The Shadows of power

11

Jin took a deep breath and continued with the story. "Actually, you know, I was in the first year of my university, pursuing my medical studies. And then there was this boy... his name was..." Jin paused for a moment, almost as if carefully considering his words. He made up a random name, but in reality, the boy was Namjoon. "You can call him Jun."

Jin's lips twitched slightly as he noticed the subtle reactions around the room. "Well, he... the first day I joined the university, that day, I kind of collided into him. He seemed to be a very mysterious type of person. I mean, he didn’t talk much, kept to himself, and was pretty introverted. Very nerdy. His hair was always oily," Jin explained with a soft chuckle, almost nostalgically. "In the language of teenagers, you'd say he was... ugly. Not that I'm body-shaming or anything," he quickly added, glancing at the others for assurance, "but that’s how he appeared."

Jin continued, "His hair was like, two-toned, blonde and black—oily and always slicked downward. He wore these big, thick glasses—like huge, old-fashioned ones—practically covering half his face. And his dressing sense..." Jin shook his head, laughing. "He dressed like a schoolboy! Always in black pants, a white shirt, and on top, a sleeveless sweater. And that was it! He didn’t even carry a proper bag—just a register for the class and a couple of pens in his pocket."

The room fell silent, shocked at the detailed description of the person Jin was describing. Jimin blinked, his mouth open. "Hyung, how did you fall in love with such a person?" he asked incredulously, though his tone was respectful. "I mean, not to say anything inappropriate, but how could an angel like you fall for that... nerd?"

Namjoon, sitting silently, clenched his jaw at Jimin's comment, thinking to himself, An angel falls for a devil, not a nerd, idiot. But outwardly, he remained composed, fighting back his emotions. He had always taken pride in being strong, even if that meant hiding his feelings.

Jin chuckled softly, glancing at Jimin. "Well, Jiminie, the story will unfold, just wait for it."

Jin continued, "We weren't in the same class, but we did have physics together, and I had also opted for math because I was pretty good at it. And yes, chemistry too. We often shared those classes together." He smirked. "And guess what? He was the topper."

Suga, who had been listening quietly, snorted. "As expected from a nerd."

Namjoon, still seated, clenched his fists under the table. Every comment felt like a subtle jab at him, yet he chose to stay silent, biting his tongue, his gaze shifting slightly toward Jin. Jin, noticing Namjoon’s clenched jaw, couldn’t help but smirk inwardly. He was enjoying this more than he should, letting his eyes flicker over to Namjoon now and then, though no one else seemed to notice. Everyone was too focused on the unfolding love story.

Jin leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "But one day..." He paused, allowing the suspense to build.

Just as the atmosphere in the room grew thick with anticipation, an eerie yet playful suspenseful tune started playing in the background. Heads turned in confusion, looking for the source of the music. And that's when they noticed something odd—the author had snuck into the Kim mansion, quietly raiding the freezer for ice cream from the Bangtan house’s stock.

Jungkook, ever the observant one, was the first to notice. "What the...?" He squinted his eyes as he saw a strange figure at the fridge door.

The author, realizing she’d been caught red-handed, panicked. In an instant, she transformed herself into the shape of a potato, hoping to go unnoticed.

Jungkook’s brows furrowed. "Is that... a potato?!" His confusion quickly turned to amusement as he marched over. He crouched down, eyeing the 'potato' suspiciously. "You think I can't see you?"

The author, realizing the potato form wasn’t foolproof, panicked again and changed shape—this time into a spoon, conveniently perched on top of the ice cream box. Jungkook’s expression turned serious. "Oh no, you don't!" He scooped the spoon (which was, of course, the author) and placed her back on the ice cream box in the freezer. With a playful grin, he closed the freezer door and returned to the group. "Alright, all taken care of."

Jin, chuckling at the bizarre scene, gestured for everyone to refocus. "Now, where was I?"

"One day," J-Hope said eagerly, wanting to get back to the story. "You said 'one day,' and then all this weirdness happened!"

Jin smiled. "Right! So, one day, I ran into Jun in the library..." he began, but even as he spoke, his mind lingered on Namjoon, who had grown eerily silent. He knew this story was hitting a little too close to home for Namjoon, and he wondered just how much longer Namjoon could keep quiet.

But the room was captivated by Jin's story, completely unaware of the tension bubbling beneath Namjoon's calm exterior.

The game was far from over, and secrets were about to unfold—some expected, and some not at all.