#kalsdjfklsd this is the first time i ran out of time to even read it

[tayegi]

New Rules Ch. 8

Word Count: 17,457

The day after the date auction, a meeting is held in the sorority to discuss what to do with the proceeds. You've been busy hiding in your room all day out of embarrassment after your humiliation on stage at the auction, but you force yourself to leave the comfort of your bed for the meeting. Normally you'd be content allowing your sisters determine what to do with the proceeds themselves, but you overheard Jisoo mentioning that they invited BTS's community service committee along to choose a charity, and you don't trust those fuckbois one bit. Knowing them, they'd probably choose lifetime subscriptions to pornhub or some shit as their charity action.

Just the thought of that makes your blood boil and you quicken your pace down the hall. As soon as you reach the conference room at the other side of the building, you dramatically fling the door open, ready to interrupt the conversation. But before you can get a single word out, someone calls out your name.

"___! You're here."

You look up and almost jump out of your skin in terror at the sight of Jeon Jungkook sitting in the direct center of the room. "Oh, J-Jeon," you stammer, "What are you doing here?"

He beams at you, "I'm part of the community service committee in BTS."

He's cleared the seat next to him, but you quietly take a seat as far away from him at the table as you can. You haven't spoken since that uncomfortable exchange backstage, when he had lost his temper with you, and to say this is awkward is the understatement of the century.

"I see," you simply say before dropping your gaze to your lap.

All around you in the room, people whisper amongst themselves. They're undoubtedly talking about the two of you. That little stunt Jungkook pulled yesterday turned heads. And now you know the gossip mill will be unstoppable. You haven't been under this much scrutiny since Freshman year. You slink lower in your seat and pray for the ground to open up and swallow you whole.

"Hey, ___!" A boisterous voice breaks through the heavy tension.

"Oh, Hoseok!" Immediately, your countenance changes entirely, and you can't stop the brilliant smile that lights up your face. His summery presence is just addicting and a much-needed respite in the tense room. You jump to your feet to greet him with a hug.

He laughs in response and squeezes you back before dropping into the seat next to you, "How've you been, love?"

"Good! I'm all done with finals, what about you?"

"Same. Though I've been dying from practice… we've got the championship game this weekend. You're gonna be there to cheer me on, right?"

The way dimples form in his cheeks when he smiles at you makes your heart skip a beat, "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" You boldly declare, somehow fighting off the urge to swoon.

He chuckles at your exuberance, "I'll give you one of my jerseys so you can show everyone who you support, okay?"

"Ooh, that would be great!" you exclaim, your eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Cool. I'll just stop by to—"

"Can you guys please shut up? We're trying to have a meeting here."

Both of you turn in surprise to find Jungkook glaring at you from across the room.

"… but the meeting hasn't started yet."

"Yeah, probably because we can't with all your noisy chitchatting," he snaps back.

"But… but Jisoo isn't even here."

"So what?" he growls, "Does that give you a right to disturb everyone else?"

You and Hoseok exchange a look, "Jungkook, I—"

But at that moment, Jisoo finally walks in, and Jungkook takes that as an opportunity to angrily jump to his feet, "Aha! What did I tell you?!"

Chastened, you and Hoseok awkwardly slink down in your seats. Jisoo raises an eyebrow at the commotion, "Are you guys having a lover's spat or something? Settle this later during your date, ___."

Jungkook brightens up at that reminder, "That's right! Where are you taking me, ___?" he asks with a playful grin.

Embarrassed, you stare down at your feet, refusing to make eye contact, "I dunno," you mutter, "Just worry about your game for now…"

"I'm taking my date to Visotti's!" A pretty girl with waist-length black hair calls out, uninvited, "No one copy me!"

"Pssht, that's so lame," a second girl with pink highlights rolls her eyes, "I'm treating my date to a home cooked meal."

Jisoo beams at the two of them, "Wow, those are both great ideas! I'm glad that you guys are going through all this effort!"

"Of course. It's the least I can do after all that money he bid on me," the pink-haired girl says with a giggle.

"I like your hair," you blurt out at that moment.

She blinks at you in confusion, "Um… thanks?"

"Where did you get it done?"

"Oh, I do it myself!" She says with a smile, "If you want, I can show you later."

"Really?" you say, eyes popping open in surprise, "Oh my god, that would be so—"

"Ahem! Ladies, we're already late starting the meeting," Jisoo interrupts with a glare.

"Yeah, because of who…?" you can't help muttering under your breath.

Jisoo wisely chooses to ignore you. "Anyways," she says, turning back to the meeting with a clap of her hands, "We have just finished counting up the tokens and calculating the final amount raised from the charity auction… And the final amount is… drum roll please!"

Some of the sisters good-naturedly follow her instructions, drumming on the table and their thighs to build up the anticipation.

Jisoo smiles mysteriously, then announces, "Three thousand, five hundred and twenty-six dollars!"

There's a brief moment of stunned silence, then the whole room bursts into commotion.

"Are you serious?"

"Oh my god!"

"That's amazing!"

Jisoo happily claps her hands together, "This couldn't have happened without all of your help! Thank you guys all for participating, and let's give a round of applause to the BTS brothers for helping us out!"

You dutifully clap along, but nudge Hoseok with a playful roll of your eyes. He simply laughs and reaches over to ruffle your hair.

"It's not like we had a choice," someone mutters under his breath, and you don't have to look up to know that it's Jungkook.

Once again, Jisoo politely ignores the microaggression, "Anyways! Now, we should decide on which charity we should donate the proceeds to! We have come up with a list of potential organizations over the summer, but we would love any other suggestions BTS would like to add," she says as she passes around handouts with all the charities listed, "Then, at the end of the meeting, I'd like us to take a vote."

You shoot your hand up before you even receive your copy of the handout, "Can I make a suggestion, Jisoo?"

The sorority president flashes you a wary look before reluctantly agreeing, "Sure…"

"What if instead of donating all this money to a charity organization, which for all we know, may not be distributed properly, we could do some hands-on community service instead?" you suggest.

No one responds to that for a moment. And when two BTS brothers share a look of discomfort, you realize that it's a lost cause.

"Um… maybe?"

You deflate in your seat, "Never mind," you grumble.

"There are plenty of other organizations that do that," Jisoo reminds you, "And community service itself is free… If you want to organize something like this on your own, you're more than welcome to, ___."

You moodily cross your arms over your chest, "…Fine."

"Anyways!" Jisoo exclaims with a clap of her hands, trying to brighten the mood, "Where should we donate the money we raised?"

"What about the humane society?" A cute sorority sister with long, waist-length black hair offers.

"Oh yeah, great idea!" A BTS brother sporting a cap pulled over his eyes quickly chimes in, "Y'all know I love me some puppies and shit. You're so smart, girl," he enthusiastically compliments her.

She giggles in response, "You like puppies?"

"Yeah, girl. I love those little fuckers."

"Awww," she coos, resting her chin on her hand to peer at him, "That's so cute."

"What the fuck?" you rudely interrupt their flirting.

"Alright I'll put down the humane society as an option," Jisoo says, wincing slightly, "Any other suggestions?"

"The red cross?" Someone calls out.

"Ok, I'll add that to the list," Jisoo says as she scribbles on a piece of paper.

"Rotary foundation?"

"Got it."

"The pink ribbon foundation?" A voice to your left offers.

You turn to beam at Hoseok, impressed by his contribution. He winks back at you, and this gives you the courage to raise your hand and make your own suggestion, "What about the feminist majority foundation?"

But to your surprise, this suggestion doesn't the same sort of encouragement and support that the other ones did. Instead, a hush falls across the room, and your fellow sorority sisters look uncommonly flustered.

You glance around in confusion, but no one meets your eyes, "What?" you ask, "What'd I say?"

"She's just a bit rowdy," the long, black-haired girl whispers to the puppy-loving fuckboi, as though apologizing for an embarrassing relative.

"___, you can't impose your radical views on everyone," Jisoo wisely informs you, "Let's try to find a more neutral organization that everyone can agree with."

Anger rises in your chest, "What are you even talking about?" you exclaim, "How is this not a topic that affects everyone?! I mean, I love puppies as much as the next person, but this foundation raises awareness about women's rights issues!"

To your dismay, your sisters look away in embarrassment. "Oh my god… here she goes again…" one of them whispers under their breath, making your face heat with equal parts indignation and shame.

You open your mouth to angrily defend yourself, but to your surprise, someone beats you to it—

"Pray tell exactly how this could be a radical view?" A deceptively cool voice calls out.

A dozen heads snap to look at the owner of the voice, and Jungkook unflinchingly stares back.

"Ah, Jungkook, you know what I meant," Jisoo nervously attempts to appease him, "There's nothing wrong with being a feminist, but trying to oppose your views on others is a bit problematic."

"Yeah, exactly!" The black-haired sister exclaims, sneaking a quick peek at the fratbrother she's been flirting with, "Not that I don't agree with some of the views, but feminists take it way overboard. I'm definitely not a feminist, and I—"

"Why not?" Jungkook rudely interrupts. She cowers under the heat of his glare and drops her eyes to her laps. Undeterred, Jungkook continues "I think you guys are fundamentally misunderstanding what feminism is…"

"Dude, what are you talking about right now?" The baseball cap guy says with a playful jab towards Jungkook's ribs, trying to defuse the situation, "Chill."

But Jungkook barely spares him a glance before he continues, "Feminism is defined as the advocacy of equality between sexes… So by this very definition, if you're not a feminist, then you're a sexist."

"Hey, so wait a minute—are you trying to say that you're a feminist, bro?" The baseball cap guy pulls a face, as though he finds this hilarious.

The cool intensity of Jungkook's gaze stops him in his tracks, "Yes, I am. And are you trying to say that you're a sexist, bro?"

"I… I—no, of course not," he splutters.

A tense silence falls across the room, where everyone can only look down at their hands in extreme discomfort. But you can't stop staring at Jungkook, as though seeing him for the first time. Why is he acting like this? Is it because of you? Maybe he's just trying to get your attention… But the fact that he's called them out in front of everybody without a single ounce of shame… It's impressive to say the least.

"Okay, okay, I'll add this organization to the list," Jisoo concedes, desperate to get the meeting back on track.

Jungkook's demeanor instantly changes like the flip of a switch, "Great!" he beams, "Thanks so much."

Jisoo shoots him a look of suspicion before cautiously continuing. Luckily, the atmosphere finally lightens and peace is restored to the conference room as people debate the pros and cons of each organization. But for once, you can't bring yourself to focus, not even about issues so dear to your heart. For some reason, you can't stop looking at Jungkook.

Finally, the meeting is over and you pack your things to walk out with Hoseok. But on your way out of the conference room, you accidentally overhear a conversation by the black-haired girl and her baseball cap friend—

"Ugh, he was so mean to me!" She exclaims as they walk down the hall together, "Was what I said really that stupid?!"

"No, not at all, babe," he instantly comforts her, "Don't take this personally—Jeon's always like that."

"Really?"

"Yeah, randomly he just goes on these social justice tirades. Like when he made us stop using straws to save the sea turtles… or when he created a mixtape for this anti-domestic violence campaign. I don't know. Homeboy's weird."

"Oh, phew. That makes me feel better," she says in relief.

They might be saying more, but you've zoned them out at this point. All you can think about is how wrong you were. Jungkook wasn't doing this for you… to impress you or some shit, the way the baseball cap guy tried to impress that girl with his exaggerated love of puppies. Jungkook called them out and caused a scene at the meeting because… because he genuinely believed in what he was saying. Because he genuinely wanted to do the right thing.

For a moment, your chest constricts so hard that you can't even breathe. You freeze in the middle of the hallway until Hoseok nearly runs into you.

"Whoa, ___, are you okay?"

"Yeah," you murmur, although you don't even look at him, still lost in your thoughts, "But there's just something that I need to take care of," you say as you turn on your heel to dash back in the conference room.

"Wait, I thought you wanted to grab food!"

"Sorry, Hoseok!" You call over your shoulder as you slam the door open and rush inside.

There are two sorority sisters still lingering near the doorway, chatting about one thing or the other, but you only have eyes for Jungkook. He sits in the very back of the room, aimlessly shoving things in his bag in an almost forlorn way. If you didn't know him better, you'd think he was sulking.

You slowly approach him, more nervous than you've ever been around him, "Hey."

Jungkook pauses to stare up at you with wide eyes, "___."

You hate the way he says your name. You hate the way heat rises up your neck, making it impossible to maintain eye contact, "I haven't seen you around."

"Yeah, it's been a while."

There's a million and one things you want to say to him. But you've never been any good at expressing yourself. But instead, you simply stand there, eyes trained to your shoes and silently praying that he can't see through you.

"Here, take this," he says, interrupting you from your anxious thoughts.

You look up in surprise when he suddenly shoves a loaf of bread into your arms, "Um… what is this?"

"I couldn't find a damn bread bouquet," is his stiff reply, "Where the fuck does Mijoo find that shit?"

You frown down at the loaf of ciabatta in your arms for a moment, bewildered beyond belief, when suddenly, the memory of the phone conversation you'd had with him about your one-woman show comes flooding back. He had actually remembered… Your chest tightens.

"My performance was too shitty to deserve this," you say with a laugh, "And by the way, I really need to pay you back for your bid," you say, shoving the bread under your arm to dig for your wallet, "I don't have cash on me right now, but can I write you a—?"

"Don't fucking insult me like that," he brusquely interrupts before you can finish your question.

You glance up and stiffen at the utter fury emblazoning his dark eyes. A slow shiver runs down your spine, "Jungkook, I—"

"Listen, I need to leave right now," he cuts you off again, "But I'll see you at the game or something, okay?"

"Yes, I wouldn't miss it for the world," you solemnly promise him, "Come say hi if you see me."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," he grumbles, "I'll just look for the girl in Hoseok's jersey." And with that thinly veiled barb, he throws his bag over his shoulder and marches out the door.

You continue to stand there for a long time, even after he's left, jaw practically hanging on the ground as you attempt to process his words. Jungkook is mad at you, that much is clear. Nothing's changed since he blew up at you backstage of the date auction—he's beyond pissed. But the question is why? You don't think you did anything wrong that would warrant this level of anger… unless…

Unless… could it possibly be that he's… jealous?

No, that makes no sense, and you could laugh at yourself for your own stupidity. Why on earth would Jeon Jungkook be jealous over you? You chuckle as you rip off a piece of bread to shove in your mouth. Let's not be ridiculous here.

"So this is the last meeting before break, and there are just a few things I wanted to go over," Yoongi announces at the newspaper meeting a few days later.

You and Taehyung pretend to listen as you happily slurp on your matching big gulp-sized slushies.

"What color's my tongue?" Taehyung asks as he opens his mouth to show you.

"Omg, it's like neon blue!" you exclaim in delight, "What color's mine?"

"Can you two focus for once?" Yoongi says with an exaggerated sigh, "I literally only need the next thirty minutes of your time."

"…Sorry." The two of you mutter, chastised.

He shoots you one last warning glare before continuing, "Like I was saying, the final drafts of your assignments are due the week we're back, okay?"

Taehyung shoots him a thumb's up, "Will do, boss."

"Good. Now when are you getting your cast off, Somin? Will you be able to attend the final game this weekend?"

"Nope," she says as she shoots a glare in your direction, "My doctor's appointment to get it off is over break… So unfortunately, that woman is going to be fraternizing with my man for another week."

"That's no problem with me," you happily chime in, "I was going to go anyways to support the team. Hoseok's already given me his jersey and everything."

"He what?!"

Yoongi hurriedly intervenes before it can get messy again, "___, I have already booked your hotel room for the weekend. And I wasn't sure if you preferred to take the train or ride with the team in their bus?"

"Oh, it's an away game?" you ask in surprise.

"Yeah, are you okay with that?"

"Sure. It's not a big deal. It's not like I'm in any rush for my break anyways," you say with a shrug.

"Ok great. Here's an envelope with your hotel reservation and your ticket for the game," he says, sliding you the small white folder, "Now how do you want to get there? Bus? Train?"

"Hmm, how far away is it?" You ask as you accept the envelope, "Maybe I should just drive instead, so I can come and go whenever I want."

"It's about four hours away, so that can work too. Just send me your receipts, so the school can reimburse your gas."

"Ooh, can I ride with you?" Taehyung begs as he grabs your sleeve.

"Yeah, sure," you easily agree, "We can make it a fun roadtrip! What kind of interesting pit stops are there on the way to the grand destination of—?" you pause, "Wait, where are we going again?"

"Gwacheon."

"Ah, Gwacheon. That means we'll be able to—wait what?!" You suddenly sit upright to stare at Yoongi with wide eyes, "What did you just say?!"

He's too used to your eccentricities to bat an eye, "Gwacheon… In Gyeonggi province. Have you heard of it?"

At once, you break into cold sweat, "I… I can't go there."

"Huh? What's wrong with you? I promise, it's not that cold."

"No, you don't understand," you say in a hushed whisper, "I seriously can't go there. Please."

Taehyung tries to comfort you with a hand on your shoulder, "Don't worry, ___. I'll help you drive, if that's what you're scared of." But his hand has been chilled by his drink and only makes you shiver.

You don't say anything for a moment as you stare down at the envelope, trying to calm yourself enough to speak again, "Are they playing the local team in Gwacheon?" you ask when you finally find your voice again.

"Yeah, obviously," Somin says with a roll of her eyes, "They've been dominating in their district for the entire season. How are you qualified for this job when you don't even know that basic information?"

You sink your teeth in your bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, "I seriously can't go."

There's a brief silence in the room as everyone tries to process your cryptic words. Yoongi is the first to break that silence, "Give me one good reason why you shouldn't go and I might consider it," he says in a quiet voice.

You desperately wrack your brain for excuses, but you can't think of a single one that isn't entirely frivolous. So all you can do is hold your silence.

Yoongi sighs deeply, "That's what I thought… I'll see you on Saturday."

You stiffly nod your head, "Fine. I'll be there."

The Friday before you leave for Gwacheon, you and Mijoo decide to hit the mall. Normally, the two of you are so busy with classes and schoolwork that you don't have time for these frivolous activities, so this is a rare treat.

"Oooh," Mijoo exclaims, eyes lighting up in delight when she spots a lingerie boutique across the mall, "Let's go over here!"

You good-naturedly allow her to drag you into the store, and laugh when she immediately begins digging through the lacy underwear with relish. "Are you looking for something to spice up your love life?"

She shoots a glare in your direction, "No, I'm shopping for you. ___, what's your size?"

Taken aback, you find yourself telling her before you quickly catch yourself, "Wait, what?!"

The pretty brunette rolls her eyes at your reaction, "For your date with Jungkook, duh. You gotta look pretty for him."

"I was probably just going to take him to grab pizza or something," you say, "What's my underwear got to do with anything?"

"Oh my god… What about after the pizza? Are you really that dense?!"

"Why do you assume that we'll have sex?" you ask, indignant.

"Because you're exclusive friends with benefits!"

You can't argue with that one, yet you still try, "Hmph. Well, Jungkook doesn't care what I wear anyways."

"Maybe not, but wouldn't it be nice to surprise him with a little extra? Can you imagine his reaction if you stepped out in these suckers?" she happily holds up the tiniest, laciest little thong you've ever seen in your entire life.

Your jaw drops, "No way I would ever wear that! Besides, how are thongs even sexy? They're just butt floss!"

Mijoo snickers at your description, "Fine. Then you pick out a pair then."

You frown for a second, diligently scanning the room, before you settle for a pair of delicate, peach-colored panties. "What about these?"

Mijoo's eyes brighten at the very sight, "Beautiful!" She exclaims, "Go try it on! …Along with this," she says, grabbing a matching bra off the rack and shoving it in your arms.

You awkwardly stumble towards the fitting rooms, and to your horror, Mijoo follows you, "Ugh, do you have to wait right outside like that?" you ask, even as you close the door in her face.

"Yes, of course!" she cheerfully calls back, "As your wingman, it's my duty to get you laid properly! And you'll be spending two full nights in a hotel with the soccer players… I'll make sure you get the full use of your time there."

You can envision her undoubtedly lecherous smirk even from the safety of your fitting room. "Ugh, you're such a pervert."

She giggles in response, "I just care about you! And your poor dusty old pussy. Now tell me: how does it look?"

"It looks… oh… it doesn't look too bad, actually," you say, surprised by what you see in the mirror. You're not the type to wear lingerie. Most of the time the fit is wrong, and you're either sagging in some places or pinched in others, and the result is disastrous for your figure. But this time, it's surprisingly flattering. You frown as you twirl in a circle, but the pink lace molds perfectly to your every curve like a second skin. "Hmm… I might buy this, actually."

"Really?" Mijoo exclaims on the other side of the door, "It's that good? Oh my god, let me see!"

"No way, pervert," you say, thankful that you remembered to lock the door when she begins rattling the knob.

She sighs in defeat, "Will you at least send a picture to Jungkook?"

"Why would I do something like that?"

"To get him all worked up. So that he's ready to raw you for two days straight!"

You wince at her choice in words, "Ugh, you're so gross." But nevertheless, you pull out your cellphone to snap a few photos. It's embarrassing and you have no idea how to pose in the mirror, but eventually you find a few positions that aren't so terrible. "Why are you so obsessed with me and Jungkook getting it on?" you protest, "We're already exclusive fuck buddies. There's no rush. We can fuck all we want later."

"That's a good idea," Mijoo mutters under her breath, "Don't give it to him so easy. Hold out on him so he realizes what he's missing. And don't concede until he's on his knees begging for you!"

You sigh deeply, "What is going on in that mind of yours?" you lightly berate your roommate as you finish taking photos and begin to change back into your clothes, "We're not high schoolers playing a damn game. I don't want to trick him into liking me."

"I know you don't. And I know you're more mature than that. But the thing is, with guys like Jungkook, they won't ever admit to catching feelings unless forced into it."

"Oh god," you grumble under your breath as you pull your shirt over your head, "Why are you so convinced that I even want him to feel this way about me?"

"Because you two are perfect together," Mijoo says without missing a beat.

You trip over your tangled jeans, and nearly fall to the ground, "What?"

"Oh, come on, ___. You can't even deny it. I've seen the way the two of you interact. It's like you're in your own little world, and the rest of us stop existing entirely."

"I… I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't," she says, and you can practically hear her rolling her eyes from outside the dressing room.

"Ugh, I don't have time to worry about this right now," you groan as you tug your shirt over your head and emerge out from the fitting room, "I'm going to Gwacheon this weekend," you remind her with a scowl.

"Ah, I know," she says with a sympathetic frown, "But seriously don't worry about it. Taehyung will be traveling with you right? And Jungkook will have your back. Gwacheon's a big city. And you'll only be there for two days. You'll be fine, honey."

You offer her a half-hearted smile, "Yeah… I hope you're right."

Mijoo squeezes your shoulder before attempting to change the subject, "Are you going to buy that?" She asks, gesturing towards the lingerie set in your hands.

"…maybe," you admit in a small voice.

Your pretty roommate beams in excitement, "That's so great!" She exclaims, happily clapping her hands together, "Jungkook is going to lose his mind when he sees you!"

You wince at the very thought before trying to redirect her attention elsewhere, "What about you? Aren't you going to pick out a set for Jimin?"

But to your surprise, the slender brunette flushes a brilliant shade of crimson at your question, "___," she mumbles your name, "It's not like that."

"Why?" you teasingly nudge her in the ribs, "I know there's a reason why you and Jimin are the only ones staying behind while everyone else goes to the game, hmm? Empty bedroom all to yourself, you nasty kids?"

Somehow, Mijoo reddens even further, resembling a tomato rather than a human being at this point, "It's seriously not like that! Ugh, why are you like this?! Jimin and I… we haven't even had sex yet!"

You nearly trip over your own feet on the way to the checkout line, "Wait, what?! What do you mean you haven't had sex yet???"

Humiliated, Mijoo tries to cover her burning face with her long brown hair, "___, keep your voice down!" She hisses at you, "So what if we haven't fucked yet? Not everything is about sex!"

"Yeah, of course not. But it's been like… months…" You say, nearly going cross-eyed trying to count up the number of months they'd been together at this point, "Wait a minute… Is Jimin a virgin??"

Mijoo hastily slaps a hand over your mouth, "No!" She yells, "Oh my god… Why are you like this?! We just want to take it slow, okay?"

You scowl as you spit her palm from your mouth, "Why though?"

"Because we're not horny perverts like you and Jungkook!"

You refuse to be thrown off by that shallow jab as you continue to glare at her, "Mijoo, seriously. Why?"

She chews her bottom lip for a moment, looking conflicted, before she finally exhales, deflating like a balloon under your scrutiny, "Because I'm afraid he'll just leave me afterwards."

Your features soften at her confession, "Oh, honey…"

She winces when you wrap an arm around her shoulders, "I know it sounds stupid… But I've never met a guy I've liked as much as Jimin. And the thought of him just taking off afterwards is… unbearable."

"Sweetheart, this isn't stupid at all," you say as you comfortingly squeeze her to your chest, "It's completely valid why you're scared of that, given your track record."

Mijoo gently relaxes into your embrace with a sigh, "Yeah… I hate to be so distrustful… Jimin is ridiculously respectful. I know he wants to have sex with me… like really, really badly. You don't even know how many times I've felt his erection against my—"

"Alright, alright, skip the gross details," you hastily interrupt. You hate the way your stomach dips with unwarranted jealousy at her words, but unfortunately, it's still intolerable to hear this about the man you've liked for years.

Luckily, Mijoo misinterprets your discomfort and laughs, "Sorry, hon. But yeah… I know that he wants me… But he's too polite to ask for it. And I want him too… but I don't know… what if he—?"

"Mijoo," you interrupt her, "You know he's not like your shitty exes, right?"

She looks up in confusion, "What do you mean?"

You turn to stare her straight in the eye and grip her shoulder to force her to meet your gaze, "Park Jimin isn't anything like those assholes who fucked around and used you like a toy. He's not that type of man. You know that, right?"

Mijoo's gaze softens at your words, "I know, ___."

You smile at her, "So maybe you should take your own words of advice and let him in."

"___..."

"I care about you, Mijoo. And I want you to be happy. So do us both a favor and let Park Jimin make you happy, ok?"

Your pretty roommate practically melts at your words, "Have I ever told you how much I love you, ___?"

"Yeah, yeah," you gruffly say with a sarcastic roll of your eyes, "What else is new?"

She only giggles in response and throws her arms around your neck to press a kiss to your cheek, "Forget Jimin. I only need you!"

Later that night, as you're packing for your weekend trip and Mijoo is in the shower, you decide to take a quick break to scroll through your phone. There's a message from Yerin informing you that she's taking the train to Gwacheon tomorrow morning with Yoongi, and a voicemail from Taehyung asking where he should meet you for the roadtrip.

You quickly respond to them before reaching over to charge your phone. But you freeze at the sight of the half-eaten baguette on your desk. You haven't seen Jungkook in a really long time. That passive-aggressive encounter after the charity meeting didn't count. The last time the two of you properly hung out was when you were cramming for your finals together. But you had been on your period then and crabby beyond belief. So the last time the two of you really had quality time together was when—

Blood floods your face at the reminder of the night you spent in his bed. The sex was as good as always, but there was just something about the morning after… Waking up in his arms to his brilliant smile… You're not sure what it is, but the memories keep you up at night.

You'd rather die than ever admit it in a million years, but you miss it. You miss him. And you can't help but wonder if he misses you too.

You pick your phone back up as you contemplate calling him. But what would you even say? That you miss him? And that you want to see his face? You snort out loud at the absurdity of those words. Your whole body cringes at the very thought, and you're positive that he'd laugh in your face if he knew you felt any of those things. No, you can't say that shit. You need a subtler method…

And then you remember those photos you took of yourself in the fitting room earlier that day. You light up at the reminder. Here is a casual, non-threatening way to get his attention. You'll send him one of your underwear pics and pretend that it was an accident. Simple, easy, and he'll probably be begging on his knees to see you afterwards.

Snickering to yourself at your brilliant plan, you hurriedly scroll through your photos, looking for the best one to send him. It doesn't take long to select the one with the best angle of your cleavage before you happily text it to Jungkook without a second thought. Then you turn up the volume on your ringer, and wait for his response with bated breath.

For the first five minutes, you're giddy. You can't help envisioning his shocked response as he unknowingly stumbles across the scandalous photo. Maybe he'll beg you to send him more photos. Or even better—maybe he'll call you on the spot and beg to come over. You chuckle at the thought. You'll play hard to get for a bit just to tease him, then invite him over. It's a foolproof plan!

But then five minutes slips to ten... to fifteen. And you finally begin to worry. But you try to convince yourself that he's probably just busy. He has to pack for the trip tomorrow, just like you, and he probably doesn't even have his phone on him. It's no big deal.

Mijoo comes out from her shower thirty minutes after you sent the pic, and you dive into your dresser, messily throwing clothes into your duffel bag and pretending that nothing happened. But you keep an ear out for the vibrations of your phone the whole time.

It's not until forty-five minutes later, when you've anxiously packed and repacked every article of clothing in your bag about a dozen times, when Jungkook finally responds. You lunge for your phone like a sprinter at the start of a race and hastily swipe open the text with your heart pounding.

Did you send this to me by accident?

You smirk at his message. Are any nudes ever by accident? What a silly little boy. But you have a role to play here, and you feign ignorance to the best of your abilities.

What do u mean? You coyly text him, before sending him a string of rapidfire texts:

Wait… OMG.

That was totally an accident!!!

I def did NOT mean to send that to you!

Don't look at it, u perv!

There's a long minute of silence as you impatiently await his response. Will he plead with you to keep the picture? Or will he simply demand to see the real deal up close? You're giggling like a school girl when a new text notification pops across your screen. You open it up, but the reply is nothing like you'd been expecting…

I won't.

Those two simple words make your heart stop in your chest. Wait… what?

How can his reply be so cold and indifferent? You had thought for sure that this would rile him up… and that all the strange friction between the two of you would evaporate in a heartbeat, like it always does. What did you do wrong? Could it be the picture?

Panicking, you click open the photo you had taken in the fitting room and scrutinize it with care. Now that you look more carefully, what had previously been cute and sexy to your eyes is horrifying upon further inspection. Your stomach sticks out and there's gross cellulite and stretch marks all over your thighs. Your figure is awful and what were you thinking, sending such a horrendous image to Jungkook? You're unsure if he was more horrified or amused by the photo, but at this point, you don't want to know.

Jungkook probably gets hundreds of sexts from girls every day. Girls with toned bodies and long, lean limbs. Girls who are a thousand times sexier than you. What were you even thinking? Maybe it's okay in real life, when you have your clothes on, or when he can just turn off the lights. But that's only when he's horny and just looking to get his dick wet. And to forcibly subjugate him to your gross body against his wishes? You're so embarrassed that you could die. Fuck Jeon Jungkook. You know that your figure is just awful. But couldn't he have just pretended that he wasn't so turned off, to at least spare your dignity?

You reach into your bag for the newly purchased lingerie you had packed, and angrily ball up the lacy fabric in your hands to throw under your bed. You don't know what had possessed you to do such a stupid thing, but you regret it beyond belief. And there's no way you'll be making that mistake again.

What a shitty week it's been. And you haven't even arrived at Gwacheon yet.

"___... what are you doing?" Taehyung asks when he finds you ducking your head beneath the steering wheel for the what feels like the hundredth time that afternoon.

At his voice, you instantly pop upright and flash him an award-winning smile, "Oh, TaeTae, you're back already!" You cry out with faux enthusiasm, "I missed you!"

He gives you a weird look, "I just asked the concierge and this is the right hotel… Want to go check out our rooms together? Or are you just going to run off to hide behind a trashcan again?"

Indignant, you jump out of the car to rise to your full height, "How dare you, Kim Taehyung? When I have I ever hid behind a trashcan?!"

"About an hour ago," he bluntly reminds you, "At the rest stop near the park."

You deflate at once from his words, "Ah… you saw that?"

"Yup… You've been acting weird ever since we entered Gyeonggi-do Province."

"I'm on my period," you dead pan.

"No, that's not for another week."

"Wait, what…? You keep track of my periods?"

"Yup."

"… Taehyung, that's kinda weird," you carefully inform him.

"Yeah, I know."

"… Okay."

He cheerfully swings an arm around your neck as the two of you take your bags from the trunk and make your way to the hotel lobby, "I don't know what you're so paranoid about, but this is going to be fun, ___."

"I'm glad one of us is excited, Tae," you grumble as you follow him across the parking lot, "I personally can't wait for this weekend to be over…"

"You've been acting weird all week," the fashion reporter says with a frown, "Are you ever gonna tell me what's up?"

You simply shake your head in response, "It's just really dumb. And not worth your time to know."

Taehyung pouts in response, "But Mijoo knows, doesn't she?"

"Yes… I guess she does."

"Then why can't I know?" He whines.

"Don't take it personally, Tae. I wouldn't have told her either if she didn't already know… Trust me—you don't want to know."

He stares at you for another second, before relenting with a sigh, "Fine… Have it your way, you shady ass little girl," he says as he pulls open the front door to the hotel for you.

Your lips twitch at this, but before you can comment, you catch sight of a group of young athletes in the lobby. All the blood instantly drains from your face and your spine goes rigid with fear. As though by instinct, your eyes wildly scan the group for a familiar face…

"___," Taehyung interrupts you from your daze, "What's wrong with you?"

But at that moment you catch sight of a tall, broad figure with sleek black hair… "Taehyung, we need to go." Your voice is uncharacteristically broken, but you barely notice as you turn to make a run for it.

Taehyung grabs your arm before you can escape, "___, why are you acting like this? Did you and Jungkook fight or something? Stop being a scaredy cat and let's go say hi."

You pause at that, and turn to face him with eyes as wide as saucers, "Wait… Jungkook?"

The blonde main sighs deeply, "Why do you two always fight like cats and dogs? Geez, this is why I'm team Hoseok."

"You switched teams?" you absentmindedly ask as you scrutinize the group of athletes with more care. But sure enough, the broad dark-haired man who you had misidentified as someone else is none other than Jeon Jungkook. Your heart skips a beat, then finally slows its frantic pace.

"Yeah, of course! That Jeon dickcheese sucked face with that Jessica Rabbit wannabe," he says with a wrinkle of his nose, "Whereas Hoseok was honest as fuck. That's why I—"

"Taehyung? ___?" A voice calls out. The two of you look up to find a familiar redhead walking in your direction, a brilliant smile on his handsome face, "I thought I heard your voice, ___. When did you get here?"

As though by instinct, the very sight of his face makes you grin back in pleasure, "Not too long ago," you say as you feel your feelings of unease dissipate at once in his radiant presence, "We just park—oomph," you groan, surprised when Hoseok abruptly wraps his arms around your figure and squeezes the breath out of your lungs.

"I missed you," he murmurs as he pulls you tighter against his chest.

Your temperature rises to unprecedented degrees at this confession, "Hoseok… It's only been like a week."

"So what?" he says, childishly clinging tighter to you in protest, "It's a week too long."

You had no idea how much you needed to hear those words until you finally heard them. To have someone actually miss you… It's like a weight has been taken off your shoulders and you feel yourself dissolving into his embrace. And it looks like he has no intention of letting you go, judging by the way his grip doesn't loosen one bit. There's no telling how long he would have continued holding you in the lobby of the hotel, content to just breathe in your scent, until someone rudely tears you apart.

"How can you just be blocking the entrance like that? You're so fucking irresponsible."

You nearly topple to the floor when the person shoves the two of you apart to grab the bag from your hands. "Jungkook?"

He simply scowls at you in response, "Do you think the staff here have all day? Go fucking check in already." And without waiting for a response, he marches off with your duffle bag slung over a shoulder.

"Wait, Jungkook!" You exclaim, instantly forgetting about both Hoseok and Taehyung as you chase after him. To your surprise, he goes straight for the check-in desk.

"Tell her your booking number," he says when you finally manage to catch up with him. Confused, you nevertheless do as you're told.

"Thank you, ma'am. We're just going to have to have a credit card on hold."

"Oh yes, of course," you say, hastily digging through your bag and pulling out your wallet.

Jungkook makes a sound of disapproval in the back of his throat, "You should've just roomed with me and spared the cost."

"T-the newspaper's reimbursing me," you stammer as you hand your card to the concierge.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever." His response is so frosty that you feel shivers slide down your back. What has gotten into him these days? He's been having so many mood swings, it's almost like he's on his period or some shit.

"You're all set, ma'am," the concierge says as she hands back your card, "Here are two room keys," she says, handing you the first one. But to your horror, she offers the second one to Jungkook, who takes it without a second thought, "Enjoy your stay."

"Wait, no, that's totally not necessary," you say, ripping the key card out of Jungkook's hand, "We only need one."

"Nah, what if we get separated?" Jungkook asks as he easily retains possession of the spare key.

"No, why would we—wait! Not we. Me. Oh my god… Jungkook, you're not invited to my room."

His expression darkens, "Fine," he grunts out, before slapping the spare key back on the counter.

You scowl back at him in return. This is ridiculous. He has no right to be acting so butthurt when he was the one who's been rejecting you. This fucking hypocrite. "Look here, assface. I don't owe you shit, so you better tone down that shitty attitude of yours."

"I'm the one with the shitty attitude?" he scoffs, "You're the one who makes promises only to break them and fuck around with people's feel— ah you know what? Forget it," he says in a low voice, "Just give the key to Hoseok. I'm sure he'd fucking love that." And with that, he shoves your bag back into your arms and stalks off.

"What is wrong with you?!" You exclaim as you follow him.

But after only three steps forward, Jungkook pauses in the middle of the lobby, "Great. As if my day can't get any worse. What are you guys doing here?" He exclaims, throwing up his hands in annoyance.

"Huh?" Confused, you try to peer over his shoulder to see who he's talking to. "Who are you—oh." The bag falls from your hands to hit the ground with a loud thud as your whole world spins upside down.

The strikingly handsome man standing in line for the concierge desk behind you looks up at that. And his perfectly formed pink lips raise in a dazzling smile as he recognizes you, "Ah, ___. What a coincidence running into you here."

Your heart plummets to your feet and for a moment, you're afraid that you might be sick, "S-seokjin," you stammer, "I… I…" but you can't find your words.

"Long time no see, princess," the god-like man says with a laugh, "You look good."

He's just as smooth as always. Kim Seokjin hasn't fucking changed one single bit. For a moment, all your defenses crumble and you're 18-years-old again, crying uncontrollably as you beg him not to break up with you. Just his magnetic presence makes you feel weak and helpless as you were Freshman year. As though those three years of self-discovery and personal growth never happened.

At that moment, Hoseok and Taehyung finally catch up with your group, confused by how long it's taking for you to check in, "___, what's going on here?"

But you can't muster the courage to respond, heart pounding hard enough to burst out of your chest as you shrink from the first encounter with your ex-boyfriend for the first time in three years.

Jungkook is equally as confused, "Wait… How do you two know each other?"

You're too anxious to respond, so Seokjin does it for you, "We used to date," he says.

The explanation is so simple… so casual. It's like those four years together meant absolutely nothing to him. And it hurts more than you could ever express.

"Wait, really?" Taehyung says, looking back and forth between the two of you in surprise.

His reaction makes your insides shrivel up in humiliation. You know what he's thinking. It's how everyone reacts when they find out about your relationship. Little, grubby ol' you with the most beautiful, talented, perfect man who's ever walked planet earth. What could have possessed this god to ever date someone like you?

"Wait, is this the cheating bastard?" Jungkook asks, breaking you out of your self-loathing reverie.

You don't say anything in response, but your silence is all they need to jump to conclusions. Hoseok is the first to react. He jumps forward to grab you and protectively pull you under his arm, "You dated this fucker?"

"I… It was a long time ago," you mutter in a small voice, uncharacteristically spineless in front of the man who broke your spirit.

Seokjin eyes the way Hoseok splays his hands possessively over your stomach with interest, "___, are you fucking this one, too?" he says with an amused chuckle, "Wow, you must have a thing for soccer captains."

Your face blanches at the insult, but before you can deny it, Hoseok steps up to the challenge, "Damn, jealous much?" he says with a deceptively bright smile on his face, "I'm sorry that you feel so threatened, pal."

Seokjin scans Hoseok from head to toe with a raised eyebrow, "Does it really look like I would be threatened by someone like you?" He asks, lips curving into a shit-eating grin, "Nice try, pal. I'm just surprised that ___ would go for such a downgrade. Your standards have dropped, babe."

"Wow, where's all this confidence coming from?" Hoseok snickers as he takes a long step forward into Seokjin's personal space, "Compensating for something, pretty boy?"

"You say that as though it's an insult," Your ex-boyfriend chuckles, not backing down one inch, "But we all know that ___'s been fucking around trying to get over me. But it's useless. Because no one else can compare, huh, baby girl?"

"Really? You?" Hoseok scoffs as he examines Seokjin with the same derogatory intensity, "Damn, ___. I'm offended that you can even put me in the same category as this loser."

Seokjin cockily runs a hand through his silken black hair, and the sensual gesture causes many heads to turn in the busy hotel lobby, "Look who's talking, Jung. We're the undefeated champions of the entire country. And I've been listed MVP three years in a row. And how many times have you led your team to victory, Jung…?"

Hoseok reddens under the attack, causing Seokjin's shit-eating smirk to grow.

"That's right. Zero. So don't go talking shit when you've got nothing to back you up."

"It ends here, pretty boy," Hoseok growls as he shoves a finger into Seokjin's broad chest, "Prepare to eat your words tomorrow morning."

Seokjin's plush red lips spread further, "You actually think you have a chance at beating us?" he asks in amusement, "That's cute."

"You won't be laughing tomorrow when you get your ass handed back to you."

"Those are fighting words," Seokjin lightly muses, "Well, good luck to you and your little raglan gang. God knows you'll need it… Oh, and ___?"

The familiar sound of your name from his honey voice makes your heart stammer. You look up with wide eyes, "Y-yes?"

"When this little boytoy of yours fails tomorrow—like he inevitably will—you know where to find me. I'll make you feel better, baby girl," he says with a charming wink.

Your face blanches at the same time Hoseok's blood boils over. "Son of a bitch!" he growls, lunging forward without a second thought. Luckily, Taehyung and Jungkook grab him around the middle before he can make contact.

Seokjin laughs loudly as he watched Hoseok struggle in their grasp, "What have your standards become, ___? I'm looking forward to seeing you after the game." And with a causal wave of his hand, he saunters off without a second glance.

That will never happen! You want to scream at him. You are a disgusting pig and I'd rather die than let you lay a single finger on me ever again! But like always, any sense of self-respect dissolves before his presence.

"___ are you okay?" A soft voice rips you from your self-deprecating thoughts.

You look up and nearly wilt with despair at the sight of Jungkook's concerned face. It's bad enough running into your ex-boyfriend after all of these years… But having your current fling privy to all the dirty details? You're so embarrassed, you could die on the spot.

"Yes, of course," you grunt, too busy brainstorming a dozen ways to escape from this unbelievably awkward situation to really pay him much attention.

"I can't believe you dated our mortal enemy, ___," Hoseok groans, oblivious to your discomfort, "What were you even thinking?"

"I don't know," you tell him in a small voice, "I really don't know."

Hoseok sighs deeply at that, "Well, time to erase all traces of him… Here, wear this tomorrow," he say, grabbing a bundle of fabric from his bag and shoving it into your hand.

You don't have to look to know that it's the jersey that he promised you. "Thanks," you numbly say as you take the offered garment. You're about to absentmindedly cram it into your duffle bag when you realize that Jungkook is still holding it. And behind him, Taehyung pokes his head out in curiosity.

Your eyes widen with shock, "Tae, come here," you say, grabbing him by the wrist, "Let's go up to my room."

"Wait, ___, I—" Jungkook begins.

"Good luck on the game tomorrow, guys," you hastily interrupt him, "I'll be cheering for you." And with that, you snatch the bag out of Jungkook's arms and drag Taehyung towards the elevators.

"Don't worry, ___," Hoseok calls after you, mindless of the scene he's causing in the quiet hotel lobby, "I'll fucking thrash that pathetic ex of yours tomorrow, babe."

He is completely confident about his statement, chin proudly jutted in the air and back ramrod straight with pride. And that smirk that spreads across his handsome face… It's charismatic. It's charming and you know that your heart should be fluttering at his chivalrous words. Instead, you feel sick to your stomach.

"Just take care of yourself, Hoseok."

It looks like he wants to respond to your ambiguous words, but you've already fled for safety within the confines of the elevator, pulling Taehyung along with you.

"What the hell was that?" Taehyung exclaims as soon as the two of you have entered the privacy of your hotel room.

You sigh as you dump your bag on the meticulously made queen-sized bed. "Meet Kim Seokjin. Aka the reason why I was so afraid of going to Gwacheon. And the first person we meet not even ten minutes into this goddamn city."

"Bad breakup, I'm guessing?"

"That's one way of describing his multiple affairs over a four year period," you muse, "Never thought you were one to sugar coat things, Tae."

He winces, "Sorry. I really had no idea."

"It's okay. I wish you didn't have to witness that…"

"Ugh. I was so startled that I froze," he grumbles as he plops down on your bed, "I should've said something!"

You wordlessly tug on his boots, "You couldn't have known… It was just such a messy situation."

Taehyung lifts his feet and allows you to pull off his shoes, "Good thing Hoseok reacted for all of us! I wish I could've given that cheating bastard a piece of my mind, too, but Hoseok chewed him out enough for all of us. Wow, he was so cool confronting that asshole with no fear!" He gushes.

You sigh as you dump his shoes on the ground, "Is that really cool?"

"Mmhmm." He immediately scrambles onto your bed as soon as his shoes are off and flops onto his back, "He looked so manly, standing up for you like that."

"I don't know…"

"Oh, come on. I know you'll probably claim to hate things like this, but even you have got to admit that the way Hoseok got all up in his face defending you was hot as hell."

"I don't know if he was defending me… Seemed more like a pissing contest to me."

"You just don't get it," Taehyung impatiently waves you off, "By asserting his dominance over Seokjin, he was protecting what was his! He was protecting you!"

You wrinkle your nose, "Do I look like I want that shit?"

"Oh, shut it. You know it was hot. And he kept Seokjin from taunting you and hurting you further."

"I mean… I guess."

"I'm just disappointed in Jungkook," Taehyung continues on, undeterred by your reluctance, "I really thought he'd also step up to the plate and rescue you."

You immediately bristle at that, "I don't need no man to save me!"

"Oh honey, I know. But let's be real: in that situation, you clearly needed someone's help. And Jungkook didn't give it to you. Instead, he just stood there like a gawking idiot… I've 100% made my choice. I'm team Hoseok until the day I die."

You bite down on your bottom lip, wanting to argue, but you can't help but admit that Taehyung might be onto something here. Of course, you wouldn't want Jungkook to get all aggressive the way that Hoseok had. But the fact that he had just stood here and watched Seokjin degrade you like that in front of everyone was disappointing. He was just so stoic and emotionless. Like you meant nothing to him.

"Whatever. I just really hope that they win tomorrow. I can't bear it if Seokjin wins… I can just imagine his smug face and the texts that would blow up my phone…" you shudder at the very thought, "In this city of thousands and tens of thousands of people, how the fuck did I run straight into him?"

Taehyung rolls over so he can sympathetically grab your shoulder, "Don't worry, ___. Hoseok will fuck him up tomorrow and knock him down a peg."

You smile hesitantly at him, "Thanks." But you're still not sure if that's what you want…

The next afternoon, you head down to the soccer arena for the championship game with Taehyung, Yerin, and Yoongi. It was difficult to sleep after the horrid encounter with Seokjin, and as a result, you feel like a zombie slugging over to your assigned seat. The only thing that keeps you from dissolving into a nervous wreck is the comfort of Hoseok's shirt on your back. It surrounds you like a protective cloak and makes the prospect of seeing your ex-boyfriend again almost bearable.

"Whoohoo!" Taehyung exclaims loudly, waving around his loudspeaker in excitement, "Let's go team!"

Yoongi cups his hands over his ears in irritation, "Ugh. Why did you bring that thing? You are so noisy."

Taehyung happily ignores him, "Let's go, Jung Hoseok! Jung Hoseok, Jung Hoseok, Jung—"

Yoongi snatches away the loudspeaker before the younger man can bellow the team captain's name a fourth time. "Okay, you've just lost all loudspeaker privileges for the rest of the game."

The game is unbelievably tense, and you can't properly catch your breath until the half time break. Taehyung aggressively attempts a fanchant, but the home team easily drowns out his voice. You stare blankly around the vast stadium, taking in the vibrant colors of the swarm of opposing fans, and the sparkly ribbons on the cheerleaders flipping around on the field. You wince when cheerleaders finish their elaborate routine by spelling out Seokjin's name with their flexible bodies spread out across the turf.

He's a god here, and rightfully so. Only forty-five minutes into the game, and he's already blocked every single one of your school's shots. Hell, he made even the infamous heavy-weight scoring champion, Jeon Jungkook look as useless and feeble as a newborn kitten. And you could practically see the steam coming out of Hoseok's ears as he stomps off to the locker room to strategize for the next half.

The world is unfair. Why else would it allow a selfish bastard like Kim Seokjin to win this championship for the third year running? Or maybe it's just you… You're probably a bad luck charm. That's why your school's previously undefeated team loses every time you attend the game.

"Oh my god… It's over," Taehyung sighs dramatically, expressing your very thoughts.

"Don't say that," Yerin lightly chides him, "They're only down by… two goals." But her tone drops at the end of her sentence.

"Jungkook's poor little ego will be crushed," Yoongi chuckles, "Good thing ___'s here to comfort him."

"Forget Jungkook," Taehyung snorts, "Hoseok's the one who truly needs ___."

You know that they're joking and they expect you to throw a comical fit at their teasing. Instead, you find yourself with no energy to even care. "I just want to go home."

Twenty minutes after halftime ends, and there seems to finally be a breakthrough. When Hoseok goes into attack mode, even as his role as midfielder, and boldly crosses the field to block Seokjin, Jungkook is finally allowed the opportunity to dribble past the other defenders and smash the ball into the net with ease. And with that, the opposing team's façade of strength quickly crumbles.

Seokjin is undoubtedly a brilliant athlete, but one player alone, as formidable as he may be, cannot carry a team. And when Hoseok begins doing all in his power to combat the opposing captain, seamlessly shifting into a defensive role, the other team is done for.

It's just unfortunate that your team didn't catch its stride until there's only half an hour left of the game. And despite what the public might think from the theatrical media depictions of grandeur, soccer is not a melodramatic sport. Very little happens in the next thirty minutes. Although the entire stadium is holding their breath, as of one mind, the ball only dribbles back and forth, with more referees calling out penalties than anything even close to a shot on goal.

And as the minutes slip by, you and your group of friends grow increasingly more nervous, whereas the entire stadium of people around you begin to light up with excitement. An exuberant fanchant echoes through the vast stadium, shaking you to the core. You know what they're thinking—there's only five minutes left of the game, and they're leading. It's game over.

And when the ninety-minute mark rolls by, you're sweating so hard with nerves that you've nearly soaked through Hoseok's borrowed shirt. Luckily, at that moment, the referees announce seven minutes of extra time to make up for the numerous times out and accidents. But you and your group have basically given up hope at this point. And even the team out on the field seem downtrodden—a complete 180 from the home team prematurely celebrating their win as they laughingly clasp each other on the back and wave at the crowd of their exuberant supporters.

"…Fuck," Yoongi curses, voicing everyone's secret thoughts.

"Well, maybe we should just go home early tonight…" Taehyung adds in a quiet voice.

You're not so convinced. "Just wait, guys."

They eye you with skepticism, "Come on, ___. It's one thing to be supportive, but another to be delusional."

"Let's just get back to the hotel," Yerin kindly offers, "You don't need to watch the rest of this."

But still, you hold firm and grit your teeth, "Just. Wait."

Perplexed, the three of them have no choice but to obey. You know they're questioning your sanity at this point, but you can't blame them. To be honest, you're just as confused as they are. You have no idea why it's so important to you to watch their inevitable defeat. But for some reason, you can't make yourself budge one inch. Because no matter if he wins or loses, you have to be here for him. You have to see Jungkook through until the end.

A loud scream tears you from your thoughts. You barely process it as Yerin's before your eyes dart down to the field. You glance over right in time to Jungkook falling down to his knees as his teammates suddenly crash into him, gleefully slamming him to the ground. Bewildered, you blink to clear your vision, and there it is—the beautiful white ball cleanly enveloped in the back of the home team's net. Jeon Jungkook has scored again. And now the game proceeds to the penalty kick shootout.

The most unpleasant sensation of déjà vu fills you watch the teams line up on field. You watch as Seokjin's team gathers up for a huddle, while your team stoically stands scattered across the turf, helpless but to watch as they strategize their way to victory. A memory of that faithful afternoon outside the lockers flashes across your mind at that moment. And how utterly dejected Jungkook looked, crumpled up against the wall.

Your jaw tightens. You can't stand seeing him like that, and you'll do everything you can to make sure he never feels that way again.

The first player from the opposing team makes the goal, before the home team follows it up with a ball in the back of the net with complete ease. This as expected from the undefeated champions, but you can't help the sliver of trepidation that slides down your back. Unconsciously, you clasp your hands together in a silent prayer.

The next three rounds slip by quickly. Despite their exhaustion, both teams are able to make every goal on shot—the satisfying swish of the ball slamming into the back of the net heard across the field. Because the whole stadium is filled with so much tension that no one dares breathe, much less cheer these small victories… Until the second to last penalty kick… Where Seokjin's team easily empties the ball in the goal, while your team kicks the ball into the awaiting arms of the opposing team's goalie. And then, a bubble of relief bursts across the stadium, leaving you and your friends stone-faced as those around you tentatively clap in excitement.

Finally, it's the last round. And you can feel the slightest morsel of hope build in your chest when you realize that Hoseok is kicking for your side. Here's the captain—the most solid player in the team. If anyone could possibly lead you to victory, it's him… Although no matter if he scores… your team will still be a point down.

"I thought it'd be Jungkook," Yoongi quietly says, breaking through the tense silence.

The rest of you look at him in despair. "He didn't play well last time," Yerin explains it to him in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, he basically cost the team the game," Taehyung adds.

You scowl at his comment. He's wrong. That wasn't entirely Jungkook's fault. A whole team can't depend on one player, and he was simply having a bad day, due to his nerves. But you have no idea how you'd be able to explain your impassioned rebuttal, so you force yourself to stay quiet instead.

The fans in the stadium are now feeling confident enough in their victory to boo Hoseok as he prepares for his kick. Ever the professional, he ignores their jeers and insults as he lines up the ball with the goal. You silently fume for him. These kids are so damn disrespectful when they should just keep their mouths shut and appreciate art!

And sure enough, when no one is expecting him, Hoseok suddenly darts forward with the sleek grace of a panther and smashes the ball into the net before the goalie even has a chance to react. At that, the boos instantly fade as the stadium lapses back into tense silence.

Huffing with pride, you're very much inclined to turn around and rub it in their faces, when a hand on your arm catches your attention. You whirl back around to find Taehyung tugging insistently on your sleeve, his mouth pursed with unease. You follow his gaze, and your heart nearly stops in its chest at the sight of Kim Seokjin preparing for the next shot.

Your school is down by one. Seokjin only has to make this goal, and they'll be declared the champions of the entire country for the third year running. And he'll be worshipped as a king once more. You feel sick to your stomach as you watch him set up the shot with easy confidence. This is the captain of the undefeated team. The winner of best defensive player in all of South Korea twice in a row. Who hasn't missed a single penalty kick this entire season. It's game over.

Taehyung sympathetically squeezes your hand in his own, but you barely feel it. Kim Seokjin is going to win again. He always gets what he wants, and it appears that this is no different. He is going to defeat your team. He's going to defeat you.

After the longest second that seems to drag for hours, Seokjin finally breaks into a run at the ball planted in front of the goal. But you can't bear to watch. You turn to hastily bury your face in Taehyung's shoulder, unable to tolerate Seokjin's gloating face. The sound of his shoe slamming into the latex ball makes you flinch.

But then, to your utmost surprise, there's a moment of hushed silence completely different from the exuberant cheers you were expecting.

"Oh my god…" Taehyung whispers.

Confused, you slowly raise your head from the crook to your neck. And the sight before you, with the ball nestled tightly in the goalie's arms makes your heart leap to your throat. Could it be possible? Could Kim Seokjin have actually messed up for once?

"Does this mean we have another chance to win?" Yerin gasps, diving across the bleachers to grab your hand.

"I-I don't know," you stammer, as ignorant in sports knowledge as always.

"Yes," Yoongi answers for you, "But now it's sudden death. First team to make the point wins."

Your heart skips a beat at that realization and you tighten your grip on Yerin's hand, too anxious to be concerned about your sweaty palms. A coin flip determines the order of the kicks for the sudden death round, and you realize with dread that Seokjin's team will go first. Luck has never been on your side. But maybe… just maybe, this won't matter?

It's terrible to wish for someone's failure, but you can't bring yourself to feel an ounce of guilt as your prayers are answered and the opposing team missed their shot. There has never been a more beautiful sight than the splotchy whiteness of the ball clutched in the goalie's grip. Now it's your team's turn. And this time, you actually have a chance to win.

Hoseok gathers his team up for a brief huddle as the opposing team's goalie fills up the net next. You can't hear what they're saying, but they're most likely debating on the next player to attempt the penalty kick, if the way Hoseok's brow furrows deeply in consideration is any indication. There's a brief pause… Then Jeon Jungkook is dragged out from the huddle and pushed in front of the goal. And suddenly, you're digging your nails into Yerin's palms so hard that she whimpers from the pain.

Jungkook is clearly feeling unsure of himself on the field, as he anxiously bends to tie and retie his shoelaces and adjust the ball mere millimeters in front of the goal. As though that'll make any difference. He looks a thousand times more nervous than even the last game, when the place was swarming with recruiters, and the team broke their ten-game winning streak. He looks unbearably pale and young as he stands on the field like a lost child.

Your chest is tight with emotion, and before you can restrain yourself, you find yourself rising to your feet and screaming, "You got this, Jungkook!" on the top of your lungs.

Of course you realize that he probably can't hear you. The stadium is massive and your voice is probably just a buzz of a fly in his ear next to the roar of voices. Yet, is it just your imagination or does Jungkook seem to twitch at the very sound of his name? A millisecond later, and he's charging down the field at full speed, and when his foot connects with the ball, the resulting sound is akin to a gunshot.

He smashes into the ball with so much speed and power that no one knows what's going on for a few seconds. The loud crunch of the rubber ball can be from anything really—the ground, a metal post, even the goalie's leg.

It takes a second for everyone to recognize the object spinning erratically against the white webbed net, while the goalie collapses to the ground in defeat. Another second, then—

"GOALLL!" Taehyung's shout roars through the stadium, breaking out of your stunned denial. Could it be? Could it be that Jeon Jungkook just single-handedly won the national championship?

But then Taehyung exuberantly pulls Yerin in for a bear-hug, tugging her straight off her feet at the same time Jungkook's team members tackle him on the field, childishly dog-piling on top of him and yelping with joy. There's no denying this now, whatsoever. Your team won. They actually fucking won. And now they are South Korean national champions.

You collapse back on your seat with a wearied chuckle of disbelief, "Well, fuck."

Yerin turns back to you, her face wreathed in smiles once Taehyung finally places her back down on her feet, "Now how are we going to celebrate?"

"Ugh, Yerin, no," you complain as she drags you by the hand towards the waiting Uber.

"Come on, ___," Taehyung urges with a palm pressed to the small of your back, "Stop being such a party pooper."

"Yeah, this will be fun!" the younger blonde girl chimes in with a grin.

"I don't know," you hesitate, "Isn't it kinda awkward if I show up uninvited?"

"No, they'd love to have you there!" She insists, "I'm surprised that Jungkook didn't invite you already."

"Or Hoseok," Taehyung adds.

"Stop it, both of you," you bark.

They simply grin at each other, "Come on, ___. It'll be fun. Just have one drink to celebrate! This is a huge victory after all. You know how much it means to them…"

Their whining finally wears you down and you concede with a deep sigh, "Fine! I'll go… But just for one hour, then I'm off to bed!"

"Yayyy!"

"Ugh, you kids are so noisy… Oh wait, should I change first?" you ask, realizing that you're still wearing Hoseok's borrowed jersey.

"No way, it's cute," Yerin insists, "And besides, if you're just going for an hour, why do you need to change?"

"Fine…" you mumble. But something in your gut tells you that this won't be a simple, hour-long socialization…

"Can you guys please fucking hurry?" Yoongi calls out from the passenger seat of the Uber, interrupting your conversation, "Do you realize that we have to fucking pay for waiting time?!"

Sobered up, the three of you hurriedly jog to the car, "Coming!"

The party is just getting started when the group of you arrive at the bar. You instantly spot the rowdy group of athletes against the back wall, even though they've showered and changed out of their dirty uniforms. Instinctively, you drop back to hide behind Taehyung.

Hoseok is the first one to notice your group's entry, and instantly jumps to his feet to greet you guys, "Hey, you made it!" He exclaims, hopping over to enthusiastically envelop Yoongi in a hug.

While the others are distracted with their greetings, you cautiously scan across the table. And your heart skips a beat when you find Jungkook looking straight at you. There's a moment of awkwardness when you're unsure whether you should pretend as though you haven't caught him staring, or whether you should playfully call him out for it. But Jungkook makes the decision for you when he suddenly gets to his feet to approach you.

"Hey."

"H-hey," you wince at your stuttering reply and hurry to clear your throat, "Congratulations, Jungkook."

He smiles at that, "Thanks."

There another beat of awkward silence where you wonder if you should hug him. It's a normal gesture to celebrate such a huge win, and from the corner of your eye, you can see Taehyung clambering on Hoseok's back with glee. No one would even blink if you wrap your arms around Jungkook the way you want to, but something holds you back.

"You played well," you say, feebly settling for a thump on his back instead.

Jungkook blinks at the impersonal gesture, "Thanks…" he says again.

You mentally curse yourself for your wimpiness. What has gotten into you these past few days? You've been acting totally out of character. You're not this simpering, weak-willed coward anymore. But somehow, you can't muster the courage to approach him… because what if he doesn't hug you back?

Luckily, someone saves you from the awkwardness right at that moment. "___!" A loud voice shouts your name.

You barely have time to turn around before Hoseok is crushing you to his chest. Your yelp of surprise quickly turns into a peal of laughter as he manages to pull you straight off your feet.

"I'm so glad that you're here!" he exclaims as he chokes off your breath with the force of his hug.

You happily hug him back with equal enthusiasm, "Hoseok, you were amazing out there! Congrats!"

He places you down to peer at you in curiosity, "Really?"

"Yes, really!" You gush, "I was blown away!"

Your flattery makes him laugh, "___, you are the best!" he says with an affectionate ruffle of your hair, "By the way, my shirt looks great on you."

"I know right?" You teasingly strike a pose for him, "I think it actually looks better on me…"

"Of course it does," he easily agrees, "You're so cute, everything looks good on you."

Surprised by the compliment, your eyes widen, "Wh-what?"

He chuckles at your reaction as he pats your head again, "I wish you could’ve seen the look on your stupid ex-boyfriend’s face when we crushed his ass,” he hoots, “It was fucking legendary!”

At the very mention of Jin, your mood drops, “Ah... I see.” 

“That overgrown baby looked like he was going to cry,” he chortles, unperturbed by your less than enthusiastic response, “I still can’t believe you dated such a loser!”

“Yeah,” you quietly agree, “I don’t know.”

“It’s alright. You can make it up to me by having a drink with me."

"Okay!" You agree, allowing him to sling an arm around your neck and lead you away. And as a result, neither of you notice Jungkook standing behind you, glowering after the two of you.

Two hours later, and the party has grown in size, along with people's levels of intoxication. You took a shot with Hoseok earlier, but since then, have somehow gotten away with just nursing a beer as you scrutinize the drunken revelry occurring all around you. Not for Yerin and Taehyung's lack of trying though. They've throw themselves at you countless times, begging you to do a round of body shots off a random stranger's chest, or to attempt a keg stand off the mysterious barrel of beer they've mooched off the bartender. But you manage to firmly stand your ground, reminding them of the drunken mess of Halloween. Fortunately, Yoongi is there to vehemently take your side, desperate to never have to witness a repeat of Halloween night ever again.

You never realized how interesting it could be going to a party sober. Sure, you're not having much fun yourself. But just studying other people's drunken shenanigans from a healthy distance is fascinating. You've never seen any of these people drunk before—or at least, not when you yourself weren't also drunk, and unable to serve as a functional witness. And now, it's quite hilarious taking in everyone's drunken habits.

Yerin is a sweet drunk. She's normally sweet even sober, but when intoxicated, this characteristic is magnified. She's hugged nearly every single person in the bar, and when she went missing for half an hour, you found her in the bathroom coaching a random girl through a breakup with her cheating boyfriend. As her direct foil, Yoongi is a sleepy, grumpy drunk. After just three drinks, he was ready to crawl under the bar and take a nap. It took three people, and lots of begging, to get him to sit in a booth instead.

Hoseok and Taehyung are quite similar to one another when intoxicated. They're both the life of the party, happily celebrating and keeping up the lively mood. Their positivity is contagious, spreading positive energy throughout the bar… And then there's Jungkook… And Jungkook as a drunk is… well, just an asshole, to be honest. But what's new?

"___!" Jungkook yells your name, forcing your attention back to him, "Hey, ___! Yoohoo!" He whistles loudly at you when you take too long to glance over, and the sound makes your blood boil with rage.

"What?!"

"How much beer do you think I can drink when doing a keg stand?"

"I don't care!" It's a bit embarrassing how he's yelling these irrelevant questions at you from across the bar, making everyone in the group turn their attention on the two of you.

"I bet I can drink more than you can ever imagine!" He cockily states.

"What part of 'I don't care' do you fail to understand?" You yell back.

To your annoyance, he throws his head back and laughs, "You're funny. Watch this, babe." And with that, he plants both hands on either side of the barrel of beer and suddenly flips over into a headstand. His loose shirt instantly drops to pool around his neck from the gravity, but of course, he doesn't care. In fact, a self-confident smirk spreads across his face when he catches you looking.

Embarrassed, you quickly snap your eyes away and cross your arms tightly over your chest, angry that you got caught. His head's already too damn big. You don't want to increase its size by ogling over his body… though other girls at the bar clearly don't share the same sentiment. At the sight of his perfectly formed honey abs, a chorus of female cheers breaks across the room, and one girl goes far enough as to clutch her chest and swoon. You scowl in response, "What a fucking show-off."

Another hour passes before you decide that you've finally had enough. It's getting late, and you'd like to get a good night's rest before the long drive in the morning. But unfortunately, they won't let you go so easily.

"Come on, ___," Hoseok urges with a little bump of your shoulder with his own, "Have one more drink with me before you leave."

But you wince at the sight of the glass of beer he tries to coax into your hand, "Just one more itsy-bitsy little drink?" he begs, "I mean, you never even really congratulated me!"

"What? I had a shot with you earlier!"

"Yeah but that was like… seven hours ago!"

"We've only been here three hours, hon."

"… Wow, when did you become such a math whiz?"

This makes you laugh, "Fine," you concede, "Just one sip…"

"Yes, yes!" Hoseok eagerly nods his head.

You chuckle at his insistency, and good-naturedly reach down to take a swig of the offered beer. But in the midst of doing so, you notice a very interesting spectacle from the corner of your eye. There's an oversized brunette jock sitting onto of a tiny little gray-haired dude's lap. You can barely make out his silvery hair from beneath the bigger man's mass. The size difference is so amusing that you nearly spit out your drink.

"Wow, it's not even midnight and people are already this drunk!" You chortle, pointing at the strange duo at the booth.

Hoseok follows the direction in which you're pointing, but cringes when he sees the odd couple, "Oh my god… oh no. Please don't tell me Jeon's fucking at it again…"

At the sound of that particular name, you snap your head up with interest, "Hmm? What'd you say?" You glance towards the duo on the booth again, and your eyes widen with shock when you finally recognize the large dark-haired man as Jungkook. "Holy shit…" you curse in a quiet voice, "What's gotten into him…?"

"Ugh, this is terrible," Hoseok mutters as he rubs his thumbs into his temple, "Barely three hours into the night, and he's already onto stage two!"

"Stage two?" You repeat in confusion, "What does that mean?"

"Jungkook goes through three distinct stages of drunken revelry," the team captain patiently explains as he studies the way the tall brunette nuzzles his face into a very displeased-looking Yoongi's neck, "The first is overly cocky machismo, which you already experienced."

You wince as you recall his obnoxious keg stand from earlier, "Yuck. Anything's better than that."

But Hoseok adamantly shakes his head, "No way. The arrogance is annoying, but still tolerable… Unlike stage two… where he suddenly turns into a baby boy."

You blink three times in rapid succession, "Jeon Jungkook… turns into… a baby boy?" you repeat after him, carefully enunciating every syllable for fear that you've gravely misunderstood.

To your horror, Hoseok solemnly nods his head, "Yes… Stage two drunken Jeon Jungkook is the world's biggest baby boy… He literally thinks that he's eight-years-old… Or a gay bottom... and that every man around him is his top…"

"Oh my…"

"Yeah… he doesn't even approach women in this state… he just wants his… 'daddy,'" Hoseok says, face blanching at the thought, "It's quite different than the stage one fuckboi… The entire team tries to avoid this at any cost… But still, it's better than stage three Jungkook."

"No way," you gasp, "Nothing can be worse than this!"

The handsome redhead turns to you with complete seriousness, "Oh honey… You don't even want to know…"

Curiosity piqued, you open your mouth to question him, but at that moment, Jungkook seems to notice the two of you for the first time. "Ah, there you are!" His cry is heard from across the room as he suddenly jumps off of Yoongi's lap to come galloping straight towards the two of you.

You instantly stiffen and hold both hands in front of you for protection when it becomes apparent that he isn't slowing anytime soon… And last time he had greeted you in such an… enthusiastic manner, he sent you flying back ten feet across the field. This time you will surely die.

It takes a whole second after the expected collision to realize that you're not being bodyslammed into the back wall. You slowly lower your arms and peek through your eyelashes. And to your utmost surprise, you find Jungkook draped all over Hoseok's back like a koala bear.

"Hobi! Cuddle me!" He exclaims in a whiny voice.

"What the fuck? Jungkook, you're literally twenty-one-years-old."

"And you're old," he sasses back, "Now carry me!" He demands, holding up both arms like a small child.

Hoseok sighs deeply, "Jungkook, you are bigger than me, remember?"

"So?" Jungkook pouts, "Who cares?"

"…Are you serious right now? Jeon Jungkook, you're taller and heavier than me. How the fuck am I supposed to—?"

"Cuddle me now!" Jungkook suddenly explodes, stomping his foot like a child throwing a tantrum.

Startled by the outburst, Hoseok instantly gathers his teammate in his arms, "Is this… Is this okay?"

Jungkook hums softly in response, "Cradle me, too."

"But you're really heavy. I can't possibly—"

"Cradle me, you son of a bitch!"

"Fuck, okay!" Frightened, Hoseok jumps to obey, and somehow sweeps his heavy teammate straight off his feet. "Oi, you're so damn heavy," he mutters under his breath as he attempts to rock the hulking younger man back and forth in his arms.

And standing just a few steps behind them, you happily whip out your camera to begin recording the debacle, "Wow, this is fucking gold."

"Hey, ___," Someone approaches you from behind, "You're still here?"

You turn your head to see Yerin frowning at you, "Yeah, sweetie. I'm not missing this shitshow for anything in the world."

It was a mistake to not have made your escape while you still stood a chance. A huge, miserable mistake, because less than half an hour into his Stage 2 appearance, Jungkook suddenly launches into Stage 3. And never have you longed for the comfort and sanctity of your own bed more.

You were just happily minding your own business, recording Jungkook as he made Hoseok feed him beer like it was a milk bottle, when his personality suddenly made a 180-degree shift. One minute he was happily bouncing on Hoseok's lap and suckling at the beer bottle like a swaddling toddler, and then next, he was on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

Slowly, Jungkook detaches his lips from the bottle and pushes the team captain's hands away from his face, "Hoseok, why are you like this?"

"Huh?" The redhead puts the beer down on the counter before staring down at the younger man in his arms, confused, "What are you talking about?"

Jungkook eases his way out of Hoseok's embrace before responding, "I thought we were friends, Hobi… I thought you actually cared about me… So how could you do this to me?"

You slowly lower your camera in surprise. He's actually speaking fully sentences again instead of the whining or weird gurgling sounds he was making earlier. Could this mean…?

"Oh shit," Hoseok curses, his eyes widening in realization, "He's going into Stage 3…"

"Stage 3?" An innocent bystander overhears their conversation, "Jungkook's going into Stage 3?"

"What?!"

"Fuck! Run, everyone!"

This sparks a frenzy among the soccer players, who immediately turn to run for their lives, while the non-athletes look on in bewilderment. One even goes as far as throwing himself under the booth while the rest flee for the safety outside.

Yerin watches the mass exodus with a frown on her lovely face, "What the heck's going on, ___?"

You simply shake your head as you slip your phone into your back pocket, "I have no idea." But something tells you that you shouldn't record it.

"I loved you like a brother!" Jungkook dramatically cries out, making everyone in the vicinity jump in surprise, "How could you betray me like this?!"

Hoseok winces at the volume of his voice and tries to surreptitiously shush him, "Shh, it's okay, Kookie," he says with an awkward pat of his teammate's back, "Just calm down."

But this only serves to infuriate him further, "Don't tell me to calm down!" He exclaims loudly, "I won't hear it from you, you traitorous bastard!"

Hoseok throws his hands up in response, shocked by the unexpected insult, "Wait, hold on a minute! What did I even do?!"

"You know exactly what you did, you backstabbing asshole," the drunken younger man growls in response.

"Stop this nonsense, Jungkook!" Hoseok cries out in exasperation, "I seriously didn't do anything to you!"

"You did!" Jungkook vehemently insists.

"And when did I ever try to backstab you?!"

"You're trying to steal ___ away from me!"

The force of his confession hits you like a punch to the gut. You instantly winded and doubling over with your hands resting on your knees for support as you gasp for air. Could he have actually…? Did he really just…?

"Oh my god," Yerin gasps besides you, confirming your fears.

You slowly raise to your full height again as you watch Hoseok gape at Jungkook with similar shock covering his handsome features.

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me, you son-of-a-bitch!" Jungkook snarls, "You fucking knew I liked her, yet you're stealing her away from me! How could you?!"

"Kookie, seriously calm down," Hoseok says, firmly placing his hands on the dark-haired man's shoulders, "I didn't do anything wrong. You and ___ aren't together, remember?"

At that reminder, Jungkook's brow furrows deeply and his jaw clenches so tightly that you can see a muscle popping in his cheek, even from where you stand across the bar. For a moment, you're worried that he might hit the older man. But instead, Jungkook does something much more concerning… He lowers his head such that his dark fringe shadows his eyes… and then abruptly bursts into tears.

"How are you such a jerk?" He sobs noisily, "I thought you were my brother!"

Hoseok is clearly taken aback by this intense reaction, and helplessly flutters his hands towards him for a few seconds, his anxiety skyrockets, "Shh, Jungkook, it's okay. I am your brother. Don't cry, Kookie."

But that only makes him cry harder. It's such a strange sight to see the normally overly confident, borderline-pretentious athlete break down like this. He suddenly looks much younger than his actual age, like a little boy crying for the loss of his mother. And although you know that this isn't real—that it's just a reaction to the copious alcohol he's consumed in such a short period of time, you can't help but feel for him. It feels like your chest is being crushed to fine dust to watch him in this state, and all you want to do is go over to comfort him. But Yerin beats you to it.

In a blink of an eye, the pretty blonde crosses the room to grip Jungkook's hands tightly in her own, "Jungkook, are you alright?"

He pauses for a moment to stare at her through watery eyes, "Y-yerin? Wow you're so beautiful."

She flushes at the unexpected compliment, and stares over Jungkook's shoulder to raise her eyebrows at Hoseok, who simply shrugs back in confusion, clearly glad that the younger man's lost interest in him. "Um… thank you?"

"No, I'm serious. You are the prettiest person I have ever seen. How can anyone be so gorgeous??" He exclaims, suddenly grabbing her cheeks.

Her large eyes widen further in surprise, her long eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as he suddenly leans in until his face is inches away from hers. From across the room, your heart sinks in your chest with dread. If you weren't frozen solid with horror, you might have tried to rip them apart to prevent his inevitable descent. But you are too far away and helpless but to watch as he descends closer and closer until his lips are touching her—forehead.

Wait, her forehead???

You rub your eyes in confusion, but there he is, noisily kissing Yerin's forehead like she's a newborn baby in his arms. "You are my ideal daughter!" he bellows in delight as he gives her nose a smacking kiss this time, "I would die happy if I could birth someone like you!"

"Jungkook, you can't birth anyone—" Hoseok begins, but the younger man cuts him off again.

"Omg! If ___ and I tried, do you think we could birth you?!" He excitedly asks as he pinches her soft cheeks.

"I'm only two years younger than you..." she politely reminds him, though her words are slightly muffled by his pinching.

He ignores her, "I will protect you from the world, sweet baby."

"… Alright… cool?"

Jungkook beams at that, but before he can try to kiss her on the head again, someone violently interferes, "Yo, what the hell are you doing?!"

"Oh, Taehyung?" Yerin asks in confusion, "What are you doing here?"

"Getting you away from this creep," he growls as he angrily rips her away from Jungkook, "Keep your hands to yourself, dickhead."

"Wait… what?" Jungkook says in a small voice, taken aback by Taehyung's aggression. And when you notice his chin wobbling dangerously, you decide that it's finally time to intervene.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop it, both of you," you hastily step between the two of them before an unnecessary fight can break out. "We're all pretty drunk right now, so we should just cool down and go back to the hotel to sleep this off."

"___?" Jungkook murmurs your name in a tiny voice.

You turn to him with a deep sigh, in no mood to deal with his drunken nonsense right now, "Look, Jeon. Congrats again on your win, okay? Are you happy? Can you stop drinking now?"

"What is there to be happy about?" he bitterly retorts, "What's so good about winning?"

Shocked, you plant both hands on your hips, prepared to chew him out for his rude lack of gratitude. But then he says something that makes your reprimand die in your throat.

"Maybe if I had lost, you would've hugged me again."

For a second that seems to last a lifetime, it feels like the entire bar falls silent, everyone reeling from the impact of his statement. You shake your woozy head, trying to clear it, but incoherent thoughts and emotions continue to whirl around, making you feel dizzy.

Luckily, everyone else seems baffled by his cryptic words. "Jungkook, honey, what are you talking about?" Yerin asks in a sweet voice.

But he just shakes his head with a humorless laugh, "Nothing… ___ just really is heartless."

This rouses your anger, and you quickly snap out of your brief moment of dazed astoundment, "Whatever. I'm not going to stand for this BS. Good night, kids. I'm out of here."

But before you can take one step forward, Jungkook suddenly lurches forward to grab your arm with bruising strength, "Wait, ___!"

You turn to shoot him the dirtiest glare you can muster, "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Jeon Jungkook?"

He winces at the look of sheer fury on your face, but doesn't loosen his grip one bit, "Don't go, ___."

But this only infuriates you further, "Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?! Let me go!"

Desperation flashes across his face as he smooths his hand down your arm to grab your hand in both of his own, "Please, ___. Please don't go."

You stand there for a second, momentarily distracted by the way he ardently presses his lips to the back of your hand But you quickly snap out of it and shake your hand out of his grip, "You don't get to act like this, Jungkook. Not after how much of a dick you've been to me all week." And with that, you attempt to march away.

You make it exactly halfway out the bar before he catches up to you again, his reaction time slightly slowed by one too many shots flowing through his bloodstream. "___, I'm sorry!" He exclaims, grabbing your hand to slow you.

You angrily whirl around to face him, "I know that you're drunk and probably just want your dick sucked right now, but trust me when I say that there's no way in hell that'll happen."

"That's not what I want! Well—actually… maybe… Wait, no!" he exclaims when he sees the look of disgust flash across your face. "That's not what I meant! Why do you keep pushing me away?" He cries out in exasperation.

"Me?" your eyes widen in astonishment, "Are you fucking kidding me, Jungkook? What about Friday night, huh? How do you explain that?"

"What about Friday night?" Jungkook asks in surprise.

"Seriously? Have you forgotten already with the number of sexts you get everyday?!"

"Sext?" he repeats with a furrow of his brow, "What sext?"

"The photo I sent you!" You practically yell at him, frustrated beyond belief, "You didn't even respond to it! If you're not interested, then fine. Just let me know so I can fucking move on with my life!"

"That's not it!" he exclaims, grabbing both of your hands this time in an attempt to calm you down. "You're the one who's not interested!"

"What the fuck are you talking about? I sent you the photo, and you didn't even care! I know I'm not pretty, and that photo might have been cringe-worthy, but damn, Jungkook. I actually tried, okay? This is so embarrassing to admit and I promise I'll never—"

"I jerked off half a dozen times to your photo!" He brusquely interrupts you.

"—send you another photo if you hate it so—wait what?" Your brow creases as you finally process his statement, "What? Jungkook… I literally sent you that photo two days ago…"

He at least has the decency to look chagrined, "Yeah… I know."

Your thoughts swirl dizzily in your mind as you try to process this new information, "But then… if you liked it so much… why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it was an accident!" He explodes, "You didn't even want me to look at it!"

Realization hits you, "Oh my god…" you whisper, "You're so stupid… We're both so stupid… I wanted you to look at it, idiot."

His alcohol-addled mind can't process your words, "Huh? Then why did you tell me not to?"

You can't answer that question, and instead drop your eyes to your shoes in embarrassment, "I don't know," you admit in a small voice.

"Why do you always do this?" he pushes on, relentless, "Why didn't you bid for me at the date auction? Why are you wearing Hobi's shirt right now instead of mine?"

"I don't know," you repeat again, "Why did you kiss Hyejin at the last kickback?" you shoot back at him, displeased by being the only one grilled.

"Because I thought you were with Hoseok!"

Shocked by his honest answer, you stumble a step back from him in fear. Suddenly, this is all too much for you. You feel unbearably claustrophobic in the cramped, musty bar, with Jungkook's presence overwhelming you from every angle. It feels like you can't breathe, can't even think in his proximity. Adrenaline fills your system at that moment, and all you can think about is fleeing the situation. This is too much, too soon. It's terrifying and you just need some time to think.

"Jungkook, I really need to go," you say as you try to wiggle your hands out of his grip, "Can we talk about this in the morning?"

But sheer panic flashes in his eyes when you attempt to shake him loose. "Don't leave me," he croaks out in desperation, "Please, ___. Don't leave me…

"Not like she did."

You freeze entirely and turn to stare at him with huge eyes, dumbfounded by his confession. She? Who is this woman who has clearly hurt him so much? You study the way his hands tremble over yours, and how his pupils shake with fear. He's just drunk and overly emotional right now. It doesn't mean anything…

Yet, for some reason, you find yourself sliding your fingers between his to hold his hand better, "Jungkook…" you murmur in a soft voice, "Would you like to sleep over in my room tonight?" You don’t know what’s gotten into you. You don’t know what’s possessed you to make such a bold offer. But you can’t bear to part from him right now. 

Something seems to shift between the two of you as he stares at you with eyes that shine like stars in the sky, "Yes," he breathes, "Please don't let me go."

You give his hand a tight squeeze, "I won't."

A/N: Please don’t ask about updates! Also I didn’t have time to read this through or edit it, so I apologize for any mistakes!