/My Secret Crush / Jikook~

54

The restaurant was conveniently located near Seo-joon's apartment. The three of them got out of the car and walked towards the restaurant. Jimin felt a bit embarrassed about displaying affection in front of Taehyung, but it had been days since he'd seen Jungkook, and he couldn't bear to let go of his hand. So, he simply pretended Taehyung didn't exist. Taehyung, however, didn't seem to mind their intimate behavior and kept his head down, engrossed in his phone.

After a while, Taehyung looked up and noticed their hands still clasped together. He raised an eyebrow, recalling a memory, and asked Jungkook, "Hey, do you remember when we moved into the dorms in our third year? That time jimi-"

Jimin's eyes widened in panic, and he quickly let go of Jungkook's hand, slapping Taehyung's arm in the process. "Hyung, shut up!" he exclaimed, his face red with annoyance.

Taehyung looked puzzled. "Why are you so worked up?"

Jimin glared at him. "You can talk about anything, but don't drag me into it."

Jungkook, unaware of the underlying tension, chuckled at their exchange. "Why are you guys fighting again?"

Taehyung glanced at Jimin but remained silent. "It's nothing."

Seo-joon arrived first and secured a table for the group. Joining them were several other men who were Jungkook and Taehyung's university classmates. Jimin had met them before but couldn't recall their names. He took a seat between Taehyung and Jungkook.

One of the men noticed Jimin and asked Taehyung, "Is this your little brother?"

Taehyung nodded, and the man continued, "I met him at school before. He was so little back then now he's all grown man."

The man waved at Jimin and greeted him, "Hi, Jimin."

Jimin nodded in response, and the other mens followed suit. Jimin hesitated, worried that Jungkook might feel embarrassed, and discreetly removed his hand from Jungkook's grasp under the table. However, Jungkook promptly took his hand again.

Jungkook smiled and said, "Everyone, I know you all know Jimin as Taehyung's little brother, but I want to introduce him as someone special to me too...."

As Jungkook spoke, Jimin's hand, clasped in Jungkook's, grew sweaty. Jungkook's eyes locked onto Jimin's, and he tightened his grip, pulling Jimin's hand out from under the table. "Meet my boyfriend, Jimin," Jungkook announced, his voice confident and proud.

The room fell silent, with all eyes on them. Gasps and whispers circulated, but Jimin's gaze remained fixed on Jungkook. A flutter in his chest ensued as Jungkook gently pressed his lips to the back of Jimin's hand, then held it again.

Seo-joon chimed in, "Taehyung's little brother is also Jungkook's... boyfriend." The group erupted into a chorus of congratulations and teasing. "Jungkook, you're amazing! We remember this boy; he came to our graduation, right? We even took a photo together! Didn't you say he was like a little brother back then?"

Jungkook chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I don't recall that." Jimin remained quiet, as Jungkook gazed at him with affection. "The past doesn't matter. What matters is that Jimin is mine now my boyfriend, my everything and that's all that counts."

Jimin's heart skipped a beat as he absorbed Jungkook's words, his chest swelling with emotion. He felt his face grow hot. Unable to meet Jungkook's gaze anymore, he looked away, sipping his water to mask his flustered expression. The cool liquid trickled down his throat, but his heart remained ablaze, ignited by Jungkook's declaration.

Although he didn't know most of the people there, he didn't feel awkward. He continued eating his chicken, observing the others in silence. To him, they seemed to be living in a different world, one where drinking was a normal part of socializing. Even Taehyung, who had driven there, couldn't escape the drinking culture. However, Jungkook stood out by refusing to drink.