Wicked Touch (Jikook)

chapter 1

***

Jungkook

"Do I really have to come?"

The question came out flat, tired.

Not because I expected a different answer.

I already knew the answer before I even asked it.

Franchises like ours didn't care about what players wanted. They cared about wins. Ticket sales. Sponsorships. Headlines. And apparently, if the team looked even slightly unstable, the solution was always the same.

Call Jungkook.

Fix it, Jungkook.

Play another fucking game, Jungkook.

Sometimes I genuinely thought if they could replace parts of my body with rechargeable batteries, they would've done it already.

I paced across the living room for what had to be the hundredth time, fingers digging into my palms hard enough to leave marks. My vacation apartment suddenly felt too small. Too warm. Suffocating.

"Jungkook, not again," Leo sighed from the other end of the phone, trying way too hard to sound calm. "The decision's already been made."

Of course it had.

"They already talked to the franchise team. The lineup doesn't look stable right now. They need you there."

Bullshit.

Total fucking bullshit.

I stopped pacing just long enough to glare at the wall like it personally offended me.

"It's actually insane how they keep forgetting I'm a human being," I snapped. "Not some machine they can throw onto the ice every time things go wrong."

My voice bounced through the apartment louder than I intended, frustration sitting ugly in my chest.

Last season had been hell.

Back-to-back games. Constant travel. Interviews shoved in my face while my body practically begged me to stop moving for five fucking minutes.

And what did they do?

Nothing.

Because as long as I kept scoring, nobody cared.

Leo exhaled softly. "I know. I know you're pissed. I even argued with them, but they wouldn't budge. The team's looking unbalanced so they thought-"

"They thought what, Leo?" I cut him off sharply.

Silence.

Then I laughed bitterly.

"No, seriously. I wanna hear this."

I dragged a hand through my hair aggressively.

"Team looking unstable? Call Jungkook. Someone dizzy? Call Jungkook. Defense collapsing? Call Jungkook."

"Horny out of your goddamn mind? Call Jungkook."

I scoffed. "In other words, let's all fuck Jungkook over again."

"Jungkook-"

"I'm literally just a fucking emergency button to them."

I could feel my blood boiling under my skin.

"What about me needing rest?" I continued, voice rising again. "I played nonstop last season. Nonstop. Everybody else got breaks while I was still out there every damn game."

The silence on Leo's side told me enough.

He knew I was right.

"I know, dude," he finally muttered. "But this is the last time, alright? I'll manage your schedule better after this. I'll warn the team too. Just... say yes this once."