(M)Red Light: The Strength | Ch2 [JJK]

(M)🚦Red Light: The Strength | Ch2 [JJK]

👉🏻[Series Masterpost]

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader (GymOwner!JK/MotoRacer!JK/Biker!JK-TattoArtist!OC)

Genre: S2L - Smut - Fluff - Angst

Summary: Jeon Jungkook never let any distraction take him away from his motorcycle or his gym for more than one night. He just wants to speed around the track and feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, the sex he gets thanks to his charm, is just a side dish to his life. A tough past brought him on that Ducati that he learned to love, a past  you'll uncover, as you slowly seep in under his skin. It's a hell of a ride, in all senses, as you try to escape your own hell in the meanwhile.  Where will this ride bring you? Will it be worth it in the end?

Chapter Warnings:  lots of teasing, longing, JK is a menace, heavy flirting, he calls her princess sometimes, sporadic mentions of the ex I hate him, Hani and Tae are annoying but we love them anyway, overall a chapter based on their first ride together.

Wc: 7.3k

A/N: Hello there! Second chapter is here and I hope you'll like it! As always, I'm sorry if there are some grammatical mistakes, english isn't my first language and I don't have a beta, so pls bear with me! 🫶🏻 Let me know what you think about the series, my box is always open! - Joy🐰

November 30th, Thursday

“Wanna do one last session?” 

Your workout today has been intense, Jungkook is already all sweaty as he approaches you gasping for air. Since he taught you a combination of punches, he loves to keep you trained by wearing mitts and letting you hit them in a given order and speed, hence why he's willing to go one more time despite his tiredness.

These sessions are a great way to improve your guard and reflexes and you noticed some benefits right away when you first tried, over two months ago. Over this time, you've learned a lot thanks to his patience and way of teaching.

The water you're sipping flows pleasantly down your throat, refreshing you as you try to enjoy this little break. Your clothes are sticking on your skin uncomfortably, but you feel like you can push your limit a little bit, before you can finally relax your muscles and take a much needed shower. You nod at him, putting aside your water bottle.

The gym is now pretty much empty, all thursday night it takes place the last adult class of the week before the gym is open on the weekend for the equipment usage only, so all members usually rush to the showers earlier to avoid it being too crowded in the changing rooms when the shift is actually done.

This gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the available space to give your all during your last mitt session of the week.

You hear him slap the gloves he's wearing, ready to receive your punches and when you put yours back on and reach him at the center of the tatami, his gaze momentarily lands on your face.

"Aww, is princess too tired?"

He fakes a mocking pout as he looks at you with those big doe eyes, his ruffled hair is giving him a cute look right now, in perfect contrast with his glistening muscles and heavy breathing. The duality is impressive. He manages to annoyingly tease you every time he gets the chance and he always looks so cute and hot at the same time. You roll your eyes, mostly annoyed at yourself for the effect this mix has on you.

"Princess is always ready to destroy your mitts." You puff away, drying up some sweat on your forehead in the process.

"Destroy is a strong word, with those cute little hands I'd say you barely tickle the mitts, but whatever you wanna believe."

This is his way to encourage you, you know it very well by now. 

He wants you to hit harder and harder, each punch more precise than the previous one and you find yourself smiling in defiance as you adjust your posture. He wants you to prove him wrong, even if he knows you're able to punch hard enough now, he wants you to show him but most of all yourself that you can always improve. It became one of his favorite hobbies, to tease you endlessly, and if this can push you to give your all, it's like killing two birds with one stone.

"Last time these cute little hands," You show him your gloved fists "punched your side by accident and you complained about it for a whole half an hour." You reply, looking at him with a smirk as he assumes his usual posture on the tatami, right in front of you.

"But I was still standing though, wasn't I? Anything that doesn't knock me out is a tickle, princess."

He continues to smile at you as he languidly motions for you to come closer to begin as you try to avoid the annoyingly pleasant sensation that this stupid pet name always provokes you.

You snort softly at his remark and you ready yourself to throw the first punch at his signal.

"Won't be an accident next time and you're gonna regret what you just said." Your words sound like a poor threat that makes him chuckle.

"I'm so scared." The shiver he faked while smirking is enough to make you roll your eyes once again. Something that happens quite often with him. Bantering with you is so satisfying for him, he knows you're going to give him what he's looking for, just to prove him wrong.

He starts moving the mitts he's wearing and in a matter of seconds, the loud sound of your gloves hitting his fills the room.

Punching them or the punching bags is always so liberating. 

The movements you can make now are much smoother and precise than before, and you quickly began to love the feeling of a punch that hits its target correctly. You're so tired after an entire workout, but you still manage to hit his gloves in the right order, without missing one. 

He's always been well concentrated on your technique during this kind of exercises, but you recently noticed that he lets his eyes wander around your body more often during mitt sessions, and you have to admit that you like it. It makes you feel attractive even if you're all messy and sweaty. 

Gym clothing hugs your body perfectly, accentuating your curves just right. It must be a great distraction for him as you catch his eyes falling on your cleavage. This detail makes you giggle as you throw the last few punches of the combo.

You gasp for breath, looking at him with a satisfied grin on your face, both for the well execution of the session and for his obvious glances on you.

"What were you looking at, huh?" Jungkook removes his mitts as his guilty gaze meets yours nonchalantly.

"They were staring at me, not my fault." 

You laugh out loud at his silliness, causing him to join you when you throw your gloves at him.

You feel regenerated both mentally and physically when you come to the gym to workout with him, Jungkook always finds ways to boost your self-esteem and to make you believe in your capacities. 

To banter with him, teasing him and letting him tease you, honestly the best part of the experience.

It's thanks to him if you're more confident now, he's the kind of instructor who is keen to remind you that hard work always pays off and that your improvements are evident after each workout. You're grateful to him for this, this kind of stimulus helps you keep your determination high. He's also a pleasure for the eyes, but that's another story.

“Anyway, I need to tease you more often, those little fists were slightly more than ticklish today!” When he acts like this, you just want to erase that smirk of his by slamming your lips on it. 

God, you wish you could do that, you way too frequently find yourself wondering how would it feel to have that lip ring brushing on your skin. You imagine his pillowy lips dance with yours, wondering if they are as soft as they look.

He catches you staring at his mouth for a while too long and, like a cherry on the cake, you keep watching him as he lets his tongue poke out to briefly wet the line of his lower lip to then play with the piercing that rests on its corner. A wider smirk takes place on his tired face, one aware of what he's doing to you. His lips are glistening now and you wish you could taste them.

You look away as you try to ignore the feeling that such a simple thing caused in your belly.

"Shut up." you mumble as you move to reach your discarded gym bag at the corner.

"Make me."

When you turn around to look at him again, Jungkook has a seemingly more serious expression and even his tone didn't seem to match his usual way of teasing you.

This sounded different.

His eyes are fixed on you with an enticing look. You're not sure you heard him correctly initially and you instinctively look at your surroundings. There's no one around, Is he really aware of what he's implying? Is he ambiguously asking you to shut him up with a kiss?

Your cheeks are on fire as your eyes drop briefly to his lips again, that sensation in your belly grows a little more. Does he really want it?

"W-what?"

Jungkook lets out a low chuckle, wetting his lips before he breaks eye contact with you and picks up your gloves and his so he can store them.

"I'm teasing you princess," he says lowly as he walks away "I like seeing you all flustered."

Damn you, Jeon Jungkook, and his effect on you.

You can't see his face, but you can hear it in his voice that he's smirking proudly.

"As I said before, next time it won't be an accident, you'll regret it." He laughs and you try your best to pretend that his actions and words are effectless on you as you follow him to the same corner to collect your things.

When you check the time on your phone your stomach drops.

It's way past the time you usually leave, you haven't even booked an uber yet and the gym closes in less than 10 minutes.

"Shit" you mutter.

"What's wrong?"

You're frowning and your expression seems to worry him as he turns to you.

“I didn't think it was this fucking late!” A mixture of irritation and concern laced with your voice. “Can I still take a shower?”

He observes you as the rush has begun to take over your body as you quickly gather everything up.

"Are you sure this isn't all an excuse to stay alone with me a little longer?"

You come to a halt. Smart guy, he knows by now that you want to leave early every time for a reason he ignores, and by asking this, he knows that you'll have to answer, one way or the other. Either way he'll get something he wants: a flirty answer or the truth. He still leaves the choice up to you, not forcing you to tell him exactly why you're always in a rush but hoping you would tell him anyway.

He's looking at you with a flirty gaze to hide his curiosity.

You're not really sure you want to talk about your ex who ruined your life right now and at the same time you don't want him to think there is actually something to worry about, given your sudden concern.

Your face softens a little, you prefer a million times more to flirt with him than to talk about Ray. So you take the opportunity to flirt back and avoid spilling the real reason.

"You'd like that, huh?" you reply quickly as you cross your arms over your chest.

"I'd start to think you have a crush on me."

You feel your cheeks blush and you can't help it, you just hope he doesn't decide to tease you further for this. It's like he's trying to pull out at least one truth from you, given the fact that you refuse to speak about the real reason behind your hurry, it's like he's trying to get you to at least admit you're attracted to him.

You decide to bypass his last remark, not wanting to give a clear answer to that so you opt for something else, "I-I forgot to book an uber earlier and I'd rather take a shower while I wait for it to arrive."

Which is basically true, despite you've omitted the part that includes your fear of encountering your crazy ex.

Jungkook smiles gently at you, you can see on his face that he really loves teasing you and seeing you so bothered because of it.

Maybe you just gave away one truth anyway by stuttering like that.

"I can take you home after I tidy up, if you don't mind being a little late."

You ponder for a brief moment but you don't really have to make a decision. You would answer him right away with enthusiasm, but it would be too obvious.

Is there any possibility you would refuse? Of course not. You wouldn't have to wait outside and to be honest, getting the chance to spend some more time with him, you don't mind at all.

"Who's the one making excuses to be alone with me now, huh?"

Your cheeks are still burning but you reply confidently as you smirk at him, proud of your flirty retort. You'd be lying if you said you don't like flirting back like this. Your confidence wins over your shyness most of the time. If only your cheeks would collaborate more.

Jungkook catches your gaze for a second, one of his eyebrows shoots up in surprise, as he smiles back "What if that were the case?”

“I'd start to think you have a crush on me, Jeon Jungkook.”

"You'd like that, huh?"

His voice is soft and you match his tone when you cunningly say,

"And what if that were the case?"

You look into each other's eyes as you try to hold back your laughter, dying inside as the flutter in your stomach intensifies. You're sure you can toast some bread on your cheeks by now.

Jungkook's flirting became more and more intense with time and so is your attraction toward him, your way of playing the game became more and more explicit. You love this, even though he can be a little annoying at times and he makes you blush incessantly, this thing that you two share always brings a smile to your face.

He pushes his tongue inside his cheek in amusement, a distinctive trait of his when you find a nice retort to his flirty banter. It's clear that he loves seeing you all flustered but apparently he gains even more satisfaction by this confident side of you.

Everyone left except you and him. As you shower, you feel the weight on your chest slowly lifting at the idea of not having to wait outside alone at this hour. It reassures you knowing that Jungkook himself will take you home, it makes you feel excited and nervous at the same time.

When you finish and you're happily clean and dry, you return to the main room of the gym. You notice that it is now mostly rearranged and that the place almost seems bigger like this. The faint smell of flowers stronger than before. 

You find Jungkook busy with reorganizing the dumbbells rack and when you approach him, you tell him that you can continue fixing the place so he can have the opportunity to take a shower. He accepts, thanking you and then heading towards the men's changing rooms as he assures you that he won't take long.

You finished tidying up the gym, finding the time to water the flowers and plants before checking the time. It's already past 11pm.

You had never stayed till gym closing and you didn't think Jungkook had to stay so late every night to clean up the entire place by himself.

When he's back, he's wearing black fitted motorcycle pants, you notice the padding at each knee and you gladly take in the sight of his muscled thighs, perfectly wrapped by the fabric.

His baggy sweatshirt deceives from the real size of his shoulders and pecs but you think this style suits him, the fact that you saw him shirtless multiple times and that you know what his muscles look like underneath his sweatshirt, makes a shiver run down your spine.

He thanks you for the help and tells you to wait for him at the emergency exit on the other side of the gym as he needs to shut down the lights before you can leave.You comply, taking your bag on your shoulder and reaching the exit that gives to the back of the building.

When he arrives you notice that he is carrying a backpack and that he's holding a black helmet with red and white details that you cannot define.

Fuck, you'll get on a motorcycle for the first time and it's gonna be with him. The mere realization makes you a little nervous.

He smiles at you spontaneously before you walk out together and he shuts the door behind him.

The back of the gym is dimly lit but you can take a glimpse at the red fairing of a motorcycle, parked a few meters away from you. The light from the street lamp gives it a nice glow and for some reason you can't stop looking at it. It's different from Tae's and you reckon he's right by saying that every motorcycle reflects its rider a little.

Tae's is a beautiful midnight blue, with an almost elegant shape for a sports motorcycle, while this is a vibrant red, with black, white and golden details. The shape of the two front headlights seems to look at you with challenge, somehow it's similar to its owner's defiant gaze. You think it suits Jungkook's vibe perfectly.

“How fast is this beauty?” you ask curiously as you stop near it.

"It depends. On the track very, very fast, on the road the speed limits."

Jungkook places his backpack on the saddle, and you watch him take out a jacket and a pair of gloves.

“I bet that's what you tell the cops.” you snort.

"Yes, officer." 

“Do I look like a cop to you?” you giggle at the thought. You look at him as he quickly replies with his usual smirk on his lips “Oh I would love to get handcuffed by you, in that case.”

Jungkook locks eyes with you as his grin widens into a smug one. You blush and you thank the heavens that he can't see your burning cheeks due to the low light.

You bite your lip briefly to hold back a smile. "Too bad I'm just a tattoo artist then." 

Your voice is soft and it's clear that you would love it too. You would enjoy your ways with him, spread on your bed, hands immobilized over his head as you do everything you imagined and fantasized to do to him over the weeks, just to hear him groan in satisfaction.

His face shifts to a little more serious one, his smug smile is still there but in his eyes you glimpse that veil of sadness that often comes to visit him.

You would like to ask him something, anything that could make you understand even remotely what is tormenting him, but you never find the courage to go beyond this exchange of glances, it's as if you both know that there is something that torments you respectively, but it's like you want to respect each other's silence at the same time.

It's some sort of silent pact that has been casually created over time: You know there's something, I know there's something, none of us will go beyond this.

Even if sometimes you both gave the chance to speak up, neither of you forced the other, and it's ok like this.

Before your eyes can even mirror his fragile gaze, Jungkook hands you his jacket.

"Is it your first time on a motorcycle?"

You grab the clothing piece and nod, inspecting it quickly. You notice that it matches the pants he is wearing perfectly: black leather with red and white inserts and as you touch it you can feel the padding positioned in the weakest points of the torso and arms.

"Put it on, I won't speed but better safe than sorry."

By the time you wear it and zip it up, Jungkook is already on his motorcycle. The jacket is a little too big for you but it smells so much like him that it almost feels like he's hugging you tightly. 

What a sweet poison to your brain. Feels like it can be addicting and that's dangerous.

You let the sensation seep through your body for a moment before you notice that Jungkook is watching you with attentive eyes and an indecipherable expression.

He immediately looks away to grab his helmet, which also matches his gear and motorcycle. Then he hands it to you, gesturing to you to put that on too.

The lingering scent of his jacket has been enough to make your heart beat faster, but when you push the helmet on your head, the added scent of his shampoo fills your nostrils and you feel totally overwhelmed by your sensations. 

You feel him everywhere and he's not even touching you.

The roar of the engine surprises you, bringing you back to planet earth. Now that you notice, Jungkook is adjusting his motorcycle gloves and although it's a completely innocent motion, your senses are too affected right now to find it a normal gesture. 

Where's the news though? You've now resigned to the idea that he is able to make anything he does sexy and attractive to your eyes, like that time your gaze shifted to him while he was talking to some members of the gym and he absentmindedly caressed his sore abs. A very normal gesture, but you are so attracted to him that even such a harmless movement had an effect on you, just like now, as he fixes his gloves on his motorcycle.

"Where am I taking you?" Jungkook places the phone on the specific support on the handlebars, and then presses your address on the screen after explaining to him which area of the city you live in.

Jungkook holds out a hand to you, gesturing with the other towards the footrest on the sides of the bike.

"When you're ready, put your left foot on that and bring your right leg over the saddle, unfortunately it's not very comfortable but for such a short ride it should be fine."

You follow his instructions, placing your hand on his to give you support as you sit behind him.

This is where the closeness starts to make you feel warm, but you're determined to blame the padded jacket for most of it. His firm back against your chest can't cause you such warmth, right?

"Aren't you going to be cold?" You ask, feeling a little guilty at the idea to make him drive in just his sweatshirt.

"Don't worry about it," Jungkook shakes his head and then puts his hands on the tank in front of him "Put your hands here for support or wrap your arms around my belly if you need." Explaining that when accelerating you might lose your balance.

You would've said something about his suggestion to put your arms around his body, but you sense that he's serious right now and you don't want to tease him. He wants to make sure everything goes well and that you're comfortable during the ride. You smile at the way he's trying to make your first experience as enjoyable as possible, even while remaining without his gear in the process.

“Okay, I'm ready.” you finally say as you position your hands on the tank as per his instructions.

Jungkook nods, he turns towards you after looking at you from the side mirror and with one hand, he manages to close the visor that you had forgotten open.

You thank him by shouting into the helmet to make sure he can hear you and the muffled tone of your voice makes him chuckle.

Jungkook takes off the side stand when he feels the weight of your body resting on his back and your hands are firmly leaning on the tank in front of him, then he speeds up to leave the parking lot and the roar of the engine runs through your body.

You never thought you'd get on a motorcycle, since Tae offered you a ride a couple of times and you never felt entirely comfortable at the idea of riding in this position with him. Not that it necessarily implies anything intimate or inappropriate. You trust Tae, but you kinda feel a strange connection to Jungkook right now. Maybe it's the vicinity mixed with wearing his gear that makes you feel somewhat closer to him in a deeper sense, it's a strange feeling added to the utter attraction you already feel for him. Riding with Tae would surely be something completely normal between friends, but you're glad you never accepted before, because now you get to enjoy your first ride with Jungkook.

The road is mostly empty and you appreciate the sound of the engine breaking the quietness. Jungkook is keeping his word by driving at a slow but steady pace, the wind ruffles his hair a little and you look at him from the side mirror. You notice that from time to time his eyes also stealthily search your reflected figure. You're glad you have the visor hiding your gaze, so you can check him out as much as you like without him noticing and taking the chance to tease you about it.

Your eyes wander a little further down, lingering on his muscular thighs hugging firmly both sides of the motorcycle. You find yourself fantasizing about him once again but the train of dirty thoughts is brutally interrupted when with a slight braking, your body is unexpectedly pushed forward. Your chest is suddenly pressing a little harder onto his back and a small bump between your helmet and his head is inevitable.

"Oh fuck-sorry!" you shout in displeasure and Jungkook bursts out laughing as he turns to the left before he glances at you from the side mirror briefly.

“It's nothing." He reassures you with a smile and then his focus is on the road again as he plays with his piercing mindlessly.

You're really enjoying your first ride on a motorcycle, something else is now overlying the slight discomfort caused by the saddle. 

The realization that you're living this moment, riding his motorcycle together, on a street lit by colorful street lights flashing on your bodies as the wind caresses your figures. There is something extremely pleasing about all this, something that you have never experienced before.

You recognize your neighborhood as you approach your apartment complex and you feel a little sad, knowing that the ride is almost coming to an end.

Jungkook reaches the outdoor parking lot of a bunch of buildings and follows your directions when you point at the right apartment complex.

He stops at an empty spot near the entrance of the building and he turns off the engine.

When he turns to you, he offers you a hand to help you get down but you turn away, pretending not to see. Jungkook laughs at your futile attempt to stay in the saddle a little longer.

“Isn't it uncomfortable?”

You look at him, tilting your head slightly and opening the visor of the helmet.

"Just a little, but I loved it anyway!"

He can see your eyes only and they are glowing right now with content. The same glint he had at the beginning, when he first discovered this passion of his, when everything felt so new to him, when everything was still… normal. 

He tries to push aside the impending sadness that threatens to take over his features, you're so cheerful right now and Jungkook couldn't be happier to be sharing with you your first experience, the least he can do is to not ruin it.

He has the sweetest smile right now, one that reaches the depths of his eyes. Witnessing him like this, disheveled, with cheeks and nose reddened from the cold and a smile brighter than the sun, you understand that these "things" you're feeling for him, are dangerous. You're sure the "things" were limited to a simple physical attraction, but the more you spend time with him and the deeper you get to know him, the more a feeling that scares you creeps up on you, one that explains in an appalling way the meaning of the flutter you feel in your stomach every once in a while when you're with him.

You wish you were able to navigate these waters like anyone else would, with a little shyness perhaps, but with a great desire to discover where such a beautiful feeling that once made you feel so alive, might lead in the future.

You realize Ray has really taken away all your enthusiasm for anything beyond physical attraction. And he comes in your mind too often for your liking.

Better shove this sensation back where it came from. Feelings and deep trust for someone always lead to a bruised heart at the end, and an aftermath you wish you could recover faster from.

You decide it's better for you to preserve what you've achieved till now, it's easier to manage the lust that spreads through your body when you see him, you don't need that little seed to bloom in your heart, you won't allow its prettiness to break you apart and all you needed to realize this, are these beautiful doe eyes that are watching you right now through the side mirror.

You look away with a little effort, deciding that it's better to get off of the motorcycle now. You put your hands on his shoulders to balance yourself on the footrest, pushing a little of your weight on them to bring your right leg over the motorcycle and onto the ground.

You feel a tingly sensation all over your legs but it's nothing uncomfortable.

You take off the jacket and when he grabs it up to put it on, the fabric fits his body perfectly and you can't help but look at the way it seems to flatter his broad shoulders even more.

Jungkook hums in satisfaction as he allows the jacket to warm his body and he smiles when you reluctantly remove the helmet.

Your slightly ruffled hair slides over your shoulders and the padding marks of the helmet plows your cheeks. He keeps looking at you, as if he wants to tell you something but he immediately thinks better of it apparently, as he says nothing.

“Thanks for the ride, it was really cool.” you say when you hand him his helmet.

"No problem, glad you enjoyed it."

When he puts it on, you take a moment to take in the sight of his figure in his motorcycling gear. Jungkook has a gorgeous body, there's no doubt about that, he's hot in his gym clothing but he's even hotter on his motorcycle. You realize that you haven't been particularly discreet checking him out, especially when he looks at you through his helmet, you know very well that he is smirking all satisfied, you can see it in his eyes.

"Be careful on your way home."

It's what you say, it comes out all of a sudden as Jungkook restarts the engine and removes the side stand.

"I'll definitely be more careful now that no one's going to bump into my head whenever I brake."

There it is,you should've expected it.

You sigh in defeat as a smile forms on your lips anyway, the usual Jungkook, always up to tease you. 

"It happened just one time!"

When you lock eyes with him again, Jungkook winks at you, “See you at the gym.”

You nod waving at him as you watch him lower the visor and leave the parking lot, not wasting the opportunity to rev his engine before he sprints away.

You just rode a motorcycle with Jungkook. The bright smile on your face is one that hasn't been seen in far too long.

You wouldn't dare say it but you definitely feel far more serene in your life, there is only this little seed that's bothering you, but you tell yourself it can die easily if you don't nourish it, just like when you don't water your plants. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Your ex has taken your smile away for too long and you almost feel the unconscious need to immediately put aside any positive and genuine emotion, afraid that it will be brutally taken away from you by an unexpected visit from him. At least like this, it's you who decided to put it willingly away.

That's how much Ray's behavior actually affected you.

As you walk towards the entrance, clutching the bag on your shoulder, you think that at least this once, you want to enjoy this little achievement. You can see from the elevator mirror that the girl in the reflection deserves to enjoy this smile for a little longer.

Within the four walls of your apartment, Ray wont be able to wipe it away and the one that often creeps in your mind is already fading away as you think back at the time spent with Jungkook tonight.

With this thought, you get yourself ready to sleep and as you fall into your bed, letting your soft bed sheets wrap around you, you're still sporting one genuine smile.

You almost feel like a teenager experiencing things for the first time. You feel like this after Ray and his hell, every positive emotion feels so new and strong, to the point that you're able to sleep like a child until the next morning.

December 1st, Friday

It was enough for you to mention Jungkook and Motorcycle in the same sentence to turn Hani into a brakeless question machine.

You're in the middle of a tattoo, while your client and Hani are listening to you intently as you talk about yesterday's evening.

They both chuckle when your storytelling digress into an accurate description of the motorcycle gear on Jungkook's body. Hani is so hyped by the whole thing that it's impossible not to smile at her silliness.

She told you several times in the past few months that the gym was doing wonders to you, but that she knew it had something to do with this guy as well. 

You know each other since you were children, she can read you like an open book and even if it may be bothersome sometimes, this skill of hers helped you multiple times in the past.

"And here I thought he was cold as ice!" Hani begins "He always seemed so impassive when we happened to bump into each other at Tae's."

If you stop to think for a moment, he often assumes expressions that don't match at all with the description you gave just now. Last night's Jungkook was an extremely thoughtful and attentive guy, but you know that he often gets lost in his things and thoughts and takes on an almost intimidating appearance when this happens.

You don't know how to explain this duality that characterizes him, sometimes it doesn't take much to make him go back to the Jungkook who laughs and jokes with everyone, other times he is too immersed in something that's able to cast a shadow in his gaze. Maybe that's what Hani has seen and you can't help but wonder if the bright side you're used to, it's actually the rarer or maybe selective one of him.

"Sometimes maybe? But it was kind of him to bring me home, he gave me his gear to make sure I was comfortable."

You admit as you continue to poke your client's skin with a subtle smile on your lips.

"He gave you his gear?" Hani asks in surprise as she is busy taking care of something around the shop. Even your client reacted to that, muffling a sound that resembled one of approval.

You nod, because you know she is staring at you right now. You already know what's about to happen. You focus on the tattoo, avoiding to meet her scanning eyes, she has an overly broad smile right now, even if you can't see it you know it's there. 

Since you started telling her about your experiences at the gym, Hani teased you about your visible attraction for him. This last tell tell of last evening with him only increased her beliefs, obviously. Your hopes that she won't ask you the fateful question are promptly destroyed when, knowing your best friend far too well, it was bound to be asked sooner or later. 

"You really like him, huh? And now it's obvious that he likes you back!"

You knew it, it was predictable.

You sigh, “I don't want relationships.” You respond resolutely, still avoiding her gaze.

"You avoided the question, typical."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes you did! You could have said no, but instead you immediately clarified that YoU DoNt WaNt ReLaTiOnShIpS and I didn't even speak about relationships!"

She mocks you amused, you can hear it in her voice as you roll your eyes in annoyance.

You know you have some sort of a crush on Jungkook even if you don't want to admit it openly. He became a good friend and yes, you would definitely have sex with him right now if you could, but one thing you're most certain of is that you won't let this little something of a deeper feeling grow further. So yeah, you don't want relationships, but you do like him.

"He's hot as fuck, alright? That's all, we're friends and that's enough."

You meet her gaze to try to convince her you're not omitting anything important with this statement. Hani knows you too well though, your behavior in the past few months gave her answers anyway. She's willing to let you believe your response was convincing enough as she smirks at you and you focus your attention once again on the skin of your client, who's meanwhile listening with patience.

"A friend you'd gladly fuck though, am I right?"

You think you could strike her dead with just a look right now. 

She's right, but she doesn't need to know it. 

As you're about to find an excuse to change the subject, you hear the jiggle of the bell at the entrance.

An immense sense of release takes over you, saved by a bell. Hani chuckles as she leaves the room to reach the door. You hear Taehyung's voice behind you and you thank the heavens for the coincidence. As you keep chit chatting with your client, you continue the job on her skin, pushing aside the conversation with your friend.

Shortly after finishing the tattoo, you take care of the area with the usual cream, giving some advice on tattoo treatment and any precautions while you accompany your client to the counter to pay.

When you look at the clock, it's almost time to close, the customer leaves the shop after saying her goodbyes and you join your friends on the sofa of the little lounge area by the entrance, after locking the door and lowering the curtain over it.

“Damn I'm exhausted.” You let out, enjoying the feeling of the soft pillows against your back.

Tae and Hani watch you from where they're seated in front of you and you hear them giggling.

You lift your head in confusion as you look at them with a frown.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing, I was thinking that next friday there'll be a pre-race weekend party." Tae begins, he has a particularly cheeky smile that almost irritates you, deep down you imagine why they're giggling and looking at you like this, but you don't dare to investigate.

"And?" you sound a little exasperated but whatever, today was somewhat challenging and you wish you could go home to rest.

“And I think you should come.” Taehyung concludes as he brings his arms behind his head, making himself comfortable against the sofa.

"Why should I?"

"Are you serious Y/N? Don't make me state the obvious."

Tae knows something, clearly.

You feel rage entering your features when you shift your eyes on Hani. You look at her reproachfully, now you will also have to endure Tae's teasing about last night.

"Don't look at me like that, I know what you're thinking! I didn't say a single word about last night!" She raises her hands in surrender, claiming innocence as Tae bursts out laughing at the two of you.

You're confused, but only briefly. Surprise takes over as you hear his following words.

“Jungkook told me about it.”

"So what?" You prop yourself up on your elbows, explaining that there's no harm in accepting a ride home from a friend.

"You never accepted a ride from me though!"

That's a disgusting smile, right on his face. 

He caught you red handed and he knows it. You're not sure how to respond to that, it's true but you don't want to explain your reasons.

“It was an emergency!” you opt for a semi-truth, hoping they will drop the topic soon.

"Sure, sure. But don't change the subject."

You roll your eyes, sighing heavily as you let your weight sink on the pillows, wishing they could swallow you whole to make you escape from this conversation.

Hani put a hand on Tae's arm as if she wants to stop him from teasing you more. At least for this time, you're glad she is able to read you like an open book. The exasperation must be visible on your face by now.

"You always told me you didn't want to come to these parties because you felt uncomfortable third wheeling, but now you know Jungkook! He'll be there too, we can have some fun all together!" Hani interjects with a calm and gentle tone, she knows it could do you some good, just like joining the gym helped you regain some confidence in yourself.

"And we can introduce you to Hobi too!" Tae adds, that shit eating grin still plastered on his face when he looks at you.

You sigh once again, tired of this whole situation and from the fatigue of the day.

They invited you several times to previous parties, but knowing only them you've always declined. Since you started dating Ray, you've been going to parties less and less and after everything that's happened, being around people you don't know makes you feel a little anxious, so you stopped attending parties a while ago.

You always preferred evenings spent at your usual bar, just the three of you or just you and Hani when Tae is busy.

It's been your comfort zone ever since you broke up with Ray and you never felt the need to change this.

Once again though, your ex comes back in your mind, momentarily outclassing the progress you've made thus far like a haunting ghost.

You really want to overcome all these blocks that he has caused you and just like going to the gym, going back to attend parties and meeting new people can only help you get out of your current comfort zone and get back to the outgoing Y/N you once were before your ex. 

It's another little step to prove yourself you can heal completely, you just need some time and the right spur.

"Ok-ok fine,"

You get up abruptly off the sofa knowing that if you keep brooding you might change your mind and you don't want to give your friends other opportunities to annoy you.

"I'll come."

Hani sings a self made victory fanfara, as she usually does when she gets something she wants.

You can't help but roll your eyes at her silly reactions and you notice that Tae is particularly happy too.

They know the hell you've been living in for the past year, they may be teasing you incessantly, but you know they mean no harm, ever, they just want you to enjoy your life, to be happy again.

When you get home, you think back at Tae's expression when he told you that Jungkook told him he gave you a ride home the night before, you don't want to be delusional but you had the impression that Tae teased Jungkook as well about this, he seemed far too amused about the whole thing.

In any case, you will go to this party and it is another step forward for you, you have every intention of having fun carefree, for too long you have felt like a victim of wills that are not yours, and it is time for you to take control of the situation and do what your own instinct tells you, without external influences.

Afterall, no one ever wants to leave their safe bubble, but no changes will occur if you don't try to get out of it. 

Another step out of your comfort zone, another step toward who you used to be.

◀ [Prev. Chapter] | [Next Chapter] ▶

LMAO 😆

Day 5: Map

V's 20 Second Live @ Gangneung

I wish I could share the whole thing all at once but dam finding the time to write is hard 😭

I’m only one small step away from posting this fic. The step? Write it.

V (뷔) DNA / 170922