Enthralled || Liskook

Chapter 44

Lisa arrived home, the familiar sight of her building offering a fleeting sense of comfort. 

Her cousin, Yoongi, pulled away from the curb, the taillights of his car disappearing into the twilight. With a sigh, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. 

Taking out her phone, she opened WeChat and sent a message to Jungkook. 

Fruit in the Forest: I'm home, are you there yet? 

Jeon: Soon. 

Fruit in the Forest: Do you know that my cousin told me he and Jisoo had a past? 

Jeon: I know. 

A beat of silence hung between their messages, Lisa frowned. 

Fruit in the forest: He said you might not know about them. Makes you wonder... does he even like Jisoo?" 

Jeon: Are you interested in their affairs? 

Lisa bristled at his clipped tone. 

Fruit in the Forest: After all, it's my brother. He confided in me for the first time since we were kids. Kinda heartbreaking, you know? 

Jeon: Min Yoongi has his own life. Pay more attention to me. 

Jeon: My wife has always cared about others, and it doesn't feel good. 

Lisa reread his messages, a knot of unease tightening in her stomach. 

Nightlights on the commercial street. 

Jungkook hopped out of the commercial car, sneakers crunching on the pavement. A row of darkened shop facades stretched before him, illuminated only by the glow of neon signs. To his left, a milk tea shop displayed photos of enticing drinks and promotions through its glass windows. 

On the right, a gold shop glittered with an air of opulence. 

"This staircase used to lead to an old-fashioned hot pot restaurant," Namjoon explained, pointing towards a building entrance. "Prime location is better than ours in Busan City, though a bit smaller. The second and third floors are all yours for the rental." 

Sun Yao echoed his sentiment with a sigh. "It'll do, Brother Namjoon," he said, his gaze sweeping across the building's facade. "Big things are coming for us when we return to Korea, after all." 

Jungkook corrected him with a slight smile, "Rented, not bought." 

The pre-dawn light cast an eerie glow on the deserted corridor. Construction debris - discarded decoration bags, broken bricks, and slabs of cement cluttered the narrow passage, obscuring the underlying floor, whether tile or concrete, beneath a layer of crumpled newspapers. The elevator shaft gaped like a black maw, its door yet to be installed. 

The entire building was undergoing a transformation, a prelude to a new lease on life. 

Jungkook ascended the stairs, each step echoing in the stillness. Reaching the second floor, he stood before a red-painted gate secured by an old-fashioned black lock. 

He hefted the key Namjoon had provided, the weight a curious contrast to the flimsiness it implied. "One good yank and this thing pops open," he remarked, turning the lock twice in his hand. "Just for show?" 

Namjoon chuckled. "Pretty much. Keeps folks from setting up camp and living rent-free while construction crews build floors.” 

True to his word, the room beyond the unlocked door was bare. The remnants of the previous hot pot restaurant's built-in wooden tables and benches lining the walls, and decorative red lacquered pillars were the only clues to its past.