𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 ❤ (𝙹𝚒𝚔𝚘𝚘𝚔 💜)

10) Shadows Behind a Smile

“If we do this,” Jungkook said slowly, “we set rules. Boundaries.”

Jimin nodded. “Fine. No romantic expectations. No sleeping in the same room. No acting like some perfect couple outside the hospital.”

“And we keep it temporary,” Jungkook added.

“Of course.”

A pause. Then Jimin smiled—just a little.

“But if you make bad coffee again, I’m divorcing you immediately.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes. “You never let things go, do you?”

Jimin smirked. “Not when I win.”

And for the first time… Jungkook almost smiled back.

Almost.

.

.

.

The hospital resting area had never felt this suffocating before.

Jimin lay curled up on the too-firm cot, blanket half-draped over him, eyes wide open, staring at the peeling ceiling tiles above. His mind was spinning — not with one thought, but with a hundred, crashing into each other like waves.

Marriage.

To Jeon freaking Jungkook.

He still couldn't believe those words were now part of his reality. A reality he didn’t sign up for, didn’t want, but had somehow walked straight into with wide open eyes — or maybe with his heart too exposed.

He let out a long, frustrated groan and yanked the pillow over his head.

His phone vibrated.

TaeTae: u alive?

Jimin peeked out from under the pillow, grabbed his phone and sighed.

Jimin: Barely.

Before he could even process what to type next, the screen flashed with an incoming call.

“Finally,” Jimin muttered, answering. “Come on, yell at me and get it over with.”

Taehyung’s voice crackled through the line, already full of energy. “Yell? No, no, no. I want details. Start from the top. What. The hell. Happened?!”

“I left, went to the hospital to beg my uncle for a place to stay, which ended up being this resting area. Then—plot twist—met this sweet grandpa who tried to smoke. I bonded with him.”

“Wait. Wait. Stop. Let me guess. Jungkook’s grandpa?”

“Ding ding ding!” Jimin groaned. “And that man… he liked me so much, he dropped the M-bomb on us.”

Taehyung gasped. “Marriage?!”

“YES. He wants me to marry Jungkook to save the family legacy and give him peace before his surgery. And I… offered.”

Silence. Then—

“You offered? As in, you volunteered to marry Mr. Ice Block?”

“I didn’t do it for him, Tae!” Jimin nearly shouted. “I did it for his grandpa. He looked at me like I mattered, like I could make a difference. You know how that feels?”

Taehyung’s voice softened. “Yeah, Jiminie. I do.”

“I didn’t think Jungkook would ever agree. But now the old man is threatening to not get surgery unless we go through with it.”

Taehyung exhaled through the phone. “And Jungkook?”

“He’s angry. Conflicted. But I think… he might say yes. For his grandfather.”