Love Again

12

The next morning, Seokjin woke up to the sound of his phone vibrating on the nightstand. He groaned softly, rubbing his eyes as he reached over to grab it, still feeling the pleasant afterglow of the night before. But the second he saw Yoongi's name on the screen, his stomach dropped.

Yoongi never called this early unless something was going on.

Seokjin answered the call, sitting up in bed. "Yoongi? What's going on?"

"Seokjin, have you seen the news?" Yoongi's voice was sharp, filled with an urgency that instantly snapped Seokjin awake.

"What news?" Seokjin frowned, his heart rate picking up. He quickly grabbed the remote to turn on the TV, the feeling of dread slowly creeping in.

"There are pictures of you and Jungkook all over the internet," Yoongi explained, his words rushed. "It's viral, Seokjin. People are talking nonstop. The articles... they're all suggesting that you two might be more than just friends. They're saying you're a couple."

Seokjin's breath caught in his throat as the gravity of Yoongi's words sank in. He sat there in stunned silence for a moment, the TV blaring softly in the background, showing various entertainment news segments. On the screen, he could see blurry photos of him and Jungkook from the night before-Jungkook holding the door open for him, the two of them standing close together, laughing, clearly comfortable in each other's presence.

But the headlines plastered over those images made his heart race.

"Exclusive: Actor Kim Seokjin and Chaebol Son Jeon Jungkook - More Than Just Friends?"

"Are Seokjin and Jungkook a Gay Couple? Dispatch Catches Them Together!"

Seokjin's blood ran cold as he read the words. He had expected some attention after the event-Jungkook was a prominent figure, after all-but he hadn't anticipated this. Speculation about their relationship? Accusations of them being a couple?

"What... how did this happen?" Seokjin muttered, his voice shaky.

"Apparently, Dispatch managed to get photos of you two last night when Jungkook opened the car door for you," Yoongi explained, his tone serious. "They've twisted it into something more. Netizens are going crazy, trying to figure out if you two are together."

Seokjin's mind raced. He had always known the dangers of being in the spotlight-he was no stranger to rumors-but this felt different. This wasn't just speculation about his personal life. This was about his sexuality, something he had never spoken about publicly, something he had always kept private.

And now, because of a few photos, the world was making assumptions.

"I... I didn't think it would go this far," Seokjin said quietly, his voice strained. "We were just hanging out. How did it turn into this?"

Yoongi sighed on the other end of the line. "You know how people are, especially when it comes to celebrities. They love to jump to conclusions. And with Jungkook being who he is, the whole 'secret couple' angle is irresistible for them."

Seokjin ran a hand through his hair, trying to process everything. He knew he had to think carefully about how to handle this, but his emotions were all over the place. What would this mean for his career? For Jungkook? He hadn't even had time to talk to Jungkook about it yet.

"Do you want me to release a statement?" Yoongi asked, his voice calm but direct. "We can shut this down before it gets worse."

Seokjin hesitated, unsure of what to do. A part of him wanted to deny everything immediately, to clear the air and stop the rumors from spreading. But another part of him felt conflicted-he hadn't even spoken to Jungkook about how he felt, and now the world was speculating about their relationship before he had even figured it out himself.