Sticks and Stones • Park Jimin

xxxv.

Yoongi was quiet for a long moment. "Yeah."

"Why?"

Yoongi shrugged. "People don't always need a good reason. Maybe because I fell asleep in class a lot. The kids started saying I shouldn't bother showing up. It was a joke at first, I think. But it stopped being a joke at some point, and then, well, you know how it works. They started saying I was emo or suicidal and that's why I didn't talk to people or stay awake during class. I knew it wasn't true, but then it started becoming true the longer I had to listen to it all, you know?"

Jimin nodded. He knew. "What happened?"

Yoongi cast a side glance at Taehyung. "I ended up getting suspended."

Jimin's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because the kid wound up in the hospital," Yoongi said, shrugging.

"What did you do to him?" Jimin asked. He knew he should be scared of Yoongi, but he just kind of felt impressed.

"Let's just say someone ended up stabbing him in the leg with a pair of scissors."

"Yoongi!" Tae scolded again, clamping his hands over Jimin's ears. "Don't give the boy any ideas!"

Yoongi shrugged. "What did I say that was wrong? It wasn't like I cut off his-"

"Yoongi!" Tae interrupted, raising his eyebrow.

Jimin pushed Tae's hands off of his ears. "Did it work?" Jimin asked, trying to hide the sharp hope from his voice. "Did they stop bullying you? Did you make friends?"

Yoongi laughed. "No, I didn't make friends. And no, it's not like they suddenly liked me. But they don't screw with me anymore because they're all afraid of me, which works just fine for me."

"Oh."

Yoongi sighed. "Look. There's never going to be a happy ending. Even for happy people in happy stories. There's always a cloud in the sky. So don't expect a happily ever after. Just..." He was quiet for a second as he looked toward the roof edge before looking back at Jimin. "Just don't go looking for the worst ending possible, okay? You don't need a happy ending to be happy."

Jimin sniffled but nodded.

"As for the kids who are bullying you...maybe they got you to believe their version of the truth. But why don't you start telling your own truth?" Yoongi suggested.

"What does that mean?"

"Hey, I just dispense the wisdom. Interpretation is up to you. I'm going back to sleep." Yoongi laid back down.

"I repeat," Jungkook said, having been silent for the entire conversation. "What the hell is going on?"