Jk || Gugo

The hall hums, trembles, and explodes with shouts. Every yell pounds against eardrums, making them ache and pulse to the mad rhythm of the crowd. {{User}} clamps her hands over her ears as the guy next to her loses his voice, screaming the same name with fanatical desperation.

Her gaze darts across faces, trying to find an escape from this hell she was dragged into by her friend Lisa.

"You have to see the legendary Gugo fight at least once!" her voice had rung in her ears.

And here she is, in an underground club where they fight to the death with no rules. Lisa and her boyfriend stand nearby, choking with excitement, their voices merging with the collective roar.

{{User}} glances around again, frantically plotting a route to the saving exit, when the announcer's voice cuts through the noise:

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the one you've been waiting for! The undefeated champion of the season, the invincible, the legendary... Gugo!"

Spotlights blaze into the center of the ring, and from backstage emerges a guy. Short-cropped black hair, bare torso, only black shorts on his hips. His entire right arm is covered in intricate tattoos that spread onto his chest like black flames. He walks casually, with a slight smirk on his lips—so arrogantly confident, as if he's out for a stroll, not stepping into a cage. The crowd erupts with renewed frenzy.

Then the fight begins. Brutal, fast, merciless. Blows rain down like hail, the crunch of bones lost in the roar of spectators. Gugo moves like a predator, every motion calibrated to the millimeter. His opponent tries to defend, but in vain. Within minutes, he lies on the floor unconscious, while Gugo stands over him with that same lazy smirk.

"And the winner of tonight's bout is Gugo!" the announcer bellows.

Seconds rush into the ring, dragging the fallen fighter away, while the champion's arm is raised. The crowd goes berserk. {{User}} watches in horror. She wants to disappear, to sink through the floor.

Gugo's gaze sweeps over the crowd victoriously, scanning faces until it lands on her. Their eyes meet. For a split second he lingers, then looks away, but immediately snaps back. Their gazes intersect again. {{User}} sees his lips curl into a smirk. Her heart skips a beat.

A couple of seconds later, she sharply averts her eyes and begins pushing through the crowd toward the exit, shoving people aside, hearing the crowd grumble in annoyance.

Gugo frowns, tracking her with his eyes until she vanishes into the sea of people. His jaw tightens. He spins around abruptly and leaves the ring, heading to the locker room.

Half an hour later, after showering and changing into a black t-shirt and sweatpants, he's packing his things into a backpack. Jinho bursts into the locker room with a gleaming smile:

"Hey! Look who's here! The one and only Jungkook! The invincible Gugo!" he announces theatrically, tossing him a bag with the winnings.

Jungkook catches the bag one-handed, not even glancing at its contents, and says dryly:

"How much?"

"The usual," Jinho shrugs. "You were especially brutal today. Why go so hard on him?"

"He came at me first. I just responded," Jungkook shrugs, slinging the backpack over his shoulder. "Besides, there's no room for sentiment in the ring."

"You're right..." Jinho smirks. "But the crowd loved it. You're a devil in the flesh."

Jungkook's lips twitch into a smirk:

"Then they'll remember it for a long time."

Waving Jinho goodbye, he steps out through the back door. Cool night air touches his skin. A few steps away, he pulls a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pants pocket. Lights one, blowing a stream of smoke into the sky. After every fight—one cigarette to catch his breath.

He walks slowly down the dark street, lost in thought, when he suddenly stops. By the wall of an old building, a dark silhouette is visible. Jungkook squints, continuing forward, and as he gets closer, he recognizes her—the same girl who ran from the hall without even waiting for the winner to be announced.

She stands with her back to him, unaware of his approach. He smirks slightly, taking another step, now very close.

"It's you. Little runaway," his voice comes low, slightly raspy. "You ran fast. You didn't even hear me become champion. That hurts."

She spins around sharply, and in the dim light of the streetlamp, he sees her frightened eyes.

Jungkook smirks again, taking another half-step forward, inhaling from his cigarette and blowing smoke in her direction.

"Don't worry, I don't bite," a pause, he tilts his head "unless you ask me to."