Falling Embers

Part 10

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, golden hue across the room, Jimin's eyes lingered on the fading light outside the window. The silence between him and Jungkook was thick, almost palpable. Jungkook stood a few steps behind, uncertain yet alert, his gaze drifting from the back of Jimin's head to the empty space around them. He was used to being ignored, but today felt different—he couldn't put his finger on why.

"Why don't you congratulate me like the others do?" Jimin's voice broke the silence, soft yet demanding. His eyes remained fixed on the skyline, avoiding Jungkook's reflection in the glass.

Jungkook blinked, taken aback by the question. "For what exactly?" he asked, his tone more puzzled than disinterested.

Jimin finally turned to face him, a slight frown on his lips. The surprise was evident in his eyes. "You don't know?"

Jungkook shook his head slightly, still not understanding. "No... By any chance, are you going to marry that Kim Taehyung guy?" The words slipped out before he could stop them, and for a moment, he regretted it. He wasn't sure why the thought of Jimin marrying Taehyung bothered him so much, but it did.

Jimin's expression hardened, his voice laced with irritation. "What? No..." He paused, trying to push the annoyance out of his tone. "Today, we inaugurated the biggest branch of our chain."

He watched Jungkook carefully, searching for a reaction—perhaps a flicker of admiration or excitement. But all he saw was the same calm, unaffected demeanor. No excessive praise, no flattery—just Jungkook being Jungkook. It was almost unsettling how little he seemed to care about the things that everyone else fawned over.

"Aren't you already the owner of a massive company?" Jungkook asked, his brows furrowed as if Jimin's success was something obvious and not worth fussing over.

Jimin blinked, momentarily thrown by how little Jungkook seemed to know—or care—about his empire. "I suppose I am."

"Then what's the difference?" Jungkook continued, his voice steady, almost contemplative. "The higher you climb, the lonelier it gets. The number of people who can reach you becomes smaller and smaller."

Jimin found himself momentarily speechless. He'd heard countless empty praises, shallow compliments, but this—this was different. Jungkook wasn't fawning over him, wasn't trying to worm his way into his good graces. He was simply stating a truth that resonated more deeply than Jimin cared to admit.

For a long moment, Jimin just looked at Jungkook. The bodyguard stood there, relaxed but focused, his gaze unwavering. He wasn't like the others who clawed for his attention, who saw him as a means to an end. Jungkook was different. In his presence, Jimin felt a strange sense of comfort—a rarity in his world of calculated moves and hidden motives.

Jungkook noticed the way Jimin was looking at him, a hint of something unreadable in those sharp eyes. He felt a strange urge to break the silence, to offer something genuine, something real. "Anyways, congratulations, Jimin-ssi," Jungkook said, a small, sincere smile tugging at his lips. "May you find success in every step you take toward the future."

Jimin felt a warmth spread in his chest at Jungkook's words. It wasn't the kind of empty praise he was used to—it felt real, grounded. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice softer than before. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Will you be by my side on this journey?"

Jungkook's smile grew, his eyes locking with Jimin's. There was a flicker of something unspoken between them—a connection, a shared understanding that transcended words. "Of course," Jungkook replied, his voice steady and sure. "After all, it's my duty."

But even as he said the words, both of them knew it was more than just duty that bound them. And in the quiet that followed, they both let that truth hang unspoken between them, their eyes meeting in a moment of mutual acknowledgment, stealing glances that carried more weight than any conversation ever could.