jangmi (장미) ● taejoon

t w e n t y t h r e e .

When school ended, the first sensation of pain erupted in Jungkook's body when Jjang grabbed him by the arm and slammed him against the mat without any struggle.

They were in Jjang's basement, a room he set up as a small fighting gym for himself. A taekwondo mat was the entire floor, a worn out punching bag in the corner, melee weapons decorated the cement walls, and his guns were locked inside of metal lockers.

Jungkook was covered in sweat meanwhile Jjang had just look like nothing had happened. "Try again. If you want to fight, you have to learn how to defend. Fight to survive that's it."

"Can't-Can't you just teach me how to shoot a gun?!" Jungkook pants, his hands on his knees. "I need to learn how to use a gun don't I?"

"You won't be carrying a weapon on you at all times, Jungkook," Jjang shook his head. "You need to physically fight, now get up from your knees and try to hit me."

Jungkook instead dropped onto the floor and rolled onto his back, groaning. His body burned, and his lips were dry. He puts an arm over his eyes.

Jjang sighed, walking over to a locker by the wall. Pulling out a plastic gun with a orange nozzle, he tosses it over to the teenage boy. Grabbing another one, he swiftly shoots the boy on the floor with a pellet.

"Get up," Jjang demands. "You want to learn how to shoot? Fine then."

Jungkook looks over at the older, picking up the gun and achingly getting up. "Finally," he says, breathless.

As soon as Jungkook got up, Jjang pulled the trigger six times before he could even take enough breath. Jjang stayed still, and before Jungkook knew it he tumbled back down from the impact.

Head.

Arms.

Legs.

Chest.

"W-What the fuck?!"

"That's how you shoot," Jjang says, crossing his arms. "That's what years of shooting is. You have a lot to learn, and if you can't even keep yourself up on your feet you're not ready to learn how to use the real thing. You have to learn how to fight with your body first. Don't depend on how many bullets are in a gun to save yourself."

He walked over and held a hand out for Jungkook. "You're training with an ex mercenary, did you forget? I was raised as a solider and exploited for money, you have it easy. I can train you just how I was, if you want. It won't be easy."

"... Sometimes I wonder how you're even friends with my brother."

"He'd be dead if I wasn't," Jjang shrugs. "I would've been his murderer."

"... Right," Jungkook slowly nodded. "... I-I forgot, sorry..."

Jjang crouched down in front of Jungkook. "Your brother is the reason why I stayed, and the reason why I'm going to teach how to protect yourself. You're going to feel unsafe for the rest of your life, that's how living is. Defending yourself is humane."

"... I'm teaching you to fight for survival not violence, do I make myself clear?"

[unedited]