NOT SO GOOD BOY

Episode 4

"I'm so excited for this!" Leemin said as pulled his shirt off, receiving a few chuckles from the other boys in the locker rooms.

"Tell me about it." Hanseol said. "I heard they had a lot of first years, can't wait to crush their ribs."

A shudder went up Jungkook's spine as he turned around, eyes landing on his teammate who was sitting on the one of the benches opposite their lockers. The second year was already in ready for the match, wearing loose shorts and the familiar black t-shirt with their club's name and logo in gold in his back, and his own name on his heart.

He was wrapping his hands with his red bandage, a sick smile plastered over his features.

Jungkook hated it. This thirst both Hanseol and Leemin seemed to have for other's misery, their constant need to see others suffer and cower before them. Schadenfreude.

"See Jungkook-ah! This is how you do it! The other was to be lifeless in a pool of his own blood!" His father yelled as the tv casted a sickly white glow to his skin and a metallic glint in his mad eyes. The screen displayed a UFC match, one of them falling to his knees as blood smeared over his face.

Jungkook's breath hitched, feeling his eyes tingle as his stomach coiled. Why were they fighting? Why did his father like looking at them injuring each other? Why was there so much blood? Why was the man not moving anymore?

"Yah! Jungkook-ah! Are you crying?" A slurred voice asked as his father's round head snapped to the side. He was unkempt, his facial hair had grown out and speckled with pizza crust, some strands clumping together with grease.

He wiped his eyes, ignoring the the salty taste in his mouth.

"Men don't cry Jungkook-ah. You're not a sissy are you? You're not a faggot either."

He shook his head, looking down.

"Then wipe those god damn tears!" The man yelled, throwing the pizza slice he'd been holding between his stubby fingers at the boy, who received it on the side of his face, feeling the melted cheese slowly slide down his cheek before landing on his bare foot.

"Get out of here." The man mumbled as he struggled to sit up and take another slice from the pizza box opened on the small coffee table. "You'll be late for your boxing class, you seem to need it."

Jungkook could only catch the glare his father sent his way before he looked down at his the floor and turned around to leave.

He was thirteen.

"Yah! Jungkook! We'll be late!" Yeongsu said with his usual bright smile as he slung an arm around the younger boy.

"What's gotten you in a daze? Thinking of that delicious trophee we're about to win?"

Jungkook chuckled, wondering if he would have been able to survive this long in the club if it hadn't been for his bright upperclassmen, seemingly the only one in the club who wasn't a pure demon in one way or another.

"We haven't won yet Hyung." Jungkook laughed, letting himself be pulled away by the boy as they walked to the school's dojo, where the competition was held.

There were a few people sitting around on a few chairs arranged on the sides of the room, and the opposite team already in warming up on the mats.

He recognised some people from the school, students and the coach, but there was a couple from the crowd he was almost positive he'd never seen before. They stood out a lot because of the woman, who had a short haircut, just like his own, and tattoos crawling over her skin. The man seemed short, yet muscular and intimidating with his buff arms crossed over his chest.

He shrugged it off, probably a parent from the other team or something. The coach walked to them, a tall and buff man with cold eyes and a gravelly voice from the amount of cigarettes he burned daily.

"Only one way to preserve your honour." He started, aura as dark as always. "Crush them."

***

"That kid shouldn't be allowed into fights." Park Jaesung mumbled as he looked at the boy with a sickly smile over his face, slamming his fist in the opponent's face. "What's his name?"

Park Chanseol flipped through the pages on her clipboard as the referee whistled for foul play. "Jyu Leemin, he's a second year."

Jaesung shook his head in disapproval. The young teen wiped his fist on the side of mouth, smearing blood on his skin. It was gruesome scene.

"How do kids get this violent?" Jaesung asked.

His wife looked down own her lap, the bermuda shorts she was wearing high on her waist riding up her legs and revealing one of her tattoos. It was a purple gladiolus, carved in her skin.

"I wonder." She said softly, eyes going back up to see a boy, hands up near his head in guard as he looked at his opponent directly.

"What about him?" She said as she pointed her pen at the boy. "He seems good enough to become your student." The name written on his file seemed familiar, Jeon Jungkook.

Park Jaesung followed her pen, seeing the young boy who fought sharply. He noticed the muscles in his jaw flew with each hit, and hues of fear flashing through his eyes. Although he was by far much stronger than the biy he was up against, he seemed terrified.

It was a truly saddening thing to watch.

"He won't do." Park Jaesung said as he looked down at the file his wife was showing him. "That kid has been forced into it, he doesn't seem excited to win, he's only eager to end it as soon as possible."

Chanseol sighed, not at all seeing what her husband ment. he seemed like a perfectly normal young man from her seat, but then again, Jaesung had always been better at sensing things.

"You're being awfully picky, as usual."

"I have to be, imagine if i tought combat skills to that Leemin kid. That would be equivalent to handing him a ticket to prison for assault. I'm not trying to turn people into war machines, i want to develop talent and passion for the art of combat. And to do that, I need someone who'll be able to control his strength."

Chanseol rolled his eyes at the lan's cheesy speech, before flipping through the papers again.

"What's his name?" The man asked as he pointed to a boy whose hand was being raised in victory by the referee.

"Yang Yeongsu."

"I like him."

***

Jungkook closed the door to the shabby apartment, the medals he'd earned weighing heavily around his neck as he entered the living room.

He dragged his feet to the couch, seeing his father fast asleep in front of the UFC reruns. Sighing, he took the medals he'd earned off his neck, dropping them on the coffee table before rushing to his room, wiping furiously at his eyes.

Men don't cry.

He sniffled, looking at his reflection in the mirror. His strong build, tall fram. His sharp jawline and strong features, but then his glossy doe eyes, filled with tears.

The pain in his chest slowly faded away as he strained his back up, a crooked smile being forced on his lips as he wiped one last time at his eyes that were now glaring at his reflexion.

He'd won every single match. He was strong. Just like his father wanted him to be.

A/N:

hey guys!
How'd you like this chapter?

Because of this whole quarantine shit I now how've way too much time on my hands so I'll try to update as much as possible and catch up on all the anime I have been missing out on.

I'm trying to get into some good kdramas but a lot of them bore me really fast.

My absolute favourite has to be "save me", but i'll save that rant for some other time.

Do y'all have any good kdrama recommendations?
What are your favourites?