EXCESSIVE | ᴋᴏᴏᴋᴠ

13

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The sun had just begun to filter through the thin curtains of Jungkook's  apartment, casting a warm glow across the room. Jungkook lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

As he slowly came to full consciousness, Jungkook couldn't help but recall the unusual calmness and kindness in Taehyung's demeanor during their conversation.

'Maybe I was wrong about him,' Jungkook thought, a glimmer of hope igniting within him. 'Perhaps now, I can finally work in peace without looking over my shoulder.'

He rolled out of bed, stretching his limbs, and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. The morning routine felt soothing, almost therapeutic. After showering and dressing up in his work attire, Jungkook made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

As he poured himself a cup of coffee and grabbed a slice of toast, Jungkook casually reached for his phone. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he saw multiple missed calls from Jimin, his best friend.

'Why did Jimin call so many times?' Jungkook wondered. His heart began to race with a mix of curiosity and anxiety.

He decided to call Jimin back immediately. The phone rang twice before Jimin's agitated voice came through.

"Jungkook! Where the hell have you been? I've been trying to reach you all morning!" Jimin's tone was a mix of concern and anger.

"Hey, Jimin. Sorry, I just woke up and saw your calls. What's going on?" Jungkook replied, his voice laced with worry.

"What's going on? You tell me! I saw a video of you last night, drunk at a club, shouting about Taehyung! And then it just vanished from the internet. What the hell happened?" Jimin demanded, his frustration palpable.

Jungkook sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead as he tried to gather his thoughts. "Jimin, it's a long story. I went to a club with Mina last night, and I drank a bit too much. Mr. Kim Taehyung was there, and seeing him brought back a lot of bad memories. I guess I lost control and said some things..."

"Some things? Jungkook, you were practically screaming! And what’s this about mr. Kim , Are you serious?" Jimin's voice was filled with incredulity.

Jungkook took a deep breath. "Yeah, it's true. Mr. Kim admitted that he had overreacted and even apologized for it. It was so surreal, Jimin. I couldn't believe it myself."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Jimin spoke again, his voice lower and more serious. "Jungkook, this doesn’t add up. Mr. Kim apologizing like that? It’s too out of character. Are you sure he’s not playing you?"

"I don’t know, Jimin. He seemed genuine. He said he realized he was wrong and that what happened wasn't that big of a deal," Jungkook said, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

"Jungkook, you need to be careful. Mr. Kim isn't the kind of person to admit fault easily. If he did, there’s something else going on. And why didn't you tell me about all this sooner?" Jimin’s voice grew more intense.

"I'm sorry, Jimin. I just didn't know how to explain everything. It all happened so fast," Jungkook replied, his tone apologetic.

"Look, Jungkook, I’m telling you this as a friend. Watch your back. Mr. Kim might be up to something, and I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire. And next time, don't keep things like this from me," Jimin said, his voice softening slightly.

Jungkook nodded, even though Jimin couldn’t see him. "I understand, Jimin. I’ll be more careful and keep you in the loop from now on. Thanks for looking out for me."

"You better, Jungkook. Take care, and call me if anything else happens," Jimin said before hanging up.

Jungkook sat at the kitchen table, his breakfast forgotten, as he stared at his phone. The reality of the situation began to sink in. 'Maybe Jimin’s right,' he thought. 'Maybe Mr. Kim  sudden change of heart isn’t as innocent as it seems.'

He couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that Jimin’s words had stirred within him. Taehyung’s apology, though sincere on the surface, now felt like part of a larger, more sinister plan. Jungkook’s mind raced with possibilities, each more unsettling than the last.

'What if he is planning something?' he pondered. 'What if this is just the calm before the storm?'

He couldn’t afford to be naive or complacent. The stakes were too high, and he knew he had to stay vigilant. Jungkook made a mental note to be more cautious and observant at work, especially around Taehyung.

Despite the heavy thoughts weighing on his mind, Jungkook forced himself to finish his breakfast. He couldn’t let his personal turmoil affect his professional responsibilities. As he cleaned up and prepared to leave for the office, he tried to focus on the tasks ahead, but Jimin’s warning echoed in his mind.

Walking to the door, Jungkook paused, taking a deep breath. 'I have to stay strong and smart about this,'
he reminded himself.

---

Jungkook stepped out of the elevator, his thoughts still lingering on the conversation he had with Jimin that morning. The unease he felt hadn’t left him, but he had convinced himself that things might finally settle down For now.

The entire floor was abuzz with activity, and not the usual kind. There were decorations being put up—streamers in elegant colors, flower arrangements on tables, and even a red carpet being rolled out. Employees were dressed in their best, chatting excitedly among themselves, their faces lit with anticipation. It looked like the office was preparing for some grand celebration.

Confusion washed over Jungkook. He had never seen the office like this before. It was as if a gala was about to take place, not the start of a regular workday. He weaved through the crowd, trying to make sense of what was happening. Finally, he spotted one of his colleagues, Minjae, who was adjusting a banner near the entrance.

"Minjae," Jungkook called out one of his co-worker, trying to keep his voice steady, "what’s going on here? Why is the office decorated like this?"

Minjae turned to him with a wide grin, clearly excited. "You didn’t hear? Kim Taehyung is officially joining the office as the CEO today. It’s a big deal—he’s bringing all his business operations here. This is going to be the new headquarters for everything he runs."

Jungkook felt the blood drain from his face. "Mr. Kim  is going to run everything from here?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

Minjae nodded, seemingly oblivious to Jungkook’s growing discomfort. "Yeah! This office is about to become the center of his entire empire. All the big decisions, all the major projects—it’s all going to happen right here. Isn’t that exciting?"

Jungkook managed a weak smile, nodding along, though inside, he felt anything but excited. "Yeah… exciting," he mumbled, more to himself than to Minjae.

Minjae, noticing the lack of enthusiasm in Jungkook’s voice, tilted his head curiously. "Are you okay, Jungkook? You don’t seem too thrilled."

Jungkook forced another smile, hoping it didn’t look as fake as it felt. "I’m fine, just… a lot to take in, you know?"

Minjae laughed, clapping Jungkook on the shoulder. "You’ll get used to it. I mean, how often do we get to work directly under someone like Kim Taehyung? It’s going to be intense, but I’m sure we’ll learn a lot."

Jungkook nodded absentmindedly, his thoughts already spiraling. Taehyung was going to be here, every day. He would have to see him, interact with him, work under him—after everything that had happened. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, and the air in the office suddenly felt too thick, too suffocating.

"Yeah… I’m sure we will," Jungkook muttered before quickly excusing himself. He needed to get to his desk, needed a moment to process everything.

As he walked through the office, the decorations and the bustling energy around him felt like a twisted joke. This wasn’t the relief he had hoped for; this was something else entirely. He had been hoping for peace, for some kind of resolution, but now it felt like he was being pulled into an even more complicated web.

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