Detonate Me, Granulate Me | BTS

Chapter O7

Jungkook can't concentrate for the rest of the day, mind wandering to Jinyoung's words, about the ICU, the virus, and his performance suffers. It's not a big deal for him personally—after all, he's already Class Primus, so he's not like the Class Secundus who are trying to climb ranks—but he doesn't miss the way that the other Felidae look at him scornfully, disappointed that his terrible results have blown their chances at being the winning Domus. Even Jimin's eyes flicker to him when they cross paths, expression concerned, and Jungkook just closes his eyes, blocking everything out of his mind.

"Jungkook," Kim Seokjin says, pulling Jungkook aside just as he's about to enter the waiting rooms and change out of his competition uniform into something more comfortable. "What happened out there?"

"Nothing," Jungkook says, shrugging. "I guess the first round tired me out more than I thought."

Seokjin frowns. "You usually have good stamina though." He presses a hand to Jungkook's forehead, and Jungkook jerks back at the sudden contact, arms raised defensively. "Are you... feeling unwell? Dizzy? Feverish?"

"No," Jungkook blurts out. The warning bells are dinging at the back of his head. He had been ready to dismiss what Jinyoung was saying earlier, but from the way that Seokjin is acting, there must be something behind it. "I'm fine, I'm not sick or anything. Just didn't have much to eat for lunch, so I burned out."

"Okay," Seokjin says, dropping his hand. He looks Jungkook up and down, lips pressed together tightly. "Okay, but if you do get sick, you come to me first, got it?"

"Yeah," Jungkook says, shoulders tense. "Yes, teach, I will."

The Canidae end up racking up the most points for their Domus, securing them a new game simulator for their Active Room, and Jungkook gets back to the Felidae portal to cold faces and disappointed whispers.

"You did your best, Jungkookie," Taehyung says, wrapping an arm around Jungkook and pulling him in tight. A bunch of Felidae pass by Jungkook, glaring at him, and Taehyung hisses at their backs, which is really funny because he looks as intimidating as a newborn kitten, which is to say not at all. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it, it wasn't your fault."

"I know," Jungkook says, squeezing Taehyung's hand. "It's fine, I'm fine."

"If anyone gives you any problems, just send them to me," Taehyung says with false bravado, puffing his chest up, and Jungkook lets out a chuckle. "I'll sort them right out."

"Yeah," Jungkook replies. "Thanks, Taehyung."

Somehow, Jungkook thinks, they're going to have much bigger problems to deal with than losing out on a game machine.