Whispers of Submission jjk

Chapter 9

The halls of the college felt suffocating, closing in around me as I moved with careful steps, avoiding familiar faces, avoiding him. But fate was cruel, and it had its own twisted sense of humor.

I turned a corner, and there he was—Jungkook. Leaning against the lockers like he owned the place, surrounded by his usual crew, a smirk playing on his lips as he whispered something into a girl's ear.

Not just any girl.

She was stunning, the type of perfection that made heads turn and people stare. Tall, toned, the kind of beauty that didn't require effort. A short skirt hugged her hips, her crop top exposing smooth skin that she flaunted like a trophy. But what twisted the knife wasn't her appearance—it was the way she clung to him, like she belonged there. Like he belonged to her.

Jungkook's hand rested on her waist, his grip firm. And then he did it—he laughed. A real, genuine laugh, the kind I had never heard before.

Something in my stomach twisted painfully, but I swallowed it down. It didn't matter. It shouldn't matter.

I forced myself to walk past, keeping my gaze locked forward. He didn't even glance my way, too absorbed in his new plaything. And yet, I still heard the whispers trailing after me. Aria. That was her name. Jungkook's perfect match, if the gossip was to be believed.

I didn't care. I didn't.

But when I entered the bathroom later, I realized the universe wasn't done testing me.

The door swung open, and I met her gaze in the mirror—Aria, flanked by two of her friends, each one looking as if they had just stepped out of a runway show. Their eyes held amusement, but Aria's? Hers were sharp. Calculated.

"So," she drawled, stepping closer. "You're Y/N."

I set my jaw, refusing to entertain her game. "And?"

Aria smirked, crossing her arms. "And you should know better than to hang around Jungkook."

A laugh bubbled up in my throat, sharp and humorless. "Hang around him? Trust me, sweetheart, I have better things to do."

Her smirk faltered for half a second before she leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Stay away from him. He doesn't need distractions like you."

Distraction.

That was it. That was all I was in her eyes. Something insignificant, a momentary nuisance that she could brush aside like dust on her expensive clothes.

I tilted my head, feigning innocence. "If I'm so insignificant, why are you here?"

Aria's eyes darkened. "Because girls like you don't know their place until someone puts them in it."

She was too close now, her presence suffocating. The other two girls shifted, waiting for me to back down. To shrink. To run.

I did the opposite.

Without hesitation, my fist connected with her face. The satisfying crack of impact echoed in the tiled bathroom as Aria stumbled back, clutching her nose, her perfect features twisting in shock.

The silence was deafening.

I stepped forward, voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. "Let me make something clear, Aria. I don't take orders. Not from Jungkook. And definitely not from you."

Her friends rushed to her side, throwing daggers with their glares, but I didn't care. Aria held her nose, blood trickling through her fingers, eyes blazing with fury.

"This isn't over," she spat, her voice shaking with rage.

I wiped my hands on a paper towel, unfazed. "No, I don't think it is."

I walked out of the bathroom, my pulse thrumming in my ears. The weight on my chest had lifted, but I knew the consequences of what I had done would come crashing down soon enough.

And I was right.

The halls were empty when I left my last class. The moment I stepped outside, I felt it—the shift in the air, the looming presence behind me.

Then, a hand wrapped around my wrist and yanked me backward with enough force to make me stumble.

I barely had a second to react before I was pressed against the cold brick wall, my heart slamming against my ribs as I met Jungkook's dark, furious gaze.

"Did you touch Aria?" His voice was low, dangerous.

I lifted my chin, unfazed despite the tight grip he had on me. "Touch her? No." I tilted my head, my lips curling. "I punched her."

Jungkook stilled. For a fraction of a second, he simply stared, as if trying to process what I had just said. Then, he let out a dark, humorless laugh. "You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"

I arched a brow. "Guess not."

His fingers tightened around my wrist, his body inching closer. Too close. "You think this is a joke?"

"I think you should get better taste in women," I shot back, eyes burning with defiance. "If she has to send threats to keep you, she's already lost."

Jungkook's expression darkened, his jaw clenching so tightly I thought it might crack. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

I leaned in, my breath brushing against his lips. "Neither do you."

The tension snapped. One second, I was glaring at him, and the next, his lips crashed against mine.

It wasn't a kiss. It was a war—fierce, possessive, a battle of dominance neither of us was willing to lose. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer as if he wanted to consume me whole. I gasped, and he took full advantage, deepening the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that made my knees weak.

I hated him.

I hated how good he was at this, how easily he could make me forget to breathe. I hated the way my body betrayed me, heat curling low in my stomach as his fingers dug into my skin, keeping me trapped between him and the wall.

Jungkook pulled back first, his breathing ragged, his eyes darker than I had ever seen them. He looked at me like I was something he couldn't figure out—something he both despised and craved in equal measure.

"This isn't over," he murmured, his thumb brushing over my swollen lips, his voice rough. "You're playing with fire."

I exhaled sharply, my head spinning. "Then let it burn."

Jungkook's smirk returned, slow and dangerous. He took a step back, watching me like he was memorizing every inch of my defiance before turning on his heel and disappearing down the hallway.

I stood there for a long moment, my breath shaky, my fingers trembling at my sides.

This wasn't just a fight anymore.

This was war..