Trouble Tamer

3. Wait Right There, Jeon Jungkook

Jungkook had hoped to slip in unnoticed, moving like a shadow through the grand halls of his family’s mansion. The cool evening air brushed against his face as he closed the large front door behind him, wincing slightly as it clicked a little louder than expected. He’d made it home late—later than he was supposed to, and getting caught was the last thing on his mind.

Silently, he crossed the foyer, making his way toward the grand staircase, his sneakers barely making a sound on the polished marble floors. He had just reached the first step when a voice, sharp and unmistakable, froze him in his tracks.

"Wait right there, Jeon Jungkook."

Jungkook grimaced. His mother’s voice carried the same authority it had since childhood, enough to stop him in his tracks no matter how stealthy he tried to be.

He slowly turned around, his eyes landing on Lisa, his mother, standing near the entrance to the dining room, arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

Clicking his tongue internally, he put on his best innocent expression, complete with a nervous but charming smile.
"Hello, Mumma!" he greeted, attempting to sound cheerful.

"Hello to you too, dear Kookie," Lisa replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She took a step closer, her eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Now tell me, where were you?"

Jungkook gulped. The smile on his face faltered just a bit. "U-uh…"

"College ends three hours earlier," she continued, her tone growing sharper. "What took you so long?"

Jungkook scrambled for an excuse, his mind racing. He had to think of something, and fast. Then it hit him. Hoseok. His friend was always doing something eccentric; surely, that would work as a cover. He forced the words out quickly before she could question him further.

"Hoseok's grandma!" he blurted out, his heart pounding as he concocted the lie on the spot. "She, um, she celebrated her... teeth-falling ceremony!" He winced internally at how absurd it sounded, but he was committed now. "Yeah, that’s right. It’s a tradition. I was there, Mum!"

Lisa blinked, her expression shifting from stern to bewildered, but just for a moment. Then, her eyes narrowed again.

"A teeth-falling ceremony? Seriously, Jungkook?" she asked, her voice heavy with disbelief.

Jungkook nodded frantically, hoping to sell the story as much as possible. "Yeah! It’s a big deal in their family!" He tried his best to sound convincing, though even he could hear how ridiculous the lie sounded.

Lisa was having none of it. "And you expect me to believe that? Do you think I was born yesterday?" Her arms were still crossed, her stern gaze fixed on her son.

Jungkook could feel the sweat forming on his brow. He needed to get out of this situation fast. "Mum, I swear! It’s a thing!" he exclaimed, taking a small step backward toward the stairs. "You know how Hoseok’s family is with their traditions. Really, I was just being polite."

Lisa sighed deeply, shaking her head. "Jungkook, you’re the worst liar. I don’t know where you were, but it definitely wasn’t at some weird ceremony." She eyed him suspiciously. "What really happened?"

"I told you the truth!" Jungkook insisted, a little too defensively.

Lisa narrowed her eyes further, unconvinced but clearly too tired to continue the interrogation.

"We’ll talk about this later," she said, finally giving up. "For now, get to your room, and don’t think I’m letting this go."

Jungkook didn’t need to be told twice.

"Right! I’ll, uh, see you later, Mum!" he called out, dashing up the stairs before she could change her mind.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he heard his mother sigh loudly from below.

"This boy…" she muttered, exasperated.

Jungkook rolled his eyes as he hurried down the hallway toward his room, muttering to himself, "How does she always know?"

Once he was safely inside his room, he flopped onto his bed, letting out a long sigh of relief. "That was close," he murmured. But then his thoughts drifted back to the earlier events

"That guy…" Jungkook whispered to himself, picturing Taehyung’s mischievous grin. He shuddered slightly but couldn’t stop the small smile from creeping onto his face. "What a night...... hope to not see you again, Mister."