• Selfish Prince • || KookMin

23. Simple deal

"Jin is behaving strangely."

"He's looking for any contract, any excuse so he can have the freedom he doesn't have now," Yoonji fuming. Jungkook snorts, crossing his arm and looking out the window. Jin is lying under an apple tree in the garden. "I don't doubt that Jimin is his best shot."

"Why?"

"Because he's unusually like you" Jungkook turns to his cousin. Yoonji reaches out her hand and caresses Jungkook's cheek. "The only difference, is that he doesn't pursue beauty... His way of looking at it, it's flexible, it's changeable."

"Nonsense. There is only one beauty."

"Then what does he crave the most? And could condemn him."

Jungkook furrows his brow. That's easy.

~ * * * ~

"You're going?"

Jimin clenches the scroll in his hands. Uneasy and hesitant. The letter is short and very simple. His parents ask him to return, that apparently the Jeon-Beaumont heir is believed to be dead, that it's time to initiate the plan they have. Jin approaches Jimin.

"What will you do over there, what's the big plan?"

"I...will...get married and...we'll be bigger than the Jeon-Beaumont. M-maybe I can get the emperor's attention, be his empress and...have...have..."

He falls silent. It's a very long plan and even involves having to be with a woman. Something he doesn't see possible in any way. He couldn't fulfill a marriage. He doesn't like them that way and he's not going to be able to respond. That would lead to his death before they could achieve the main goal of seducing the emperor and-

"No one would force you to do anything, if they loved you" Jin whispers approaching Jimin and leaning on his back. "Because if they did, they would make your wishes come true... That's what love is: the greatest and most destructive power of all."

Jimin purses his lips and shrinks into himself What am I supposed to do?

"Because who loves, obeys even the slightest whim to make others happy" muses Jin speaking into his ear. "Can you imagine? Having them do whatever you want... Without forcing you into anything you don't want" It's just like having a snake crawling on his shoulders, looking to seduce him and tempt him into something dangerous that he shouldn't even consider. "Wouldn't you like that?"

Even though there is no answer, Jin laughs lightly. He knows the answer is an internal, desperate yes. Jimin takes the paper in his hands which Jin delicately slides.

"I can do it for you... Jungkook would be crazy in love with you. Even more than now," Jin assures and Jimin takes pains to read the seemingly harmless document. "Anyone who looks at you, will be in love with you; anyone who talks about you, will be to say how much he loves you and how perfect you are... You will be more than the emperor himself, whom you will make your servant of so much love he will have for you."

"A love capable of exceeding the sense of individuality and leads to the most absurd madness to fulfill the desires that arise."

There is something...

Wrong.

There is something wrong with that sentence.

He fails to identify what.

"I don't... I don't know- Jungkook is- And H-Hosook can't be under the sun."

Jin tilts his head, he thought Jimin would be dumber and not think about the problems others have at the cost of fulfilling his whims.

"What kind of problem could there be with everyone loving you?" he says eloquently and pulling away a little. "It's safer. It's simpler. The Beaumonts are greedy by experience. They asked for too much."

"This is too much too." retorts Jimin and Jin shakes his head and hands.

"Of course it isn't. It's something you've had since childhood Isn't it?" says Jin smiling. "The beauty, that everyone looks up to you. You are a child of creation" takes him by the shoulders. "You're a child born to be admired and loved, I'll just give that certainty a little rush."

Jimin looks at the deal again. There's nowhere to sign, but the edge is so sharp he's afraid he'll cut his fingers. He notices Jin's startle as soon as the door opens. The document disappears, as if it was never there.

"So here they are," says Jungkook, who advances to Jimin. "What were you two talking about?" he asks with a biting smile. Jin leans on Jimin's shoulder.

"His parents sent you a letter and I just delivered it to him. That's all. I wanted to be a good host." replies Jin instantly and to Jimin's surprise, there is no trace of a lie or suspicion in his voice.

It makes him fear how sincere Jin can be. He acts so well. So natural.

"Oh yeah?" Jungkook tilts his head and notices the scroll on the table. "Junk mail... I thought nothing from the empire could get here. What shoddy security."

"What can I tell you, there's always-"

Jungkook grabs Jin by the face and pulls him away from Jimin; Jin tries to break free, but to no avail. Jungkook presses his arm, his hand grows and a single movement, the man's head explodes. Jimin gives a shriek of surprise. He can't get used to that. It just overtakes him.

"Get... away from him." Jungkook warns. His eyes bright and lunatic along with an undaunted, blank gesture.

Jin, who appears in the corner of the room from the shadows of the room, just leaves in a hurry. Jungkook grabs Jimin by the arm, causing him to startle and look at him.

"Whatever he told you-"

"He's a cheater, isn't he? It's like having a snake on my shoulder."

Jungkook smiles sweetly and caresses his cheek. Jimin leans back from him and exhales lightly. He is glad that Jimin could realize it himself.

~ * * * ~

"Afraid of getting old? You're barely twenty-three." says Namjoon, belittling the matter and Taehyung gives a grumble.

"Hosook is going to stay the same forever. At least that's what I can make out from everything that's going on here," Taehyung comments and swings his legs. "And I'm going to grow old. I won't be able to play with it."

"Wait until you're fifty or forty to get anxious about that," Namjoon scoffs. "Still, I don't think it's a problem for her to prance around if that's what it takes." he adds scathingly, and Taehyung looks at him wrong.

"I don't mean the bed, I mean that..." Taehyung gives a frustrated groan. Namjoon furrows his eyebrows, worried about what he really means. Of course he understands, he just wants to evade this topic of conversation. "It won't be the same. I will change in everything. My body, my thinking, my ability... It's starting to scare me to change."

"It's... passing," Namjoon assures. "When you were fifteen you thought the same thing."

"At that time, it was something I could put behind me," replies Taehyung, grumbling and insistent. "It was parents who died and I don't remember, belonging to a two-person family while everyone else had their parents. Here...may be the person to share my life with. It worries me." he concludes, leaning his chin on his arm and leaning all the way against the railing.

Namjoon averts his gaze. He doesn't know what to say at this point.

"It feels similar to that... My parents vanished. Hosook might vanish and I don't want it to happen." muses Taehyung.

"Even if it does, you know you can count on me."

Taehyung exhales and Namjoon pats him on the back. That he compares the matter to his parents is deeply comical. Considering that he keeps entering the familiar zone and at the same time, no.

"She won't abandon you."

"Maybe she will. When I stops being beautiful, maybe she'll leave."

"Do you care that much?"

"Yes."

Namjoon picks up his hand and bites his cheeks.