"I'm sorry I really- I really can't" he says again. It's weird that no one else it out yet. There is always staff around but even the car driver seems to have wandered away.
Jungkook looks back at the girl, confused. "I'm sorry? I really-- I need to leave soon."
"No one is coming yet," the girl yet. "We'd have all the time in the world if you were a nicer boy."
"You don't know how lucky you are," the girl says, voice like honey, "That I love you so much."
There is a blinding light and Jungkook flinches back and closes his eyes, waits for the pain. He feels something shift under his skin, something squeezing at his throat.
"There's a deer at the entrance," Sejin shouts behind him. "Hey come on you can't stay there, go back to the woods."
This is one cruel joke, Jungkook is sure. They used to do those ones.
"It's getting angry. Must be lost. Call the arena security," the staff says. "Jungkook's phone on the ground, searches the bathroom, I'll check if he went home by himself."
He stands shocked still as the car drives away.
A deer?
The staff seems tense, almost scared of him and Jungkook feels the need to escape pull at him, his body urging him to run run run.
He doesn't know what to do so he runs, chasing after the scent trail left by the car leading him to their dorm.
There's a crowd of people around him - too many people, still too many people - and stress builds up again.
(hooves, fur, doe eyes)
He's running again before he can think about, taking refuge in a big park nearby, hiding himself in between bushes and trees.
Ig tongue lapping at the surface. He catches his reflection, one more time, in the water.
Brown fur. Doe eyes. A deer.
This time instead of disbelief there is defeat.
A fucking deer.
He stands at the foot of their building, and he recognizes their windows from there - his room, Tae's windows, Jin's curtains. He calls for them but all he does is bleat.
No one comes down, and when the streets fill out at 7 am, he leaves.
Deers can't cry apparently.
Three weeks in, still no one comes down.
On the 30th day Jungkook doesn't visit the dorm. He walks around instead, going along the rivers and following pretty trails.
Namjoon-hyung.
Namjoon jumps back.
"What the--- what?" He walks backwards, away from him and Jungkook keeps still, begging him not to run with his eyes.
He hears Namjoon's heart beating madly and he knows he scared him. He holds himself back, even though he wants to crowd closer, wants to feel the warmth of a friend at last.
'Stay' he begs.
"Um," Namjoon pockets his phone out and carefully points it at him. "You don't seem wild at all. You mind if I take a few pictures?"
"You're really- Were in a circus? A reserve? You look used to humans."
Jungkook huffs and lays his head down.
"But you seem already pretty used to us," Namjoon keeps saying.
He reaches out with a tentative hand like Jungkook could snap and charge him any second. When he finally makes contact with his fur his palm is sweaty, and warm.
Jungkook closes his eyes.
"This is amazing," he mutters. "Thanks for letting me pet you. I wish I could show Jungkook this."
This is when the petting stops and Namjoon's hand draws back.
"That's some- that's some cool antlers you got there," Namjoon says, eyeing him, and Jungkook quickly lays his head back down.
"I- I've got to go," Namjoon says, carefully standing up and Jungkook has to force himself to stay down. "They get worried now, you know? If I'm gone too long. They think- yeah."
Namjoon looks at him, a few feet away, holding onto the strap of his satchel.
And then he leaves. And Jungkook stays.
He's up in a second, galloping to the source of the scent, hooves stomping loudly.
"You're here again?" He says, and Jungkook knows better than to nod now. He huffs. "Are you hungry? I have, um." He searches his bag. "Gum? I don't think you should eat gum."
Jungkook would very much like to chew gum.
Jungkook huffs.
"It's not good for you."
Jungkook huffs.
"I'm not giving it to you."
Jungkook bleats.
It's too loud. He's sure Namjoon will run but Namjoon just laughs and hides his bag behind himself.
Jungkook bleats. That's kind of rude.
Eventually Namjoon stops, grabbing onto his bag again. "I just came to clear my mind. So... see you around?" He turns around, takes a step then turns back to him. "You can walk with me if you want?"
He smiles. There are dark circles under his eyes and a lazy stubble on his chin, but he smiles.
And yet.
"Jungkook," he says, and his ears perk up. He opens his eyes, and looks up at his hyung's face. "That's the friend you remind me of. Jungkook."
Jungkook licks his face as lieu of an answer, and it's enough to make Namjoon smile again. "That's nasty. You really do act like a dog. Down Kookie, down!"
He laughs and Jungkook promises, he will never leave.
Namjoon always look so tired when they meet but he laughs around him and Jungkook feels proud.
Two months in, and Jungkook finally understands why he's been turned into a deer.
"Jungkookie," she calls sweetly and Jungkook recognizes that voice too well. He wants to run but he's locked in place. "Poor Jungkookie," she says, appearing before him. She takes his head into his hands. "No luck uh?"
And then she's gone.
A month, he thinks, and panics.
His phone lays on the ground and the screen lights up when he receives a text, and Jungkook stares at his own human face for a few seconds.
"What? What are you doing Kookie?" Namjoon picks his phone up. "You've never seen a phone before? Maybe not, you're a deer after all," he mumbles. "Look." He turns on the screen. "Oh hey that's a picture of your namesake."
He lays down again his flank and sighs.
Jungkook bumps his cheek with his snouth and grunts. That's just wrong.
At least this settles it. Namjoon really will never love him.
"That sounds so stupid now," Namjoon moans. "I tried so hard, because I didn't want him to know that I-- you know?"
He curls back around Namjoon's body and they fall asleep like that.
A week passes, and Jungkook is making peace with the fact he'll bleat his way through his life.
Three weeks, it goes to shit again. In hindsight, he should have known a deer hanging around Seoul would draw attention from the wrong kind of people.
They target him one morning while he's strolling through parks, making his way to their usual meeting place. He's lazy, unaware, unguarded.
Humans are dangerous, his brain supplies again.
The dorm. His hyungs.
He runs through the streets, narrrowly avoiding cars and people. Every lights are blinding, every sound is deafening. He's shaking and he feels blood trickling down his fur.
Jungkook collapses as soon as Namjoon touches him. He kneels by him and Jungkook puts his head in Namjoon's lap, and pants. Big hands pet him and Jungkook closes his eyes.
He's safe.
He picks up on familiar scents. "Namjoon-ah? Did you just say Kookie? Is he-- is that a deer."
"Hobi, he's bleeding- he's hurt-"
"Did you name the deer Kookie? You're really-"
"Hobi, please. Please help me."
"I heard Kookie," another deeper voice coming out from the car. "Oh is that the deer you've been meeting hyung? He looks like the one who waited here before. Is he hurt?"
He heaves a big breath and lets himself pass out.
He hears the vets wondering where he comes from, if he was born in a zoo or a reserve because of how used to human contact he is. Considering his breed they decide he must have run from Seoul's Forest when he was a buck.
Namjoon doesn't come on the third day and he hears the vets talking about his injury being minor. The bullet didn't dig deep, he could be released soon. He can walk even if it pains him a bit. It's still ok.
On the fifth day they try to take him away. He fights and they sedate him, tell him he'll be in the forest soon.
Namjoon isn't coming.
Namjoon didn't come.
He could escape if he wanted to, Seoul isn't far away but he decides to stay.
He's bored. Being a deer is boring.
He's dozing off when his nose picks up a human scent that he knows all too well. His ears perk up as he hears hurried footsteps, distant voices.
"Kookie?" He calls, eyes sweeping through the deers eyeing him warily. "Oh my god there's too- there's too many of you." He's panting, trying to catch his breath.
Jungkook stays put. It's like he said, it's for the best.
Jungkook leans against the tree, watching Namjoon sadly.
"If you know where Jungkook is then please tell him I love him, and I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"Will you tell him, Kookie?" Namjoon cries. "That I love him."
"I'll tell him hyung," Jungkook says, voice barely above a whisper.
He feels tears running down his own cheeks, and it's the best thing he's ever felt.
"Jun- Jungkook?" His eyes widen and he pulls Jungkook down to kneel with him. "Oh my god you're - you're alive, you're alive."
Jungkook slumps in his embrace, lets it surround him, until he feels small again, safe and sound, home wherever his hyung is.
"Was it you? The whole time, was it you?" He asks, big hands holding Jungkook's head carefully, so warm and comforting.
Jungkook nods tiredly, and makes an attempt at a weak bleat.
"I," Jungkook tries to speak, but his voice is hoarse, scratches his throat on the way out. "I love you too. Sorry for worrying you."
Namjoon silences him with a kiss, and just like that he's home again.
If you're curious, Namjoon lends him his hoodie and they go back home. Cue a very emotional reunion, and they barely have enough time to make up a believable story for the police. The evil witch suffers the consequence of a failed curse and turns into a deer herself.