Crystal Bond [Jikook]

| Chapter - 22 |

The soft, golden lights of the modern luxurious penthouse flickered gently as Jungkook, Jimin, and their gathered families sat together, the tension from the earlier conversations ebbing away into a more relaxed atmosphere. The living room, with its sleek furniture and panoramic views of the city, seemed worlds apart from the grand underwater castle where Jungkook had spent much of his life. But here, on land, surrounded by both his brothers and Jimin, a strange sense of belonging settled into his chest.

As Jungkook sat beside Jimin, his mind was already preparing for what lay ahead. The search for the Holy Crystal was beginning soon, but for now, in this brief pause, he wanted to be present. Yet, there were still introductions to be made, connections between them that needed to happen.

Yoongi, who had been eyeing Jungkook's brothers with his usual calm curiosity, finally put down his phone and leaned forward slightly. His sharp gaze moved between Jin, Taehyung, and Hoseok. "So, I take it you're all part of the 'marine business' too?" Yoongi's voice held that teasing edge that was so uniquely his.

Jin, ever the diplomat elder prince, smiled warmly, ignoring the sly remark in Yoongi's question. "We are. Though each of us has different roles to play."

Jimin shot Jungkook a curious look at Jin's response, clearly sensing that the story was incomplete, but choosing not to press the issue. He wasn't ready to ask about the full truth—not yet, anyway.

Hoseok, sitting with his arm casually draped around Taehyung, grinned widely, his warm energy filling the room. "Oh, you could say that we've been swimming in some... deep waters." He chuckled at his own joke, clearly enjoying the wordplay. "But I'd say Taehyung's the real commander when it comes to taking care of things underwater."

Taehyung, still a little reserved, only nodded, his eyes drifting toward Jimin for a moment before he added, "It's not just about the waters. We have responsibilities that go far beyond what you can imagine." His tone wasn't harsh, but there was a hint of that cold wariness in his voice whenever he spoke about Jimin. Despite his love for his brother, Taehyung's distrust of humans hadn't faded.

Jimin caught the slight chill in Taehyung's words but smiled politely, refusing to let the tension grow. "I can imagine. So Jungkook's what you all do is it some kind of special military force, agents or spy thing ?."

"May be or it may not be like that, we mean no harm to you guys that's all it matters to you, Park Jimin?" Taehyung responded, his eyes narrowing just a little, though not unkindly.

Jungkook cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Enough about work," he said, his voice a little gruff. He wasn't ready for Jimin and Yoongi to dig deeper into their true identities—not yet. "We didn't come here to talk about that."

Yoongi smirked, clearly enjoying how much Jungkook wanted to avoid the subject. "Fine, fine. But you've been dodging my question since you walked in. Who's everyone else?" He gestured toward the others, obviously curious.

Jungkook took a deep breath and began introducing them, knowing that sooner or later, he couldn't keep things vague forever.

"This is SeokJin," Jungkook said, nodding toward his eldest brother, who smiled with a slight bow of his head. "He's... my elder brother and very loving to all of us. Keeps things in order, makes sure we're not tearing apart each other."

Jin laughed, the sound gentle and soothing. "I try my best. It's not easy with a bunch of rulers and soldiers to manage."

Yoongi raised an eyebrow. "Rulers?"

Jungkook quickly moved on, ignoring Yoongi's pointed question. "This is Taehyung." He gestured to his younger brother, whose sharp eyes remained trained on Jimin for a split second before he turned his gaze to Yoongi.