League of Fame | Jungkook Dystopian Novel

31

Tuesday morning, someone crashes into the place Jungkook and I are sleeping. We're on the second floor in a dingy real estate office. The glass wall facing the outside shatters completely. The bare essence of the sunrise colors everything a dull orange—from the office desks to the ratty carpet, to the curtains that are pulled abruptly to one side.

To the young man who grabs me from the ground, pulling me up and pressing a dagger against my neck.

My vision spins, and for a second all I see is the shattered glass pieces on the carpet. They frame Jungkook, who rises in a daze.

Jungkook reaches for his pistol, but the man who captured me barks out an order. "Move one more inch and she's dead!"

I hate my weakness. I hate how I can't even elbow this guy in the stomach without fear of him slitting my throat.

"Give me the book," the man says. "Give me Namjoon's book, and I'll let her go."

I shake my head. No, don't give it to him. You can't.

But even if Jungkook could read my thoughts, I know he wouldn't listen to me. "How do I know I can trust you?" he says.

"I will have no reason to kill her after I have the book," says the stranger.

"No—" I get out, my voice sounding foreign and strangled.

Jungkook, the boy who saved me for half my spoils, would've left me to die. After all, he has his ticket to fame. There is no reason to care about me anymore.

But sometime after we became allies, he started to care. And I simultaneously despise him and adore him for it. Jungkook steps forward, book in hand. He hands it over my shoulder—past the blade pressed to my neck.

Tears spring to my eyes. This hurts even more than Sophiya's betrayal. This time, I have to witness Jungkook giving away his ticket to safety and a life of comfort. He had a choice, and he chose to keep me.

Once the man has the book, he withdraws his knife. Then he pushes me hard. I crash into Jungkook, and we roll together towards the back of the room. By the time I reorient myself, the man is gone. And so is RM's book.

I rise, getting ready to chase him down. Jungkook yells my name, but I'm outside and racing down the stairs before he can stop me. I look left and right, but the streets are empty. How could he have gone so far?

I race down a random direction, hoping to find the man who stole our second chance away from us. But there are too many alleys, too many buildings that he could've looped around and hidden himself within. Stil, I run. My legs almost give out as I do circles around the streets. I feel like a dog chasing its tail. I know it's pointless. He's gone too far, in some escape route that I have no way of replicating.

Jungkook catches up with me. "Cosma—"

I hold a hand out, catching my breath. "You gave away the book. You shouldn't have."

"Your life was at risk," Jungkook says. "I had to give it away. It was the only way of saving you."

"Well it was stupid." Tears spring to my eyes again. It feels like League of Fame has made me the biggest crier. "Jungkook, you really could've made it out of here. It was my fault too. I'm the one who convinced us we didn't need to set up watch. I was the reason we lost Taehyung's ring. And now this—"

"Don't say that," Jungkook says. He anchors his hands on my shoulders, and it might be the only reason my world isn't spinning right now. "We will get it back. We have a few days."

I shake my head. "I made you lose two items. I feel like I'm your main enemy in this competition."

Jungkook draws me in for an embrace. "Cosma, it's not your fault. These kinds of things happen in League of Fame. We just need to get them back. It's not impossible."

"I thought I was the optimist here," I say. "It turns out you're the one who's not giving up hope."

"Never," Jungkook says. "We have each other. We can win this."

I force a small smile. If Jungkook won't give up, I will fight by his side. Burning up the guilt I have for sabotaging my partner, I right my spine, closing my eyes tightly shut. Then I open them and breathe in. "Jungkook, I won't make any more mistakes."

"I know you'll keep your promise," Jungkook says. It feels like he has more belief in me, than I do in myself.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Do you think Cosma and Jungkook will make a comeback?