UNDER HIS SPELL { taekook }

二 ; ４８

A strong breeze pushed long curtains into a dance, swaying them as they lifted into the air.

The room was stale. Remnants of old water bottles laid scattered over open notebooks and unread papers. Feet pushed past the soft sheets over the bed, a low grumble murmured from pink lips.

Jeongguk laid over his bed, drifted into a deep sleep. Brows furrowed, distressed huffing.

"I'd be doing you a favor. Helping you become a man."

Jeongguk stirred, body shifted to the side in one quick motion.

"Let's have fun, Jeongguk."

His arms clutched tightly over the pillow he hugged close to him, hands squeezing into fists over his palm while he gasped out a breath.

"Don't worry. I'll give you a taste of manhood, m'kay?"

The boy's eyes shot open, chest heaving in pants. He reached up to wipe sweat from his forehead that had mixed into strands over his bangs, sticking them to his skin like stubborn paste.

He looked up. It was morning.

Jeongguk hadn't been aware of any precise moment he could've possibly fallen asleep last night. And perhaps that was why the dream he had just seen all felt so... real.

A dream.

Except that was no dream. No, it was a memory. A memory that he had quickly pushed back down to his subconsciousness, refused to face it head on.

When he lifted his body to sit up, a sudden alarm went off, and that was when he realized he'd woken up just in time to get ready for the day. Because, yes, he still had classes to attend. As it turns out, being taken under custody of a criminal organization doesn't halt his education. No, he still had tests to study for, projects to turn in, grades to keep up.

So he hauled his body up, and went through the every day motions of prepping for school. Except this time, when he had reached the downstairs exit from his building, he saw his two friends awaiting him by the door as usual.

"You guys... You're walking me to campus again?" Jeongguk huffed out, grasping onto his bag strap as he continued down the gravel pathing.

"Are you kidding me? What if someone tries to kidnap you again?" Jimin quickly scolded the boy, while Hoseok aggressively nodded in agreement beside him.

"Yeah—there's no way we'll let you be on your own after that shit Acre pulled," the red haired added.

"Right, but... I'm not a little kid. I think I know what to look out for now, and all.." Jeongguk mumbled. "Plus if Acre wanted to take me back to custody, don't you think they would've done it by now? It's been three days."

"They haven't because they can't," Jimin locked their arms together, pushing the trio forward down the sidewalk. "Not when we're around."

"Exactly. Just deal with it for now," Hoseok grinned.

Jeongguk let out a sigh in defeat and let his friends guide him toward school grounds, quickly accepting his fate.

"Speaking of things to look out for.." The blond boy perked up. "Jeongguk's been making some bad decisions lately. I mean, really, you're talking to both Seojun and Taehyung again? Both men are bad news, you know."