CRIMSON LIES (TAEKOOK)

11. (HYUNGIE)

..
"Bogum hyunggggieeee!" Taehyung screamed as he opened the door, his voice bubbling with both excitement and panic.

"Why did you take so long to open the door, Taehyung?" Bogum asked, his mischievous grin widening. Taehyung forced a smile, trying his best to mask the panic creeping up his spine.

"Just... had to clean up a bit," Taehyung lied, hoping Bogum wouldn't pick up on anything unusual.

Bogum wasn't convinced. "Mind if I come in? It's boiling outside."

Taehyung's eyes widened slightly. "Uh, sure, come in," he said, trying to act casual.

As Bogum stepped inside, Taehyung hurriedly led him to the living room, praying that he wouldn't ask too many questions. "Can I get you something to drink? Water? Juice?" Taehyung offered, hoping to keep his cousin distracted.

"Nah, I'm good," Bogum replied, looking around curiously. "Actually, I need your bathroom. I need to freshen up a bit."

Taehyung's stomach dropped. "It's, um, down the hall, second door on the left," he stammered, his mind racing.

Bogum paused and gave him a strange look. "Down the hall? Tae, baby, your bathroom is up the stairs."

"Yes," Taehyung nodded nervously, hoping that his cousin wouldn't think too much of it.

Bogum just nodded and headed towards the hall. Taehyung's heart pounded as he frantically tried to think of a way to keep Jungkook hidden. But before he could come up with a plan, Bogum turned back.

"Hey, who's in the bedroom? I saw someone under a blanket when I passed by," he asked, his voice curious.

"Oh, that's just Jimin," Taehyung blurted out, his brain working faster than his mouth. "He wasn't feeling well, so he's resting."

Bogum raised an eyebrow. "Jimin, huh? Let me say hi."

Taehyung's heart stopped. "No, uh, he's really tired... maybe later?" Taehyung's voice trembled as he scrambled to keep Bogum away from the bedroom.

But Bogum wasn't having it. "Come on, I'll just check on him."

As Bogum made his way toward the bedroom, Taehyung followed closely, hoping that Jungkook was prepared. Bogum opened the door and peeked inside.

"Jimin, you okay in there?" Bogum called, his voice carrying through the room.

Jungkook, hidden under the blanket, did his best impression of Jimin's voice. "*Cough cough* Yeah, just feeling a bit under the weather. Thanks for checking."

Bogum seemed satisfied. "Alright, get well soon, buddy," he said, closing the door. Taehyung let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Let's catch up in the living room," Taehyung suggested quickly, guiding Bogum away from the bedroom. They settled on the couch, and Taehyung did his best to keep the conversation light and casual, constantly glancing nervously toward the bedroom door.

Half an hour passed, and Bogum still showed no signs of leaving. Taehyung excused himself to check on Jungkook, who had surely been suffering in the heat. He opened the door with a crack and whispered, "Kookie, you okay?"

Jungkook's face was flushed, and he had discarded the blanket, now fanning himself with a magazine. "I'm dying here, Tae. How much longer?"

"I don't know," Taehyung replied, feeling guilty. "Just hang in there a little bit more."

"By the way, who was that?" Jungkook asked, raising an eyebrow.

Taehyung, still a bit panicked, replied, "He's my favorite person... Bogumie hyungie."