His Obsession ➸ Taekook ✓

- Twelfth -

When Jungkook walked through the door of the artists' dressing room, he was tired. The more time passed, the more he wondered if this office life was for him. It certainly wasn't. This kind of work suited you when you had motivation, when you had a goal, when you were determined. Jungkook had none of that. He just wanted to give up. He just felt so alone and sad. Alone in this world where no one ever really understood him. No one could love him for who he really was, and that was so painful.

The young man let out a long sigh, massaging his shoulder to get rid of his aches and pains, then made his way into the dressing room, zigzagging between the dancers to make his way to the dressing table, where Suzy would surely be. She was the one who dispersed the outfits, so he had to go to her to get his.

But when he got to there, the first thing that caught his eye was the huge bouquet of roses on one of the tables. And by huge, he meant nearly a hundred flowers. The young man was openly impressed. One of the dancers had a secret admirer (or not so secret). What a lucky girl.

He finally caught up with Suzy, who wasn't far away, and gave an amused little smile.

"Who's the lucky girl?" he asked, pointing to the bouquet. "Dayun? Or you?"

But to his surprise, Suzy shook her head. And she too had a small, amused smile on her lips. Although, in Jungkook's eyes, it looked a little devious.

"So who was it for?" he continued. "Come on, tell me, I want to know too!"

"It's for you."

The young man stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in surprise.

"W-What?"

"You heard me right, the bouquet is for you. And there's a note with it. You should go and read it."

Jungkook found her hard to believe. Yes, a lot of people were captivated by his singing, and they all agreed that his performances were incredible, but it stopped there. He was still a man. Nobody was interested in him, and certainly not in that way. No one would have sent him roses.

He turned to the bouquet, looking at it hesitantly. Perhaps it was a joke? Yes, the girls were probably making fun of him. No one would have given him such a beautiful bouquet. Especially not a man. He had to calm down. He shouldn't get his hopes up.

"Go and see who this secret admirer is!" Suzy encouraged him, surely more excited than he was.

The boy swallowed and walked over to the flowers. The bouquet was so huge that it reached his chin. It couldn't have been a joke; a bouquet that size was far too expensive. He scanned it for a moment, noticing that the flowers were of incredible quality, and saw a small card stuck in the middle. And it bore the initials 'J.JK'. He was the only one here with those initials. The bouquet could only have been intended for him.

And the mere idea that it was real made him blush.

He grabbed the card and carefully opened it. He found a few words written in black pen, the handwriting round and harmonious.

"Tonight I'll be there for you again. I'll only be looking at you, my dove."

Jungkook was as red as a poppy, and a small smile had formed on his lips. Even though he no longer expected anything from life, little things like this made his heart beat again. He loved attention. Even if this person was probably referring to the singer's version of Jungkook. This person was certainly not talking to the real Jungkook. But the good thing about anonymity was that you could imagine anything. Just for a few minutes, looking at those roses, he was allowed to imagine a life where the real him was loved by someone. Even if he didn't want to, he secretly still hoped that someone on this planet would be able to love him.

***

When he walked to the stage, Jungkook naturally looked around for the person who might have sent him the bouquet. Even though he knew it was impossible, he secretly hoped he recognised him. But what was he thinking? His admirer would remain a secret, a mirage in this sandy desert. He would remain desperately alone, as it had always been the case.

But then he saw him. He was there, and he knew immediately that it was him. There could be no doubt. And Jungkook couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips. Of all people, he was surely the most logical. The only one who could see inside him, who seemed to know him by heart even though they'd never spoken, just exchanged a few glances and stolen smiles.

Kim Taehyung.

He was sitting at the same table, as if it now belonged to him. And his eyes were still fixed on Jungkook, and he too was smiling. And in his hand was a beautiful red rose, which he raised to his lips. He kissed it gently, never letting his eyes leave Jungkook's surprised gaze.

The singer felt his cheeks heat up, and he suspected that by now he must be as red as a poppy. How could this man be so honest? How did he have the courage to do all these things? And above all... was it the truth? Was he interested in Jungkook, or was he just doing this to make fun of him? He couldn't help doubting. You could say he'd always met the wrong people.

It wasn't until Jungkook left the stage that the two men let go of each other's gaze, and the singer rushed towards the artists' room, which was already completely empty. His gaze automatically fell on the bouquet, his cheeks still burning.

What was he doing? Imagining a life with a man? He was being ridiculous. He knew he wasn't cut out for that, and he'd given up on the idea a long time ago...

Unconsciously, he moved closer to the roses and gently caressed their petals.

"I didn't think you'd like them so much."

Jungkook was startled and turned round, coming face to face with Kim Taehyung. The man stood proudly in front of him, with a small smile on his face. He exuded power and dominance. But while Jungkook tended to dislike this kind of man, Taehyung seemed different. His presence didn't bother him.

"Thanks." Jungkook sighed. "They're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you, dove."

Jungkook looked away, blushing. This wasn't like him at all, behaving like a fifteen-year-old, but the impression he'd had of Taehyung from the back of the room was multiplied now that he was in front of him. He gave the impression even more that he knew everything about Jungkook, and was interested in what he really was. Or rather... he seemed intrigued by Jungkook, and the singer loved that.

"You were really beautiful." Taehyung continued. "I must say... you captivate me. You intrigue me. There are a lot of things I'd like to know."

The gangster moved dangerously close to Jungkook, quickly pinning him against one of the dressing tables. He leaned over, the singer feeling his hot breath on the back of his neck, and whispered in the hollow of his ear:

"Starting with why you killed Lim Juwon."