Jungkook POV

After class I headed out of the building. (A/N - It's Wednesday for them btw)

"Kookie!" I heard Yugyeom yell. Not again. Now Taehyung's gonna call me that too now. Thank you Yugyeom.

I turned around to face Yugyeom with a pout, "Yugyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. You're not supposed to yell nicknames that loud." I whined.

"Why? Scared your crush will find out?" Yugyeom wiggled his eyebrows.

My face burned, "I don't like him. And stop, your eyebrows are gonna wiggle right off your face at this point."

"The longer you two stay in denial the longer I have to watch in cringe. But fine. We need to go to the cafe for your job now."

"I- I can't. I have a lot of homework. I'm gonna have a day off today.", I made up an excuse.

"Oh? I thought you had breaks to do homework?"

"I do! But I have a lot today."

"Umm, okay. I'll walk with you home then."

"NO!", I yelled. Yugyeom just looked at me weirdly. I chuckled nervously, "Don't make me stop you from going yourself. And besides I need you to tell Jin hyung that I'm taking off today."

Yugyeom just stared at me for a good 30 seconds before sighing and agreeing.

After we said our goodbyes and he was out of view, I rushed to the pharmacy.

"I'm here for the antibiotics for Soojung Kim." (A/N - that's my math teacher's name lol. Thank you Mrs. Kim for being an amazing 7th grade teacher last year) I said to the front desk lady. (A/N - are those people called accountants in pharmacies? Idk)

She gave me the weekly prescription and I rushed to my mother's house.

She wasn't my real mother. She was Namjoon hyung's. I was adopted when my mom found me in the park floating in a box in the lake. She told me that all that came in the box was my name and a small key with odd engravings on it. I could feel the coldness of the key against my chest now, as dangled from the chain I'd strung it through, hidden underneath my shirt. I loved my mother but I decided to keep my last name, which is why I was the only person in my family whose last name was Jeon. Though I never knew my original mother, I never had the urge to find out. If my parents were careless enough to leave me floating in a freaking lake, I wasn't sure if they wanted me to find out who they really were. The mother I had was enough. But now, she's dying. I was panting by the time I reached her door. I started living separately from my family at around 15. But I still came every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday to check on my mom. Namjoon hyung also lived in a separate house, since he was genuinely old enough (he literally has a job). I took the key hidden behind a loose brick in the front wall next to the door and entered the house. I walked quietly to my mother's room. I entered and my heart dropped. It was the same scene every time. Her in the bed, unnaturally pale, and breathing very faintly. She was connected to an IV. Originally she was in the hospital, but once the doctors realized that she had stage 3 lung cancer, with no hope of recovery, she requested to stay at home. They granted her wish since it wouldn't do much more good being in the hospital than at home.

"Eomma!" I smiled, trying to look as happy as possible. She knew she was dying, but I didn't want her to know how much that was affecting me.

"Here, I got you your pills for the next week." I helped her down two pills with water. The pills didn't necessarily help her lung cancer, but it made any side effects like paleness and pain subside a bit.

"How has school been my dear?" she asked as lively as possible, just as she did every time I came. "Has that boy still been bothering you?"

I'd told her all about Taehyung before.

"School's been pretty good. My art teacher announced we would be doing team projects starting next Monday, but I don't know what the project is. I confronted Taehyung again today. I hope he isn't in my group.", I said. I kept one thing out, not wanting to bring it up. But my mother is my mother, and she knew I didn't fill her in entirely.

Lifting her eyebrow, she asked, "And?"

I sighed, "And my music teacher may or may not have mentioned talent scouting. He said there was going to be a showcase for those who wanted to participate, and judges from BigHit would come to talent spot kids."

Her eyes lit up, "You can finally show the world how amazing you are!"

I looked down, "Eomma, I said it was for those who wanted to participate."

She frowned at that.

"Honey, you need to realize that the spotlight is never going to come to you. You have to work for it. And you can't even start if you're not willing to let the spotlight know you're there. Only your music teacher, me, and Namjoon know about your talent."

She was right. I had made arrangements with the teacher that no one would know about my dancing or singing without my consent. Mr. Min was amazing enough to let me train in private. He knew I was close with Hoseok hyung and Jimin hyung, and he said "Any friend of my boyfriends is a friend of mine." So he let me be. A lot of the kids didn't even know I was in the class, and the rest thought I was the janitor or something. Especially since I joined in the middle of the year. I was fine with it that way. I really did want to be spotted, but to do that I had to let myself be spotted.

"Promise me you will at least try and perform in the talent spotting.", my mom said.

I looked at her and immediately knew I was going to agree. I sighed and nodded, earning a pretty smile from her. I always loved my mom's dimpled smile. Namjoon got it from her.

We talked for another hour or so, before I bid my farewell, as I had homework to do.

"Go say hi to your father.", my mother said as I closed the door to her room. I simply grunted in response. I dreaded this part of meeting my mother the most. To Namjoon hyung and my mom, my father was the most caring man in the world. But I was the outcast. He seemed to believe that I had 'ruined' the family. I only became worse when he overheard I was gay when I told Namjoon hyung. Even though Namjoon hyung was also gay, apparently it was only a problem for me. My father was the real reason I moved out. I slowly walked to his office door. Namjoon hyung and my mother didn't know what my father did to me. I wasn't planning on letting them know. They both looked up to the man so much, and I wasn't going to be the reason they looked so broken as they found out. I knocked before entering, to let him know it was me, as I was the only one who knocked before entering. After stepping inside and closing the door, I heard the gruff voice of my adoptive father as he spoke.

"What do you want?"

"I-I just ca-ame to s-say hi-i." I tried to say. It happened every time, the stuttering. I couldn't stop it. And I hated myself for that, because that meant I was afraid of him, whether I wanted to be or not.

"I saw your recent grades."

And suddenly my lungs decided to stop working. I felt all of the air being vacuumed out for me. This happened every visit, but I could never get used to it: That suspense in the air making you wonder what exactly you did wrong.

"You're Business quiz.", he spoke again.

My mind reeled trying to figure out what I got on the last Business quiz Namjoon hyung gave us. 96.

I had the highest score, so at the time I wasn't worried, but now I realize my father wouldn't accept that. 'Nothing below 100', he always said.

Namjoon mostly used to get 100, with his 148 IQ, but even if he didn't he wasn't punished. I understood that I did not belong. The rift between me and my dad grew bigger when I was old enough to decide whether or not to change my last name to Jeon or keep it as Kim.

No one would even associate me with my family unless someone told them. Different houses, different last names, and usually fathers are a bit more caring about their sons. Nothing told them we were related. And we weren't. But sometimes I wish that wasn't true.

"96? I told you to get 100." He slowly rose from his seat. This was what was the scariest about my father. He didn't yell, at least not immediately. He waited, but you could see the fire in his eyes long before anything happened. My mother says I get that from him. I don't understand how you can get something from someone you aren't related to, but I let her be. She was my mother after all.

"Namjoon teaches that class doesn't he? I bet he gave you all the answers for you to do even that well you prick!"

He lunged towards me and before I could react I was being shoved against the wall. Not again. I just fought with Taehyung. My dad seemed to love hurting me for even the smallest things. I doubt my grade even bothered him. I don't think he checked it until I came in. Then he had to find a reason to hate me right? And there it was. An imperfect 96, a perfect excuse to attack his imperfect son.

I slid down the wall just to be met by a kick to my chest and a punch to the stomach. He grabbed my collar, picking me up and slamming me against the wall again. Well, look at that. Deja vu. I had flashbacks to this morning with Taehyung. Funny how both of the people I hate are so similar. My father always took care not to hit my face, so no abuse showed. He was at least smart that way. It also helped when I had to cover myself up. Too many questions if I was covering my face, and Yugyeom knows by now that I don't wear make up on a daily basis, so concealer wouldn't work.

After at least 15 more minutes of beating, he asked, "Now, what do you say?"

"S-sorry."

"Sorry what?!"

"S-sorry, sir."

He pushed me out of the room, just like every other time I came, leaving me to limp back home alone.

A/N - Aaaaaaaand? This is a bit longer than usual and I'm happy about that. I kinda just smooshed a bunch of new information into your faces just now. I decided, what's a good fanfic is one of the characters does live in absolute torture? I know the writing is awful, but alfkbeogrbgowr whatever. I would like to say again, please comment! I want to know what you guys are thinking, and if you're a silent reader, maybe you could tell someone to read this that could comment? (Kicks discreet ad to get more readers) I'm kidding. But for real, lemme know what you think! And as always, have a good day!!