/My Secret Crush / Jikook~

41

Jungkook, with a hint of holding back laughter, softly coughs.

Jimin, in a slightly tense tone, adds, "You should hang up now."

Taehyung interjects, "Wait, Jungkook, you're older than me, right?"

Jungkook responds flatly, "Why?"

Taehyung questions further, "Jimin's boyfriend is older than me."

Jungkook states matter-of-factly, "He seems to be the same age as me."

A moment of silence follows.

Taehyung, now appearing upset, exclaims, "Don't tell me..."

Jimin, feeling anxious and unable to confess, quickly interrupts, "No, of course NOT. Hyung, what are you thinking!"

Taehyung, in a cold tone, presses on, "What did I say, why are you saying no?"

Struggling to contain his emotions, Jimin responds unhappily, "How could anyone know what you're about to say?"

Taehyung, now inquiring further, asks, "You guys are having dinner together?"

Jimin, with a confident air, asserts, "Yes, today is Jungkook Hyung's birthday. I came to find him for dinner. I'm not like you. How could you forget his birthday? You even have the nerve to claim that my gift for him is from you."

Jungkook remains silent, observing the exchange between the brothers.

Taehyung taunts, "Adult men don't celebrate birthdays, it's too unreasonable."

A heavy silence lingers in the car.

Taehyung eventually concedes, "Okay, you guys go have dinner, just remember not to return to the dorm too late. Bye."

The atmosphere in the car becomes uncomfortably quiet.

Jimin, feeling the awkwardness, tries to maintain composure by casually playing with his phone, pretending to be calm amidst the tension. The soft glow of the screen illuminates his face, masking the unease that lingers in the air.

After a brief interlude, Jungkook casually probes, "A boyfriend?"

Jimin straightens up, adopting a serious tone as he clarifies, "My brother and I discussed the possibility of me dating. I never mentioned that I was already in a relationship."

A light chuckle escapes Jungkook as he teases, "And A Graduate student?"

A moment of silence fills the space between them.

Jungkook, now focused on practical matters, inquires, "Do I have enough time to go and take the test now?"

Jimin, feeling the weight of embarrassment, continues his act of playing possum.

Jungkook, with a touch of mischief, suggests, "If I don't, what should I tell your hyung in the future? Tell him that you're with me instead of the graduate student, okay?"

Jimin, caught off guard, retorts, "How could I be with you?"

Jungkook, amused by the banter, laughs, "You're already playing your cards with your hyung; why not own up to it?"

Jimin, trying to deflect, questions, "Can't I like a graduate student?"

Jungkook, raising an eyebrow, quips, "I only have an undergraduate degree."

His words carry a weight of implication, each sentence subtly hinting at that only he could be the one Jimin refers to.

Jimin, struck by a sense of unfortunate realization, questions, "Have you known all along?"