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42. BOXING GLOVES ボクシンググローブ
BEADS OFPERSPIRATION lined jungkook's forehead and trickled down his face. long, deft fingers sifted through his newly dyed hair, attempting to push the damp peach locks out of his eyes.
a mischievous grin pulled the corners of his mouth up. gaze following the larger boy who was trying to regain his composure after taking a gloved fist to the face.
after swallowing sleeping pills the night before, jungkook had woken up in cold sweat from a horrifying nightmare about lia. it had disoriented him terribly and he just needed to clear his head. it especially didn't help that he had vivid memories of her – her shy giggle, her flushed cheeks, her crooked tooth peeking out when she smiled at him, her eyes crinkling into soft half-moons – replaying in his mind all morning.
which was how he'd found himself here in a boxing ring, sparring with someone who was easily twice his size.
he slipped his hand back into the glove, letting the coach who stood outside the ring fix it in place for him. "you two need to remember this is supposed to be a sparring session. look at your faces already. if it goes too far, i will not hesitate to break it up." he warned. "and kid, quit poking the bear, he's way bigger than you." he looked at jungkook with concern.
"i'm fine, jenkins. this doesn't even hurt." it was true. the physical pain had nothing on the throbbing in his chest. his heart was still giving him so much trouble. so much for masking one pain with another.
sniffling, he moved back to the centre of the ring where the other guy was waiting. "okay, let's go."
• • •
"i said that's enough!" coach jenkins literally had to pry the two sparrers off each other. "what the hell is wrong with the both of you?!" he yelled, successfully pulling them apart. "this is boxing not street fighting."
he turned to the bigger boy. "farland, you have more experience, you should know better. you shouldn't be so wild with your punches especially when your opponent is such a novice and not even in the same weight division as you." he chastised, eyeing his bleeding nose. "jeon, you need to watch your moves. they're much too careless. why didn't you try to dodge like any sane person with instincts would? are you trying to get yourself killed?" he held the bleeding boy up.
"maybe, a little." jungkook grinned, revealing bloodied teeth. the coach grimaced, nose crinkling at the sight of the boy's bruised and slightly swollen eye. "let's get your wounds cleaned up." he didn't release his hold on him. "you too, farland."
jungkook brushed a finger over his cheek, feeling warm blood stain the digit. his face stung and ached and his left eye which was slowly swelling shut was going numb.
he could already imagine the look of horror on namjoon and jimin's faces when he returned with his face all bruised and battered. they wouldn't understand how going to the gym had led to this – him looking like he'd been involved in an accident.
he didn't even notice how long or how far they'd walked until he was being sat down. jenkins opened a first aid kit, pulling out what he needed. "i can treat myself." farland stated before the man could even try anything. "okay."
the coach began to clean jungkook's wounds, wiping off the blood on his face. the boy hissed in pain, flinching. "that's what you get for being reckless." coach jenkins told him in a chastising tone.
jungkook looked up at him with big eyes. "i'm sorry." he apologised, his gaze casting downwards. the older man rubbed salve on the open cuts.
oddly, even when the pain was enough to make him lose his mind, jungkook found himself thinking of lia again. his mind began to wander, imagining how she'd react to seeing his face such a mess. he could picture it so vividly.
her eyes wide and jaw slackened, fawning over him with worry and asking him how he got that way. and then getting mad at him for being so reckless, hitting him even though she knew he was already in pain. knowing her, she'd tear up a little and then make a joke later when she was certain he'd be fine.
"does it hurt that much?" he heard the coach's voice, pulling him out of his reverie. "hm?" he hummed out, confused. "dude, you're crying." farland pointed out, brows rising in incredulity.
blinking, jungkook lifted a hand and swiped at his cheeks. sure enough, he was met with dampness. "are you in a lot of pain?" coach jenkins' voice was full of concern. jungkook pressed his lips in a thin line.
he was. just not the sort of pain the coach thought it was.
☀️☀️☀️
y'all good? need a tissue? double choc chip cookies? ice cream? chocolate?
