DUAL

//05

Yugyeom was beyond exhausted. Starting from the middle of their training session, he'd begun to scrunch his face and seemed as though he wanted to take a break. But with the trainer watching them, it was impossible. Jungkook tried his best to refrain himself from going all out on his partner, but with his abdomen healed, it was difficult not to spar with his whole heart. The only limitation he had left was his shoulder, but his strength was on his right anyway.

His training partner fell on the ground with a groan, breathing heavily. Jungkook grinned, offering his hand to pull Yugyeom from the ground.

"You almost killed me," Yugyeom whined before he rushed to gulp down the drink in his hand. "Had I known you're this skillful, I would have begged them to change my partner when I was first told that I'd be replacing the beast to face another beast."

Jungkook smiled proudly, his hand fleetingly touched his abdomen before he glanced far away, toward where the unfortunate civilians wandering around. The little ones were bothering the guards again and playing around, while some others were watching them training.

He hadn't seen Chaeyoung lately. He wondered if she was busy practicing. People were still talking about her and all he hoped was that she wouldn't let those bother her.

Deep inside him, he hoped that she didn't forget that she still needed to heal his shoulder. He honestly thought that his shoulder could heal on its own; it would just take some time. After all, it was no longer as severe as the wound on his stomach. But he still wanted it to get a healing from her, perhaps simply because he wanted to see her.

The break ended shortly, forcing them all to go back to the center with their own partners. Once the whistle was blown, they began their training again. Yugyeom fought energetically despite looking like he was too tired to speak earlier. He formed fire needles underneath his palm, jerked his hand forward and the needles flew speedily toward Jungkook.

Jungkook dodged them all, dropping his body onto the ground before he swiftly got up, and instantly, his feet brought him forward as he prepared a balled fist wrapped in blue fire. Yugyeom's eyes enlarged, but he managed to duck, forming a thin sword right after and attack Jungkook's side. Jungkook's eyes narrowed, his expression tight when he felt a cut on his waist.

Yugyeom cheered, boasting about it and Jungkook smirked as he jumped and shoved his partner down when he was distracted, hitting his head with his fire-wrapped fist. Yugyeom groaned out loud, holding his head and when he opened his eyes, Jungkook sent a number of blazing daggers down and Yugyeom screamed for his life. Jungkook laughed and made the daggers disappear. Yugyeom released the biggest sigh of relief, placing a hand in between his legs and let another sigh out.

"A weakling screaming like a girl," a man from behind them scoffed, a few others cackled. "Does he think his scream is going to help the village?"

Yugyeom stood up with his entire body encased in fire, enraged at the words spoken by the men. Jungkook stood beside his sparring partner and scoffed lightly. Those men never seemed to learn. Jungkook didn't think any of the men would be able to fight with Yugyeom. He was far more brutal than any of them.

Yugyeom looked ready to fight off with the men jeering at him but he seemed to relax a few seconds later, muttering curses under his breath before turning away. The men laughed at him. That day might not be the day, but Jungkook could already picture the day when those men would be writhing in pain and would beg Yugyeom to spare them their lives.

"What are you looking at, Jeon?" the man said with a smug smile as if it wasn't him whom Jungkook had beaten up the other day. "You think you're strong, glaring at me like that?"

Jungkook scoffed. "I do think I'm strong enough to beat you and your men. That day proved it all."

"We weren't ready!" One man snapped. "It was not a fair fight."

"Has a battle ever been fair?" Jungkook lifted a brow and cocked his head to one side. "Where did you learn that your enemy will wait until you are ready?"

Their nostrils flared, eyes burning with fire as they glowered at him. Some rolled their sleeves, ready to fight. They flexed their arms covered with flames before a voice thundered.

"You are gathered here to train your skills with your partners! Not fight among each other to show your foolishness! Get back to training!"

The men turned around and went back to their spots before Jungkook and Yugyeom walked to their own, getting ready to spar again. It was just like a flash of lightning that a gigantic arrow came for Yugyeom, attacking from behind and Jungkook was only quick enough to push his partner to the side.

The arrow pierced his shoulder – his left shoulder. Jungkook gritted his teeth, swallowing the pain when he fell to the ground with a loud thud. The men cackled tauntingly before the trainer appeared again and yelled at them to stop. Yugyeom helped him got up and Jungkook hissed slightly, pressing his bloodied and burning shoulder. It wasn't even healed and now it was wounded again, way more severe than before.

When Jungkook went home after training, he heard a voice so familiar and his head turned to where it came from. Chaeyoung was laughing with her brother and another man while they were picking food to buy. Jungkook's eyes lowered, turning away immediately when he saw Chaeyoung holding the other man's arm caringly after she accidentally elbowed the same arm.

He didn't realize that Kim Taehyung had finished his lessons. It was nothing to wonder anymore why Chaeyoung had been absent from the Defense Sector. Her first love was now free and had more time to spend everywhere, especially outside of his sector. Solemnly, Jungkook walked away fast to head home in hope he could try to ease the pain in his shoulder.

He was welcomed with an empty house, dark and quiet. His grandfather must be out again. Although he understood his grandfather's reason, it was actually starting to worry him.

Jungkook was preparing himself to go to the training ground when the door to his house opened. His grandfather went in, breathing rather fast and Jungkook shook his head. "You are old," he chuckled.

"Not too old to stay fit." The old man turned to him. "Stop messing around with the others and be respectful."

He furrowed his brows and sputtered. "I am respectful."

"Really?" his grandfather smiled at him. Jungkook felt what was going to come. "Then, is the wound on your shoulder a result of being respectful?"

"You know that I hurt my shoulder after sparring with that mad beast the other day, Grandpa," he muttered.

"You know I did not refer to the other day," his grandfather replied.

Jungkook groaned. "Where did you even hear it from?"

"Apparently, everyone in the Defense Sector talks about it. That you were being rude, disrespectful and get what you deserved," he told Jungkook and with a sigh, he placed a hand on Jungkook's other shoulder. "Listen. Enemies can come at any time. If all of you keep attacking each other, how are you going to work together to keep the village safe? You are not trained to play around, remember that."

"I did not play around, Grandpa," he defended himself. "Those fools have rotten mouths."

"Entertain their foolish antics and you're no different than them," his grandfather said with a serious tone. "Keep in your mind and heart that what matters the most is to protect your village. Make those fools learn from you. They will stop being fools if you stop paying attention to them being fools."