3rd Year | Jeon Jungkook

6 • A Genuine Concern

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The soft sound of a teacup being placed next to where his head rested on the dining room table didn't even make his ears move. Steam escaped the steeping brew, curling in front of his covered head like wispy vines. His head was cradled into one of his arms and only a closed eye was visible from underneath his oversized hood. His other arm was draped across his lap.

It was a rarely witnessed moment of him, as mean a person as he was, in a completely relaxed state. Without the sarcastic comments and offensive observations spewing from his mouth, he looked approachable. He looked innocent and childlike, even though Dahlia knew very well that neither were true.

But if she were one to use the expression for someone like the dictator, she'd say that right then he looked cute.

"Jeon."

He was sleeping deeply, as she observed he always did. Only the sound of quiet puffs of air escaping his parted lips told that he was still breathing.

Swallowing first, she tested out his first name. "Jungkook."

Nothing. He was knocked out cold, as usual. Only when she placed her hand on his shoulder did he show any signs of life.

"Jungkook," she said a little louder, adding a slight shake to her attempt at waking him.

Only then did his eyebrow move, and his voice was like coarse gravel. "Hm."

Her smile was involuntary. "Wake up. I made you something."

Moving with the swiftness of a drunken zombie, he lifted his head from the table, quietly smacked his lips a few times and wiped the side of his mouth before cracking a blurry eye open. Yawning, his unseen opposite hand left his lap and dropped a long since warmed ice pack onto the table. After sniffing twice, he was finally aware enough to look at who was speaking to him with unevenly opened eyelids.

"Whassup?" He slurred, his voice the deepest she'd ever heard it go.

"I made you something," Dahlia repeated, stifling her amusement at his stupor. He still wasn't quite awake yet.

Maybe Pup was right. With his guard fully down and on vacation, Jungkook was already talking to her like a normal person. And he'd only said one word so far. Technically two, but it was already more polite than their first meeting.

His head wobbled as he looked at the steaming teacup sitting in front of him. "What is this?"

"It's tea," she snickered.

"Tea?"

"It's a... special tea," she explained. "For, um.... for you."

For a few moments, he stared down at the amber liquid. Blinking slowly, he appeared to be either pondering the cup's contents or the meaning of life, he was looking into it for so long. He then looked back up at her questioningly.

"Arsenic tea?"

Dahlia laughed. "What? No, it's—"

Before she could confirm that she wasn't trying to poison him, Jungkook was lifting the cup to his lips and taking a big swallow. He then reeled backward from the taste, its potency making his eyes fully open.

"Definitely cyanide," he choked out. "That tastes like ass."

"I—"

"Nah," he shook his head. "I like ass. That tastes like dirt."