From Reluctance to Desire: A Mafia Story [JJK]

✨CLAIMED BY FIRE✨

Days had turned into weeks, and our morning sessions had become the one constant in my life. Every day, Jungkook and I trained together, pushing my limits, sharpening my reflexes. I had grown stronger, more confident, and somehow—without realizing it—I had become attuned to him in ways that went beyond combat. I noticed the small things. The way his lips twitched when he was amused. The way he rolled his shoulders when he was deep in thought. The way his eyes softened when he looked at me.

But lately, something had shifted. The teasing and playful banter were still there, but beneath it, something heavier simmered. A tension neither of us addressed, yet neither of us could escape.

And this morning, it finally boiled over.

The moment I stepped into the training room, I knew something was different.

Jungkook stood near the targets, his back tense, his head slightly bowed. He wasn't stretching like he usually did, wasn't checking his weapons or cracking some cocky remark about how I was getting better, but not quite there yet. Instead, he just stood there, unmoving, his hands clenched into fists.

"Jungkook....Ready?" I asked, trying to gauge his mood.

Jungkook didn't even look at me. "Let's just get this done," he muttered, his voice colder than usual.

I frowned, unease gnawing at me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he snapped, his dark eyes finally locking with mine. They were more intense than usual, almost unreadable.

"Doesn't seem like 'nothing,'" I shot back, refusing to let it go. His sudden change in demeanor was throwing me off, and I wasn't about to let him brush it under the rug.

He handed me the gun more forcefully than usual. "Just focus on your aim."

The frustration bubbling inside me made it hard to concentrate. I held the gun, trying to keep my hands steady, but his mood was messing with my focus. I missed the target entirely, and Jungkook scoffed under his breath.

"Again," he ordered, but there was an edge in his tone that hadn't been there before.

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to regain control, but the tension in the air between us was too thick. I fired again—another miss.

"Seriously?" Jungkook muttered, his voice dripping with irritation. "You've been doing this for weeks. You should be better by now."

His words stung more than they should have. I'd been holding in my frustration, but this... this was too much. "Well, maybe if you weren't acting like a complete jerk today, I'd be able to focus!"

Jungkook stopped pacing and turned to me, his eyes flashing with something dangerous. "A jerk? I'm trying to help you, and this is how you repay me?"

"Help me?" I scoffed, stepping toward him. "You're not helping, Jungkook. You're taking out whatever's going on in your head on me, and I don't even know why!

He exhaled sharply, his hands clenching at his sides. "Because I'm trying to protect you, Y/N! And you won't let me!"

His voice cut through the space between us, sharp and raw.

I felt my heart lurch, but I refused to back down. Anger flared in my chest, colliding with the confusion and hurt swirling inside me. "Protect me from what? I'm not weak, Jungkook! I don't need you hovering over me like I can't handle myself!"

His jaw tightened. His hands were still curled into fists, trembling slightly. "You think I don't know that?" His voice dropped lower, rougher. "I know how strong you are. I know you don't need anyone. But that doesn't change how I feel when I see you in danger. When I see people getting close to you."