Anti-romantic | Jungkook

Chapter 39

Jungkook stood on one side of the huge abandoned complex, the roar of the underground crowd thundering around him as fighters warmed up near the ring. He clenched his fists, the weight of the situation sinking in as he stared at the concrete floor. He had come there with a plan -to infiltrate that fight for Y/n, to give her the breakthrough she needed for her article and the investigation into her brother's death. But now, as Elijah approached, everything seemed to slip out of control.

—I'm glad you finally came back to your senses —Elijah smirked, stopping just a few feet away—. As you might've seen, this type of fight will be a bit different to the ones you're used to —his gaze flicked toward the ring, where a fighter landed a vicious kick to his opponent's ribs, sending him crashing into the metal fence—. No boxing rules here, Jungkook. They've brought in the real killers tonight. MMA guys, trained to break bones, not just bruise faces. And, to be fair, the future of this.

—This isn't what we talked about —he quickly glanced back at the suited man in front of him—. They'll eat me alive in the first round.

—You've been playing with fire for so long, yet you draw the line at MMA fighters? —his eyes narrowed.

He thought that, maybe, he could play around long enough to catch Alessandro coming up and call the cops just in time, but Elijah made sure to erase that simple thought from his mind.

—You have one choice, Jungkook —his head tilted to the side—. Either you get that ass in that ring or your girlfriend will be paying all the consequences of testing Rossi's patience.

His surprised expression didn't need to stay there for long enough for Elijah to mock him for it.

—You should've known better than anyone that it isn't a good idea to go around asking for information, especially when it's one that can damage us —he let out some air out of his lungs—. And you better keep it up for, at least, two or three fights. You're the new thing here.

Jungkook's stomach tightened. He'd boxed his entire life, but mixed martial arts? That was a different world entirely. The fact that he was also expected to do more than one just fight had him looking back at the improvised ring with horror.

Those fighters were the most mediocre in their field, yet Jungkook knew he didn't stand a chance against them -strikes landing with sickening thuds and grappling that turned the opponents into ragdolls. He couldn't out-jab or out-dance his way around those men.

—I'll go through four fights if you want —Jungkook muttered, though his voice lacked its usual confidence—. But leave Y/n out of this —Elijah's smirk only widened, clearly enjoying his discomfort.

—We won't touch a single hair in her head —Elijah's eyes glinted with a fake promise—. I'm sure she'll back off once she sees what they'll do to your pretty face.

Jungkook's heart pounded -not from fear for himself, but from the thought of failing Y/n. He knew he didn't owe that fight to anyone but her. After everything, he couldn't just walk away. He had come here to make up for it, to be the one to give her the lead she had been chasing for so long. He needed to clean all the karma he had pending to be able to be with her, that was what the curse was about, that was what was expected from him.

He took a deep breath, his mind racing with memories of Y/n -her determination, her stubbornness, the fire in her eyes when she talked about finding justice. If she could risk everything for the truth, there was no way he could back out now.

—You won't ever get near her —Jungkook said, locking eyes with him—. If something happens to Y/n, I'll be the one to finish you all.

—Sure —Elijah shrugged and turned on his heel.