Unfriended | Taekook

18 - Care

For two days, Taehyung could barely move. It wasn't just his shoulder; his entire body ached from the precise blows Jaehyun and Mingyu had landed. They knew exactly where to hit, using their jiu jitsu skills to inflict maximum pain without leaving obvious bruises. Every muscle ache like hell.

Two days without training. He couldn't afford to lose more time with the next stage of the scholarship tests only three days away. He strapped his shoulder tightly, stuck pain patches over the worst areas, downed a few painkillers, laced up his running shoes, and decided on a quick run to push through the stiffness.

But not at the training center. Just the thought of showing up there made his stomach twist. So, he took to the streets, feeling a pang of cowardice but deciding he'd face the center again once he had his scholarship secured. He'd be ready for another beating someday—but not today.

The first steps were stiff, his muscles tight and aching, but he pushed through, forcing himself to ignore the waves of discomfort through his body. After a few minutes, he managed to find a rhythm, letting his mind drift as his feet pounded the pavement. His mind finding that familiar zone where the pain faded into background noise.

But it didn't last.

Moving his arms was essential—not just for speed but for balance—and every time he tried to pick up the pace, the ache in his shoulder intensified. The faster he ran, the more acute the pain, until it was nearly impossible to ignore. His movements grew sloppy.

By the time he reached his usual stopping point, his lungs burned, and his shoulder throbbed. He stopped, bending over to catch his breath, fingers clenched around his stopwatch. The time staring back at him was pathetic. His time was slow, painfully behind his usual pace, and he cursed under his breath, feeling the frustration bubble up. He had given everything he had to his run, but his body just couldn't keep up, holding him back, taking away his chance.

He decided to go home, defeated. His body better get its shit together soon or he'll be stuck in Seoul for longer than he planned.

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In these two days that he spent mostly resting—calling in sick to work and not working—Taehyung only saw Jungkook through their windows.

Taehyung couldn't climb out his window with his injured body, and he kept Jungkook from climbing into his window to visit him by lying that he had a fever and some contagious illness. Jungkook pouted when he was turned away, but it was better this way. Taehyung didn't want Jungkook to see his massive black eye up close.

He didn't plan to involve the younger even further in his conflict with Mingyu. Mingyu and Jungkook need each other as teammates, and Taehyung wouldn't interfere or bring more tension between them.

▪️

Taehyung failed.

He showed up to the scholarship trial with his shoulder tightly strapped and nerves on edge. He pushed through every second of the test, fighting past the pain, trying not to let anything slow him down. But it didn't take long for his injuries to catch up to him. By the end, he knew it hadn't been enough.

When the results came out, he wasn't surprised: Seoul University had turned him down. His body just couldn't keep up, and his messy academic record from homeschooling didn't help.

He had tried hard. Really hard. He pushed through the worst pain he'd ever felt, and it still wasn't enough. The scholarship had slipped right through his fingers. But as crushing as it was, this wasn't the end.

Both Busan and Daegu universities still had open spots, and Busan had already invited him to the next round of trials the following week. One more week. A week to recover, pull himself together, and actually be ready.