Now I See You // Jikook // ⚠18+⚠

*7*

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Song recommendations: Monster- Shawn Mendes/ Justin Bieber
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! Mentioning of domestic abuse!

"Hyung! Hyung pleeeaase."

Jimin rolled his eyes as he took another bite of his cereal, trying to ignore the annoying little brat hopping around him. 

"You promised! You promised to take me there. Pleasee." 

Shit. He couldn't deal with this now! His head was pounding from the amount of alcohol he had consumed yesterday at yet another party and he only had two hours of sleep, which only consisted of nightmares anyways, leaving him restless and on edge. 
And his younger brother's whining wasn't helping at all. 

"Let me eat in peace, Huening-Kai!" he growled in anger. He only used his brother's full name when he was mad and Kai knew it. 
But to Jimin's immediate regret, the nine year old dropped to the kitchen floor in front of his feet and began crying.

If there was one thing he couldn't bear, it was his brother's tears.
He sighed deeply, then bend down to pick him up and set him on his lap. 
Even though he was much older than him, Kai had almost reached Jimin's height even as his face still held so much innocence and baby fat.

"Fine, fine. I'll take you to dance class after school, okay? Just don't tell your dad about it."

And like a flip was switched, Kai stopped crying, looking up at his older brother with sparkling eyes.
"Really? Oh, you're the best Hyung in the world!" 

The boy threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly until Jimin could barely breath. 
Chuckling he pulled him away. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Now go and get ready for school. If I hear you're late one more time, I'm never driving you to dance class again."

His brother was gone before he could blink, racing up the stairs to change. 
For a moment, Jimin could only stare at the place where he had disappeared. 
He wished he could still be so innocent ad carefree, hopping about the day and his only worries being how to get to dance class. Not that he was ever allowed to go. He didn't have an older brother. He was the one who had to look out for him, and he would, even if it ruined him. 

"JIMIN!" 

The booming voice made him jump, the terrible memories it was accompanied with caused him to drop the spoon. 
Endless coldness slithered through his bones as he sat as still as he could, gulping hard. 
The agitated man came into view a few seconds later. 

His hair was cropped short, his features surprisingly handsome with a voice as grotesques, but the fury on it made up for it. He was a monster- the worst one he'd ever seen. Someone who haunted his dreams and his reality. 

"Y-yes father?"

He had insisted for Jimin to call him father, even though he was nothing more than a sick, bastard who happened to have married his mother and have a child with her. 
Even after all these years, he could not understand why his beautiful mother had chosen a human scum like Han-gyeol as her husband. 

Jimin did not move a single muscle as the man shot forward and slapped him across the face. 
The pain on his cheek sent tears to his face, and he immediately knew it would leave a mark he yet again had to cover up with make up. It was no rarity. 

Slowly he turned his head back around, keeping his eyes on the ground before his step-father. 
"You think the school wouldn't call me? I know you've been late to classes again! I don't give a shit what you do with your life, Jimin, no one does, but if I get one more call where I have to apologize on your behalf, rest assured, there will be consequences."

Shuddering, he tried to block out the flashy images popping into his head, while he nodded in submission. 

"Yes father. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." 

He gasped in shock and pain as a hand grabbed his face, forcing his head up. 
Meeting the cold, cruel eyes was worse than being slapped. He could see it in his eyes: the way he enjoyed Jimin's pain and misery. The way he wanted to hurt him more. So little he could do about it. 

"You better hope so," he spat in his face, his breath reeking of cigarettes and alcohol, much like his he supposed. 
"Or maybe I'll invite some of my friends again and show them the only thing you're good for." 

He shut down the wall, trying to feel nothing. He just wanted to stop feeling anything. No fear, no pain, no anger. Just nothing. 
But as always, he failed, trembling like a weak, pathetic toddler. 
Seeing his reaction, Han-gyeol smiled wildly, finally letting him go. 

"That's my boy," he mockingly said, slapping him again only to prove that he could. 
Jimin sat there for a long time, even after his step father had left and he heard his car pull out of the drive way. 
He starred at his cereal bowl but no longer felt any kind of hunger. 

The sound of running footsteps finally made him jerk out of his trance, snapping his head around to see his little brother run down the steps with a broad smile. 

"It only took me five minutes today! I'll be in school extra early so you will definitely have to drive me!"

Jimin stared at him for a long time, taking in his beaming expression and carefree smile.
A tear almost managed to slip free, before he cleared his throat, turned to the cereal bowl and threw the rest away. 
For his brother, he would take any beating. Too keep his brother's childhood pure and free of misery, he would take any beating, any insult and any hate directed at him. 
And he would make sure Kai would never find out what a monster his father was- that he had sworn to himself. 
"Okay, then let's go little rascal."
Huening-Kai vigorously nodded his head, standing there proud in his school uniform while Jimin was already wondering how the hell he was supposed to make it through this day.