"COME ON! MOVE IT - YOU'RE LOOKING A LITTLE TOO SLOW THERE HERENANDEZ! PICK UP SPEED!"

Jeongguk was not, by any chance, expecting this type of training the second he stepped into this building after his break. Sure, maybe he expected for the coaches to be intense, since after all it's insanity week, but they were literally screaming since the second everyone got here. This is so unlike his training for speed skating, since they were all just instructed on activities and went on their ways to accomplish it.

It was hard, hell yeah it was, but Jeongguk right now feels like he might just collapse by how intensely the coaches would peer over his shoulder to make sure he's doing well with this undeniable pressure. Everything is happening so fast that no one is being given the time to even breathe.

And the training from speed skating along with this one is definitely starting to take a troll on him, seeing dark spots surrounding his vision as he quickly started doing push ups after thirty minutes of running up and down the stairs. He's working his body too much to the limit, but he can't risk being yelled at now if he stops.

Some people have already started to slow down in exhaustion or even drop for some water, not caring if the coaches screamed at them to get back into practice. Jeongguk wasn't like them, he knew break was coming sooner or later, and if he stopped now then he would lose his rhythm to continue on.

"GOOD JOB JIMIN! BE OF SOME INFLUENCE TO THESE LAZY SKATERS!"

Then there's Jimin.

Man, the guy can really work out. No wonder he has the physic that he does.

Not once has he stopped, for a break or even to catch air when they would change activities. He's light on his feet and so damn fast. He probably did more than 100 rounds of those stairs under thirty minutes of back and forth, and Jimin didn't even stop before doing the push ups and sit ups that followed afterwards. He's probably the only one in the best shape out of everyone here, including Jeongguk, and he pushes himself hard.

He's definitely an athlete many people only aspire to be.

"Okay everyone, five minute break before we start an hour jog around the building outside at your own pace to relax. Stretch and then we'll be done for the day."

Jeongguk practically drops to the ground the second he heard that, breathing heavily in a whistle air by how horribly his body is aching and screaming right now. Doing two sets of insanity in a day definitely is not ideal, but at least for speed skating the teams makes it exciting, especially Minho.

Everyone here is so in their own zone in the heat of competing, and not the good kind.

It feels like Jeongguk's energy is literally being sucked in and he hates it.

Dammit.

"Kookie get up," Jeongguk didn't even flinch when he heard Taehyung's voice, too limp to even move, "You need to drink water, come on."

Or perhaps just die?

That seems like an easier solution.

But knowing Taehyung was right, and him being dramatic, Jeongguk only turns to his side, seeing the sweaty blonde standing over him with a hand stretched out. After contemplating it for a moment, more so him catching his breath, Jeongguk grabs his hand and Taehyung helps him up - guiding him to the table filled with bottles since he was a limping mess.

"What is he doing? - Wait, dude isn't that Park Jimin?"

"Oh, the ballet dancer? Ah yeah, I heard of him. Newbie skater apparently."

Jeongguk continued walking, well dragging himself to the table, accepting Taehyung's offer for the water bottle and squeezes the center to let it splash in his mouth.

"He does know we have to take a break right? Why is he still running stairs?" Jeongguk's ears perked, sighing as he gulps the water down, "Maybe he wants to just be a show off."

Wait, Jimin's still running?

Furrowed eyebrows now, Jeongguk subtly looks at the three staircases, seeing Jimin jogging down from them before he reaches the bottom and then sprints back up quickly without a second of pause. He's quick up the stairs and somewhat mellow going down, not showing anything on his emotionless face - not even a sign of pain - as he did so. The only sign there is that he's working his body out so much is by his skin drenched in sweat, even his bare arms from the tank top, with bright red neck and flushed cheeks of heat.

That didn't stop him.

He kept going.

For all those five minutes.

"Isn't Jimin working himself out a little too much?"

Jeongguk blinks to Taehyung's concern, glancing at him, "Maybe he just wants to stay focused?"

Taehyung glances at the signs on his hands, grimacing, "Hm, yeah.... Well this is Jimin we're talking about I guess."

Nothing more was said, but Jeongguk did grew a bit cautious to the way Jimin kept pushing himself a bit too hard. However he wasn't one to stop Jimin once he's in the zone.

So he only drinks a bit more of his water, being suddenly startled by the whistle from one of the coaches that it practically blared his ears. A loud ringing is the only thing he could hear, forcing tears in his eyes by the echo. He forcefully winces back, covering his ears instantly while adjusting the volume of his hearing aids through his curtain of hair.

And unfortunately that did not go unnoticed.

"You're deaf?"

Jeongguk's cheeks burned, blinking once or twice before moving his gaze to the side to see a man from one of the other teams standing there, that Jeongguk couldn't quite remember from where. Handsome man, but his aura really wasn't so welcoming as Jeongguk felt.

He only blinks, gulping thickly while looking away.

"Dude you know if they find out about this, you're cut right?" The man continues to say, forcing a heavy feeling in his chest, "Not trying to be rude-"

"Excuse me," Jeongguk is suddenly being dragged away by the arm from a very heated Jimin, who noticed the little scene on his way down the stairs, "Mind your damn business!"

The snarls was anything but gentle, but Jimin didn't even give time for the guy to respond back because he drags Jeongguk to the exit of the building where everyone else is headed to - Not wasting time in starting the run.

Jimin was definitely anything but calm right now, "You need to be fucking careful with your hearing aids!" Jimin growls to him, not looking at Jeongguk's stare, "There's snitches here and then it'll drag both of our asses down. We don't need another fucking rumor going around."

Jeongguk didn't say anything, only continues to run with a frown and now looking ahead.

Jimin is right. They do need to be careful. There's enough rumors going on about the 'homosexual image' they already have together - that's thankfully cooling down by the dating rumors with Lalisa and Jihyo, the last thing they need is for the spread that Jeongguk is deaf and is in an Olympic team with no one knowing about it.

Everyone's eyes are always watching, and despite that there's more other male x male figure skaters here for small events, Jeongguk and Jimin are the ones they have their eyes on due to how they are skating in a very traditional country.

So with that, everything they do has to be with the awareness that everyone is noticing their every move; maybe as a competition or with disgust.

That's something Jimin has noticed, immediately. That Jeongguk unfortunately didn't.

But now Jeongguk discretely removes his hearing aids and just holds it in his hands as he runs, just in case if that skater did snitch to a coach about it.

And that he did.

While they were on their run, the familiar handsome skater didn't see any of the coaches besides one that was standing by the entrance with a small smile to the view of running athletes.

He quickly approaches him, "Um sir, I have something important to discuss with you; that I hope you can pass on to the head coach."

Jackson flickers his eyes to the man, perking an eyebrow with a friendly smile, "That is?"

The man looks around to make sure no one else was around before leaning to his ear and whispered. Jackson's eyes slowly dilated with every word, smile dripping lower and lower with his heart picking a bit of speed.

However when the man pulled back, Jackson smiles again in a more tighter grin, "Really? My.... How unfortunate for him," and he placed a hand to the man's shoulder, startling him but Jackson kept him firmly there, "Let this be between us, yeah? I'll handle it."

The man smiles brightly and nods, resuming back to his running with Jackson's smile dropping the second he turned his back.

Jackson will handle it alright.

After all, no one messes with his skaters.

No one.

_______________________
A/N:
Oop-

Gotta love Jackson being a little protective :')

Ah, this is only the beginning.

I PURPLE YOU! <3