ACATALEPSY I BTS AU

CHAPTER 37

Jin winced as Suzy tightened her grip on his arm.

"Suzy, stop it," he whispered, his voice barely audible under the dim lights of the restaurant.

With a sly smile, she let go, and they both slid into their seats, the table assigned to them by the woman in red. From where they sat, they were just two tables behind Jimin and Namjoon. The detective could catch glimpses of them from the corner of his eye, just behind Jimin, who remained blissfully unaware.

"Please don't see me", Namjoon thought as he observed the strange interaction unfolding before him.

About five minutes later, Jimin returned from the bathroom, still grinning, completely oblivious to the fact that his fiancée was just a few meters away, sitting next to Jin, drinking as much as she could.

The minutes passed, along with more drinks. Jimin couldn't stop laughing—anything Namjoon said, even the dumbest comments, would send him into fits of giggles, causing him to lean back on the booth. Namjoon smiled at his tipsy 'friend', trying to keep the mood light, while keeping a careful watch on the scene just behind them.

Suzy and Jin, on the other hand, were on a whole different level. Jin had lost track of reality, his vision blurred by the sheer amount of alcohol, while Suzy, who was much more in control, was clearly playing up her drunk act. She was all over Jin—hugging him, touching him in ways that weren't appropriate for public. Namjoon noticed how Jin was miserably trying to brush her off, but Suzy wasn't having it. She leaned in, pressing kisses onto his neck. "Jinny, come on," she purred. Jin barely reacted, so she moved her hands, more suggestive now. 

"Jinny, come on," she cooed, her voice dripping with false innocence, her hands becoming more daring. "There's a hotel nearby... no need to go far."

*This is getting out of hand...*

Jin, slurring and barely coherent, let out a broken laugh. "Suzy... you know we can't... you're engaged. Your dad... he'll kill me." He made one last attempt to pull away, but Suzy silenced him with a forceful kiss.

Namjoon's eyes widened. *Is this why Jimin's been so off lately? Are they both just cheating on each other? Or... is it more complicated than that? * The questions hit him like a tidal wave. *Jimin doesn't even want this engagement... can it be cheating if you're trapped in the first place?*

His gaze flicked back to Jimin, who was blissfully unaware, laughing at whatever joke he'd just made with a warmth that made Namjoon's chest tighten. *God, he's so innocent right now, and I'm sitting here wondering if I'm betraying him just by knowing all this. Is it my place to care? To feel anything at all?*

A deep guilt gnawed at Namjoon. He wasn't supposed to empathize like this, wasn't supposed to question things. *I should just focus on the job. Investigate. Stick to the facts.* He had a job to do—track the flowers, figure out where they were going, and who the 'lover' really was. But why was he starting to feel like maybe, just maybe, Jimin was a victim in all of this? *Is he a bad guy or just caught in the wrong life?*

Suddenly, he felt Jimin's hand on his, snapping him back to reality. "Namjoony, you good? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Namjoon blinked, momentarily startled. *He's worried about me?* That genuine concern in Jimin's eyes made it even harder for Namjoon to keep his distance, to separate his role as a detective from the messy human emotions tangled in this situation. *Is he really the victim here? Or am I just too deep into this mess to see clearly?*

Forcing a smile, Namjoon ruffled Jimin's hair. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Just... zoned out for a sec. Need to hit the restroom real quick. Why don't you pick something else for us to eat? I'm starving." He patted his stomach with a grin, trying to play off his growing inner conflict as he headed toward the restroom.

But he wasn't going to the restroom. Instead, Namjoon ducked behind a corner and pulled out his phone. *These photos might save my ass later.*

He snapped a few pictures, staying as hidden as possible, before deciding to record a short video, capturing the scene as clearly as he could.

*Damn* , Suzy was relentless. She was practically crawling under Jin's shirt, grinding on him like it was nobody's business. Poor Jin, who would occasionally come to his senses, weakly tried to push her off his lap, but she'd always pull him back with kisses to his neck, clouding his already foggy mind.

About ten minutes later, one of the waitresses, clearly uncomfortable, came over to reprimand them. She suggested they take their little show somewhere more private, like a hotel.

Suzy wasn't having it. Her tone was sharp and filled with entitlement. "Do you know who my father is? I could have you begging on the streets if I wanted to." The waitress, teary-eyed, quickly apologized and rushed off.

*Poor girl*, Namjoon thought, tucking his phone away and returning to the table, figuring he'd been gone too long and didn't want to raise Jimin's suspicions.

As soon as he sat back down, Jimin, still grinning like a kid, pointed at the food in front of him. "Namjoony!" His face was full of excitement as he motioned for Namjoon to feed him.

*What have I become, his babysitter? * Namjoon thought, grabbing a dumpling and popping it into Jimin's mouth. The younger man happily chewed, swaying his head from side to side like a child.

Namjoon couldn't help but smile. *How are you this cute, Jimin? You're like a little chick with your cheeks full of food... Is it really possible for someone this sweet to really cheat?*

A few minutes passed, and Jimin, still full of energy, held out a dumpling toward Namjoon. "Your turn, Namjoony! Open wide!" He made little airplane noises, like he was trying to feed a toddler.

Namjoon chuckled, shaking his head, but gave in. *He won...* He opened his mouth, letting Jimin feed him, the gesture somehow heartwarming.

Ten dumplings and two more drinks later, it was 2 a.m. Namjoon glanced behind him to see Jin looking wrecked—his shirt unbuttoned, his neck covered in hickeys. Suzy was perched on one of his legs, forcing another shot into his hand, despite his obvious drunken state.

After a while, the two finally got up. Jin stumbled like a newborn deer, completely destroyed by the alcohol, while Suzy seemed fine. Jin had no clue what was happening to him anymore.

"I can't wait, but we need to stop and grab some condoms. I'm out at home," Suzy said, adjusting the strap of her sparkling dress.

Namjoon's jaw dropped. *So this is how it works with the Parks and the Baes...*