Seven (1/2)

Yoongi threw himself into physio therapy like a diver leaping into the vast ocean. He borrowed Namjoon's books and read them day and night, and did research about different subjects, degrees and colleges. This year, he was determined to get into college. He was determined to choose something, to do something and move forward.

In addition to having no idea what he wanted to study, there was another obstacle: his grades. His last few years of high school, he had scored abysmal grades, and as he looked at different colleges, he ticked them off the shrinking list of possibilities as he did not meet the requirements.

Why had he not studied more? Why had he squandered time like that, without a care for the future? Yoongi added it to his growing list of regrets.

What with all the physio and retraining his muscles, and reading and worrying over college, Yoongi was so tired at night that he didn't have time to think anymore - which had been his intention all along. He didn't look at his journal anymore, but he still wore the key of the music box on a necklace. He still wound the music box every night, and forced his thoughts to say, "Thank you, Suran, I don't have nightmares anymore."

Sometimes, if he was not busy enough, he was overcome with an almost unbearable sadness. He didn't talk about Suran anymore, and he knew that his mother and Hoseok were relieved. They didn't talk about her either, and at Yoongi's last doctor's appointment, Mrs Min had gone on and on about how fast he was recovering now and there was so much progress.

Yoongi could walk now, with a very slight limp which was barely noticeable, and now that he was able to move around on his own and change positions easily, his shoulders and back were feeling better too - he found that a short walk and then stretching lightly eased the tension in his muscles, and he didn't need the moist heat or his mother's massages - he massaged himself, using a ball the size of his balled fist.

"When your shoulders and back hurt," his physio said. "Take a lacrosse ball and lean against the wall, pushing your weight against the ball and rolling it up and down over the painful area. This really relaxes the muscles - your muscles are too tight, they are always contracted, which causes a lot of pain. You need to release them regularly and not let them contract too much."

Hoseok nearly cried when Yoongi made him do it. "OHMYGOD LET ME GO!!!"

"Whoa, your rhomboid is so tight," Yoongi said, amazed.

"What the fuck is that and let me go!"

"It's the name of that muscle, idiot!"

Hoseok threw the ball on the bed. "Damn, I had no idea you know things like that."

"Well with doctors talking about stuff like that for so long, it's obvious I'd know, you dumbass."

Everything was going forward now, including his relationship with Namjoon.

Yoongi was making ramen late at night, and was startled when he noticed Namjoon standing in the doorway. "You're awake?"

"Yeah... I was studying," Namjoon said. "What about you?"

"Ah, my sleep schedule is all over the place," answered Yoongi. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Do you want noodles?"

"Yeah, I'll make some and-"

Yoongi just added water in the almost-boiling pan and got out another packet. "Sit, I've got this."