The Water Spirit

Part 2

A/N: the water spirit kept bothering me....

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The sun comes slowly up behind the skyscraper, reflecting the rays of light in the glass and metal of the buildings. Jungkook takes a sip of his coffee and leans back against the bench. Another ambulance drives past him, but it wasn't his turn anymore. He sighs when the taste of coffee and cinnamon hits his pallet.

He felt very tired after his night shift and was ready to drive home, but he needed some caffeine to give him a boost.
Jungkook felt more exhausted than usual because he thought he was going crazy. It was two weeks ago now, he thought, he had experienced an encounter of the supernatural kind. Two weeks ago, he thought, he had a sunstroke while hiking and became unconscious. And for two weeks now, he thought, he sometimes saw a pair of hazel eyes under the surface of a puddle on the sidewalk or in a water bottle. When he showered, it sometimes felt like someone was caressing his skin and sometimes, like now, he felt watched.

Jungkook thought the water spirit was with him, almost every day now. He knew it couldn't be possible, and he seriously considered visiting the grumpy psychiatrist on the fifth floor because he thought he was imagining things.

Several people walk past him and Jungkook prays that no one asks him for directions. He was still sitting in his scrubs, and he hoped the bloodstains on his pants discouraged people from speaking to him.
Jungkook takes another sip of his coffee and closes his eyes, soaking up the sun with the sounds of the city for background noise.

Footsteps sound and someone walks into his line of sight, blocking the sun, and he blinks one eye open, peering at the person. At first, it is hard to focus with the sun at the person's back, because his face lies in the shadows.

"Hello, can you tell me if this is the right way to the pediatric wing? This hospital is too big," says a velvet, deep voice.

Jungkook blinks the second eye open, looking at the man and feels his jaw going slack, making his mouth gape.
He takes in the tall built man, from his blue hair, tied into a ponytail at the back of his neck, to the black rimmed glasses, that sit atop a straight nose with a mole at the tip. Some strands escaped the tied hair and have fallen into his face. The hazel eyes look friendly at him, and Jungkook's gaze wanders down to the full lips. The guy licks them before clearing his throat.

"Are you alright?" The man asks and Jungkook's eyes snap up again.
"I think you have some drool, right here," the man says and points to the corner of his lips. "You are not having a stroke right now, are you?"

Jungkook sits up, hastily, and wipes at the corner of his mouth. "What? No! No... I'm... night shift... emergency room," he stutters.
"Aphasia now too. Let me take you to urgent care now," the man says, alarmed.

Jungkook looks at him dumbfounded. "What? No, I'm not having a stroke," he denies. "I'm just surprised to see you here, like this! How did you get here?"

The man looks at him flabbergasted. "Do you know me? I just arrived in the city two weeks ago."

"Huh?" Jungkook asks, feeling more and more crazy
"This is my first day at the hospital, how can you know me?" the man asks.

"Where do you work?" Jungkook asks slowly.
"The pediatric ward."
"Are you the new hospital clown?"

The man laughs. "Good one, it's the blue hair, I know. But no." He stretches his hand out to Jungkook to shake.
"Dr. Kim Taehyung, the new pediatrician."

Like in trance, Jungkook takes the offered hand. The skin is smooth and cool and it feels so familiar to him.
"Dr. Jeon Jungkook, emergency medicine," he rattles off.
"Pleasure," Kim says, while they shake. "Well, is this the way to the pediatric wing?"

Jungkook still feels like a train ran him over, too fascinated by the man in front of him. Was he dreaming again? Was his brain tricking him?

"I think you can let go of my hand now," Kim says and points at their still shaking hands. "You must be freaking tired. Are you sure you are good to go home alone? Maybe you should sleep in the break room?"

Jungkook pulls his hand back, as if he had been burned, and stands up. They are of the same height and Jungkook's dark eyes meet hazel ones. They look so familiar, but it can't be.

"I must be very tired, I'm sorry. I thought I knew you."
"I get that a lot," Kim grins. "I have that ordinary face, that a lot of people have."

Jungkook looks at him like he is crazy. Kim clearly didn't have an ordinary face.

"So...," Kim prompts. "The pediatric wing?"
"Oh, sure," Jungkook says hastily. He felt so off his game with this man, it wasn't even funny. "The entrance over there, not the left one, that is to the emergency room. Take the elevator to the third level and you are there."

"Well, thanks," Kim says and winks. "Until we meet again, Dr. Jeon," he says and walks away.

Jungkook looks after him, following the vibrant blue hair until it vanishes inside the building. He takes another sip of his coffee, wishing he had a strong drink in hand.

"I'm clearly going crazy now," he says and some people passing hurry off after side eyeing him.

🌊

Taehyung looks back, seeing Jungkook still standing rooted to the spot, staring at the entrance he just walked through. He laughs amused. The human was too cute when he was surprised.