For: summerdust

Partner: BTS' Jungkook

Sorry for the long wait! I changed your scenario!

"Ah!" Joyce yelped as her knees and hands met the glossy, hallway floor as her books and papers scattered around her.

She glared up at the boy who was snickering with a stupid smirk on his face. "Whoops, my bad."

Joyce gritted her teeth as the boy stalked off with his trademark smirk still hanging on his lips. She huffed and got up, dusted her clothes, and picked up her belongings before stalking off to her next class. 

Jungkook stopped at the end of the hallway and looked back. His smirk slid off as he carefully watched her retreating figure.

His cold eyes turned soft and dimmed as he mumbled a silent apology under his breath. This was his only way of making sure that she wasn't bothered by anyone else.

When Joyce first transferred to Bighit Academy, Jungkook just knew that she would be the center of the school's attention which meant that she was the frist target of every bully.

And Jungkook would have been the one to make her life miserable if she hadn't swept him off his feet when she first bumped into him on the first day of school. He was making it just as tolerable enough to make it look real and keep all the others off of her because no one would ever touch or go near what was the "almighty" Jungkook's.

Seeing that she safely made it to the classroom, Jungkook popped a stick of gum in his mouth and walked away.

Joyce slipped her keys into the keyhole but didn't twist it. She blankly stared at the door before she took the keys out and turned away from it. She walked two blocks down and arrived in front of a one story house that looked battered down.

She made her way to the front door. It was better than her house anyway. 

Hoseok looked up from the tv on his spot on the couch in surprise. "Joyce? What are yuo doing here?"

Joyce put her backpack on the ground and hopped onto the couch, taking the remote control from his hand. She took a bite of his donut and sighed as she skimmed through the channels. 

"Should we watch a movie?"

Hosok took the control from her hand and made her face him. "Why aren't you home?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you planning on sleeping here again?"

Joyce looked away, making him groan. "Joyce! You can't keep coming here. My mom will tell your mom anyway-"

"She's not my mom!" Joyce yelled out, breathing heavily as she glared at her cousin. 

Hoseok softened at her outburst and touched her arm. "Joyce-"

"She's a filthy gold-digger that's up to no good. Why did my dad have to marry someone like her and bring her stupid daughter into the house-"

Joyce stopped talking when she heard someone shuffling out from the kitchen. Her jaw went slack when she saw someone holding a bowl on chips and salsa at the doorway.

"Jungkook." She spat in disbelief. She whipped her head to Hoseok. "What is he doing here?"

Hoseok stayed silent. "...Was he listening to our conversation this whole time?"

When none of them replied, Joyce huffed and walked out the door without any of her belongings. "Joyce!" Hoseok called out but was cut off by the slam of the door.

Jungkook blinked at the door. "Was I supposed to stay in the kitchen?"

"Obviously, you dingus! What would she think when she sees her "bully" in her cousin's house holding chips and salsa? Now she won't ever come here again."

Joyce kicked an empty soda can on the sidewalk as she talked to herself. "Stupid Hoseok. Why is he friends with him? Out of all people?" She kicked it again and watched it tumble onto the street.

Hoseok paused the game and put answered his phone. "Hello?"

Jungkook popped another chip in his mouth and looked at his friend as Hoseok's face darkened. "What? She's still not home?" 

Hoseok looked out the window. It was pitch black. "Alright, I'll try to call her." He hung up and sighed. 

"What?"

"Joyce didn't go home."

"What?!" 

"I know." Hoseok sat there for a second to think before he got up. 

"Where are you going?"

"To go look for her, what else?"

Jungkook got up from the couch and stopped him. "No, I'll go look for her. You stay here. There's still some chance that she might come back here." He grabbed his jacket and raced out the door.

Joyce walked down the subway stairs and scanned the nearly empty space. There was a homeless man with a beanie sitting on the floor and two men wearing black suits with their hairs slicked back.

Joyce shuddered at the fact that she was the only female present. Just for a couple hours...Then I'll go back home. 

She carefully walked to a bench that was at least twenty feet away from the two men. She scrunched her nose when she suddenly smelled the stench of alcohol filling her nose.

Where is this com- Joyce's eyes widened when she saw two pairs of black shoes in front of her. 

"Hey there, sweet thing. Why are you alone?"

Joyce kept her eyes down as panic arose from her.

One of the men held her chin to make her look up. "Come on, tell us-"

Joyce smacked his hand away and glared at him. The man didn't back away and leaned forward. "Fiesty. Just my type," he smirked, making Joyce want to throw up.

Both of the men grabbed her arm as pulled her up. Joyce let out a bloodcurdling scream as she thrashed her limbs around. She should've learned self defense from Hoseok when she had the chance. 

Her eyes lit up at the thougth of Hoseok. He probably got the news that I'm not home yet. Maybe I can- Joyce's face darkened when she realized that she left her phone at his house.

Joyce tried to kick the men's legs but they just smirked at her. One of the men suddenly tripped on his feet and stumbled froward, releasing his grip from her arm. The other one bent down to help him up.

Joyce used this chance to get away. She ran for the stairs leading up to the streets when someone grabbed her wrist from behind. She yelled and swiftly turned around and kicked, aiming for the private area. 

"Ugh," the person groaned and winced in pain as he fell to the floor. She gasped, "Jungkook?!" 

Jungkook lay in fetal position as his face contorted in pain. "Oh my gosh!" Joyce bent down to check if he was okay when she heard the two men yelling and stumbling toward them. 

She let ouf a squeal in fright and quickly helped Jungkook up before dragging him out of the subway. Soon, they lost the two men and sat down in front of a convenience store. 

Joyce bit her lip and warily looked at Jungkook. "Are you okay?"

Jungkook whipped his head toward her. "Do you think I'm okay-" He winced as he hunched his back.

"I'm sorry...b-but that's what you get for grabbing me so suddenly! I thought you were one of the men!" Joyce gulped, "A-And that's what you get for tripping me all the time! Serves you right."

"It's because I want to protect you!" 

Joyce gawked at him. "I've never heard that one before. Great excuse!" 

"I'm serious! The only reason no one else bullies you is because I bully you. Everyone backs off because they don't want to get in my way."

Joyce narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not that great. Why would people not bother me just because you-"

"Don't believe me then! Your yelling is giving me a headache."

"Well, bullying me isn't the only way to protect me, you know. Why do you even want to protect me?"

"Because I like you!" 

Joyce blinked, taken aback by his sudden confession. Jungkook's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "I-I...That's not what I meant."

Joyce sprang up for her chair and avoided looking at his face. "I-I'm going home. See you at school."

Jungkook stood up and reached out for her. "Hey-", but stumbled forward. He sat on the ground and glared at her retreating figure. 

"Don't just leave me like this! At least buy me some medicine or something!"