Jungkook liked to watch his brother run. His hyung's legs were like tree trunks, the ground moving for him. Jungkook had watched his brother every night after school when he would lift weights in the backyard. For the first couple years, he told Jungkook that he was too young, but after Jungkook's recent birthday, he'd allowed his younger brother to participate.

Jungkook, too, had started to develop muscle in his arms and his legs. At first, it made his lanky figure look awkward, as if an anchor were tied to his form. But, the boy began to grow and his body rivaled his older brother's. 

"I'm going to beat you," Jungkook said. 

His brother ruffled his hair. "Aw Kookie, this is your first race. Don't expect too much." 

Jungkook puffed up his chest. His brother had won the annual Piper Day race every year since his brother turned thirteen. Jungkook--while he was sixteen--had never raced, knowing his brother would win, but this time, he truly believed he may dethrone his hyung. 

"I've been practicing, hyung." 

vVv

"Hyung," six-year-old Jungkook said. His brother--a boy of ten--turned to look at Jungkook. The younger brother's face was streaming in tears and his hands clamped over his cheeks. 

"What's wrong, Kookie?" the older boy asked, ruffling Jungkook's hair. 

"The older boys made fun of me," he said, pointing over to a group of boys around his brother's age. "They said I'm not strong." 

The older brother's fists clenched. He placed a hand on Jungkook's shoulder, feeling the boy immediately relax beneath his touch.

"Go on and play," he said. "I'll take care of them. 

Jungkook nodded and ran off towards the playground, his tears seeming to float off his face, nearly as quickly as they'd flooded over. 

vVv

"Do you always rely on your brother to take care of your problems?" one of the older boys asked six years later, slamming Jungkook against the back wall of the schoolhouse. Jungkook was twelve now, the other boy fifteen. While only a year younger than his brother, the older boy was scrawny and much weaker, his body looking as if it could simply flake apart. Yet, Jungkook was unable to get in a punch, the older boy's friends holding down each of Jungkook's limbs.

"You'll never be like him," the boy said, landing a punch square in Jungkook's gut. Bile burned his throat as he attempted not to throw up everything he'd eaten that day. He was doubled over for only a moment before he squirmed and attempted to pull his limbs away from his captors. 

Jungkook knew the only reason they beat him because they couldn't beat your brother. They were jealous of his hard work. Looking at his brother's tall stature and broad shoulders, Jungkook understood why they were too scared to mess with him. Little did they know, Jungkook would one day look his brother too. He would go from the scrawny, shy kid to strong and unmovable like his brother. 

vVv

It was race day. Jungkook's first race day. He stood at the painted white line, his toes wiggling in his shoes. He could practically feel the wind behind him, the dust as he ran. When the shot went off, Jungkook sprinted ahead, the only person he could see in front of him was his own brother. 

The moon was just about to set, the race being the last activity of the before everyone went to bed to discover who the Piper took in the morning. 

Jungkook's feet beat against the ground rhythmically creating a beat he felt in his chest. It felt right, aligning with his heartbeat. 

There was an obstruction in the path up ahead. At first, it appeared to just simply be a boulder in the path, but as Jungkook got closer he saw that it was the hunched form of his brother. His feet still ground into the dirt path, his head were in his knees and his hands wrapped around them. Jungkook had never seen his brother like this, so weak.

"Hyung?"

His brother looked up at him, his eyes red and wide. "It's me."

"What?"

"The Piper," his brother said. "He's going to take me."

Jungkook's eyes widened. "What do you mean? How do you know?" 

"I hear the flute," he said. "It's far away, but I can hear it." 

"No, hyung. It can't be you. You're the strongest person I know." 

His brother looked up at him, his brown eyes a tornado, picking up all the things he did wrong. Knowing Jungkook was getting beat up and not doing anything about it, thinking it would eventually stop if he didn't intervene; abandoning his younger brother to work out in the backyard; only caring about his own strength and no one else's.

"They're catching up, hyung," Jungkook said. "Come on, let's finish together." He reached down and grabbed his older brother's hand. "Can you walk?"

The older boy looked up at his brother, but didn't respond. Before, he could even form words, Jungkook slung his brother over his back in a makeshift piggyback. It looked a bit awkward, with a larger man being carried by a smaller one, but Jungkook didn't shatter under the weight. He ran each footstep slightly heavier than the rest, but never once faltering.

vVv

They crossed the finish line. Jungkook setting his brother down on a small patch of grass next to the path. 

The people cheered, although it was muffled under the padding of suspicion and worry. The crowd clapped, but not in rhythm, each clap being heard in a separate moment.

"He fell and hurt himself," Jungkook said. "But I couldn't imagine finishing the race without my hyung." 

The crowd cheered. They began to disperse, only caring about the winner. It had begun to get boring, the same boy winning every year. At least this time there was a little variety. 

"It's getting louder," the older boy said, covering his ears .

"I won't let him take you," Jungkook said. "I promise. I don't care what I have to do. He won't take you." 

vVv

Jungkook awoke when he felt his brother's body flinch beneath him. He felt the presence immediately. It didn't feel the way his mother did when she stood over his bed at night when she thought he was asleep, stroking the hair off his forehead. The Piper felt warm, but like a fire cackling in the wind. 

"Ah, I've never seen two before," the Piper said, his dark hair curling on his forehead. "Unfortunately, I can only take one of you." 

The Piper looked different than Jungkook had always imagined. The Piper looked strong and handsome, but there was a coldness in his eyes. A snowstorm he could not escape.

"Take me!" Jungkook said, jumping to his feet. "You were supposed to take my hyung, but he is the strongest person I know. There must've been some mistake."

The Piper smirked, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "It shows great strength to want to come with me. But, I can see this isn't just about your brother." The Piper looked the boy once over. "You may not show fear on the outside, but I can see inside of you. You're just a scared little bunny rabbit trying to protect the only thing that didn't make you feel small."

The Piper's lips flicked into a smirk. He took out his flute and began to play, music, unlike anything Jungkook had ever heard began to play. 

"You may not be the one I came for, but you will do just fine." 

vVv

A/N: All righty, Kookie's chapter is done! Let me know what you think of it! I'm very excited to be nearly done with this book (only 3 more chapters)! Also, only one more chapter until the cover reveal of Outro: Revival! 

I also want to thank all of my loyal readers for sticking around. My class schedule and life in general has been busier and more stressful this quarter and so I haven't had as much time/ inspiration to write, but I'm working on changing that! Thank you.

Follow the sound of the flute~

-FarFromSuga