𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 ❤ (𝙹𝚒𝚔𝚘𝚘𝚔 💜)

26) One Lie Begets Another

The sound of the doorbell broke the quiet hush of the flat.

Jungkook had been reading — something academic, something dry — but the moment the bell rang, he froze.

He wasn’t expecting anyone.

And Jimin wasn’t home.

Slowly, he stood, setting the file aside, and made his way toward the front door. The moment he opened it—

He knew.

There stood a man, older than Jimin by a few years, hair neatly styled, dressed in casual travel clothes, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. But the resemblance was unmistakable — from the set of his mouth to the intensity in his eyes.

Jungkook knew immediately: this was Jimin’s brother.

And he looked just as surprised.

The man blinked once, slowly. “Uh… sorry,” he said, voice polite but cautious. “I think I have the wrong place. I’m looking for—”

“You’re looking for Jimin,” Jungkook said calmly, stepping aside. “You’ve got the right place.”

The man hesitated, brows furrowing. “And you are…?”

“I’m Jungkook,” he replied evenly. “I live here.”

The man’s jaw clenched, just slightly. “You live here?”

Jungkook caught the implication — and he stayed calm.

“Yes.”

There was a tense pause.

Then the brother gave a tight-lipped smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m Jihyun. Jimin’s brother.”

“I know.”

Jihyun took a slow step into the flat, eyes scanning it all — the polished floor, the minimalistic decor, the pair of shoes by the door… Jimin’s sneakers neatly lined next to Jungkook’s. He looked at everything, cataloguing, observing.

“Where is he?” he asked after a beat.

“College. He’ll be back soon.”

Jihyun placed his duffle down near the couch, arms folded. “So you live here. With my brother.”

“Yes.”

Another pause.

“You’re his friend?”

Jungkook didn’t answer immediately. Then he said, “Something like that.”

It wasn’t enough for Jihyun.

He took a step closer, eyes sharper now. “Look, I’ve been out of the country, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know when something’s off. Jimin hasn’t said a word to me in weeks. I come back and suddenly he’s living with someone I don’t know? What the hell happened?”

Jungkook studied him quietly, not hostile — just unreadable. Then, carefully, he said:

“You should let Jimin explain it.”

Jihyun exhaled. “I will. But I want to know what your deal is first.”

Jungkook hesitated for only a second.

And then—

“I’m his fiancé.”

Jihyun's jaw literally dropped.

“What?”

“Engaged,” Jungkook said, nonchalantly, like he’d just told him it might rain later. “To Jimin.”