The moment my feet leaves the surface of the tree and I go airborne, I scrunch my eyes close as tightly as possible.

I trust him. I trust Jungkook.

I believe he'll catch me.

And he does.

His arm wraps around my waist while I'm in free fall, pulling my body towards his own. The wind whooshes out of me as I slam into his well-muscled chest, and instantly I wrap my thin arms around his upper body like it's my lifeline.

Well, it is.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" He mutters next to my ear. I almost don't hear the soft whisper because of the rapid pounding inside my chest. Arms still tightly latched onto his body, I nod against his shirt.

"Yeah."

"Hold onto that arrow— you don't want to lose it again." As he speaks, he adjusts my body against his so that he's basically giving me a piggyback lift. "Think of it as a ride— enjoy it, because I'm only doing this once."

I shoot a glare at him as his muscles ripple against my arms. "How do you expect me to enjoy it when this ride is seventy feet up in the air?"

He only shrugs in answer as he starts climbing down from the tree with my hands locked around his neck. "If you'd mind, can you stop choking me? You haven't let me breathe for a full minute."

"Oh— Oh! I'm sorry!" When I hurriedly loosen my hold, he chuckles deeply under his breath.

"This idiot."

Even though I know fully well that it was meant to be scornful and mocking, I can't help but blush as my tension melts against his tall figure.

The gusts that had been so terrifying up there had lowered down to a soft, sleep-inducing breeze, tickling my skin and ruffling my hair. It's so peaceful that my body relaxes into his, and I lean my head on his broad shoulders sleepily.

"Don't tell me you're sleeping right now, slave. Because that would be really stupid on your part." His voice snaps me out of my trancelike state, and I quickly retort back.

"I wouldn't be able to tell you I'm sleeping if I'm asleep, you idiot."

His lips slightly upturned, he lets me down onto the ground, which I'm tempted to kiss and cry out Hallelujah. I'd never thought I'd make it down here safely— I would've been still stuck in that hellish nightmare up there without Jungkook.

"Thank you. Really." I say gratefully. Now, the arrow that I'd cared so much about before wasn't really my priority anymore. Then I realize the silver tip is smeared with something red and still wet.

Blood.

Why is there blood on my arrow?

"So if you're okay, I have to go." Jungkook casually says, and turns his back on me. But I notice that he turns too fast, something that's out of ordinary from his usual unhurried walk.

"Just a second, Master." I grab his wrist and twist his body back around so his face is parallel with mine. "I think you're hiding something from me."

Something unnatural crosses his face before it retreats back into that frustratingly composed facade of his.

Pain.

Then I see the red slowly seeping out of his inner forearm, coloring the dark material around it darker with blood.

"Oh my Lord," I breathe out as I tug his sleeve upwards to reveal a slash wound. It's obvious what caused it—the sharp point of my arrow must have cut him when I jumped with the shaft in my hand. The graze looks like it's not deep, but it was definitely not shallow, either.

"You're hurt."

Jungkook snatches his wrist back, covering the bloody forearm with his sleeve again. "It's just a scratch. It's not a big deal—"

"It's a scratch that's bleeding. I don't think that counts as a scratch, Jungkook. Let's go."

"Go where?" His voice is starting to take on a note of anger— but I say what I want to say. What I need to say.

"The infirmary, of course. Where else?"

His expression goes tight when I mention the infirmary. "I said I'm fine, Lyr. It's nothing serious. Besides, I have better things to do than to sit in a bed and do nothing."

The flow of blood still hasn't stopped, and I glance at it briefly, eyes creased from worry.

"No. Look at how much it's bleeding, Jungkook. It doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon."

His fist clenches into fists.

"Back. Off."

"No."

It's like somewhere in the distance, there's a sound of something shattering. It all happens in a second— the contact of his palm against my cheek, and the rush of pain as my body collides against the ground.

I sit there stunned, tears stinging my eyes as he narrows his eyes dangerously at my pitiful form.

He hit me.

"Jimin hyung was right. I should've disciplined you a long time ago. It's about time I stop treating you like a friend— when did I ever give you permission to address me as my name? You're too stubborn for your own good, and you're too stupid to know it."

Every word that comes out of his mouth stabs through my heart like shards of glass. It hurts more than the sharp pain in my cheek, more than the cold that encases my entire body.

Now I wish I was left to die on the top of that damned tree.

It would've been better that way.

"I was just worried..." Tears escape through the corners of my red eyes, and I quickly bite my tongue to keep more from coming out. I will not cry like a baby in front of him. I will not.

"Then stop. Stop worrying. I never asked you to do anything like that."

Then he spins on his heel and walks away, leaving me on the ground with only myself to place comfort in.

And only then I let the tears fall, fast and heavy, knowing that nobody except for me would see them.