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CHAPTER NINE
The Parade
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KANG Y/N
I looked up at Jungkook as he intertwined our hands, wanting to make eye contact, but he kept looking straight ahead. He was either shy of ignoring me, I suspected the latter.
Right, this is for his strategy...
Speaking of strategies, I put on my best innocent smile and started waving as if I was excited to be here. I wasn't, but I had always been good at smiling so...
The audience went wild and I didn't blame them as soon as I saw how we looked on a big screen.
My dress looked magical because of the glitter and Jungkook was naturally so stunning that his small makeover made him shine even more. Even I wanted to stop and stare at him some more.
"Focus on the crowd," he whispered huskily and I nodded and looked at the smiling capital people. I didn't want him to know that his whisper was making me nervous.
Jungkook did the opposite of me, he continued to stare at me as if his life depended on it.
Was that also part of his strategy?
I tried desperately not to let my blush show on my cheeks as Jungkook continued to stare at me with a fierce intensity.
The crowd continued to roar the names of the tributes and I was happy because mine was also among them.
Of course, Jungkook and the other five stunning boys had the biggest amount of admirers, but still.
I had a chance, one chance to return back home to Jisung. One chance that I was definitely going to take.
By sending another kiss at the crowd, I tried my best not to let my mind wander to Jungkook beside me.
If you come home, Jungkook won't come home and Jungkook is your friend.
I started blowing more kisses at the audience and I couldn't deny the feeling of power I felt when I received a roar of approval in return. They liked, wait, scratch that, they loved me.
My eyes were shining as I took in the crowd that was so determined to throw me a rose or a shout of approval. Of course, I didn't like the capital people, but even I couldn't deny that this felt nice.
In front of us were the tributes from district ten and they were also nearing the end of the parade. Part of me didn't want to get off this chariot because that part of me knew that every kiss I blew, would mean one more sponsor.
But then I heard it, a distinct shouting behind us, the audience that we had past was now shouting one name only.
"Kim Taehyung! Kim Taehyung!" The audience bellowed and I was tempted to look back. I almost did.
I would have...
Jungkook put his finger under my chin and made me look up.
"You look only at me, understood?" He asked gruffly as if he hated the idea of me looking at the other tributes.
I nodded and continued with my innocent smiles. But inside, my heart was racing and my hands were shaking.
The crowd had noticed our Moment and they were shouting the name of our district louder than ever. Their excitement distracted from the blood rushing to my cheeks.
Jungkook only sent a smirk at the crowd and drew me in closer by the waist. I froze, keeping my eyes fixated on a spot in the distance.
Maybe I was broken?
"District Eleven! KANG Y/N! JEON JUNGKOOK!" Now the crowd was no longer screaming only Taehyung's name, no, now we were the center of attention.
Although I tried not to, I let a smile break out on my face as Jungkook grinned cheekily. At that moment, with his hair messed up from him running his hand through it, his skin gleaming in the sunlight and his eyes sparkling with mischief, he looked absolutely breathtaking.
My breath hitched when he turned his eyes to me and caught me staring.
Our staredown lasted a whole minute before the spell was broken and I was left wondering what had happened.
The screams went on until we reached the end of the parade.
It was then time for the president of our nation to step forward and say her usual greetings.
She was someone I hated with a burning passion, but that could be said for the rest of Panem as well. Everyone loathed her.
She was still quite young, so she would be able to rule for a long time.
I hoped that it wouldn't even like that, I hoped that she would be replaced.
As her speech ended, I looked down at the ground to stop myself from glaring at the president.
I didn't even notice Jungkook intervening our hands as the carriages rode through a gate and into a hall.
There, Jungkook took my other hand and helped me down from the carriage.
"Thank you," I whispered somewhat shyly, sending him my typical sheepish smile.
"Y/n, I need you to go to our rooms now, Tzu-yu and Sehun are there as well." He instructed, leaning closer to whisper while looking around the hall as if he was waiting for some in alarming to appear at any moment.
"Why? What about you?" I asked as he tried to push me behind him as someone approached our carriage.
"Jus-" He was interrupted as Kim Seokjin, district one, reached our carriage.
He was smiling but the smile didn't reach his cold eyes. When his gaze met mine, I shuddered. There was something there.
"Well, what do we have here? The shining tributes of district eleven." Seokjin smirked, but there was hidden anger hidden in his eyes.
"What do you want?" Jungkook demanded with a strong voice, but even I could detect something that looked like an apologetic feeling in his eye.
I looked at Seokjin and to my surprise, he was already staring at me with what looked like hate. Okay, maybe not hate, but maybe strong dislike.
Why it bothered, I did not know, but I didn't want anyone to stare at me like that.
"You two look cozy, trying to pull a district twelve?" He asked with a raised brow at Jungkook who just glared right back, seemingly unfazed. But I knew Jungkook by now and the way he was clenching his fists again clearly told me that he was fazed.
"Y/n, go now." He said and because he looked so vulnerable standing in front of Kim Seokjin, the scary district one career, I nodded and started to make my way to the lift.
Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't looked back, but my curious mind couldn't help itself.
With a glance back in Jungkook's direction I found that he, Seokjin and Min Yoongi, the district two tribute, were arguing about something in a heated manner.
A sick feeling formed in my stomach, why did it feel like they knew each other?
Shaking my head, I stepped into the lift and the purple doors were just about to close when a hand stopped them from doing so.
"Hold it." A deep, yet somewhat soothing voice commanded as the male tribute from district twelve stepped inside the empty lift.
Once again the lift doors started closing and before they did, I managed to make eye contact with a panicked Jungkook.
What's up with him again?
We were alone now.
I turned my head slightly and observed the tribute. Kim Taehyung, the name the crowd had been screaming so relentlessly.
Why didn't he seem like one of us?
He looked like a career, but then again, so did Jungkook.
"Are you going to continue to stare like that?" The deep voice of Kim Taehyung asked with a hint of annoyance. But there was also amusement. Good, I liked being funny.
"Ah no, I'm sorry I was thinking about something else," I muttered in apology seeing as I didn't want to make enemies yet. Or ever with him, for that matter.
"You look beautiful, Y/y. Truly. It's a real shame about the arena though," he said almost teasingly, his eyes glinting.
I gulped, was he trying to tell me that I was going to be his target in the arena?
First, Seokjin with his heated glares and now Taehyung. Could this day get any worse?
And to think that only mere moments ago I was thinking about making it home alive...
I said nothing and finally looked at his attire.
It was definitely not usual district twelve attire as ever since Katniss Everdeen, all the stylists just did something with fire. But there was no fire to be seen on Kim Taehyung.
No, he was wearing a uniform.
It was an elaborate miners uniform, but obviously much more stylish and much more expensive. There was no way that this was a real minors uniform.
He also wore a bandana and it made him seem a little wild, it differed from the neat style the uniform portrayed.
His outfit was good, too good. It made him seem like a career.
But what made him really seem like a career, was his eye color.
Usually one would expect grey or brown eyes from district twelve, but not Taehyung, he had stunning blue eyes with flecks of gold.
"Well, it seems like this is your stop. Remember Y/n, only one of you can make it out alive." He said as the doors dinged open on the eleventh floor.
Even though I really wanted to know what he meant, I exited without a goodbye or a confirmation of sorts to his previous comment.
I just gave him a small smile and a pathetically awkward wave. As the doors closed, I could see his lips curl upward.
"Stupid idiot, Y/n! Why did you wave?!"
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edited ☑️