15 years earlier.

Seoul, South Korea.

"Jungkook...Jungkook...Jungkook."

The rowdy chants of the crowd filled the ground as they witnessed the fight between the two opponents. Daniel was older, taller and bigger at the age of fifteen fighting against fourteen year old jungkook. But Jungkook wasn't scared. After his parents had dropped him at the orphanage at the age of five, he could only remember himself fighting against the world. Growing up in an orphanage was difficult but so was to not listen to the pathetic claims of the crowd about his parents, whom he didn't even remember. Some said he was the son of a prostitute, some said his parents died, some said his father was a murderer and the list goes on. The questions never ended and there were no answers to them.

After years of getting the snot beat out of him by grown men, he wasn't much scared of anyone anymore.

"You dirty shit." Daniel jeered, his voice masking laughter. " You really think you can beat me?"

" I know I can." Jungkook snarled.

Daniel spat in the grass and shook his head at Jungkook, mocking him.

" I am going to destroy you, child. Let me just give you a taste of my punch and let me see you running back to your mumma. Oh, wait. You don't have a mother. Hell, you don't have a home either."

Jungkook put up his fists. " Are you just good at talking or you can also do something?"

Daniel laughed scornfully as the crowd's chants grew even louder and more demanding.

The chants grew louder encouraging both the fighters to do their best. Pumping up the adrenaline rush within them.

The blow stung, but in the heat of battle Jungkook barely even noticed. Gritting his teeth, he repeatedly landed vicious jabs as blood squirted from Daniel's mouth and nose. The crowd egged him on, cheering and hollering as Daniel tried to block his hits.

Jungkook kept punching in a fury until he was stopped by Shijin, the sixteen-year-old juvie who ran the weekly fights. He pulled Jungkook to his feet and raised his right arm in the air.

"We have a new champ!"

The crowd went berserk, half cheering and half groaning as high fives were slapped and money changed hands.

Daniel stumbled to his feet, holding his bloody nose. "I want a rematch!"

Shijin grinned, counting a wad of cash.

"Sure thing, Dani-"

"JUNGKOOK! "an angry voice cut through the air like a boom of thunder.

Shit, Jungkook thought as a tall, burly, light-skinned Korean man came
shoving his way through the crowd. He worked at the group home where Jungkook lived. He was basically his caretaker and the only person in the orphanage he could talk to, Kim Ji-ho.

Shijin and the other boys took one look at Mr. Kim and scattered like junkies fleeing the cops.

"Hey!" Jungkook called to their retreating backs. "Where's my money?

Before he could take off running after
them, a massive hand seized his arm
and jerked him around. Suddenly he
found himself staring into Mr Kim's eyes.

"What are you doing? Leave me. I need to get my money."

"Well congrats. But I don't think so."

"But I won the fight."

"Congratulations, boy. Let's go."

Mr. Kim grabbed Jungkook by the arm and began dragging him across the grassy field toward a white van parked along the curb.

"You must have lost your damn mind, sneaking out of the house to meet up with those hoodlums. You know you have your medical entrance mock tomorrow."

"I don't wanna be a doctor," Jungkook
protested.

"Tough shit, boy. You're going to give the test."

"You can't make me!"

Mr. Kim stopped suddenly and turned to face Jungkook. His brown eyes were hard, his expression stern.

"Look here, boy. Seoul university runs one of the few organizations that help the orphan students to study in a medical school. I had to pull all strings to get you a spot in this organisation."

"Who asked you to?" Jungkook shot back. "I never said I wanted to be a stupid doctor."

"Yeah? What else you got going on?"
Mr. Kim jabbed his thumb in the direction of the field. "That little fight club is only gonna land you in jail or the morgue. Is that what you want?"

Jungkook glared defiantly at the big man.

"Well? Is it?"

Jungkook glared another moment before dropping his gaze to the front of his sweatshirt. It was splattered with Daniel's blood. This was the second shirt he'd ruined in less than two weeks, and he knew he was gonna catch hell for it. But he didn't care. He didn't care about much of anything. Shaking his head, Mr. Kim pulled out a handkerchief, grabbed Jungkook's hands and started cleaning his bloody knuckles. "You like fighting so much?

"Medicine is boring ," Jungkook grumbled resentfully. "And I don't want to waste my youth in boredom."

" You want to be a rebel? Then be a rebel with a cause. And you will understand the meaning behind my words soon. Maybe not now. But someday we could get a bright child like you standing and holding his degree and being a rebel with a cause."

Jungkook screwed up his face as Mr. Kim hauled him over to the white van.

Instead of opening the sliding back
door, he unlocked the passenger door
and barked, "Get in."

Jungkook clambered up into the front seat and stubbornly folded his arms across his chest.

Mr. Kim climbed behind the wheel and slammed the door. "Put your seatbelt on."

Jungkook grudgingly obeyed.

When Mr. Kim started the engine, a
a bouncy bachata song poured out of the speakers. Bachata was his favourite kind of music because it reminded him of his first love.

Jungkook couldn't understand all
of the words, but he liked the rhythm.

Mr. Kim said it was because he had a
Latin love.

Mr. Kim lowered the volume and glanced at Logan. "We have to swing by the house so you can clean yourself up and grab your gear. I called Mr Jeon Jungvoon to let him know we're on our way. He isn't too happy about you being late and not too serious about the mocks, but he's willing to let it slide this time."

"Why? Jungkook grumbled. "Cause he feels sorry for me? Cause I am an orphan?"

"No, because you' re a bright student and he agrees with me that you have
potential. Don't make him regret taking a chance on you. Besides he's the biggest pulmonary surgeon in the country. If he has kept his eye on you, you definitely have something. And not to mention, he seems extremely fond of you. Seems might as well adopt you." Mr. Kim pulled away from the curb and merged into the afternoon traffic.

Frowning, Jungkook turned his head to glare out the window. His jaw was
throbbing from Daniel's punch, but
that's not what was bothering him.
What was bothering him was that he
hadn't gotten his prize money. He really needed that cash. He'd been saving up to buy a new stethoscope for a girl who lived at the group home. Her real name was Y/n, but he called her Buttercup. She loved acting like a doctor and was always carrying around a stethoscope that her parents gave her when she was little. He never understood that girl's craziness for becoming a doctor. They had barely spoken, seen each other a couple of times, but when she came to know that Jungkook was preparing for a medical entrance exam, it seemed like she was the most excited about it.

Her nickname had nothing to do with what she wanted to become or her behaviour..it were just those first impression instincts that made him give her that name.

Last month when Jungkook got into a fight with another boy at the group home, Buttercup's stethoscope got broken. It was an accident, but he'd felt pretty guilty about it-especially after he saw her crying in her room that night. He had decided right then and there to buy her another stethoscope. It was the least he could do. Now he just had to find a way to sneak out again to get his money from Shijin.

Mr. Kim stopped at a red light and looked at Jungkook. "Listen, here. I know life has dealt you a crappy hand. You've been through more shit than most adults I know, and you definitely deserve a lucky break. That's why I signed you up for medicine. You might not believe this, but being a doctor could lead you to a better life. If you work hard and prove yourself, you might even make it to the pros one day. Just imagine that, Jungkook."

"I guess." Jungkook stared down at his bruised knuckles, mulling over Mr. Kim's words.

"I don't think I'll be good at it."

"Of course you will," Mr. Kim said with a grin. "You were born for it maybe. Just go with the flow. Everyone's life has motives, Jungkook, and getting into this prestigious profession isn't everyone's cup of tea."

Jungkook wasn't so sure of that. Frowning, he flexed his fingers and curled them into a fist. "The other kids in the school." He trailed off, frowning harder.

"What about the other kids?"

They had moms who would take them to school and bake cookies to raise them. They had dads who would come to their events and cheer for them. Who would Jungkook have?

Nobody, that's who.

Mr. Kim sent him a sideways glance. "I rearranged my schedule so I can take you to school every day and attend all of your functions and major events." His expression softened at the surprised look Jungkook gave him.

"I'm gonna be there for you, my boy. I'm gonna be sitting in front of your school and rooting for you all the way. I promise."

Jungkook felt a lump rise in his throat. He choked it down, not wanting to look like a crybaby.

Mr. Kim bent over and ruffled his black hair. "Damn, boy, you need a haircut. Out here looking like Mowgli from The Jungle Book." He joked.

Jungkook grinned, which made his jaw hurt..Worse.

A few minutes later, they reached the
group home. The plain storey house sat on a quiet street shaded by big leafy trees. It was nothing special, but it was the closest thing he'd had to a home since he was five.

As they pulled up to the house, the front door opened and a man and woman walked out. They were followed by a small girl.

Y/n.

Jungkook leaned forward, staring alertly out the window.

Y/n was walking behind the couple
with her head down. Her dark hair was neatly braided into two pigtails and she was wearing a frilly pink dress. Jungkook had never seen her in a dress before. He didn't even know she had one.

Mr. Kim pulled into the driveway. Jungkook barely waited for the van to come to a stop before he jumped out and called,

"Buttercup!"

She turned her head in his direction.

They stared at each other across the
large yard.

When Y/n stuck her tongue out at
him, Jungkook grinned. Maybe she wasn't mad at him anymore for breaking her stethoscope.

The man and woman led her to a
shiny black car parked in front of the
house.

As the man put her bag inside the trunk, Mr. Kim came around the van and stood beside Jungkook.

"Where's she going?" Jungkook asked a little anxiously.

Mr. Kim smiled. "She's been adopted,
son. Her new parents must have gotten special permission to pick her up from here."

"So they're taking her home?"

"Yes, they're taking her home."

Jungkook's throat felt strangely tight as he watched Buttercup climb into the black car. Before the door could be shut, she suddenly darted out of the backseat and raced across the yard, her puffy pigtail bouncing as she ran straight towards Jungkook.

His eyes widened when she reached him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him hard.

After a shocked moment, he slowly
lifted his arms and hugged her back. As he did, the weird tightness in his throat got even worse.

He didn't like to be touched. He should be pushing her away. But he didn't want to.

Not even a little bit.

He was almost disappointed when she stepped back, wrinkling her nose at his sweatshirt. "You got blood on you, she said in her scratchy little voice.

"I know," Jungkook grunted. "I was
fighting."

She rolled her eyes in disgust. She was just a few years younger than him. But she was really small for her age, the top of her head not even reaching his shoulder.

He smiled a little, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets. "So...you're leaving?"

She nodded.

Jungkook glanced across the yard at the man and woman. They were watching him and her with soft smiles. They were attractive and their clothes looked neat and clean, though not expensive.

"Are they nice?" Jungkook asked.

"Very nice," Y/n asserted.

"That's good," Jungkook said gruffly. "I wouldn't want 'em to be mean to you or anything."

"Me neither."

"They got any other kids?"

Y/n nodded her head.

"I have a big brother and a younger sister."

"So you will have to share a room with them. Share all your secrets and play." Jungkook smiled. "You're lucky."

"I know." She hesitated like she
wanted to say more but couldn't find
the right words. He felt the same way.

Finally she mumbled, "Well..bye, Hothead."

He swallowed hard at the nickname.
"See ya, Buttercup. "

She turned to Mr. Kim and stuck her hand out.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Y/n." He smiled warmly
as he shook her hand. "If you're ever in the neighbourhood, stop by and say
hello."

She nodded and smiled shyly, then
looked at Jungkook one more time before turning and walking away.

Jungkook had the strongest urge to run after her. Which was stupid. He didn't even like her all that much. She was just a silly little girl.

So why did he feel sad about her
leaving?

He watched her climb into the backseat of the black car. She immediately turned around and looked out the rear window, staring at Jungkook.

He stared back.

After the longest moment, she lifted her hand in a small wave.

Jungkook swallowed again and waved back.

Then he stood watching as the car
pulled away from the curb and drove off down the street, taking his buttercup out of his life.

Mr. Kim clapped him gently on the
shoulder. "You know, a lot of girls go
crazy over hot surgeons."

Jungkook looked up at him. "They do?"

"Oh, yeah. Most definitely." He gave
Jungkook a conspiratorial smile. "Become a big surgeon and maybe Y/n and you will find each other again someday."

_______

As promised the prologue is here. I hope u all liked it .

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