Writing would be meaningless if no one read it.

PS: I'm so stoked for Bon Voyage 3.

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Jungkook

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If Jungkook was still eating like usual, then so much lying around and not moving certainly would have gained him a few pounds he'd have to work hard to shed later.

But as it is, Soulmate energy and healing didn't make one fat.

All bonded people were the ideal body size unless they REALLY lay around doing nothing.

So Jungkook didn't get fat, but his subconscious was still nervous about it.

Mostly he sat on the sofa with Soulmate.

They watched TV or napped to heal.

She read books sometimes.

He tried to ask her questions here and there, but it was still weird to him being the proactive social one.

And then he was always a little sour from when Jimin or Taehyung would pass by and chatter endlessly with Soulmate, bringing grins to her cheeks or extracting easy answers from her.

Jimin was charming.

Jungkook knew that.

Taehyung was disarming.

Jungkook knew that.

But whenever Jungkook asked her questions,

there was always a certain amount of awkward stammering from both of them,

and she was so timid to him.

If she was meant for Jungkook, why was it most difficult for Jungkook to talk to her??

Even Yoongi had a quiet understanding with her,

his silent nods and quiet words pulling smiles and conversation from the girl.

Jungkook felt so strange and unlike himself for being bothered by it, too.

He'd never been so irritated with his hyungs.

He didn't like it.

He tried to just focus on the fact that he was healing.

Because he was.

After three days, the soreness was mostly gone, and he was well enough to be doing light exercise again.

Even if he did need some Soulmate energy every few hours.

And reality sets in as Jungkook is handed a clipboard.

"With the Love Yourself: Answer comeback so near, the best thing we can do to hide your soulmate bond is to act like nothing happened. We have to get ready for the comeback," Namjoon tells him.

Jungkook nods.

Of course. The whole point of risking his life to stave off the public release of his bonding was so that Bangtan could continue on.

Of course he needed to practice for the Comeback.

"Ah, Jungkook is so talented, he knows all his parts already," Hoseok chimes in, characteristically himself, comforting everyone, praising Jungkook, bringing in the sunshine from outside.

Jungkook lets himself smile.

"I still need to practice."

"Taehyung still needs to practice," Namjoon laughs.

"As do I. And Jin hyung. We all still make mistakes. IDOL choreography isn't easy."

Taehyung pouts at the mention of his name as he ties his shoelace.

"I know, I know," he whines. "You don't have to remind me."

Jungkook's mind, though, is worrying whether he can keep up.

He's been walking around just fine, but choreography was demanding. It exhausted him even when he was healthy.

It wasn't until Soulmate asked a manager if she could go home

while Jungkook went to rehearsal

that Jungkook remembered she wasn't going to always be available.

He hadn't thought about it.

She had her own life.

A noona took Soulmate away from him- er, home, to get some of her things.

He didn't say anything when she waved goodbye at him.

He only trusted himself to wave in return.

Because seemed like a question in poor confidence.

Jungkook piled himself into the cars with his team members, heading to the studios.

He found himself scanning Taehyung's profile and wondering if Soulmate talked easily to Taehyung because Taehyung was so handsome.

Jungkook had never felt ugly before.

He knew he was attractive, because everyone said so.

But everyone also said that Taehyung had a perfect face.

And that's surely something that girls preferred?

The choreographer made Jungkook do stretches and some basic cardio before they got back into action, but Jungkook had kept up with his stretches every day after he started healing.

His body was his livelihood.

He also went over the IDOL choreography countless times every day in his mind, even as he sat on the sofa, to make sure he didn't forget any of it.

He knew he had a strong mind.

But it didn't hurt to make sure he was on point.

They drill out the IDOL choreography in half time, the choreographer chanting the lyrics and humming empty bars of music.

Hoseok chanted with their teacher and counted out trickier beats, pointing at Taehyung when he forgot to bend his arm.

Jungkook pretended that he didn't notice Jimin and Hoseok sneaking looks at him frequently, to check his condition, making sure he was alright.

After just four runs of the song, all at only half speed, Jungkook felt out of breath.

But he couldn't tell if it was just the dancing or if he needed Healing.

It wasn't until his knee gave out from under him and he fell to the floor that he knew for sure.

"Aish, I told you to take a break if you need to," Jimin worried at him, slipping his hands under Jungkook's arms to help him stand.

"Jungkook, take ten," the choreography teacher commanded, no room for negotiation.

Jungkook drops his head and nods.

Jimin and Hoseok help him over to a chair and hand him a bottle of water.

"Are you alright, Kookie?" Jimin places a hand on Jungkook's shoulder.

Normally, Jungkook would nod.

Normally, Jungkook would appreciate or at least be neutral about Jimin's concern.

But Jimin's gentle voice, which Jungkook's Soulmate obviously found so comforting too, suddenly reminded Jungkook that he was irritated with Jimin for some reason, and what reason he couldn't pinpoint, but suddenly Jimin made Jungkook angry with his kind and gentle and so damn ways.

"Not everyone needs you to take care of them," Jungkook hears himself snap back.

Though he doesn't know if he is talking about himself...

or someone else...

Surprise lashes across Jimin's face.

Taehyung wanders over, frowning.

"I know you are strong, Jungkookie, but Jimin is just saying, because you are just Healed..."

Taehyung and his face just stabbing into Jungkook's eyes.

Jungkook knows he is overreacting.

He knows.

He puts his face into his hands.

"Let him rest," Yoongi's low voice drawls across the studio.

They leave him alone to hate himself.

Jungkook watches the rest of Bangtan rehearse the song five times.

They sweat and wipe their brows on towels.

He gets up to join them for the next session.

He only runs through the song once this time before he begins to feel weak and dizzy.

They order him to sit down again.

So that was how Soulmate and the Noona saw him as they walked into the studio.

Collapsed on the chair, tilting his body to one side as the other members danced.

Jungkook thought he was going to die from embarrassment.

He isn't lazy.

But right now Soulmate sees him resting alone as everyone else worked.

She probably thought he was so lazy and frail and weak...

But standing up and shouting "I'm not weak!!" didn't seem like a good move either so he just sat there, hating it.

He was so shamed that he wasn't prepared for the alarm that widened her eyes as she saw him.

And then suddenly he felt it too.

Something golden shot across his chest, like a flash of a sparkler, punching the breath out of him and drawing him to her.

He sat up straighter.

Soulmate was clutching a laptop and a backpack, which she puts down on the floor.

She walks across the studio, as everyone is pretending to not watch the two of them, and sits on the floor by Jungkook's knees, laying her hand across his knee.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long," she says, so quietly that he can't hear her over the music.

But he reads her lips.

He shakes his head, his body warm from the immediate Healing.

His joints unlock and his muscles relax.

Everything stops hurting.

He can't help himself...

He reaches and puts his hand over hers.

She bites down on her lip and blushes.

It did feel like forever that she was absent.

But he wasn't about to let her know that.

She had been gone for less than three hours.

Just as the flush began to fade from her cheeks,

just as Jungkook began to feel at peace, and content, and happy...

... Taehyung waves at her through the mirror and shouts at her.

"So you only missed Jungkookie? What about me?"

And this time, Jungkook can't fight the angry monster in his chest.

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