"This— is a serious matter," The principal mutters as he watches the recording for the fifth time. But something makes me think that he's talking about having to expell Lee Mira, not the overall situation itself.

"So what will you do?"

Finally, he calls Lee Mira to the office, his face ashen. Now I'm thankful that I hadn't told V about this, because I didn't want her to lay eyes on him ever again.

Besides, he still needed to recover from his fever without any distractions.

"Is this why Professor Kim is absent today?" The principal says, and my words are careful and measured as I answer.

"Partly— I don't think he wanted to see her, and Professor Park informed me he also had a high fever."

Then the door swings open, and Lee Mira comes stomping in. Her face goes flushed with rage as soon as she sees me, and I can't help but send her a smug smile.

"I told you, principal! That's not me! Can't you see how my voice is slightly different—"

"It sounds exactly the same, Miss Lee." The principal says sternly, and I can't help but want to give the old man a high-five. And then she throws out her last bet.

"But Chou Tzuyu is forcing her professor to sleep with her, too! She's also—"

"First of all, there is zero evidence to prove that fact," The principal says, and I want to release a sigh of relief. I'd been worried what his reaction might be if she told him.

"And second of all, both she and Professor Kim are over eighteen, while you are still yet to pass that mark. And several other professors have already reported to me that you have attempted to bribe them to sleep with you. Before I didn't believe that, but now I have full reason to. This could land you in juvenile hall, Miss Lee. You should be thankful I'm not taking that measure."

Watching her face go ashen might be the most satisfying thing that I'd ever seen in my life. And although I probably shouldn't be trying to hold back a smile in this situation, I am trying to hold back a smile.

"Please leave this school in two days, Miss Lee."

___________________________

"Jungkook? Is that you?"

The tall figure turns back, and Jungkook's doe eyes find mine as he waves a hand in greeting. He must've been returning from the school as well- but why was he going inside a convenience store?

"Jimin hyung called me and told me to pick up some medicine for hyung." He tells me before a sheepish smile blooms on his lips.

"And I'm sorry I made you run two miles. You looked like you were going to faint."

"It's okay," I tell him as I wince, my hand instinctively going to massage my sore legs. "Everyone had to do it, after all. I'm just really out of shape."

"I can give you some pain relief patches later," He notes, swinging the bag of medicine in his right hand. "It'll help, I promise."

I'm nodding my head in gratitude when my vision suddenly spins, twisting the surroundings in front of me into a million different pieces.

Oh no.

No, no, no.

What had I eaten today?

I'd skipped breakfast, because I was running late and V was still asleep. I'd skipped lunch, because I'd had a stomachache and had lost all my appetite.

Stupid Tzuyu- you should've forced down at least some soup, at least. Did you really think that your disorder was gone?

"Tzuyu? What's wrong?"

Jungkook's voice sounds distant, and I force my lips into a fake smile. Our apartment was close from here- if only I could make it to there, I could faint in my own house.

"I'm fine," I say, blinking rapidly to focus my sight. "Uh, do you mind if we go a bit faster—"

Then a shocked gasp passes through my lips as my legs wobble, and I want to cry in humiliation as Jungkook picks me up like a sack of potatoes.

"I-I promise I'm fine," I stutter, wanting to slap myself when I do. "I think it's going to—"

"Tzuyu?" Jungkook asks as he breaks into a fast run, his words muffled because of the medicine bag clutched between his teeth.

"Y-Yeah?"

"I don't need to be Jimin hyung to know that you're going to faint." He says, and my lips instantly press together as I swallow back more of my empty excuses.

But I can't help but let the relief show in my face as my body shuts down, and everything goes darker than night.

________________________

V's POV

I catch flickers of conversation through the fever clouding my mind, and I slowly fight my way out of the waves of sleep pulling me down as I listen even further.

"It's been sixteen hours already..."

"Tzuyu....vasovagal...."

I don't need to be a genius to know that she'd had another attack, and the urgency is enough for me to break the surface.

She was in trouble, and I wasn't there for her.

The familiar blank Jimin's ceiling slowly comes to view, and I blink heavily as I force myself up into sitting position. I can hear more pieces of conversation through the open door, nothing that I want to hear.

"I don't understand— the medicine should've woken her up already. An attack shouldn't last this long in the first place."

It's because she is special. She needs to find her own way out.

Regardless, my pace is quick as I walk out of Jimin's room and into Jungkook's. Something breaks in my heart as I see her small figure under covers, eyes closed and face pale.

Guilt tears at me. I should've been there forcing her to eat, gently reminding her that if she didn't, this would happen. I should've been there, and instead I'd been acting weak with a pathetic fever.

I could've done so much better.

"V, you're not supposed to be up." Jimin's voice sounds exhausted— and when I look at the clock, I realize it's past six in the morning.

My expression freezes.

"I'm fine," I say stiffly as I look at Jungkook, who's trying to conceal the weariness in his eyes with a bright smile.

"Jimin, I'll take her back to our apartment," I say, ignoring the growing pounding in my head. "I can care for her there—"

"With a temperature of one hundred five?" He shoots back, already shaking his head in denial. "That's enough to land you in the hospital, V. And how are you even standing right now?"

"Tell me what happened to her."

"She collapsed on the way back from school," Jungkook says, his brows furrowed from worry. "If Jimin hyung hadn't sent me to get medicine, I don't even want to think about what would've happened next."

She would've collapsed in the middle of the street.

And what happened last time could've happened again.

Even thinking about the memory sends pain slicing through my head, and my lips twist into a tight wince.

"Her disorder is psychological— trauma-based," I explain, and I feel Jimin's gaze deepen another level in worry when I say trauma.

"Mine was a mix of genetic and biological, so hers will be more harder to heal. She needs to wake up by herself— and there's no medicine you can give to help her."

"But it's been sixteen hours already!" Jungkook sighs, clearly agitated. The frustration and exhaustion finally shows through, in shadows and pieces.

"You— go to sleep."

Jimin and I both echo, and Jungkook hesitates a moment before finally giving in. I wonder how drained he was to have gone out without a fight— he'd usually give hell than let his exhaustion show.

"Jimin, get some sleep. I'll stay here until she wakes up."

Then his face suddenly melts in relief as he looks over my shoulder, a dim smile slitting his crescent eyes.

"Why are you guys all awake at six in the morning?"

__________________________

I'd appreciate it if you take a quick second to check out my new Jimin ff! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

*Title is now "My Sleeping Partner."