Whispers of Submission jjk

Chapter 6

The sun bleeds into the horizon, its dying light stretching shadows across the campus. I sit alone on a worn-out bench, my body weighed down by exhaustion, my mind drowning in a loop of today's humiliation. My knees ache, the sting of impact still fresh, but the bruises on my pride hurt more.

Jungkook's words echo in my head, curling around me like a noose. The laughter, the mockery, the sheer powerlessness of it all—it suffocates me. My fingers clench around the straps of my backpack as the wind picks up, carrying the remnants of whispered gossip. They saw everything. They enjoyed it.

I squeeze my eyes shut, inhaling sharply.

Footsteps.

My body tenses, every nerve primed for another strike. But when I look up, it's not him. It's Taehyung.

Concern softens his sharp features as he stops a few feet away. "Hey, Y/N. Mind if I sit?"

A part of me wants to tell him to leave—to spare him from whatever storm is brewing. But loneliness has its claws in me, and the need for something, anything, to ground me is stronger than my fear.

I nod.

He sits beside me, leaving just enough space to show he understands boundaries. Silence stretches between us, but it's not suffocating. It's a lifeline.

"I saw what happened earlier," he says after a beat. "Are you okay?"

The words lodge in my throat. Okay? I don't even know what that means anymore.

vI settle for a lie. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He doesn't believe me. I can see it in the way his brows knit together, in the way his fingers tap anxiously against his thigh.

"Jungkook had no right to do that to you."

At his name, my entire body stiffens. My gaze flickers around us, paranoia creeping in. Jungkook is everywhere, even when he's not.

Taehyung notices. "You're safe here. He's not around."

The words shouldn't bring me comfort, but they do. I exhale, the tension in my shoulders easing just a fraction.

"Thank you," I whisper.

More silence, more breathing in the quiet presence of someone who doesn't look at me like I'm prey.

"Has he been bothering you a lot?" Taehyung finally asks, voice cautious, careful.

I debate telling him. I debate breaking open the secret and letting someone else hold the weight for just a second.

But then I remember Jungkook's smirk. His threats. The bruises on my parents' hands.

"It's complicated," I say instead.

Taehyung exhales, nodding as if he understands something even I don't fully grasp. "You don't have to do this alone."

A bitter chuckle escapes me before I can stop it. "Who's going to help? The administration? The teachers? They won't do anything against someone like him."

His jaw tightens. "Then we make them listen. Jungkook's gotten away with too much. If enough people speak up—"

"They won't," I cut him off, my voice sharper than intended. "He has ways of making people regret crossing him."

I don't tell him about my parents. About the quiet, bruised proof of Jungkook's reach.

Taehyung watches me for a long moment before, hesitantly, his hand covers mine. The warmth seeps into my cold fingers, grounding me.

"I don't know everything that's going on, but I know fear when I see it," he murmurs. "And I know you shouldn't have to carry this alone."

Something inside me cracks, just a little.

My phone buzzes. The moment shatters.

I pull it out, my stomach dropping the second I see the message.

Meet me at the old gym. Now.

There's no name, but I don't need one.

I scramble to my feet, stuffing my phone back into my pocket. Taehyung stands with me, eyes narrowing.

"Y/N, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just have to go."

"Is it him?" His voice is sharp now, edged with something protective.

I hesitate for too long.

"Let me come with you," he says, already stepping forward.

"No!" Panic surges through me. "Please, Taehyung. Stay out of this."

He looks at me like he wants to argue, like he wants to shake the truth out of me. But after a long, agonizing pause, he exhales.

"At least let me walk you partway. It's getting dark."

I nod reluctantly. "Okay. But only partway."

The walk is tense, filled with unspoken warnings and the weight of what I refuse to tell him. When we reach the pathway leading to the gym, I stop.

"This is as far as you go."

He doesn't move. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He sighs but doesn't push. "Call me if anything happens. Promise me that."

I offer a small, weak smile. "I promise."

He watches as I walk away, and for the first time, I wish I could turn back.

The old gym looms in front of me, abandoned and ominous. The air smells of rot and dust. The second I step inside, the door creaks shut behind me.

A shadow moves in the dim light.

"You're late."

His voice slithers through the air, smooth and ice-cold. I turn slowly, my pulse hammering as Jungkook emerges from the darkness, all sharp angles and quiet menace.

"Sorry," I whisper.

"Sorry doesn't cut it." He steps closer, crowding my space. "When I tell you to come, you run. Do you understand?"

I nod. The fight in me is buried beneath exhaustion and fear.

Jungkook studies me, head tilting. "You've been quite the problem lately. Talking back. Making me look bad." His fingers brush my chin, tilting my head up. "That's not very smart."

I swallow hard, my voice barely steady. "What do you want from me?"

He smiles, slow and wicked. "Obedience. And I'm going to teach you exactly what that means."

The room feels smaller, darker. My breath stutters.

"Kneel."

Every muscle in my body locks up. I can't. I won't.

"Now." His voice is a blade.

I hesitate. Just for a second.

Pain explodes through my ribs as he shoves me down, forcing me onto my knees. Humiliation scalds my skin as my palms slam against the dust-coated floor.

"That's better." His fingers tangle in my hair, tugging slightly. "You fight so much, Y/N. But it's pointless. You belong to me."

I grit my teeth, my hands curling into fists. My pride is in ruins, but something deeper stirs in me.

Hate.

I lift my head, meeting his gaze without fear for the first time.

"We'll see about that."

Jungkook chuckles, dark amusement curling in his voice. "Oh, sweetheart. We definitely will."