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1. Can someone disappearing for weeks on end truly be normalized?

It was the middle of November. The fall air was slowly setting into that of winter. Jeon Jungkook was yet again stuck looking out the window at the ever growing naked trees that stood below at the school courtyard. At this time, his homeroom teacher Mr.Gwan was going over whatever they were meant to learn in pre calculus. It was the end of the day, and Jungkook's last lesson, so he was tired.

It was Jungkook's third year of high school. After this year, he only had to go through this torture once more before getting settled into a college dorm.

It would be an understatement to say that he wasn't absolutely terrified of the years to come. He had no clue of what his future would hold. Jungkook was known for being good at most everything, although he was shy, he was still pretty well known and popular at his school even though he would never admit that himself. He was humble and kind, but mainly only stuck with his friends. Most everyone was fond of the young boy though. He was innocent and had a hard time rejecting anyone. He wasn't the most popular boy in school, but he was still loved. However, none of this changed the fact that he didn't have a dream.

Jungkook had no clue what he wanted to do after high school. All he knew was that he didn't want to be confined in his overprotective mother's embrace forever. He loved his parents, but he wanted to see the world, to be useful, to do something worthwhile with his life. He just didn't know what that was yet.

However, none of this stopped the days passing by. None of it stopped his time from slowly running out. He knew that he had to figure out what he wanted to do soon. His last year was around the corner and he had to begin to apply for colleges. He didn't want to be stuck as the innocent wide eyed bunny boy that everyone knew him as. He wanted to develop into someone with an influence to change the world for the better. He just didn't know how.

For now though, he was forced to endure Mr.Gwan's boring voice teaching another lesson of pre-cal that he would inevitably ask one of his older friends to re-teach him.

For now, he would just stare out the classroom window watching as the world around him showed new colors with the change to the upcoming season.

Slowly, rain drops began to hit the cold glass of the window. Another sign that the weather was getting colder as the days went on. Jungkook was proud to have remembered to keep an umbrella in his locker.

"Miss Yang, you're late again."

Jungkook finally brought his attention to the front. Focusing on the girl who is supposed to sit in front of him.

She had just entered the room. Quietly as always. Quiet was an understatement for her. Jungkook had probably only ever heard the girl's voice a handful of times. She had been going to school with him since he was in elementary, yet the only thing he, and most people, knew about her was her name.

Yang Heejin.

She was cute. Jungkook may not have really been interested in dating or girls in general, but he had to admit, she was cute. She had a pretty face with pretty features. Her hair barely graced her shoulders and was as dark as the night sky. She had bangs that almost seemed to be in her eyes, but they never seemed to bother her. She was pale and had dark eyes that always seemed somewhat dull. That day, she wore a red scarf around her neck. She seemed the type to always be cold. Every year since Jungkook could remember, she would always wear a scarf to school from the beginning of fall, to the end of winter. Sometimes even into the beginning of spring.

The girl was rarely at school. Jungkook couldn't figure out how she didn't have to redo years. The only reason he could think of was her high test scores. However, when she was there, she was usually extremely early, but when she was on her first day back after being gone for a while, it would vary when she would arrive. She would come for a while and then disappear for a week or two. The first few time this had happened was in middle school. She had always been quiet, but once she disappeared for three weeks, when she came back she became even more secluded. The few friends she had before, she grew apart from. The first time she disappeared, Jungkook thought she had just moved away, most people did, but when she came back, everyone was not only shocked, but also confused. No one ever got an answer to their endless questions on where she had gone however. Eventually everyone stopped caring and she remained secluded. People talk about her every now and then still, but it's usually either about her looks or how weird they see her. More or less though, the girl had became like a ghost.

Heejin bowed, mumbling a quiet apology for only Mr.Gwan to hear, before gently stepping to her seat in front of Jungkook's.

Mr.Gwan nodded. He was used to Heejin coming into class at random times, however Jungkook could tell that Mr.Gwan just thought of her as some delinquent who thinks they can do whatever they want.

Jungkook understood that thought. Some students also thought that of her, and although he didn't really believe it, the truth was that he didn't know. No one did.

"Miss Yang, you will be taking Miss Lee's spot in cleaning the classroom after school this week in return for this behavior."

Heejin simply bowed and nodded her head in compliance. Jungkook knew this punishment all to well. He had been assigned it a few times. However, Heejin was assigned this every time she was late. She never once defied this punishment either. She always dealt with the consequences of her absence.

Rather than staring out the window, Jungkook was now staring at Heejin's profile as instead, she stared out the window, while he was deep in thought. He was always curious about the girl, but never curious enough to try to figure out why she's gone a lot. It's just normal to everyone now.

The girl wouldn't tell anyone why she is gone so much anyways. Students and even teachers had asked, but she would always shrug. Once it was rumored that the principal called her to his office to discuss this, but the most that he got out of her was that she's just sick a lot. Few actually believed this though, and Jungkook wasn't one of them. She was always active in PE and never once showed any sign of feeling particularly bad. Even so, she wouldn't be home for weeks on end so often for so long just for that reason. To Jungkook, there just had to be more to it.

"Jeon."

Jungkook snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Mr.Gwan's stern and demanding voice calling his name. Jungkook shot his head towards his teacher and gulped.

"Yes sir?"

Jungkook's voice was shaking. Scratch that, Jungkook as a whole was shaking. The bunny boy was more or less scared of his teacher.

"Can you solve this problem that is on the board?"

Jungkook gulped again. Before nodding and standing up.

Jungkook wasn't great at math, but for the most part, he knew what he was talking about. However, he had been spacing out and had no clue what this lesson was over. The numbers on the board just looked like jumbled nonsense. He knew that Mr.Gwan had caught him not paying attention, so he called on him.

"Uhm, your hair is really nice today, sir."

Jungkook tried to stall. It was only three minutes until the end of the day.

His classmates knew what he was doing and some giggled.

"Unable to solve this problem, Jeon?"

Jungkook sighed knowing that there was no getting out of what's to come.

"No sir. I'm kind of lost."

"Lost in what? Lost in staring at the side of Yang's face? She's not even paying attention. What is there to look at? Did she write the lesson plan across her forehead?"

The class began to snicker and Jungkook's face felt hot. He glanced at Heejin to see her reaction, only to find her unbothered. It was like she wasn't even aware of what was happening. She was just watching the rain beating down on the window.

Mr.Gwan followed Jungkook's eyes to the girl, and scoffed.

"Miss Yang."

Heejin didn't budge. It was like she saw something outside that window, but at this point, it was raining too hard for Jungkook to see.

"Yang."

Mr.Gwan was furious. Thinking the quiet girl was just ignoring him, he sauntered over and hit the girl in the back of the head to get her attention.

He got her attention. She didn't flinch although she wasn't expecting it, and she didn't reach for her head like most students did when they felt his wrath. She just sat there. Only difference was that she was paying attention now, be it as it may though, she still remained somewhat distracted by whatever it was outside the window.

It wasn't an uncommon form if discipline at Jungkook's school. Although, Jungkook himself was never punished that way, he would always flinch and feel bad for the unsuspecting student that would be. Heejin had felt it a few times, but Jungkook could tell that she never really cared. She just tolerated it.

Jungkook felt extra bad this time though and practically jumped back. Students were never hit too hard, but it clearly wasn't a pleasant feeling. Jungkook knew that well with the amount of times he was wacked by his mom for not cleaning his room like she asked. It was the one thing she required of Jungkook, and it was the one thing he never felt like doing. However, this was Jungkook's fault. If he hadn't have looked at her or had spaced out staring at her, she wouldn't have been hit.

"Yang, first you disrespect me and my class by coming in late, and now you disrespect me even more by ignoring my authority. Your parents must be ashamed to have a daughter who skips so much. You should have been expelled a while ago with those other delinquents."

Heejin only nodded. She did everytime she was scolded.

Mr.Gwan turned back to Jungkook.

"Both of you have to clean the classroom after school this week. Miss Yang, I will be having a discussion with the principal about your attendance. Class dismissed."

Mr.Gwan walked quickly out of class. The rest of the students followed while snickering and making jokes about Heejin being expelled and Jungkook being a defenseless adorable bunny boy.

Jungkook turned to Heejin. Regret filling his heart along with his features. He couldn't bring himself to look at her face. He blamed himself for her possible expulsion and he felt guilty.

Nonetheless, Heejin began to clean in silence, and Jungkook reluctantly followed suit.

Eventually however, the silence was unbearable to Jungkook. He ran through countless possibilities of how conversations could go with the quiet girl. He had no clue how to address her either. They were the same age, but had never spoken. He wanted to have respect for her and not offend her. Therefore he settled on the highly formal, -nim.

"Heejin-nim? I'm so so so sorry to get you in trouble. I didn't mean to. Really. And I wasn't trying to stare at you, I just got lost in thought and you so happened to be in front of me. Please don't be mad, and please don't hate me. I don't mind making it up to you. I'll do anything."

At this point Jungkook was rambling, but he knew once he stopped, it would be silence. He didn't want that. However when he did stop, he was proven right.

Heejin continued to clean silently, but after a few seconds she spoke up. It was the first time she had ever talked to Jungkook, and he had to admit, her voice was gentle, soft, and beautiful.

"-Nim? Why so formal? We're the same age."

Jungkook was beyond speechless. He was stunned. Her first words to him will always and forever be her questioning why he's so weird that he calls his peers, "-nim".

"I-I'm sorry. Is 'Heejin-ssi' okay?"

Heejin just hummed in response. He guessed -ssi was fine with her. He didn't think he was close enough to call her Heejin-ah anyways, and noona or sunbaenim would be weird. She's not older than him.

After that, silence took over as the pair continued to clean. Jungkook could only hope that this week would either go by quickly, or he would make a new friend.

But who knows. She could disappear again. She was the girl whos never there after all.