One way or another - Blondie
Summary: To the public, you had an infamous rivalry with the stoner emo kid Jungkook, and everyone knew it, but behind closed doors, you had been in a strong relationship for months. When both your bands sign up for the school showcase, both teams are determined to beat the other, and the teasing, pranks, and late-night invasions only get worse. But how far is too far when one prank might just ruin everything?
Pairing: vocalist!reader x drummer!jungkook
Genre: secret relationship, enemies and lovers, angst, sabotage, teasing, rivalry, fluff, light smut, oral (f), crack, LOTS of banter
Warnings: swearing, smut, angst, heartbreak, crying, guilt
“You call that a riff? Maybe stick to banging on drums next time.” You yelled from across the music room, you’d been forced to share with the band you’d been butting heads with since freshman year.
Jungkook scowled, lips twisting with obvious displeasure. “Better than whatever ear-rape you’re calling singing,” he shot back, fingers still gliding up and down his electric guitar that was drowning in Linkin Park stickers.
A few people in the room snickered at your exchange, but neither of you cared. To you and Jungkook, everything music-related was war, and everyone around you knew it.
Your rivalry had been infamous since the moment the two of you stepped onto campus. Everyone had witnessed some kind of banter, back-and-forth insults, and subtle disses between your bands (often for no reason at all)
You scoffed. “I think we’ve already established that you’re tone-deaf, so I won’t be taking criticism from you. Much less fashion advice.” You glanced at him up and down, eyeing his choice of shirt: dirty green, short-sleeved, with a human skeleton printed on the front.
His eyes met yours, fiery, deep brown, challenging. “You’re just jealous you can’t pull this off.”
“Well, I guess we’ll never know, because I would never let that thing touch my body,” you said, gesturing with your long, polished pearl-colored acrylics.
He scoffed, tongue poking into his cheek, and marched toward you, intimidating but not enough to make you flinch. “Hm, yeah, cause I’m sure so many things have touched that body of yours–”
“Woah, woah, woah, Jungkook,” someone interrupted, stepping between you. Hands pressed to his chest to hold him back. “Let’s not kill poor Y/n today, alright?”
“Kill?” you repeated, smirking. “More like give me a bee sting.”
“Why, you little–” Jungkook lunged again, stopped by the grip of his friend, who might as well have been holding him by the ear.
It was Park Jimin, the scrawny lead singer of Bangtan and one of the few members of Jungkook’s band you actually liked. Whenever you needed a seat in AP Bio, he had welcomed you with a smile. You still found it hard to believe he was part of this emo band.
“Y/n, come on,” he said, turning toward you while keeping Jungkook restrained, “I’m literally trying to help you.”
“And for that, we thank you for your service,” a voice said coming from behind you, placing a hand on your shoulder.
Your best friend, Maya patted you on the back as she smiled toward Jimin, silently thanking him for all the times he had kept you and Jungkook from having a brawl in the middle of campus.
Maya had been your best friend since the third grade and was the complete reason that you had gotten so into music. She didn’t just play the role of best friend, but was also the founder of your little band of three you had conjured one night when you and your other friend, Sav, were bored.
Maya was the lead drummer of your group (some would say the Jungkook), and Sav was the lead guitarist. When practicing, there was always moments where you felt somewhat lesser since your role was just ‘vocalist’ and going off raw talent. You never trained for anything music-related like the others, but they both insisted you had ‘the voice of an angel,’ and since you had gotten a couple of gigs, met with perfect feedback, their statements were proven.
“We’re gonna need her alive and well for the big showcase,” she said, smiling up at you fondly.
“Showcase?” Hoseok, Jungkook’s guitarist, perked up, “What showcase?”
Maya’s brows furrowed, “the schools holding a big showcase for all people in the music program, you didn’t know?”
“Well, not until now,” Hoseok whined, “Jungkook, did you know about this?”
He shook his head, “I don’t read my emails,” he said, shrugging.
Your head tilted with confusion as well, unsure if Maya had mentioned this before. You were sure you would’ve remembered something about a big showcase.
“Wait!” A loud cry screamed from the floor behind you. The second vocalist of Bangtan, Taehyung, was lying on the floor, looking up at your group through his upside-down brows, “Is there a prize?”
Maya sighed, “bragging rights, I guess, but I heard talks about a record deal with some big company– also Taehyung, why are you on the floor?” She had been holding herself back, trying to ignore the boy on the floor, but just couldn’t.
He turned around onto his stomach, head resting in the palms of his hands, “Well, if you must know. Singing while upside down trains the vocal cords that standing doesn’t reach, it’s so I can reach Beyonce level powerhouse.”
Jungkook, in front of you, scoffed, “Sounds like it’s something Y/n could use.”
“Aish,” you voiced, gritting your teeth and jutting a fist at him. He didn’t flinch in the slightest. “I wish Yoongi were here to slap you or something.”
“Psh, Yoongi would never,” he thought about it, “I think.”
Yoongi was the fifth and final member of Jungkook’s group Bangtan, and also the eldest. He was definitely the most professional of the bunch, actually being here more for the music part of the program, other than vibes. He was the backbone of Bangtan, the bassist who always kept everyone in line.
You’re not exactly sure if he would hit Jungkook, per se, but he was the only person who intimidated him enough with that scary cat look that had Jungkook on a leash.
You shook your head, getting rid of the thought, “never mind. You’re just worried that we’re going to kick your sorry asses at the showcase.”
He scoffed, stepping closer to lean over you, peering down deep into your eyes, “worried? About what? Another round of Taylor Swift?”
You crossed your arms and looked up at him, “mhm, yeah. And what do you plan to counter with? Some random emo band that screams for a living?”
“It pains me that you can’t reference one.”
“Whatever. I can’t wait to see you in ten years, begging for an autograph. You’re going down.”
“Guys, can’t we just shake hands and compete like adults?” Jimin asked, already sick of this rivalry that was bothering the band's productivity.
See, he wouldn’t know the regular bickering was one of the reasons that Jungkook came to the music room so much, not the other way around.
“No,” you both answered, “Maya, let’s go. We’ve got a showcase to win. Let’s find Sav.”
“Us too boys. Call Yoongi, we’ll start making the setlist.”
Both you and Jungkook turned on your heels, turning around without waiting for your partners to follow. As you two left through opposite exits, Maya and Jimin were left with each other, face to face and sighing at both their group maknaes' ridiculousness.
“Good luck to you and Bangtan, Jimin,” Maya said, putting out a hand and showing the only pinch of professionalism the practice room had seen in a while.
Jimin sighed in response, “You too, Maya. See you.”
“F-Fuck, Jungkook! Right there!” You moan loudly as your grip on his hair tightened painfully. As you yanked on him harder, he groaned into you, pulling you closer with his hold on your legs.
Your back arched on the silk sheets of his bed as he held you down, lapping you up and taking everything you let him have.
“Fuck, you taste so good,” he moaned as he hitched your skirt up further. He continued to flick at your clit with his tongue with harsh, firm swirls that had you crying out. He had been at this for what felt like hours, excited that his roommate was gone for the day, eager to hear as many sounds from you as he could.
“Mm, I could eat you out for hours, gorgeous,” he muttered against you, vibrating your folds in the process. The room was filled with nothing but your moans and the wet, lewd sounds of what he was doing to your swollen pussy.
Without warning, he took your clit in between his lips, sucking strongly and occasionally nipping at it with his teeth, making you jolt and buck your hips toward him.
“Jungkook–” you groan out with a loud wail as your orgasm plummets into you. Your body trembles as it hits you like a truck, everything locking up.
He continued working on you in firm, languid strokes, making you squirm as he swallowed every drop of your arousal, causing you to become oversensitive. Through weak twitches, you brought down a hand to gently push him away from you since it felt like he wouldn’t let up if not for your encouragement.
As he rose, he placed a soft kiss on your inner thigh, then sat back on his heels. He looked up at you with a smile, face fully wet from jaw to neck, breathing heavily. You sat there for a moment while he waited for you to gain your composure, hand on your thigh and caressing it warmly.
You smirked, regaining your breath, “Sometimes I thank god for your big mouth, you know. It may be annoying, but you always give great head.”
“Thanks, baby,” he leaned over to you and placed a wet kiss on your mouth, letting you taste your own bitter arousal.
As he pulled back, you saw his big brown eyes looking at you with such fondness, which made you smile. People at school only saw him as an “emo loser,” but to you, he was the most handsome boy alive, and in situations like this, you always found yourself thinking about how lucky you were to have found him.
“You know, today, after we went to the other music room, the new teacher…”
He started to ramble cutely about something that happened at school this morning, fully nerding out. As he continued to passionately talk about whatever it was, you reached over and grabbed a tissue from his bedside table, beginning to wipe his face clean of the evidence from before.
God, he was like a messy child. You continued cleaning him while he maintained eye contact, still rambling. He occasionally brought up a knuckle to nudge his tilted glasses further up on his nose as they were drooping from all the commotion.
Usually, he wouldn’t let a soul see him with his glasses, but it was only you here with him at home, so he couldn’t care less. To you, he looked cute with them, but it was hard to convince him of that.
“... And then just complained we were too loud! Isn’t that crazy?”
You nodded as if you had been listening the whole time, finally throwing the used tissues in a trash can nearby and placing a quick peck to his cheek, “mhm, yeah baby that’s wild.”
He studied you for a minute and tilted his head, raising an eyebrow, “I appreciate your performance, y/n, but next time, maybe actually listen to me?”
You chuckled, “Well, maybe next time have your topic be interesting.”
“Interesting? Like what, the showcase?”
Your ears perked up, “Now that is a topic I can talk about.”
He shuffled around on his bed for a moment, maneuvering to sit beside you and rest his back on his bedrest, arm curling around your shoulder.
He paused for a moment. “Do you see yourself making music, ten years from now?” He asked, fidgeting his fingers, tone becoming more serious.
You raised an eyebrow and smoothed down your skirt, “No, I don’t think so.”
He turned to face you, “music for me is fun and all, like I enjoy being with the girls, but at the end of the day, I’m leaning toward something more business-y. It’s just not something I see me getting a career out of. What about you?”
He nodded at your words and didn’t hesitate when answering for himself, “I want to make music. I still see myself in the band with the others, hopefully playing concerts and stuff. I want to make it big, music’s the most important thing to me.”
His face was filled with so much love and passion, you couldn’t help but smile. For you, you music was just a bit of fun, a hobby. But to him, it was life. He wanted to win awards, inspire people, and have his voice heard. You didn’t want to disappoint him by saying you thought music wasn’t a real career.
You chuckled, “You reckon in ten years they still don’t know about us?”
He smiled, “Well, I mean, we never know when someone is going to barge into the shower where we happen to be having sex.”
You both laughed at that. There was only one person besides you two who knew about your relationship, and that was Jungkook’s roommate Taehyung. Neither of you told him willingly. It was just one unlucky encounter where he came home early from a party and didn’t bother to knock on the bathroom door.
Thankfully, however, the encounter was more comedic than embarrassing.
It was also nice to know that you didn’t have to sneak around to hang out in Jungkook’s dorm anymore, too.
“Well, either way, I hope you know that I’m not going down without a fight. That prize is mine.”
He laughed loud and proud, right in your face, “I wouldn’t bet on that, princess.”
“Psh, just you wait.” You stood up and grabbed your pair of discarded underwear and quickly put them back on, heading toward the door.
“Where are you going?” He called from behind you.
You turned, “Sav wants to hang out in a few, I’m gonna head out.”
You looked around his desk and picked up his waterbottle, taking a sip before putting it down and knocking over a cup of pencils in the process. You were always messing up a bunch of his shit, but he didn’t mind. He was just happy that you were with him.
“Why don’t you just tell her you’re going out with your mom or something?” He asked, puppy eyes wide and begging you to stay.
“I can’t. I said that last week.”
“Please, I want you to sleep here tonight.”
You looked at him and crossed your arms, “You know, for someone covered in tattoos, you’re awfully clingy.”
You went up to him and gave an apologetic kiss, “I’m sorry, I promised. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
He groaned, annoyed that you left him yet again because you couldn’t just tell your friends to leave you alone since you were busy fucking your boyfriend. “Fine. I guess I’ll start practicing for the big showcase. I’ll get a head start on you and Sav. Have fun.”
“Good night, Jungkook.” You said slowly, “Happy drumming.”
“How come they got rid of the student discount at GYG? That’s actually ridiculous,” Maya said as she mixed her food around with her fork, shoving it around the plate.
“Probably because they’ve had a mass drop in profit with all the burritos you’ve been buying,” you answered with, snickering at your friend as she stuck her tongue out at you.
“Hey, there’s no problem with–”
“Guys, guys, guys! Big news!” Sav yelled out as she came sprinting to your lunch table at lightning speed, hair bouncing up and down, and panting from the run.
“Guess–” breathe, “what” another breathe, “I just heard.” It was funny to you how unathletic your friend was. If you had to guess to would’ve assumed that she came from the B buildings, which were no more than 50 metres left, yet still a struggle for her.
“What is it?” Maya asked curiously, leaning in toward the table as if she was prepared for some secret.
“Okay, so,” Sav sat down at the table beside you, scooching you over to make room, “the prize for the showcase isn’t just a record deal anymore. Apparently, they’re calling Kim Namjoon to make an appearance! He’s the biggest music scout in the industry! It’s every musician's dream to get an opportunity like this!”
Both your and Maya’s jaws dropped. There wasn’t a soul in your community who didn’t know the name Kim Namjoon. He was pretty much the reason behind all the famous musicians. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and if an aspiring artist missed out on this, it would be almost impossible to come back from.
“That’s insane!” You yelled out, “Is he scouting winners or just anyone?”
“Anyone who catches his eye! And I heard the last time he did something like this, he took almost half the school. So basically, if you put on a killer performance, you’re guaranteed a win, even if you don’t place.”
“Oh my god, Sav, I can’t believe this,” Maya said, hand covering her mouth in disbelief.
“Are we talking about the showcase?” A new voice said from behind you, coming around to take a seat.
Taehyung sat down on your side of the table, causing you to scoot over for a second time with a loud, displeased groan. You and your friends were still unsure as to why Taehyung and the rest always sat down with you, but it was the norm now, and you couldn’t find yourself protesting.
“Yes, we are,” Sav said enthusiastically, proud that she had found the best bit of information, “a scout is coming, he’s getting a bunch of people who impress him!”
“Oh yeah, Yoongi, you mentioned something about that, didn’t you?” Taehyung asked, turning to his friend, who started to sit down opposite you.
“Mhm, I overheard that senior, Seokjin, talking about it in gym,” he said, nodding as he took a bite of a green apple.
You raised an eyebrow, “You were in gym?”
He shook his head instantly, “They asked me to fix a light.”
“Anyways,” Hoseok said, changing the subject, “have you guys been practicing? The showcase is pretty soon.”
He was right. Everything seemed to be quite short notice, and the competition was only a week or two away. It was probably a scheduling error since the notice was a flyer instead of an email. If Maya hadn’t randomly wandered under the bleachers for some unknown reason, neither group would have known about it till too late.
“Yeah, we’ve got our setlist about done already. We’ve been practicing every now and again, too, but nothing too hardcore.”
“Damn, I wish we could be as laid back as you guys,” Hoseok said, sighing, “Jungkook’s been making us wake up at 5 am every day and practicing till we bleed. I mean, look at my fingers!”
He threw out both his hands, and everyone leaned in. You saw how raw his fingers were from regularly playing on the strings of his guitar.
“Ouch, Hoseok. Looks like it hurts.”
“Damn right it does,” he rubbed his hands on his pants, “but nothing, a bit of cream won’t fix.”
“Where is Jungkook, by the way?” You asked, looking around and starting to notice that everyone but him was here.
“As I said, he’s been practicing nonstop. He’s in the music rooms, wouldn’t even come out for lunch.”
Of course, he was practicing. He’s already taking this thing so seriously when it was just some lame competition. You couldn’t wait to see his face when you, Maya, and Sav were announced as winners.
“Damn, really?” You straightened up, “didn’t realise he was so competitive. Might as well pay him a visit,” you said with a wink.
“Y/n just let him be,” everyone said in a different form.
“Oh come on, it’s just a little fun. I can’t let him get the drop on us,” you insisted. And with that, you got up and grabbed your bags, not bothering to finish your lunch. You turned around and headed straight toward the music rooms where Jungkook should be.
Before you even stepped into the music room, you could hear the sound of Jungkook loudly banging on the drums. The sound was echoing throughout the hallway, and you could tell that if there were anyone else in the area, they would make a complaint, but he was alone.
As you opened the door, the first thing you noticed was the frustration on his face as sweat beads began to drip down the side of his neck. He was repeating the same part over and over, desperate to get the right sound, but something was still off. Something even you could pick up on.
“Hey there, drummer boy,” you called out over the loud sound of him playing.
His hands stopped mid-way to a loud bang, and he turned to look at you, a smile already on his face.
“Hey, the guys tell you I was here?” He asked, running a hand through his sweaty hair and tucking some stray pieces behind his ears.
“Mhm. How are you going with the showcase?” You asked, gesturing toward him sitting down on his drum set.
He nodded, but his brows stayed furrowed, “pretty good… You heard a scout is coming?”
You smiled, “Yeah, hasn’t everyone heard? It’s pretty cool they’ve gotten him.”
He continued nodding and said a small “yeah” in the process. There was something more restrained about him today; he was less talkative, and you didn’t push, unsure if the reason was bad.
You bit your bottom lip for a minute, silence stretching as he breathed heavily, “your tempos slightly off on the chorus by the way. If you want to win, you’re going to need to fix that.”
“Doesn’t matter, I could beat you with one arm,” he said cockily. But behind his words, you noticed the subtle clench in his jaw that showed this had been bugging him, too.
You could see him trying to hide it, but as he looked toward the floor, overthinking everything, you felt guilty just for being able to see him like this.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you. Just keep playing,” you said as you moved to stand in front of him, his eyes following you from below.
No matter how competitive you were when it came to competition, you were still his girlfriend. It didn’t matter if it worsened your chances or anything; you talked big for sure, but on the inside, you still wished the best for each other.
“I’ll keep the tempo while you play,” you leaned over to grab a drumstick that was sitting on one of the drums before he stopped you, lightly grabbing your wrist.
“Wait, not those,” he looked around for a moment and found a spare pair of sticks, which he then handed to you. They were new and unused, unlike the ones that you had reached for before, which were worn and barely hanging by a thread. “Here, use these.”
You raised an eyebrow and took them hesitantly. You were confused as to why he would practice with the worst pair, but wasn’t bothered to question.
“Alright, just follow my lead.” You took in a deep breath to get in the right headspace and lightly tapped the hi hat in a consistent beat, using it as a guide for Jungkook to follow.
He tapped his foot in time, nodding his head and memorising the beat. His hands gripped his sticks tight and ghosted over the drum set, practicing how it was supposed to go.
When he was confident enough to begin, he started playing the same song from before, now more in time but still slightly off.
“Slower,” you said, continuing to tap.
It took him a moment, but he finally started to sync up with you, and the improvement was noticeable. You bobbed your head at the sound as he did the same, hair waving around as he was fully immersed in the activity.
“There you go,” you smiled as you saw him finally looking pleased with himself. He was doing so incredible, almost performance-ready, but then he started overthinking again.
He started to hit the drums harder, and it began to sound messy.
“You’re speeding up again.”
“Am not,” he snapped. Not out of annoyance but out of frustration.
He kept trying to keep up, hitting hard, gripping tighter, and his brows furrowing further. He studied your tempo, watching as your hand tapped down and down, and eventually, got it correct, but barely.
“There you go, perfect,” you said, smiling. Small steps were still steps. It was only 5 minutes, but you were proud that you were able to help him.
As you stopped tapping and his beats phased out, he looked at you with a fond grin. His eyes were filled with love, and he was so grateful to have someone like you to help him.
“Thank you,” he patted his thigh and lightly angled his seat.
You walked over and lightly sat down on his lap while he rested his chin on your shoulder, letting out a deep breath.
“You’re doing great, Jungkook. You’re gonna kill it on stage,” you reassured.
He chuckled, “So are you.”
“Yeah, I know.” You said with a shrug. You felt him beside you shift, and you turned to face him. He placed a warm kiss on your lips, holding them there for a few moments.
“Thanks for helping me,” he said, big brown eyes sparkling as they looked at you. His arms around your waist tightened, and he pulled you closer.
“You need it, I’m not going easy,” you teased. He chuckled and then leaned in again, kissing you deeply and long, not minding that someone could walk in.
The next week had been crazy for the two of you.
“Where the hell are my sheets?” Jungkook yelled as he marched over toward you, moving past both Sav and Maya.
He stopped right in front of you and crossed his arms while peering down at you, foot tapping. You stayed lying down on the music room couch, legs hanging over the armrest, not bothering to look up from your phone.
“What ever are you talking about, Jungkook?” You were trying to contain your smile.
“I know you took them. Hand them over, we’re trying to practice,” he asked, putting a hand out and clenching, waiting for you to give them.
“I don’t have them,” you insisted. But you both knew you were lying.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
You heard from somewhere in the room a distant Maya telling you to just pass them over so you both could start practice.
“And you’re terrible at keeping track of your stuff. Sounds like a you problem,” you flashed him a small wink, and he scoffed.
You finally glanced up at him, slow, unimpressed, “Jungkook.”
He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. Then, without warning, you felt a hand grip around your ankle and yank.
“Hey–” You slid down the couch with a yelp as your shirt rode up, phone nearly slipping in the process, and a stack of slightly crumpled papers slipped out from under your back.
There was a beat of silence. He stared at you with a raised eyebrow, and you blinked up at him, innocently.
“For gods sake..,” he mumbled, moving you over to pick up his sheets, subtly smoothing your shirt in a way that no one could see.
He grabbed the sheets and sat down on the couch beside you, flipping through them quickly. He wasn’t looking for damage; he knew you wouldn’t do that. He was just scanning, making sure everything was there.
You frowned slightly, “Relax, I didn’t ruin your precious masterpiece.”
He turned to look at you, smiling, “Next time, I won’t be so easy.”
Your teasing and playing didn’t stop there.
By Wednesday, Jungkook had made a counter move by hiding your microphone mid practice, making you look for it for a whole half hour before you noticed it tucked into his waistband.
By Thursday, you had changed his phone's timezone as he slept, and he woke up 4 hours late, missing practice completely.
“Y/n if you touch my stuff one more time, I swear to god i’ll–”
“What are you gonna do? Cry about it?”
“Guys, please, the showcase is tomorrow!” Jimin yelled, completely fed up with you two. “We have been putting up with your bickering for a full week, and some of us are actually trying to practice! Can we please just give it a rest?”
Silence fell over the room, thicker than it should’ve been.
You clicked your tongue, pushing yourself up from the couch. “Relax, Chim. It’s just a little bit of fun before comp, lighten up.”
You heard Jungkook mutter something under his breath with a tsk, but paid no mind to it as it was probably just another snarky comment.
You looked at your surroundings and saw both members from each of your bands staring at you two with arms crossed and expressions of displeasure.
“Alright, fine. I’ll spare you for today, Jungkook, but only because Jimin asked so nicely,” Jungkook rolled his eyes.
Practice didn’t last much longer than that. Your band and Bangtan productively worked for almost three hours, and things were starting to get boring.
Every time you tried to look at Jungkook for something, a sign, or anything to keep you awake, he kept his gaze straight down on his drum set, too focused on playing. He was repeating the same section over and over again, like he was trying to drill it into muscle memory.
You watched him for a second longer than you meant to.
Practice was boring when you couldn’t play with him.
That night, you tiptoed up to the front of Jungkook’s dorm, making sure to be extra quiet as you assumed everyone would be sleeping. You slipped the key that Jungkook had given you on your first anniversary into the lock and turned it slowly, easing the door open with a quiet sound.
Inside his dorm, everything was already dim, and it was completely quiet.
You took your shoes off by the door, placing them beside his like always, and began to head in, till you were surprised with someone already in the kitchen, late at night and surrounded by food.
Kim Taehyung sat on one of the stools, scrolling on his phone with a half-empty can of Pringles in front of him. When he noticed you, he gave a lazy wave, mouth still full.
“Hey, Taehyung,” you said, deciding to slide into the seat beside him and stay for a chat. He was the only one of Jungkook’s friends who knew about you two; it would feel wrong not to befriend him.
“Hey,” he replied weakly. It didn’t sound like him for a moment, more reserved than his usual bubbly self.
You tilted your head slightly. “You feeling okay? You sound a little stressed.”
He exhaled, setting his phone down like he didn’t really feel like looking at it anymore. “Just a little worried about tomorrow.”
“About the showcase?” you asked. “Why? You guys sound great. You’ve been practicing nonstop, we’ve all noticed.”
“Well, that’s just the problem,” he said, letting out a small laugh that didn’t quite land. “We’ve been practicing so much, it feels like something’s going to go wrong.”
You frowned a little, but stayed quiet.
“He hasn’t been eating properly,” Taehyung added after a second. “Jungkook, I mean. He’s basically been living in the practice rooms.”
You had noticed. The late replies. The constant “can’t, I need to practice.” The way he’d been a little more… absent this week.
“It’s because of the scout,” Taehyung continued. “He’s got all of us worried. We all want to do well. For kids like us, this kind of opportunity only happens once.”
You felt bad for him. Taehyung was a really incredible singer, but often when he was on stage, his nerves got the better of him, and he would miss a note or two. It wasn’t anything that would throw the performance, but when you’re surrounded by music kids, they all notice any slip-up.
You reached over and gave him a rub on the shoulder, “It’s okay. I’m sure you’ll do great. Jungkook too. I don’t know anyone more talented than you two.”
He gave you a weak smile, appreciating your sympathy. He straightened up, “What about you, huh? You don’t seem to be worried at all.”
You exhaled, “Yeah. The girls and I aren’t thinking of pursuing music for good, so we aren’t really worrying about anything. It’s just a bit of fun for us.”
Taehyung nodded slowly. “Must be nice,” he said.
You smiled, already pushing yourself up from the stool. “Try not to overthink it, yeah? I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Night.”
The hallway upstairs was quiet. You pushed Jungkook’s door open gently, already expecting to find him passed out, but instead, he was wide awake, phone in hand, just like Taehyung was. God, did anyone in this house sleep?
When he saw you, his expression shifted almost instantly, a small smile pulling at his lips as he sat up a little.
“You’ve really been giving me a hard time, you know that?”
You huffed a laugh, closing the door behind you. “What, can’t handle a little fun?”
“You call stealing Yoongi’s guitar picks fun?” he asked, raising a brow. “He almost killed me.”
“Sounds like a personal problem.”
He shook his head, already shifting over to make space for you.
You climbed into bed beside him without hesitation, settling against his chest like it was second nature. His arm came around you automatically, hand resting warm against your side as he reached over to take off his glasses, placing them on the bedside table.
For a second, everything felt normal. Familiar. Easy. But then you noticed how fast his heart was pumping. It wasn’t the usual steady rhythm you were used to; this was much quicker, uneven enough that it wasn’t ignorable, and you frowned slightly.
Huh. Guess he really didn’t want to lose.
“Worried I’m going to beat you tomorrow?” you murmured, eyes still closed.
He let out a quiet breath, fingers absentmindedly tracing along your arm. “Something like that.”
A small pause, “It actually matters this time.”
You hummed, barely reacting. “Yeah? That nervous?”
“Not nervous,” he said, though it didn’t sound entirely convincing. “Just… can’t mess it up.”
You smiled faintly against him. “Relax. You’ll live.”
He didn’t respond to that.
Instead, his hand shifted, tilting your chin up slightly before you could even process it, his lips already on yours. He kissed you for a moment, and it wasn’t rushed or careless; it lingered on for moments, and he pulled you closer than usual, needing something more.
His hand slowly started to slide under your shirt, warm hands against your skin, but you pulled back with a small breath, catching his wrist before he could continue.
He blinked at you, a little dazed. “Why?”
“Because we have a big day tomorrow,” you said lightly, patting his cheek. “Sleep is more important than sex.”
“I just…” he exhaled, hand falling back to your side. “I need something to take my mind off it.”
You laughed softly, grabbing his face between your hands and squishing his cheeks together.
“Next time,” you said. “Now go to bed.”
He let out a quiet huff, sinking back into the pillow. “You’re so annoying.”
“And yet,” you said, already turning away from him, “you love me.”
“But we just did it from the top!” Sav whined back at you as she adjusted the levels of her electric guitar.
“And it still sounded like shit,” you snapped back, keeping your tone professional yet playful and grabbing your mic and stepping into position to redo your act for a fifth time.
You continued to sing loudly, listening to the beat that followed you from the others, eager to get the perfect sound. Your band occupied half the stage while Jungkook’s had the other, both trying to perfect your performances before sound check ended, and another band would have access to the stage.
As your voice grew louder, reaching octaves you never had before, battling the sound of Jungkook’s drumming, you heard the event runner's voice echo throughout the hall, notifying you all that it was time to leave the stage.
“Ugh, it’s about time! Y/n’s running a bootcamp over here,” Sav whined with a huff. “How come you care so much? You don’t even want to be scouted!”
“I don’t need to be scouted to care. I just don’t lose.” You shot back.
While you grabbed your things and followed the sound of Sav’s complaints with a smile, you heard others chime in playfully, “woah, even Hoseok’s not as bossy as you today, Y/n. We could hear you from all the way over here,” Taehyung called out.
“Hey, I was only yelling because your boy Jungkook was being excessively loud on those drums.”
“Ah, I was just setting a beat for you, princess. It looked like you were having a hard time keeping up,” he replied with a wink, and you stuck your tongue out.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Jungkook this, Y/n that. We all know you two hate each other. We’ve got 15 minutes before showtime, so if we could please get into our dressing rooms, that would be great.” Yoongi said, cutting in with furrowed brows to prevent your back-and-forth banter from lasting countless hours.
“Alright then, we’ll get going too. Good luck tonight, you guys.”
“Yeah, you two.” It seemed that Maya and Jimin were the only ones here who could have a productive conversation during this time. still trying to keep it warm, everyone paid their best wishes while crossing paths, despite the rivalry.
Moments later, when the time was right, and everyone was in their own room, doing their own thing, you slipped into Jungkook’s dressing room, catching him with his shirt half on.
“Mm, you performing Magic Mike tonight?” You teased, taking a seat across from him as he fixed himself up, chuckling.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He bent down to place a sweet kiss on your lips and rested his hand on the vanity beside you.
As a comfortable silence washed over you two, you noticed him bite his lips anxiously, brows furrowing slightly as if he was trying to hide it from you.
“You’re gonna do great. Don’t worry,” you reassured, tone getting softer by the word as you grabbed his hand to softly brush over it with your thumb.
He took a deep breath before turning to you and meeting your eyes, smiling. “Look at you being all supportive. Surprised you’re not using the moment to make sure I know I’ll be losing.”
You shrugged, “I know when and where. But seriously, you’ve been antsy the whole week, lighten up.”
You and the others had all noticed the dedication that filled Jungkook, driving him into habits that seemed somewhat unhealthy. He was always skipping lunch to practice, going hard until his ears were ringing.
He stepped closer to you and gave you a second kiss, still holding your hand as he softly held it, “Thanks, Y/n. You’ll do great, too.”
His lips met your again before you had a chance to make a snarky remark, his hand gently coming up to caress your cheek as both your troubles relating to tonight blew away. You stayed like that for minutes, using up all the time you had before you were needed elsewhere, just enjoying each other's presence.
With a wet smack, Jungkook was first to break free. You stared at him with pleading eyes, wanting more of your good luck charm before the show, and you noticed him pulling something out from behind him.
With a guilty and teasing expression, four thick pieces of paper emerged from his backside, and it didn’t take you long to notice what they were.
“I stole your sheet music by the way.”
“Oh come on, you can’t be mad, you didn’t even notice.”
Before you could think of something to say back and slap him on the wrist, you heard numerous yells from both your bandmates. They all yelled your names, searching around the plaza for where you were.
Finally turning around and heading out, Jungkook swiftly caught up to you, who was already halfway out the door, and placed a firm kiss on the side of your head, before his steps quickened and he passed you.
A smile grew on your face as you straightened your posture and continued walking out of Jungkook’s dressing room. That was until you stopped in your tracks, a genius idea crossing your mind.
If Jungkook could steal your sheet music right before your show, surely you could make a counter move?
Your smile was replaced with a smirk, and you turned on your heels, scanning his dressing room for something you could play with, and there it was. A perfect idea. Something not too bad for his performance, but playful enough for him to notice.
You took three long steps toward his pair of worn, darkened drumsticks and picked them up, examining them in your hands. They were dented and splintering, making you wonder how anyone could even play on something like this.
You took the drumsticks that had lasted him many, many years and hid them in a corner that you yourself almost forgot about, and found a brand new, fresh set of sticks to put in his pouch. They were of the same length and width, and probably the same brand.
You imagined him picking up the sticks on stage and being shocked, wondering where his old ones went. But then softening up and sharing a laugh once he realized you were the devil behind it.
His shock would last a short moment, but then he would keep playing with ease. You knew he could take it. He was incredible. Adaptation was actually one of his strong suits. It was the perfect prank.
Oh, you couldn’t wait to see his face when he realized you had played such a prank.
“That was great, guys, really, good job out there,” Jimin said to the three of you as you walked off the stage, hands clapping in sync with the crowd.
“Thanks, Jimin. Tough act to follow, huh?” You winked.
Out of the corner of your eye, with his arms crossed, you saw Jungkook scoff, “We’ll see about that.”
You smiled. You would see.
Leaving them to get set on stage, you took your seats in the front row, reserved for performers of the night. As you saw the boys fumble on stage and check their mics, you turned in your chair and noticed a very professional-looking man in the third row, pen in hand.
That was definitely Kim Namjoon.
“You guys reckon he liked our performance?” Savannah asked with a shaky voice, following your line of sight.
You shrugged, “Only he can tell. But whatever, it’s just a bit of fun, isn’t it?”
They nodded in agreement and immediately loosening up when you reminded them that what was done was done, and there was nothing more you could do.
As the spotlight turned on to show Taehyung in the front and centre, mic in hand, the crowd went silent.
Before this moment, when the lights had turned on, you weren’t able to see anyone's face, but now, you could see Jungkook’s expression as bright as day.
He looked down at his hands with new sticks in hand, and was covered with a look of both shock and panic. You bit your lip in victory.
Before they could start, his eyes darted to the crowd, scanning every square inch until he landed on you. The look on your face was unmistakable. The smirk on your face and relaxed posture told him everything he needed to know.
You had touched his sticks.
He looked down at them again, clenching his jaw. Fuck.
They felt uncomfortable in his hands. They were anything but worn. Almost impossible to play with. Every drummer knew to never perform on new sticks, especially if it was important.
Jungkook looked back at the crowd, this time his eyes fell on Kim Namjoon, who automatically had a displeased look on his face, making him more nervous than ever.
If there was time, he would call for a time-out and look for his old sticks, but that was made impossible the moment he heard Yoongi start playing on his bass.
The whole time throughout their show, you noticed something was off. Or rather, someone.
Taking not even a second to scan the faces of each member helped you realise that they were confused too. What was going on?
Jungkook’s playing was too fast at times, and on others it was too slow. It wasn’t anything seriously off-putting to the naked ear, but to someone who knew music, it was enough to throw the performance. And this was a room full of music students.
He had practiced hours on end, skipping lunch and coming home late. How could he stuff up right now?
You stared at him, looking for answers. As much as you wanted to win, you didn’t want him to go down like this.
Every time his hands came down to hit a drum, you saw him wince. Was he in pain? Occasionally, his eyes darted around. Not to anywhere in particular. He wasn’t focused, but he kept playing.
You couldn’t see it, but something inside you said that something was terribly wrong, and it wasn’t just nerves.
You looked back to look at the scout who wasn’t far behind, and it was a completely different expression than before. He was unimpressed. This was going terribly.
Turning back around, you saw that Jungkook was already staring at Namjoon, eyes wide with panic, and you weren’t sure if it was the light, but they looked a little too glossy.
As Bangtan finished their performance, you caught all the members turning in Jungkook's direction, just before the lights turned off. But he was already out of his seat, first to leave the stage.
Sitting up, you headed backstage, eager to talk to Jungkook. As you walked through, you turned left and right, wondering as to where he could have gone, and you finally caught sight of him, leaning against the wall, drumsticks still in hand.
“May all the performers take the stage so the winners can be announced,” a loudspeaker boomed.
You looked around, then back at Jungkook, still wanting to have a chat. But as you took another step, Maya and Savannah grabbed you by the arms and dragged you on stage, despite your objections.
Stumbling on stage, you caught sight of Bangtan at the other end of the stage, all looking disappointed but still staring straight ahead. You saw that Jungkook was amongst them and waved to get his attention. When you made eye contact, you gave him a small smile, something to say you were proud of him. But to your surprise, he looked away.
“Thank you so much to our five lovely bands who…” your school's principal went on to announce. You tried to hold in a yawn as he blabbed about how great a job you guys did, and how there were ‘no losers’.
But only losers had that mentality.
As he finally got to the point and asked for a drumroll from the crowd, you straightened up, already knowing what the outcome of the night would be. A smile already on your face.
“And the winners are… Y/n, Savannah, and Maya!”
The crowd erupted in applause, as did the stage, and you and your teammates jumped in joy, heading to the center stage to receive your trophy.
As all the light was on you and were handed that large, golden trophy, you hugged your girls. You had definitely worked hard for this and were extremely happy that everything paid off.
It felt like hours that you were celebrating, knowing another great prize was yet to come, and each band finally headed back stage, telling you “congratulations” on the way.
“Congratulations, girls,” your principal said, shaking each of your hands while you thanked him.
“It was a wonderful performance, really. I’m glad to know we have such talented students.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” a voice said, emerging from behind you.
With raised eyebrows, you let go of your principal's hand and turned to see who was just speaking. It was a voice you weren’t quite familiar with.
“M- Mr. Kim,” Savannah said, stuttering, already bowing halfway to the floor.
It was Kim Namjoon. He was looking much calmer than before and now approached you with a warm smile, pen now tucked behind his ear.
Trying to maintain your composure as the three of you were already nervous, you greeted him and told him how much of an honour it was.
“I really love your band's sound. It’s something unique. Something I’ve never heard before,” your jaw dropped. As did Savannah’s. As did Maya’s. Was he really leading up to what you thought he was? “If you’re ever looking for an agent. You know where to find me. Congratulations on the win again.”
He handed you a card, which you took slowly, examining every sharp corner. Holy shit. You had just gotten an offer.
As he left you and your girls again jumped up, squealing at the top of your lungs from joy as you watched the other bands eye you with jealousy. But you didn’t care.
You were so happy that all you wanted to do was celebrate with your boyfriend, not caring if anyone saw. Your eyes darted around the room in search of him, or even a member of his band, but they were all nowhere to be found.
Maybe they had gone home already? You weren’t sure about the other boys, but your eyes stopped on a very familiar leather jacket, which Jungkook had entered in, making you sure that he was still somewhere in the building.
Pulling away from your friends and practically skipping away, you ran off to your boyfriend's dressing room.
You didn’t bother knocking and immediately barged in, hoping he was there, and thankfully, he was. He was sitting in a position that was a little bit odd, but nothing unusual for someone who had just lost, making you think nothing of it.
“Wow, what a night!” You basically yelled. You shut the door behind you and already started ranting about what a rush everything had been.
Jungkook didn’t look up the whole time. Not when you mentioned how Namjoon had walked up to you, or how heavy the trophy felt.
He stayed in that simple position, head in his hands as he stared at the floor.
You tilted your head as the silence finally felt foreign, “Oh come on, don’t tell me you’re salty about this. We knew one of us would lose from the beginning–”
“Did you touch my sticks?”
The sound of his voice, which was sharp and forward, caught you off guard. Jungkook wasn’t one to cut you off, nor was he to use that tone with you. But at least he was talking now. Even though he still hadn’t gotten up from his position.
You blinked down at him. Then loosened up, scoffing softly, “What, you thought I would let you have the last laugh with that stunt you pulled with my sheets?”
You thought you were being playful, another session of your teasing. But he didn’t react like usual to any of your words.
Looking down at his hands now on his knees, you saw how hard he was gripping the sticks you had given him, knuckles turning white. That’s when you realized he was serious about this.
“You’re not mad, are you?” You asked hesitantly, “You’re acting like I stole your setlist or something…”
He looked up at you before you could finish your sentence, and you immediately noticed the look on his face. His eyes were glossy like you’d never seen before, threatening to spill, and his lips were in a frown. Not his usual ‘cute pout’, but an ‘almost about to break’ frown.
“It wasn’t a joke,” he said in a small voice. You heard a small crack, a break, halfway through. “The scout was here. Y/n, that was my one chance, and I- I could barely play.”
His fists unclenched, and you gasped. His hands were splintered with wood, bleeding in places you didn’t know could. They were an angry colour of red that looked shockingly painful, blistered in every square inch. And you felt your heart break.
You slowly kneeled down, leaning to gently grab his hands and observe them, scared of making them worse with your touch. He let them out for you, letting you see the severity of your actions
“I practiced so hard,” he said through sobs which he attempted to hold back. Your fingertips brushed over each small wound, and he winced.
He tried to look away from you and hide his tears. You had never seen him like this before you and you felt so fucking bad. What had you done? Why had you done that? You ruined his chances of a future in music and fucked up his hands. What kind of girlfriend were you?
“Jungkook, baby, I–” you didn’t even know what to say. You gently cupped his cheeks, letting go of his hands and wiping the tears from his cheeks while he sniffled.
You apologized multiple times, wanting him to know how sorry you really were. It had gotten so bad that you yourself were beginning to spill just from seeing him like that. But he just kept shaking his head while you continued to clean him.
“You knew how important this was to me,” he said, standing up from his seat, leaving you on the ground, your hands dropping from his face. He replaced them with his as he covered his eyes, taking a deep, shaky exhale. His voice wasn’t filled with just hurt; it was betrayal.
He wasn’t just hurt because he had lost a chance with a scout. He was heartbroken because the one person he loved had gone behind his back and sabotaged him beyond repair. Because you didn’t take his dream seriously.
“You knew,” he repeated before storming off.
You didn’t know things would go down like this. You were so happy just moments ago, and maybe if you hadn’t pulled that stupid prank, he would be sharing your victory. That was all you wanted.
But instead, you made him cry. You made your big, buff, strong boyfriend shed tears for probably the first time in his life.
You let your tears slide down your face in his dressing room, where you kneeled on the floor alone. You listened to the faint voices of people celebrating outside and everything just felt empty. You should be there. With him. You were so stupid.
You knocked before entering his room. You used the key to enter his apartment since it seemed Taehyung wasn’t home, and you weren’t sure if it was coincidence or if he knew the state Jungkook was in.
You heard movement inside, but no words to let you in, so you went in anyway.
There again, he sat on the floor, his head in his hands, knees curled up, while tears still fell. But now at least his breathing was steadier.
You walked in and took a seat on the floor next to him, careful when going near, since you didn’t know if he hated you. After all, you wouldn’t blame him.
“Jungkook, I am so sorry.” You felt so guilty. And it became worse when he looked up to face you. His nose was red, eyes puffy and lips swollen.
You kissed him on the cheek, then the forehead, while he finally accepted your touch. You continued to apologize, the word finally beginning to sound unreal.
Reaching for something from your back pocket, you pulled out a thick white bandage that you had bought on your way here, making sure to get the perfect one without looking at the price.
You sat cross-legged in front of him in a silence that was occasionally interrupted by a sob or the sound of his tears hitting the carpet.
Pulling the white fabric across the raw skin of his palms, you bandaged him up, the colour of the bandage immediately turning red from how much he was bleeding. Your hands shook as you cleaned up falling blood with a little too much care, the exchange lasting longer than it should.
And you sat there consoling him, reminding him how much you loved him. How amazing he was, and how he would get multiple offers for Bangtan down the road. You finished by telling him how sorry you were, placing a kiss on his bloodied hand, lingering for almost too long while his breathing slowly started to quiet.
a/n: guys i feel bad ab my hiatus so i tried to whip this up quickly... its a little rushed but i did my best since i'm really busy (exams almost over!!
taglist (oops i forgot): @lackingdopaminesince2007 @songbyeonkim @mikrokookiex @mar-lo-pap @nastypinkbunny @sheshya @winnie1711 @gukkie7 @nesnestete @heartstringsweaver
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