ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʟᴀss ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ☑

Payment

Mrs. Sago was having her coffee in the office lounge when a same-aged lady walked up to her. "Mrs. Afi," she bowed at her to greet her. 

"Mrs. Sago," the other woman bowed too. "I have been meaning to speak to you for quite some time." She smiled

"Sure," Jungkook's manager welcomed. "What is it?"

"The intern in your team... I think he's going through something."

Mrs. Sago felt that she needed to hold something firm, so she sat down on the couch, indicating for the lady to grab a seat as well. "What do you mean?"

"I don't mean to alarm you... But have you noticed how pale he had gotten lately? It's like he has malnutrition or jaundice."

"I felt that too," Mrs. Sago agreed, her worry rapidly growing. She had taken the responsibility for Jungkook, and promised his mother she would look after him. If anything was going wrong, she had to know. 

Mrs. Afi looked curiously at Mrs. Sago to continue to speak. "I really hope that's not the case, but I think he's gotten into something like drugs."

"No," Mrs. Sago immediately shook her head. "I would know if he was."

"I don't mean to be rude, Mrs. Sago. I am just worried. These interns come from small cities and when they get exposure to everything in Seoul, some are bound to get whimsical and carefree. We need to look after them. If not anything, they are tied to our company and we don't want anything bad happening."

"I'll talk to him," Jungkook's manager assured Mrs. Afi. 

**

Jungkook was standing out in the cold, waiting for the bus. He was late again after Jin overslept and he had to help in the kitchen for the breakfast. Ever since the night he cried and went to sleep on a hungry stomach, he had this feeling that moving in with Jin was the biggest mistake of his life. Now, he wanted out, but he didn't know how to do it without ending the relationship entirely. 

He missed another bus because his thoughts overwhelmed him. When he heard a voice, he snapped out of his daze. Looking ahead, he saw Jimin on the road, inside a car that he assumed belonged to him. "Do you want a lift?"

Jungkook stood but then he dropped to the ground. Jimin's eyes widened before he reached out hastily and grabbed Jungkook's head to check if he hit it on the ground, seeing that his eyes were closed and tears were coming out from the corners. "Hey, hey," Jimin tapped the boy's cheeks, feeling the soft skin and also bones, realizing he had lost weight since the time he had carried him last time. Jungkook groaned and opened his eyes and Jimin sighed in relief. "Let me get you home." Jimin offered, holding him and helping him to his feet. 

"No," Jungkook shook his head when Jimin opened his car door for him. "I have to go to the office."

Jimin heard how small Jungkook's voice was, and he knew for sure that he couldn't possibly make it through the day. "You can't go to work, Jungkook. Look at you."

"You are right," Jungkook mumbled, feeling his insides on the verge of giving up. "Can you- can- can you call Mrs. Sago from my phone and inform her?"

"Sure," Jimin looked at where Jungkook's hand was pointed. At first, he helped him inside his car and then reached for his coat pocket to get out his phone. The lock screen was Jin's face, which reminded Jimin again that this boy was taken. 

Jungkook waited as Jimin took the lady's number and dialed with his own phone. He could faintly hear him talk outside the car, but he couldn't keep his eyes open. 

Jimin was soon driving him back. The house wasn't far from the bus stop, so reached it in a matter of minutes. He held Jungkook close in the elevator until they were in front of the apartment door. 

On hearing the doorbell, Jin squinted his eyes and felt anxious. He decided he won't open it and whoever it was, would go back, but the bell started ringing constantly, so he had to go and see. 

The moment he opened the door, Jungkook hugged him. Jin grabbed him by his waist, feeling how limp he was, and his eyes shot a glare at Jimin. "He fainted at the bus stop. I brought him back."

"Thank you," Jin nodded with a frown and tried to shut the door, but Jimin held it. 

"Let me know if you need help. I can drive you two to the hospital."

"No thanks. I can help my boyfriend." Jin spoke territorially, staring into the other man's eyes for a moment before shutting the door. 

He helped Jungkook onto the bed and held his hand as the boy moaned and cried. "Baby, what happened? Do you need to go to the hospital?" He asked, caressing Jungkook's hair. 

The boy nodded and cried harder. "What's happening to me?"

"Shh," Jin hugged him. 

Booking the cab, he changed quickly into a plaid shirt and trousers. He held the boy close until they reached the hospital.

Jungkook was sitting on the waiting chair and Jin was talking at the reception. After a while, he returned to the boy. "Jungkook, I need your card for the payment." He said slowly. 

Jungkook felt disgraced for some reason. Nonetheless, he nodded and took out his wallet, putting it in Jin's hand. There was silence between them. Jungkook was sitting while Jin was walking around, going from counter to counter for doctor's consultation and then the test labs. 

After going through several tests, Jungkook felt sicker than ever. Jin booked a cab again to return home.

Like the hospital, the ride was awfully silent, and Jin's anxiety was brewing inside him. Jungkook kept staring blankly through the window. "I am sorry, baby," Jin spoke, not daring to reach and hold his boyfriend's hand. "I will ask my brother for money and return you, okay?"

Hearing Jin speaking, Jungkook craned his neck and smiled softly. "I don't want it. The tests were done on me anyway. Why should you pay?"

"No... I should be able to take care of you, but I fucking can't. I should be able to earn for you and buy you things, but I can't." Jin closed his fists, his jaws tightening. 

"Don't worry about it, Hyung," Jungkook answered and Jin discerned something in the boy's voice.

"Please don't leave me, Jungkook. I will do better."

"I know," Jungkook turned his frame around, returning to look outside.