RIVALS

18: Love's Rival

"Why are you looking so glum? It's the schooltrip to Gyeongju tomorrow, you know?" Yoongi ruffles my hair gently, his eyelashes fluttering shut. I could tell immediately that he had stayed up the entire night.

His worried eyes flared up as soon as he saw the dark circles around my eyes. Little did he know, I was concerned about something else, that the long awaited trip had left my mind.

Jungkook.

It's been two days since I last saw him, and I've felt the dread and guilt piling in my heart. I was staying away for two reasons : confirmation of his feelings towards me, and the fact that he fainted due to my carelessness.

Still, it wouldn't be right of me to run and hide forever. So I decided to settle the matter into my own hands, fumbling around Yoongi's closet and pulling on his large sweat pants. Hope he doesn't mind me wearing this with my granny panties..

The moment I reached the doorstep to Jungkook's home, I dailed his number. I waited for a connection as my hands trembled underneath the repeating beeps of the phone, before flinching when a voice echoes into my ear.

"Soojung?" the voice said, sending my heart to a stop. Somehow, I could make out heavy breaths on the other side of the line, the sound of it tingling my ear.

"I....uhm," I answered, still startled by how deep his voice seemed through the call. "I'm outside your door, so can you-

I was cut off when thundering footsteps could be heard nearing my direction. The door flungs open, revealing a distorted, and sweaty Jungkook. My eyes travelled down to his half naked body, his perfectly chiseled abdomen and the shorts that hung loosely around his hips. I noticed the way his chest rises and falls, and his parted lips releasing heated breaths. I stood frozen in front of him, unable to utter a word.

"You like?" Jungkook leans on the doorframe, adjusting his boxing gloves. A evident smirk spreads across his lips, as I stopped staring and averted my eyes to the side.

He was boxing. He was boxing, Soojung. Get your mind out of the gutter. I repeated the words in my head, but the images of his heavy breaths flashes past.

Jungkook must've realised what I was thinking, so he pulls me in, closing he door behind him.

"Since when did you..?" I pointed at his gloves.

"Since middle school?"

"Woah. So can you move really quickly?"

"I'm a boxer, Soojung. So naturally my hands are fast, especially in bed." He smirks.

Great. So I'm left alone with this perverted jerk in his apartment all the while being forced to place my eyes elsewhere other the noticable bulge in his pants.

My train of thoughts were once again distracted when Jimin, in the exact same attire, appears beside us with his damp hair pulled back messily. I'm now surrounded by two sweaty men with boxing gloves and nothing but gym shorts on. I can't die now, I need to witness this, I screamed in my head so I wouldn't apparently bleed to death from my nose.

"Hey." Jimin greets me with a side smirk on his lips, bending down slightly to observe my heated cheeks. I was only saved when Jungkook starts to pull me closer to his body protectively.

"Is it okay if I talk to Jungkook alone?" I held my breath as Jimin wiped down his body with a white towel, before proceeding to throw his boxing gloves to the side. He glances at me for a few times, whilst rubbing the back of his neck. Jimin's thick lips curved into a troubled frown while thinking of my question.

"Okay." he finally nods, leaving me and Jungkook alone. He wraps the towel around his neck, strutting off slowly into another room.

"Come here, Soojung." Jungkook dumps his tired body onto the floor and removed the straps around his boxing gloves. I followed him quietly, placing myself on the chair next to him.

"I have something I want to tell you too." Jungkook licks his lips that went dry from the constant breaths earlier. He gazes at me with half opened eyes, observing my features lovingly. It took me a while to notice that his hands were playing with my fingers, hesitantly, like a child.

I couldn't bring myself to look at him in the eyes, so I stared at our interlocked hands. It made me question what we were supposed to be at that point of time. Lovers?....but I've never loved anyone before. I'm afraid.

"Jungkook, I.....ouch!"

I had attempted to courageously confess to him when I felt my hair pulling back. Before I could realized it, a long strand of my hair was stuck in between the gaps of the tall chair, which caused the sharp pain in my scalp.

I watched as Jungkook inches dangerously close to me, his chin resting on my forehead as his biceps wrapped around my head. Thankfully, he had already wiped off all his sweat so my face wasn't drowning in it.

"Hold on a little more, I'll get it out." He announces, fumbling around cluelessly behind my head.

"Just cut the hair off!"

"No. I won't." Jungkook ignores me, gently separating my hair from the gap. As he pulls away, our faces were unbearably close, and my eyes widened in shock.

It was like second instinct at that point. Jungkook' hands pressed against the back of my neck, before tilting his head to kiss me. He morphs his lips against mine needingly, exploring every inch of it. I let out a sinful sound when he sucks on my bottom lip with a tease. The hot session turns gentle after a moment, only barely brushing against my mouth, but then turns passionate again when he inserts a tongue.

"mmph...w-wait" I pleaded him, trying to catch my breath. The impaitent Jungkook pushes me onto the floor roughly, planting yet another kiss onto my lips. This time, with his tongue.

I felt myself gave in to the temptation, melting my lips with his warm ones. Jungkook pulls away, the sweat on his collarbone running down onto his tank top, his chest heaving for air. He glares at me with lust, but tries his best to hold back. Our time was only cut short when a hand pulls Jungkook away, the weight of his chest lifting off from mine.

"Let me borrow her for a minute, Jungkook." Jimin picks me up, a panicked expression on his face. He holds me close, hugging me tightly and walking off with me in his arms.

"J-Jimin? Jimin!" I patted his back, but not a reply was heard. My arms wrapped securely around his neck, and his flushed cheeks reddened even more.

"Jimin, please tell me what's going on." I grabbed his hands tightly, staring into his eyes. He responds with a sad smile, looking away to the distance.

"Tell me, Soojung." He envelopes me into an embrace, resting his head on my shoulder vulnerably.

"Tell me what I should do so you'd like me instead..."