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Jeon Jungkook was nowhere close to how far gone he'd have to be before he'd let Bangtan end.

"You can hang on?" Bang Sihyuk raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm fine," Jungkook said as loudly as possible.

It sounded good.

"We'll see how you're doing tonight."

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Jungkook's manager personally called and visited all 7 of those girls the next day.

They were not all nearby, but Jungkook was lucky, so lucky, that all of them were even still in the country.

Yet to get to some of them took hours by car, especially round-trip.

When the manager returned to the dorms to talk to Jungkook at 11:15 at night the next day,

his face wary and his suit disheveled,

Jungkook's heart sank.

The hyung had spent the entire day, starting from 7:00AM, on the road for Jungkook.

Yet his eyes held nothing but apologies as he looked at him.

Like it was his fault.

Like he had let Jungkook down.

His shoulders sagged.

His eyebrows were knotted with frustration.

His mouth thinned into a line with... shame.

Jungkook wanted to tell him No, it's not your fault. Thank you for doing this for me, hyung.

"First thing tomorrow, Jungkook. In the morning. We'll announce your bonding. We're going to split the other six members up, each one solo, to visit all the radio stations and broadcasts possible. Tell everyone you need to find this girl. Please know we will do whatever it takes to-"

"No." Jungkook interrupted.

"His manager hissed through gritted teeth.

"No. I'm still fine."

The older man shook his head.

"Hyungnim I literally just got up to go to the bathroom. Do you want me to show you? I need to get up so you can see I'm still fine-"

Jungkook threw a leg over the edge of the sofa and the noona hurriedly to stop him.

She looked at the manager pleadingly.

"He shouldn't move any more than he has to," she whispers.

His manager sighed so hard that it sounded like he had been punched.

"Jungkook... it's your life. It's not a game. We can't-"

"I know. I know all of that. I just need you to trust me when I tell you I'm doing OK still."

Legitimate anger wormed into Jungkook's voice.

"Why won't you take my word for it? Who else would know how I feel better than I do? Would I have the energy to be arguing with you if I was about to die?"

He knew the vein in his neck was bulging and he knew this was no time to lose his temper but he will not, CAN NOT, let anyone rip Bangtan apart while he was still breathing and conscious.

"It's been over 48 hours.

Plus... you're... advancing faster than normal. You're slipping into the danger zone,"

was all the other man said back.

His voice was exhausted.

He wasn't arguing with Jungkook.

He was just trying to communicate the hard facts.

Jungkook softened.

"I just..."

He took a breath to calm his words.

"I just know I've still got fight."

The manager looked at him.

They stared at each other in silence.

The noona quietly lay a moist cloth onto Jungkook's elbow.

"I know you're strong, Jungkook. You've always been," his manager said at last.

"One more day. That's all. If we don't find her, then we hit the news."

Jungkook swallowed hard.

Only one more day.

He had wanted to hold onto himself,

not wanted to lose himself to some random girl who he would need...

... But suddenly, with the threat to Bangtan in his face...

he found himself relenting.

Please, please let us find you, he finally thought, out toward the window where he could see the night outside.

Not for me, but for Bangtan.

I need you.

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I haveavailable too.

I worked hard on them, I promise they are good

for, which happen EVERY month.

https://twitter.com/minxy_keys

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