The excuses are so easy to draw out, always on the forefront of Jungkook's mind. On some level, he knows that none of this is fair. That he hasn't done anything that's truly worth the wrath he's faced. But Jungkook also knows that nothing in the world is strictly fair, save perhaps for an unfathomably lucky few — that he should learn better how to play with the hand he's been dealt. What are the alternatives?

He can't leave without bringing shame on his mother. He can't remove his stepfather from the picture.

"I probably could have gone to school. Hyung, it looks worse than it feels, really," Jungkook pleads, even as he still can't raise his gaze. "But people would notice and ask questions, and I... I don't know, I'm not a good liar."