Dopamine + Endorphins
When Jungkook appeared at their regular table in the cafeteria for lunch, a new face sat between Namjoon and Taehyung. Tall, broad-shouldered and blonde.
"This is Kim Seokjin," Taehyung introduced the stranger after Jungkook had been staring for some seconds. "He's a good friend of Jimin."
"Okay?" was his only answer and he sat down cautiously. The blonde guy would not stop staring at him like he was searching for something in his face, and he felt like being in a trial. Was this a test whether he was good enough for his friend?
Namjoon began to talk after he finished his bite of bulgogi. "We told him about the plan and he agreed," the green-haired said.
"Why would you agree to this nonsense?" Jungkook asked the man called Seokjin. "Jimin is your friend." He would never had agreed if one of his friends would have been the target of such a stupid project.
"I have my reasons," was all the blonde said, and finally a soft smile warmed up the chestnut eyes that had stared at him so intensely. Had he passed the test?
"Now, for our next step-" Taehyung began, but was interrupted by the broad-shouldered guy.
"I'm here to rate your actions whether they're morally justifiable," the blonde said, chestnut eyes fixed on Jungkook. "I won't let those idiots hurt him again."
A happy sigh left Jungkook's lips at those words. When he had left Jimin two days ago, the smaller had been better, even laughing, but far from good and he had felt so bad for what Yoongi had done to the golden-haired that he had tortured himself with thoughts about how he could have stopped this from happening. "Perfect," he said and smiled back at Seokjin. He was relieved that finally there was someone who had the power to stop the Psycho Duo. This was good. It made him feel less concerned about the future steps the Kims had in mind. Startled, he realized that it now were three Kims. Would they become the Psycho Kim Trio? Maybe a better version with a moral upgrade?
"However," Taehyung tried to get back everyone's attention and drummed his hands on the table, "Next up is dopamine. Namjoon if you would." And the crimson gestured his friend to explain.
"Dopamine is the lust hormone," the green-haired said flatly. Jungkook's eyes widened at the implication. "Don't worry. We won't put you in the closet to do stupid things. The hormone is increasing the attraction to the person it's associated with, and that's the effect we want to achieve. We need him to proceed from second base and consider you as a partner more than a friend." The light way Namjoon was telling him this made it sound like a walk to the park, but Jungkook would bet it was not as easy as that. "Dopamine is released due to new stimuli, so to achieve a high dose, you need to try many exciting new things."
"Like a motor bike ride," Taehyung added and Jungkook knew where this was going. He came to university with his machine every day, and those two apparently wanted him to take Jimin home.
"A motor bike ride also has the advantage of an endorphin rush," Namjoon explained like he was talking about small buttons that could be pressed to release some kind of hormone, "Endorphins are natural painkillers and the body's happy hormones. You probably experienced an endorphin high during running because this is the hormone that causes the so-called runner high."
Jungkook nodded understandingly. He knew the feeling. It was something their trainers had warned them of, because once you reached that high, you tend to overdo it and ruin your body completely. It felt as if your legs were as light as a feather and you could run on for hours and hours what could cause severe inconveniences with inflammations of sinews or at least torturously sore muscles.
"Yeah, a nice side effect. However, Jimin will find his bicycle damaged when he goes home today, so you'll have to help him," the redhead confirmed his previous assumption. Apparently, this was why he had been told to bring a second helmet.
"How heavily damaged?" Jin intervened with a stern face.
"A flat tire, nothing more. I opened the valve earlier," Namjoon answered. "Once he had a taste of what Jungkook can offer him, he'll take the offer every time it's given, so we don't need to do more damage than necessary."
Shit, this sounded like a damn psycho game, Jungkook thought and the uncomfortable feeling in his guts was back. He needed to protect the small golden-haired from those ruthless brats or they wound ruin him.
"Okay. Um...," Taehyung mused what else there was to tell him. "Ah, the formula! Namjoon."
A formula? What kind of formula? Love was not an equation.
"There is something called the dopamine formula," the green-haired said after swallowing. "It consists of the difference between the expected reward and the received reward summed up with the resulting expectation for future rewards."
Jungkook stared at the older psychologist with jaw hanging low in disbelieve. Who would put that shit into an equation? Did psychologist really make up formulas about hormonal reactions?
"Don't look so shocked," Taehyung said and chuckled at his expression, "It's a commonly used formula in psychology to predict and manipulate behavior."
This did not sound any better to Jungkook. In fact, this sounded even worse, because it meant that Jimin was nothing more than a dog to the two, a dog they could train to do what they wanted him to do. It was sickening to hear them talking like that.
"Jimin is a human," he growled, anger rushing through his veins once more, "Stop talking about him like he's some lower being you can control to your sick hearts' content." He was about to stand up and leave when Namjoon stopped him by putting a hand on his arm.
"You can think whatever you want, but remember: To get a positive result for the dopamine formula, always give more than expected."
Jungkook felt like vomiting. "You make me sick," he hissed and finally left. Why had he agreed to do this nonsense? Jimin had been hurt badly and now they wanted the cute blonde to wave his tail like an obedient puppy. This was not what he had agreed to, this was wrong.
Still, he found himself at the bike stands after classes and looked out for a golden mop of hair. He found Jimin sitting on the hot asphalt next to his unusable bike and typing away on his phone. The smaller looked pissed.
"Jimin?" he called out after getting off his helmet. He first had wanted to disobey the psychologists, but then again Jimin needed a ride home nonetheless and he had a spare helmet with him.
The older lifted his head in surprise and looked around until he found him, and Jungkook could see the professionally taped cheekbone and the even worse black eye. Hesitantly, Jimin got up and put away his phone to come over to him, and he stopped the engine, so they could talk.
"Jungkook," the older just stated and looked up to him as if he was unsure of what to expect.
"Do you need a ride?" Jungkook asked without introduction and smiled at the other's astounded expression. However damaged Jimin's face was, he still looked beautiful. How could he not with those plump lips and warm cacao eyes that got swallowed by every wide smile. He looked just too soft for his own good.
A charming giggle made Jungkook's thoughts halt and topple over. Someone, help him. What kind of cute sound was this? "Will you always be there to help me when I'm in trouble?" Jimin asked and smiled widely.
"Ah... uh..." Jungkook said stupidly, not quite able to think straight with such a bright sight in front of him, but Jimin did not seem to mind his nonexistent lingual skills.
"I've got a flat tire," the older said and frowned slightly, "So, I indeed need a ride home. Is that really okay?"
Jungkook nodded without delay. "Of course. Why else would I offer it?"
"Dunno," Jimin replied and shrugged shyly.
A brief silence settled between them where Jimin stared at the ground and Jungkook stared at Jimin.
"Here," he then broke the weird moment and handed the smaller the spare helmet. He would bet that Jin had reminded the Psycho Duo of the second helmet. Those two seemed too careless to think of something like safety measures.
"Thanks. How do I...," Jimin began but trailed off when he examined the helmet. So, the older had never been on a motor bike? Clever Taehyung, very clever. The first ride was something no-one forgot. It was like flying and falling at the same time, awesome beyond words. Those sneaky Kim bastards used everything they could get their hands on to proof their point.
"Let me help you," Jungkook offered and took back the helmet. Then he brushed the golden fringe back and carefully pushed the helmet over the smaller man's head while opening it up a little wider to not hurt the cut and the black eye too much. A small hiss told him he had not been completely successful, and he begged that the painkiller effect of the endorphins would soothe Jimin's aching eye. "Sorry," he mumbled but was met with the eye-swallowing smile through the open vizor.
"I'm good," the muffled voice of the smaller sounded through the helmet's padding and Jungkook smiled at the cute sight. But when his eyes fell onto the blonde's loose shirt, he became serious again. Jin would grill him if he would take Jimin with his machine without proper clothing, so without second thought he stripped off his leather jacket and hung it around Jimin's shoulders.
"You need something that protects you in case...," he left the rest of the sentence hanging in the air when Jimin's wide eyes stared at him in shock.
"But what about you?" the golden-haired asked concerned and gestured at his simple black t-shirt.
"If you want to come with me, you take my jacket," Jungkook demanded instead of an answer.
Jimin hesitated for a moment, but then the urge of getting home seemed to overpower his concerns, and he slipped into the too big jacket and closed the visor a little clumsily. Satisfied, Jungkook smiled and closed the clasp of the other's helmet before he put on his own.
"You can give me directions by tapping one side two times," he instructed Jimin and showed him what he meant by tapping his hand against his right side. The smaller nodded understandingly.
Then he let down the small handles where Jimin could place his feet and swung himself onto his machine to lift the stator and start the engine. The deep roar echoed over the place and several heads turned towards them, but all Jungkook could concentrate on was the beauty that looked at him rather forlorn.
He chuckled quietly at the sight, before he gestured the older to place his foot on one of the handles and swing himself up behind him, and hesitantly Jimin followed his instructions. Once the smaller sat behind him, he reached out for the other's arm and slung it around his torso, waiting for the second one to follow, and when they sat safely, he finally closed his own visor, put on the first gear and rolled off the sidewalk and onto the street. Time to release some endorphins.
With a wide grin he let go of the gear shift and the machine jumped forwards, causing Jimin to tighten the hold around his waist and press his legs against his sides. A fluttery tickle rushed through Jungkook's stomach at the feeling of the smaller being pressed-up against his back, and his smile was so wide that it already hurt his cheeks. It had been a long time since riding his bike had gained him a fluttery stomach and he enjoyed it to its fullest.
Sovereignly, Jimin guided him through the city and he could more feel than hear the elder laughing happily. And while they flew through the streets, he found himself thinking that he would gladly pick up Jimin every morning to give him a ride to the campus, and that slightly scared him. The project was meant for Jimin to fall for him, but all he could observe so far was him getting whipped more and more for the golden-haired, and he begged that this would not end with a one-sided love on his side. Well, at least, that would proof that the Psycho Kim Duo had been wrong with their theory of a love formula, but he still preferred getting out of this story without a broken heart.
Fifteen minutes later, the ride sadly was over and they rolled onto the sidewalk, but the wide smile on Jimin's face when he had fumbled off the helmet was more than enough to reward him for the short tour.
"I can pick you up tomorrow," he offered before he had thought about it properly.
Jimin's expression changed from overly happy into stunned within a second. "Oh, I mean that's nice. But I've got psychology class at 7:30 tomorrow and I don't want to bother you with getting up so early," Jimin replied politely. Psychology class? Was this how Taehyung had gotten his hands on all the information on the golden-haired? It was an elective module for sport students, so maybe it collided with the real psychology students' schedule.
"No problem," Jungkook assured the smaller and took the helmet that was handed to him to click it into the holder at the back of his machine. "I can do my morning workout in the gym." He was up early anyways, so why not help Jimin.
"Really?" the blonde asked astounded, "You'd do that for me?"
Yes, because it's my fault that your bike had a flat tire. "Yes. If you bring an air pump we can take care of your bike as well," he suggested and Jimin's eyes grew even wider in astonishment. Always give more than expected, Taehyung's words echoed through his head. But he would do so gladly if it helped to hold his guilt at bay.
"I'm... uh... thank you," Jimin mumbled and smiled shyly.
"So, uhm... I'll wait here at seven," Jungkook replied and smiled softly. It was funny to see Jimin so startled when normally it was the beauty who startled others by his mere existence.
And after shuffling his bag from his stomach to his back and waving his goodbye, he started the engine again and was about to roll off when something held onto his arm. Confused as to what Jimin wanted, he turned back around.
"Your jacket. And could we... you know... exchange phone numbers?" the older asked and looked at him with uncertainty in the big warm cacao orbs.
With a chuckle, Jungkook stopped his machine again and pulled off the helmet to talk properly, before he took his jacket from Jimin and the phone that was handed to him to type in his number. Jimin saved him as Kookie. Cute.
"Do you maybe want to come up for a coffee?" Jimin asked and Jungkook would have almost tipped over backwards with his bike. Was this really happening? Was Park Jimin asking him to come up for a coffee? Chaos settled in his stomach and immobilized his tongue. Why was this project moving so fast?
"Um... I'm sorry, I didn't... never mind. Be safe," the smaller mumbled again and vanished behind the door of the apartment block before Jungkook woke up from his frozen state. Had he just missed a chance of visiting Jimin's home? What in god's name had just happened?
He needed several minutes to make his brain work properly again before he could jump his machine and drive off. What a crazy day.
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