Royally Yours (Jikook AU📱📲)

30 - The meeting

The Night Before

The palace clock had long struck midnight, but Jungkook lay wide awake, staring at the faint reflection of moonlight on his ceiling. His phone buzzed quietly beside him — one soft vibration, then another. His heart leapt before his mind even caught up.

Jimin.

He fumbled for the device, nearly dropping it in his haste. His fingers hovered over the screen for a heartbeat before he swiped it open.

> Jimin [11:58 PM]: Are you awake?
JK [11:58 PM]: Yeah. Couldn’t sleep. You?
Jimin [11:59 PM]: Same.

A pause. The typing bubble blinked, disappeared, then returned.

> Jimin [12:01 AM]: You said you work near the palace, right?

Jungkook’s pulse quickened. He had to remind himself to keep his responses measured — nothing too revealing.

> JK [12:01 AM]: Yeah. I do some… errands for the palace. Nothing big.

> Jimin [12:02 AM]: So you must know what really goes on there.

Jungkook hesitated. The message looked simple, but there was an undertone — something probing. Still, the sound of Jimin’s words echoing in his head softened his guard.

> JK [12:03 AM]: Not much I can say, honestly. Just regular work.

> Jimin [12:04 AM]: Hm. You’re interesting, you know that? I don’t think I’ve met someone like you before.

Jungkook’s lips twitched into a smile.

Someone like you.

No one had ever said that to him without knowing who he really was. He rolled over, clutching his pillow like an idiot.

> JK [12:05 AM]: That’s good, right?
Jimin [12:06 AM]: Depends.

A small chuckle escaped Jungkook’s throat. He could almost hear Jimin’s teasing tone, see that smirk.

> JK [12:06 AM]: You’re impossible sometimes.
Jimin [12:07 AM]: Only sometimes?

The conversation flowed easily — laughter, teasing, bits of daily stories. Jungkook talked about the chaos of the city markets, the noise, the smell of roasted bread in the mornings. Jimin told him about rehearsals, how his feet hurt but he still danced anyway, how people misjudged him for being too proud.

In those quiet hours, the world outside seemed to vanish. Jungkook’s heart beat faster than he liked. He had spoken to countless nobles, politicians, even foreign dignitaries — yet no one had made him stutter, blush, or wait for the next message like this.

And then, Jimin shifted the tone.

> Jimin [12:34 AM]: You’ve been promising to show me something real. Not just messages.
JK [12:34 AM]: Real?
Jimin [12:35 AM]: Yeah. Real you. Not text. Not this mystery version you keep hiding behind.

Jungkook sat up in bed, his chest tightening.
He had always dreamed of meeting Jimin in person, but hearing him ask for it—

> JK [12:36 AM]: You want to meet… in person?

The typing bubble appeared again, slower this time.

> Jimin [12:37 AM]: At the commoners’ market. Tomorrow morning. 10 a.m. Don’t bring anyone.

Jungkook froze.

The commoners’ market? Of all places, the crown prince was absolutely forbidden to appear there. Yet his pulse was pounding with something between panic and exhilaration.