Rest of the days were bit of a blur when Jungkook left the school’s building. He felt like all the strength got sapped from him the moment he set his foot home and any other activity he normally did during the free time got painfully denied. All he could do was fall to his bed and sleep, occasionally waking up because the back of his neck hurts like and the burning sensation was making him sick enough to go throw up anything he ate during the day.

Well, at least it wasn’t that bad as the first night after they bonded. He thought he was going to die for sure while his mother probably planning murder of his soulmate.

Not that he didn’t. That first night, if Kim Seokjin was somewhere near him, Jungkook would probably crush his head in the toilet bowl and stuffed him through a sink.

“Ignore it. We can’t have everything we want, can we.”

It made him so ing mad. Raging even, that for that little insane moment he was up to saying fine and then willingly go mad in a corner while wishing the same thing for the guy. He knew what could happen if you decided to be a prick to somebody who was fated for you.

And well, their luck, but they were in it together now and nobody could do about it. Not him, not the stupid professor, not his mother who apparently wanted to, since she seemed even madder than he was about his first throwing up night.

He heard about twenty times that he was supposed to be with the soulmate the first several days and this was wrong, while he retched out breakfast, lunch and then there was nothing left in him and he still couldn’t leave the toilet bowl.

Not even Namjoon could, although at some point Jungkook thought if anybody had the power, it would be him. He wasn’t even sure who he sided on with, since it seemed like Seokjin’s opinion had more value than Jungkook’s.

Ugh, old geezers.

“Jeon!” 

He blinked, the reality returning to him in a fast rush, and saw their PE teacher beckoning him to the starting line. Oh yeah, the PE. It felt like this night passed like a bad dream and he didn’t even sleep, and all he could do during today’s exercises was barely catching his breath while doing something painfully mundane.

“Stop spacing out,” The teacher, Min Yoongi, gave him a strict look and nodded towards the line. He always reminded him of an executioner when he kept up this frowned look, especially with the glasses. “You’re up.” the teacher huffed in exhaustion, probably giving up spending more time with the younger ages than his pillows and blanket.

“Sorry,” he mumbled and walked at the starting line. His feet felt rather heavy, he definitely wasn’t going to do any record today. If any at all. Although he had to admit since the talk he had with Seokjin yesterday in the garden, the burning lessened to a manageable degree. Although manageable was still more like, I’ll kill that bastard tomorrow. If he didn’t know it would be him who was going to get the worse of it, he would let Seokjin drown in it for a while, to know how it feels when the mark was taking its toll.

He should have grabbed the stupid guy by his that day; it would at least hurt him more than a ing wrist. Although he probably didn’t even had one, since he had no balls to face it like a man.

Adult my .

“Wait a moment,” Yoongi interrupted his thoughts again when Jungkook crouched at the position, breathing deeply to gain some strength before making a fool of himself in front of the whole class. He glanced back at the man, raising an eyebrow at the interruption, and saw the teacher walking closer, his eyes immediately glued to the boy’s neck.

Well, yeah, he wore only a t-shirt without anything that would cover the mark, but he thought it was useless to try, since everyone knew anyway. It would only made them more snarky about it, and as much as his soulmate was a of a person, he didn’t want to give anyone satisfaction of admitting that.

“You got bonded?” the question still came and it sounded surprised, which made no sense. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t know about it.

Jungkook still offered a sheepish smile and shrugged, trying to keep it off topic as long as he could. People were normally overjoyed; he understood he didn’t look like one of this happy lot.

And he couldn't be any happier. Noted the sarcasm.

“When?” Yoongi watched him like a concerned parent and Jungkook had to repress the urge to roll his eyes.

“Two days ago,” he mumbled, trying to keep his voice low when he noticed other boys watching them curiously. Kim Taehyung was already grinning like a loon.

er.

The next thing he knew his wrist was grabbed and the teacher measured his pulse point with his thumb, frowning like he just got a medical degree, and seriously, what?

“Is something wrong?” Jungkook tried to keep a stony face, but when the man checked even his pupils, it started to be kind of ridiculous. Is his eyes turning blue or what?

“I was wondering why you are so sluggish today,” the pale elder grumbled, apparently dissatisfied with his measuring results. “Two days is a short time, you shouldn’t be here if you’re feeling bad. Where is your soulmate now?”

“Uh…” Jungkook thought through the schedule. He remembered all rotations of Professors he had class with, in case he would run into one of them while playing hooky. Seokjin’s classes were quite easy to memorize, and since all this happened, it probably got burned into his brain as well.

He glanced towards the university building and shrugged again. “In class?”

“Oh, so they’re here, good,” Yoongi turned around and beckoned him to follow. “Come.”

“But-,”

“The rest of you, divide to teams and go play basketball!” he shouted and pulled Jeon along with him. An orchestra of groans accompanied them all the way through the field and Jungkook was thinking of a quick run somewhere really far. Of course this guy was dragging him to Seokjin’s class now once Jungkook told him the classroom number; this day just couldn’t get any worse. He should have lied.

“Nobody told you of withdrawal symptoms?” Yoongi was telling him, and he sounded rather angry, like it was his responsibility. This was probably how Kim Seokjin should act, Jungkook thought.

Or something.

“There’s no such thing,” he replied stubbornly.

“Your condition says otherwise,” another resolute answer. “You can’t take the bonding this lightly, it’s a serious matter. It takes time before your body gets used to it, it’s a chemical process. You should spend that time with your soulmate, it helps stabilize it faster. Although it’s better not to… overdo it. The physical drain is bigger, that’s why you tire so easily.”

“Why nobody told me that stuff?” Jungkook grumbled, not even reacting to overdo it to every little thing. Scratching his unaching arm, the boy struggled to stay calm when the mark started to flare in vengeance and y. 

“I’d think you’d do some research,” Yoongi gave him a weird look and his eyes stilled again at the location of his mark, like he was trying to find out how he could get one at such place. Well, to be quite honest, Jungkook tried not to maul over it anymore. Maybe the professor was a er, who knew? Definitely not Jungkook.

Wonder if I’ll ever know…

Yoongi led him through the corridor for a little while longer until they arrived to the right classroom, and without giving Jungkook at least a second to mentally prepare and force himself to not running away when he sees his soul mate, the teacher knocked at the door and peeked inside.

“Sorry, Jin, it’s about young Jeon,” he called at the sole person in front of the audience and Jungkook considered disappearing while he was busy. He hadn’t talked to his soulmate since yesterday and he was pretty sure the guy was going to eat him alive for that kiss.

Well “kiss”. It was just a test, really.

It wasn’t even a proper kiss, there was no damn tongue. His mum was kissing him goodbye like that. There was nothing to be angry over. He just thought it could help (and it did, the moment they touched it was like surge of energy, so nobody could tell him the contact wasn’t important. Even when he just grabbed him by his wrist it was somewhat better), so he did it bit on a spontaneous streak.

He missed the rest of what the PE teacher was saying, but then Yoongi stepped away to let Seokjin walk through and… well, . Of course he was looking at Jungkook like he just stepped into something disgusting, and for a good measure Seokjin also let out an exasperated sigh to remind the boy of how much he liked when they were in close vicinity. As if Jungkook didn't thought the same even though it hurts when Seokjin acted like that only to him.

“What did he do?” Seokjin asked resignedly, and Yoongi had that confused look on his face that looked kind of comical. Jungkook wondered when it was going to get to him, since this awkward situation couldn’t get any weirder.

“I have done nothin’,” the boy refused the claim and returned the excitement with his own annoyed look. “He just think I'mma sick.”

“His soulmate…” Yoongi started, pointing at the classroom, and Seokjin slapped his hand away in annoyance. Since they're close like brothers, he didn't care of his attitude at the moment.

“That’s me,” he just said, glancing back at Jungkook like he was making sure it still wasn’t just a nightmare. Too bad, er, the Jeon wanted to say, but rather stayed put.

“Go back to your class.” Seokjin commanded.

“But-,” Jungkook started, suddenly angry about the blatant dismissal, but then the professor changed his focus and gave his colleague a short look.

“I meant you, Yoon. I’ll deal with this.”

“Oh,” the man voiced out lamely. “Alright. I’ll leave him with you then.”

He turned around, ready to go away, until he stopped himself in the last moment and glanced back at them.

“Congrats, I guess,” he offered, apparently not very convinced there was anything to celebrate, and when neither of them thanked him, he left them to it.

“I wish people would stop saying that,” Jungkook mumbled, more to himself than to his soulmate, but an agreeable hum came anyway.

“Let’s take it to the common room,” the professor offered and it sounded surprisingly normal. “There shouldn’t be anyone present at the moment.”

Jungkook wondered if it was a good thing or not.

***

“I was thinking how to deal with this without hurting any of us,” Seokjin started when they arrived to the right place and it was really empty. The young boy closed the door behind him and grudgingly watched the older man walk all the way towards his table where he sat down. He seemed kind of tired too, so at least something affected both of them.

“Finally, you decided to take the responsibility,” Jungkook uttered, earning a hard look from the older guy as if to say, I never say anything about responsibility, but Jungkook just shrugged it off, pretending he didn't see one. “So what have you thought of? Locking me up in a cage and feeding me twice a week?”

“I was going to offer four times, but two will do,” Seokjin commented dryly and pointed at the chair in front of him. Jungkook shook his head in a firm no.

“Are you still sick?” the Professor dismissed it then.

“Just tired,” the delinquent mumbled. “No throwing up if you mean this. Sorry to disappoint.”

“It gives me no pleasure in seeing you sick, trust me,” Seokjin opposed calmly. “Or making you sick. Believe it or not, I understand the position we are in right now.”

“You have a funny way to show it,” Jungkook pointed out and there was an apparent inner countdown in Seokjin’s head, how he was trying to calm himself. It apparently didn’t work, since he reached to his jacket and pulled out a cigarette box.

“I’d be happier if you didn’t smoke,” the boy said when he watched him taking out one cigarette and brought it to his lips to light it up.

“I’d be happier if you haven’t antagonized me further,” came a swift reply and Jungkook crossed his arms on his chest.

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly an obedient puppy,” he reminded him and Seokjin puffed the first dose of smoke and sighed.

“There is nothing puppy-like about you,” he told him simply. “So yes. I’ve noticed. That’s why we need to establish some rules for this.”

“Rules,” Jungkook repeated with a snort. “I should start writing a blog. The soulmate who got ruled out from the soulbond. A fantastic header.”

“Sounds about right,” Seokjin chided in and leaned against the backrest of his chair. “The first rule is simple – no avoiding.”

“Agreed,” Jungkook nodded and took several steps sideway, circling the man. “I have a second rule: no smoking in my presence.”

“Tough luck,” an immediate reply and Jungkook waved his hand. The smoke was the most annoying thing this guy could add – he despised it. His home was always full of smoke when his step-father, In Sung, was there, and it sickened him just to remember those times. He really didn’t need to be reminded of it from his own soulmate. A bad one or not.

“Unfair,” he hissed, narrowing his eyes, and Seokjin seemed to be thinking about it.

“Fine, no smoking in front of you,” he grumbled after a moment and really put the cigarette away, even though he looked displeased about it. Jungkook counted it as a win.

“No pretending in front of other people like the stunt you pulled in the class,” the professor gave another one. “As much as you have fun with it, I don’t find it amusing.”

“You take all the fun out of it,” the dark brown haired boy sighed dramatically, but nodded anyway. He was sure to think of something else anyway. He thought for a moment, replaying all the events that happened during those two days in his head, and then decided.

“A kiss per day.”

“A what?” Seokjin almost choked, but Jungkook remained stubborn. He was pretty sure 'no avoiding' in Seokjin’s language meant 'I won’t run away when I see you, but I won’t let us spend too much time together', so that wouldn't help them . The proper contact did – and if Yoongi was right with the chemical process, all the better.

“A kiss, you know, that’s what two people do when their mouths meet,” he told him sarcastically and Seokjin’s expression didn’t change. “Because it helped. Yesterday.”

“About yesterday-,”

“I don’t care if you don’t think so, but I want it,” Jungkook interrupted Seokjin’s lament and took a step closer. “So man the up, I’m sure you can manage. I’m not asking you for a goddamn or anything-.”

“That’s enough,” the Professor raised his hand and groaned. “Why is there no reasonable conversation with you?”

“It’s my condition,” the rebellious boy uttered. “Not to mention that we are supposed to spend time together – like lots of time – for the bond to settle down and stop doing in our bodies. We are not going to, obviously. So it’s this.”

“Settle down?” Seokjin raised an eyebrow and Jungkook huffed.

“I’d think you’d do some research,” he parroted at him, because hey, there was no winning with this guy if he didn’t play it smarter, and it apparently took Seokjin by surprise, since he shut up and looked a little puzzled.

A minute passed of him looking like he was deciding the fate of the world, biting his lower lip and then rubbing his eyes, but then he finally nodded.

“Alright,” he said with a sigh. “Fine.”

“Fine,” the student repeated challengingly. “Any other concerns?”

“You’re not going to play hooky anymore,” a weird condition fell in between them, Jungkook grunted in disagreement. "Hooky, in terms of you can't skip classes and being bad student all the time and always stay in your seat, no more hallways and corridors. If you know what I mean." Seokjin elaborated in sarcasm.

“Are you my mother or what?” the boy snorted and Seokjin’s lips curled up in a smile. It wasn’t a happy expression, but it had some sort of amusement in it.

“You want a kiss per day,” he pointed out, making Jungkook frown. “I want you to be diligent in your studies. A suitable exchange, don’t you think?”

“Blackmailing me, you mean,” he gritted his teeth, but the Kim didn’t look like he wanted anything else, so fine, that smartass.

“We can always repel the kiss rule.” Seokjin tried.

Oh right, he was playing it tough.

Jungkook went blank but his lips curled upward “We can always spend a week together somewhere instead, just two of us,” he purred at him, getting Seokjin right where Jungkook wanted him, since the smile disappeared. “Then I won't force the kiss on you.” the boy grinned.

Not that they would survive it – he would give it a day, or maybe two, before they’d kill each other. Or at least seriously hurt.

“No hooky,” Seokjin bit out.

“A kiss per day.”

“Fine.”

“Fine then,” the dark brown haired boy shrugged and walked towards the man with a smirk. Seokjin didn’t really react, even when Jungkook put his hands on the armrests and leaned closer.

“Since the teacher insisted I’m sick, you should make me feel better,” he taunted him, spotting the lowering patience in the older’s eyes like it was a gauge with degrees. “Yeah?” Jungkook spoke breathlessly, teasing his partner. Kim Seokjin went paralyzed, too suprised to move.

At that point, the bell rang and the doors opened with Professor Hoseok standing there, talking with somebody behind him. Jungkook could pinpoint the moment he realized what he had been looking at and his eyebrows rose, and before Seokjin could do something about it, the boy stole the swift kiss like a thief and celebrated the victory while leaving the common room with a smirk.

He did it again!

It was bad enough that the fact he was kissed yesterday and the thought didn't helped much. Seokjin’s absolutely stunned expression just won the whole day.

…………………

Thanks for reading, hun  ;) soon we'll get jealous Seokjin!