At twelve years old, Jungkook signs on the dotted line and commits to a set of rules that extend far beyond the practice room. For his protection, they said. Stay careful. Stay pure.
Years later, May 2015, on the edge of “I NEED U” promotions - he’s the golden maknae with those same rules embedded into his skin: no scandals, no slip-ups. But now there’s Jimin who teaches him how to turn counts into feeling, who stays kind even when Jungkook hides behind jokes and rankings, who sees straight through the pushes. Early mornings and afternoon rehearsals turn into something charged until managers warn and cameras multiply.
As pressure for a win mounts, Jungkook has to choose what to protect: the image he was promised or the person who makes the stage mean anything.
Commissioned by Kisha
Word Count: 13,758