SHADOWS OF DESIRE|JK FF| S1

CH-49 : US-TOGETHER

JEON MANSION

Jungkook and I walked up the grand steps of the Jeon mansion, the weight of our conversation still hanging in the air. The massive doors creaked open as we pushed them aside, revealing the spacious foyer of the mansion.

As we made our way down the hallway, I could hear the clinking of dishes and the murmur of conversation coming from the dining area. We entered to find Grandma seated at the dining table, calmly enjoying her breakfast. She looked up, surprised to see us.

"Good morning," she said, her voice carrying a touch of warmth despite the gravity of our situation. "You're back early."

Jungkook's jaw tightened as he glanced at me before turning to face her. "We need to talk," he said, his tone firm but controlled.

I gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, silently reminding him to stay calm. This was the moment we had been waiting for—answers and clarity. We took our seats at the table, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods filling the room.

Hye-jin's POV:

I had decided to treat myself to a little therapy and headed to the mall.. I was seaching some handbags, picking out a few that caught my eye, when I noticed something unusual—a figure in a hoodie was trailing me.

At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but when I caught a glimpse of the person's face peeking out from beneath the hood, I recognized that familiar, suspicious demeanor. I frowned, feeling a prickle of irritation. This person was following me too closely, and their behavior was definitely off.

ugh. it was that cafe guy.

I decided to confront them. I made my way to a quieter part of the mall, a long, empty hallway that led to some storage rooms. The echo of my footsteps was the only sound in the corridor, amplifying my growing unease. I turned sharply, and the hooded figure followed.

I didn't waste any time. As soon as the corridor was empty, I squared off with the figure, ready to defend myself. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, my senses on high alert. The figure made a move towards me, and I reacted instantly, using my martial arts training to land a series of swift and precise blows.

But something was off. The figure wasn't fighting back as aggressively as I would have expected, and I began to notice familiar movements. A misplaced step, a slight hesitation—it all seemed too familiar. My anger turned to confusion as I landed a final kick and pushed the figure onto the floor.

"WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?!"

As the hood fell back, revealing the face underneath, my eyes widened in shock. It was Jimin, lying there with a sheepish grin and a few bruises already forming.

"Jimin?!"

He lay there, wincing in pain but also looking somewhat sheepish. I had been so focused on my task that I hadn't realized who I was attacking. Jimin groaned, attempting to sit up.

"Why the hell were you following me like this?" I asked, my voice a mix of frustration and relief.

Jimin tried to muster up an innocent smile, clearly struggling to come up with a plausible excuse. "Oh, you know, I was just... uh... checking out the new stores. Thought I'd browse with you. You're always so stylish, Hye-jin, and I wanted to see if you'd find something amazing."

i raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Really? You picked today of all days to go shopping with me? And you chose to follow me in a hoodie? That's a bit too suspicious, don't you think?"