his place after school every day, but Jin had told him no.

He had to tell him 'no' many times because 'no' was apparently a word that doesn't appear much in Namjoon's vocabulary.

Jin liked walking to and from school, like he used to when Jungkook was younger and they would walk together daily.

Walking calmed him, and gave him peace of mind to prepare for the day ahead.

It also encouraged his senses to wind down when school ended for the day.

Most of Jin's classmates went to extra tuition classes after school, but Jin would either walk home to finish his homework or go to the library to find reference material.

During the month that he was avoiding Jungkook, Jin spent all of his evenings after school at Namjoon's house but after he made up with Jungkook, he returned to his regular activities of either going home or going to the library.

Jin has always done well in school and gotten good grades, so his parents never insisted that he attend extra tuition classes.

His class and school rankings were high, and this contributed to his early acceptance to Hanyang.

He just never expected to be able to get into Hanyang, let alone receive an early acceptance.

That was why he had applied to the local university in town.

But now he had an offer from both universities,  and it was time to make a decision.

And he had.

He just hoped that it was the right one for everyone.