Thanks so much for all the votes, comments and messages from the last chapter. I'm so grateful for every single one of you. The fact that yall are still here even after my hiatus just got me in tears :( tysm!

"Focus! Focus!"

"Seohyun, you can do this."

I exhaled while stretching my arms. I stared at the track with the number '4' printed on it.

Lyla ran to me with a water bottle in her hand. I thanked her and took a sip quickly.

She sighed, "don't worry okay? Focus and try your best. You'll be fine anyways. You're always the fastest in our form."

Yeah. I'm the representative of my form this year. My job is to compete with students from other grades.

"Important announcement, for those of you who're joining the 200m session. Please can you all register with Mr. Chae as soon as possible and be ready at your starting point. I repeat..."

My heart started to pound like a giant was jumping on it.

I squeezed Lyla's hands before I walked to the registration table.

I could hear my classmates shouting my name.

The stress is painful.

"Hello I'm Kim Seohyun," I politely said and made a small bow to Mr. Chae who's now busy ticking off people from his long list.

"Got ya," he smiled and looked up. "Fighting!"

"Thank you," I grinned. I bowed again.

I walked to the starting line.

Damn...

My insecurities for my height kicked in right when I saw the other participants.

Of course, there wouldn't be any students from the lower forms because that wouldn't be fair for them.

I was only going to compete with seniors.

And they either looked strong, muscular on the thighs or with long long legs.

In contrast, my short slim legs just stood out and said hi to everyone.

As a PE teacher slowly walked to the side of the tracks, I could spot a small silvery stopwatch and a starting pistol in his hands.

"Runners on tracks please be in position now," a voice in the speaker said.

I took in a deep breath and got into my position, one knee behind the starting line and the other on the back. My hands carefully placed on the line after I made a quick analysis which should be right.

There was a long silence.

I adjusted my breathing while listening to it.

It was rapid, but slowing down as I controlled.

My hearing became rather sensitive at the time. I could hear thunderous cheering from the platform.

Everyone including the teachers stood behind the wooden railing, the front row leaned against it and the ones at the back jumped to have a better view.

I could hear a mix of names being shouted and mine was faintly heard.

"Ready."

"Set." I lifted up my hip.

I gulped.

You can do this.

"Go!"

I kicked my legs off the ground and my hands pushed myself forward.

It was like someone harshly pushed me from the back.

Although the noises from my fellow schoolmates are quite distracting, they're my motivation too.

I reminded myself to look straight ahead, not caring about anything else, including how fast some of the runners were, how the runner on my right side was already a bit ahead of me.

I assumed that I should be at the second place now.

I'm not joking when I say I'm the fastest in my form.

A probably unnoticeable smirk crept onto my face.

But, it faded away very soon.

My eyes would not listen to me, they glanced aside and I saw Jungkook.

My breathing started to quicken, breaking the whole pattern that I was taught to always maintain. My heartbeat hence followed.

As I realized that I was panicking, my arms and legs weren't moving professionally and regularly anymore.

No no no no...

More dangerous thoughts slipped into my head.

Jungkook locking me in the classroom.

His threatening words.

His jokes made with the other students about my body.

How stuck I am with him.

And then I remembered.

Park jimin.

His warm comforting smile.

His soothing voice.

His protective side.

But I nearly forgot, they'd fight for me.

That'd get Jimin in trouble.

My right arm came in direct painful contact with the floor. It felt like my shoulder just slid in and moved out of place.

Before that, I could feel a small crack from my leg.

I couldn't figure out the location of it.

The flash of pain was short but after that, I couldn't feel my body at all. It was numb and I just froze.

I didn't know if the numbness happened because of serious injuries or because I was way too nervous and I didn't dare to move.

I just silently stayed still after my body rolled over again and again and stopped.

I heard my own breathing finally. It was slow and weak. The whole atmosphere around me was more quiet than usual. I could hear some shouting but I couldn't hear clearly.

They're much blurred out.

"Seohyun!"

"Seohyun..."

The same voice called me for twice.

I heard a lot of footsteps surrounding me.

My breath hitched when someone gently took my shoulders and I guessed, my head is now placed on his/her thighs?

I struggled to keep my eyes open but I caught a glimpse of that person's face.

"Jimin?"

"Seohyun. Can you hear me?"

He was patting my head trying to keep me awake.

"Jimin, it hurts," I winced in pain.

"Can you feel where the pain is from?" I had never seen him being this serious and concerned before.

"My shoulders? And my ankle. I couldn't... I couldn't move," I whispered with teary eyes.

"It's okay. It's okay." There was a short pause before he spoke. I thought I saw him hardly gulped.

He patted my head calming me down.

"What happened?" A very loud voice echoed.

Jungkook?

He pushed through the crowd. When he saw my figure, he dropped onto the floor.

"Let's go. I'll bring you to the first aid team now." Jimin ignored his presence.

Jimin stood up and swiftly slipped his hands under my waist and knees.

He carried me up in bridal style.

Normally I would probably squeak but now the pain was just saying otherwise.

I'm literally dying.

But I would admit, I wasn't ready to be in his embrace. This was actually my second time being so close to him. I could feel the warmth radiating off from his chest, his palms.

I thought the trouble was over.

I could take a good rest at the first aid center.

The thought vanished when I heard Jungkook.

"Yah!" He suddenly yelled.

I flinched and Jimin noticed it.

For a quick moment, we locked our gazes together. He gave me a reassuring nod and a tighter grip on my body, as if he's telling me 'even if he came, you'd be safe because I'm here with you this time'.

Jungkook stomped to us and snickered, "what're you doing?"

Jimin held a frown. "I'm taking her to the first aid center. I have no time for your games now Jungkook. This student is injured."

When Jimin turned around and tried to walk away, Jungkook pulled him back.

I could feel the threat as a victim in Jimin's hands.

"I think you wanna say 'my girlfriend is injured' instead, don't you?" Jungkook's eyes burned with rage.

Students around us started to gasp and gossip about it.

How did Jungkook know?

Did he just make a guess?

"It's not the time for that Jungkook. Everyone, please back-"

"Just give her back to me!" Jungkook roared all of a sudden. Using all of his force out of anger, he sent a push on both Jimin's shoulders.

I screamed when Jimin's hands slipped and were no longer holding me.

My back hit the ground. That just shot another flash of pain up my spine.

I couldn't hold in my tears anymore. I arched my back as I closed my eyes, biting my lips, curling my whole body into a small ball.

I only let out some weak moans.

"Se..Seohyun, sorry. Uh..are you-"

"Can you fucking leave Jungkook... I'm fucking sick of you you dumb shit!" I sobbed loudly.

It was the pain and stress adding up.

Seeing his puzzled and startled look, I continued, "look. You.."

I sighed, "you said you're my boyfriend but how is this loving me?" I pointed at the ground indicating the situation.

"How," my voice trembled, "how come Jimin is taking a better care of me than how you do?"

(Please vote and comment! I got school tmr but I still wrote till 1 am😭tysm!)