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You might be wondering why a star sprinter like Jungkook is participating in a marathon. To be honest, it’s what all his friends have been wondering about. Jungkook is a sprinter and not a long-distance runner, yet, here he was running a 42 km marathon.
Jungkook told his friends he needed a brand new challenge.
However, his best friend, Yoongi, suspects it has to do with a certain turtle hybrid called Taehyung, who is celebrated as the new star athlete of the university. Somehow, since Taehyung began breaking records for the university marathon team, Jungkook started being interested in running a marathon.
Whenever the name Taehyung left anyone’s mouth a scoff escapes the rabbit hybrid's mouth. If you listen closely you could hear Jungkook mumble about being faster than a ‘freaking turtle hybrid’.
True to his words Jungkook is at least a kilometre ahead of Taehyung.
From the start of the marathon he had been looking for the turtle hybrid. For his dark hair, his green shell (which technically should make him even slower), his white sneakers, his hazel-brown glimmering eyes and his gorge- no, his grimy smile.
(Jungkook would never admit he finds anything about the turtle hybrid appealing.)
He found the hybrid rather fast, after all he was sticking out of the student body with the shell on his back. To Jungkook’s amusement the turtle hybrid was running - if you could even call it that - slow as fuck.
From the first second Jungkook felt confident of victory.
He trained for this, ran 30 km during training, what are a few more kilometres? Easy peasy, Jungkook got this.
He smirked at Taehyung when he passed him and to Jungkook’s horror Taehyung had smiled at him. All bright, big and adorable. Freckles littered his face making him look even cuter. Not that Jungkook would say that out loud.
Instead he frowned at the other, passed him and tried to get his face out of his mind.
He is at kilometre 31 now and he doesn’t feel exhausted at all. He can’t wait to be celebrated to break Taehyung’s record, not that this is his goal, but it will inevitably happen.
Jungkook bites his lips and smiles into himself, thinking about how Taehyung’s eyes will be full of adorat- no, envy for him. He shakes his head as he concentrates on running, steady but fast, keeping his tempo.
It’s at 35 kilometres that Jungkook’s legs start to burn. He ignores it and pushes through.
By kilometres 37 it becomes unbearable and he knows he has been slowing down for a while now. Jungkook feels like crying, but he can’t, he shouldn’t, he will cry happy tears when he runs through the finish line.
In first place.
It’s exactly at that moment when Taehyung passes him sluggishly, slowly with the same damn smile on his face.
Taehyung’s smile vanishes meeting Jungkook’s eyes, “Are you okay?” The turtle hybrid asks.
“Yes.” Jungkook grits out, narrowing his eyes at the other.
Despite Jungkook’s words, worry is etched into Taehyung’s face. Is this his tactic, the rabbit hybrid wonders, making others feel self-conscious?
Jungkook pulls at his white fluffy ear to hide his face from the other’s gaze. He is fine, his pace is fine, his lower thighs aren’t burning. They aren’t.
A cramp makes Jungkook literally scream out in shock, grabbing his quad on one side and falling over. His damn luck this happened on a part of the route where only forest was around him. No soul in sight.
“Fucking shit.” Jungkook curses, tears now wetting his cheeks. He worked so hard for this.
“Hey.” It’s Taehyung’s voice. Jungkook is too ashamed to look up. “A cramp?”
Jungkook only nods, hiding his whole face behind both of his fluffy ears.
“Let me help you.” Taehyung kneels down in front of him. “Your quad?”
Jungkook nods, and Taehyung begins to gently massage and stretch the muscle to loosen and relax it.
“The race..” Jungkook coughs out, between tears, trying to hide them.
Taehyung shrugs. “Who cares.” He gently applies pressure to Jungkook’s quad making the pain vanish even faster.
Never had Jungkook seen an athlete this laid back. Jungkook hates losing with a passion, and here was Taehyung helping his competition.
“It’s better.” Jungkook gets out, hiding a whimper wanting to fall from his lips. “Thank you.”
“No need, you would’ve done the same for me.” Taehyung winks at him, still smiling. “Let’s go, we got this.”
Leisurely Taehyung begins to jog, and Jungkook matches his pace. He feels exhausted, the last few kilometres have taken a toll on him. And Taehyung is wrong, he wouldn’t have done the same for Taehyung. He is way more selfish, it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I don't think I can do this.” The words slip out before Jungkook can stop himself.
“Don’t say nonsense, you’re our star athlete, I’ve seen you do way tougher things.” Taehyung says, his words grounding and surprising at the same time.
Jungkook whips his head around, his ears standing up tall, “You have? You know who I am?”
Taehyung laughs, bright and clear. “Who doesn’t know the handsome star athlete Jeon Jungkook? I’ve seen you run a lot.”
“You have?” Jungkook repeats like a parrot, blushing at Taehyung calling him handsome.
Taehyung nods, laughing. “Didn’t expect the Jeon Jungkook to be so surprised by being known.”
Jungkook blushes a deeper red, normally he isn’t this easily flustered, but this is Taehyung. The pretty, pretty marathon runner, who has been running marathons in Jungkook’s head.
“I’m Taehyung.” Taehyung says, “I’m really happy you took an interest in marathons too, we could use someone like you in our team.”
Jungkook nearly stumbles over his own feets. “I know who you are.” He mumbles.
Taehyung gazes at him, but Jungkook avoids his eyes as he adds. “Who hasn’t heard of the handsome star athlete Taehyung?”
Taehyung’s grin quadripples. “Don’t flatter me.”
“It’s true.” Jungkook says, trying to concentrate on jogging besides Taehyung. Now with Taehyung at his side, running feels easier again.
They talk the whole last 5 kilometres. A grin blossoms on Jungkook’s face the more they talk, both of them too lost in each other to even notice multiple runners passing them.
Neither Jungkook nor Taehyung wins.
Even though he doesn’t win, Jungkook still feels like a winner. He goes home with Taehyung’s number in his phone and only one thought in his mind. He needs to win Taehyung over.
What Jungkook doesn’t know is that a giddy turtle hybrid is telling his best friend, Jimin, all about helping and talking to his crush.
The same afternoon a short video of them running together underlaid with a love song goes viral.