EPISODE - 5
The clinking of dishes had finally faded. The main hall was empty, echoing with silence after the chaos earlier. Everyone else had eaten. Laughter, anger, conversation—everything had moved on, as if the cruel scene that unfolded with Somi and Jungkook hadn’t happened at all
He hadn’t moved for hours
Now, after cleaning every last piece of broken porcelain, after polishing the floor to the gleam Mrs. Jeon demanded, he finally slipped away to his corner of the house
Jungkook quietly entered, his burnt shirt sticking to his back, the sting reminding him he was still alive
He closed the door gently, careful not to make noise
No heater. It had been broken for months
Still, Jungkook stepped under the faucet. The first touch of cold water made his body jolt, a small gasp slipping from his lips
He stayed under the stream, letting the water wash away the dried blood, the bitterness, the humiliation clinging to his skin
When he finally stepped out, droplets ran down his frame, and he quietly wrapped a thin towel around him
His reflection stared back from the rusted mirror
JUNGKOOK
(A faint bruise bloomed on his cheek. His lip was cut)
(Turned slightly, wincing, trying to see the burn)
Red. Raw. Slightly blistered
JUNGKOOK
(Jaw clenched, but he didn’t cry. No, not now)
JUNGKOOK
(opened the small cabinet tucked in the wall and pulled out the dusty first-aid kit)
Inside: a nearly empty ointment tube and some worn-out bandage cloths
JUNGKOOK
(Sat on the wooden stool and began tending to the cuts on his palm first)
JUNGKOOK
💭 At least it's not deep this time
JUNGKOOK
(Cleaned the wound, flinching as the ointment touched his skin)
Then he tried to reach around to his back—but his arm wouldn't bend far enough
JUNGKOOK
(Hissed as he stretched, trying once, then twice)
JUNGKOOK
(A small, sad smile curved his lips)
JUNGKOOK
💭 Why am I trying so hard? It’s just skin... it'll heal
JUNGKOOK
(Lowered his hand, leaving the burn untreated. He simply couldn't reach it)
Carefully, he packed the first-aid kit again and placed it back in its corner
The house was dead silent
The kitchen was dim, lit only by the moonlight spilling in through the window
JUNGKOOK
(Opened the fridge)
JUNGKOOK
(Checked the drawers)
Only half-eaten leftovers labeled “Don’t touch. For Appa.”
He had cooked dinner for everyone—Mrs. Jeon’s special steamed dumplings, Mr. Jeon’s chicken soup, Somi’s creamy pasta
But not a single plate left for him
JUNGKOOK
(smiling, faintly) 💭 Looks like they really liked the food today
JUNGKOOK
(His stomach growled loudly, and he pressed his hand over it as if trying to silence it)
JUNGKOOK
(Stepped away, turning the lights off and leaving the kitchen behind)
JUNGKOOK
(Pulled out his small torn mattress)
The same one he had slept on for the last ten years . The edges were frayed, the cotton inside clumped and thin. But it was his
JUNGKOOK
(Laid it gently on the cold floor and grabbed the only blanket he owned—a faded navy blue with small stars printed across it)
JUNGKOOK
(Lay down with a soft sigh, adjusting his head against a rolled-up towel)
The moonlight from the window poured over his face. Above, through the dusty glass, stars were scattered across the sky like diamonds on velvet
JUNGKOOK
(Lips curled into a fragile smile)
JUNGKOOK
💭 They’re always there… even when no one else is
JUNGKOOK
(Raised one hand toward the sky, fingers trembling slightly)
JUNGKOOK
💭 You see everything, don’t you?
JUNGKOOK
(Tear trailed down the side of his face and soaked into the towel pillow)
JUNGKOOK
💭 Even when I can’t speak... even when it hurts... you shine. You don’t laugh. You don’t hit me. You don’t ignore me
JUNGKOOK
💭 I wonder if my mom and dad are up there too...
JUNGKOOK
(His eyes fluttered shut, but not before)
JUNGKOOK
💭 One day… someone will see me. The real me. Right?
The stars blinked back as if to say: Yes
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