Growing Pains

34

Jungkook stood at his bedroom window and looked at the house next door.

He doesn't know why he still expects Jin to come out from his house.

His mind knew Jin was not there, that he had left for Seoul, but his heart wouldn't stop believing that Jin was still next door.

He had seen Jin leave that day.

He had watched from the side of a neighbour's house up the road as his mother said goodbye to Jin, but he couldn't make himself come out of hiding to say his farewells.

The morning that Jin left, Jungkook had gone out to clear his head, and look at the pictures that he had taken the day before.

He had gone to Jin's graduation because no matter how angry he was with his hyung, there was no way he would miss an important milestone in his life.

He had sat on the other side of the auditorium from Jin's family, and watched the older look over to the side where his family was.

Jungkook knew Jin was looking for him and was expecting him to be there with his family, but Jungkook had chosen to sit away from them and worn a thick scarf around his neck so he could pull it up to hide his face if Jin happened to look his way.

But Jin never did because he had kept his head down after the ceremony began.

Jin received many awards that day, and it made Jungkook proud to see him go up on stage each time.

He had taken many pictures of his hyung, and marvelled at how handsome he was.

Jin was easily the best-looking student.

Later when Jin was with his family for pictures, Jungkook had seen Frankenstein stand close to Jin and try to put his arm around his waist.

The anger that erupted in his belly had propelled him forward a few steps to rip Frankenstein's arm, but he stopped when he saw Jin frown and move away.

He had then followed Jin and his family to a restaurant not far from the school.

The restaurant specialised in Jiangsu cuisine, and Jungkook knew Jin liked it.

But Jin barely touched his food, and it had worried Jungkook.

He wondered if his hyung was ill.

It didn't help Jungkook's temper that Frankenstein and his family had joined Jin's, and it didn't help that Frankenstein kept putting food on Jin's plate.

The only saving grace was Jin never ate the pieces that Frankenstein gave him, and it calmed Jungkook down.

Jin barely smiled during the meal and hardly spoke unless spoken to.

The only time Jungkook saw Jin react to his surroundings was when Taehyung dropped his food and tried to catch it before it hit the ground, resulting in him face-planting in Jin's older brother's crotch.

Jin had laughed at the ensuing chaos and come alive a little afterwards, and for that, Jungkook was grateful to his friend and his clumsy ways.

Taehyung had almost caught him in the restaurant.

His friend was going to the restroom and had to pass Jungkook's table.

As he came abreast, he had looked curiously at Jungkook, so Jungkook had feigned a fit of coughing and pulled the scarf around his neck up to cover his face.

When his friend returned from the restroom, he had lost interest and did not look at Jungkook again.

Jin left with his brother after the meal, and Jungkook was not able to follow because Jin's brother had driven, so he had walked home dejectedly.

He had waited all night for Jin to come home, unable to sleep, and when the older finally did, it was almost 2:00 AM.

The next morning, he had snuck out of his house to go to the nearby park.

He had sat on a cold bench as he contemplated what to do about this latest estrangement with his Jin-hyung.

He didn't want to be apart from him - that one month alone had almost killed him - but he couldn't stop him from pursuing his higher education.

Jungkook was an intelligent boy.

He knew the local university would not provide enough of a challenge for a smart student like his Jin.

He just wished that Jin didn't have to go with Frankenstein, attend the same university.

He was sure that Jin will be living with Frankenstein because Taehyung had told him that their parents had bought an apartment close to the university.

He had raged at the thought of his Jin-hyung living with another man, and the beast inside of him had wanted to claw itself out to hunt Frankenstein down and rip him to pieces.

He had begun walking home when he saw the familiar car outside Jin's home.

He had seen Frankenstein putting luggage in the boot as Jin said goodbye to his family and to Jungkook's mother.

His heart had stopped and his feet had cemented itself to the cold ground at the sight.

His Jin-hyung was leaving.

When Frankenstein drove past where Jungkook was hiding, Jungkook had seen the tears running down Jin's face.

And when Frankenstein stopped the car just up the road to pull Jin into a hug, he had watched through the back windscreen as Frankenstein kissed the tears away from Jin's cheeks.

It broke Jungkook's heart.