Unsustainable [VKOOK]

Danger

Jungkook smiles politely at his colleagues as he enters the meeting room, settling into one of the comfortable armchairs and placing his cup of coffee on the large glass table. Everyone is already here, waiting for the dean to come as the latter told them earlier he has an announcement to make. The raven-haired male taps his foot on the floor lightly as he waits, the rain he can see pouring outside through the window reminding him that he has forgotten to bring an umbrella.

The sound of the door opening jostles him out of his thoughts, the dean walking inside with a gloomy face that Jungkook has almost never witnessed on his face. This is bad news, he thinks while gulping heavily, the middle-aged man sitting in his seat at the end of the table. All of Jungkook's colleagues gradually stop chatting, the room becoming silent as they all wait for the man to start speaking.

"Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. I'm going to get straight to the point: I don't have very good news." Some people exchange a glance, everyone starting to have a little idea of what's going on. "Next year will come in a few, and we've been informed that the government is going to drastically cut our budget. This means that, unfortunately, we won't be able to keep all our teachers, as we will have to close one section of the university." The raven-haired male's heart starts hammering into his chest, and he wonders for a second what would be Taehyung's reaction if he announced him he was going to be fired. The last thing he wants is to be seen as helpless by his husband, but between his fear of cars and his future unemployment, Jungkook tells himself it would be inevitable. Besides, the raven-haired male loves working in this university that he has grown fond of with time passing, and he wouldn't change his job for anything in the world. "We've discussed this for a long while, and we're thinking to close either the Japanese section, either the French one." Jungkook's heart misses a beat, as it's been several years he's been teaching French culture to his students. He sends a look to the teachers belonging to the Japanese section, and judging by the look on their faces, he understands competition is already starting to take over their friendship. "It's up to you to prove us that your section shouldn't be the one to disappear. Be innovative, and your efforts will be rewarded. Also, your students' marks will be taken into consideration. You have three weeks until our final judgement."

Jungkook doesn't really hear what the dean says next, lost in his thoughts as he desperately tries to find new ideas that would give a new impetus to the French department. In the end, he's so worried that his brain finds none, which only adds to his anxiety.

Jungkook spends the rest of the day trying to find anything that could help him make his lessons more attractive, his notebook filled with crossed-out ideas of projects that would never see the light of day.

----

Taehyung yawns while putting his book down on his chest, wanting nothing more than to lean his head back onto the pillow and get a good night's sleep. He can't though, as his husband still hasn't come back home from work yet. Jungkook has been working more and more lately, so much that he and Taehyung barely had time to talk anymore. The only clue that could explain Jungkook's behaviour is the fact he mentioned something about being fired if he didn't work enough a few days ago, which greatly worries Taehyung. He doesn't want the possibility of a burn-out anywhere near his husband, yet that's what might happen if Jungkook keeps living almost twenty hours a day at university. Besides, Jungkook now goes to the psychologist to treat his fear of cars, which eats up his time even more.

"Come on, Kookie... Just come back already." The brown-haired male groans, blinking as his eyes can less and less stand the brightness coming from the bedside lamp. He would love to turn the lights off, but he knows he's going to succumb to sleep the moment he does so, and there is no way he can fall asleep knowing his husband is out there somewhere at such a late hour. What if Jungkook missed the last subway? What if something happened to him? No, Taehyung definitely can't even think of resting if he doesn't know for sure that his husband is safe.