RACERS to RINGS

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 9: Need Him

Min Yoongi stood in front of the mirror, the gleam of the overhead lights casting a sharp shine on the tuxedo he was trying on. The dark, expensive fabric hugged his figure perfectly, the tailoring flawless as it clung to his shoulders and tapered down to his waist. Yoongi barely noticed. His thoughts were far from the formal suit and far from the upcoming wedding that loomed over him like a shadow.

His younger brother, Jungkook, lounged nearby, one leg draped over the armrest of the couch, his phone in his hand. He’d been scrolling through it absentmindedly, but the moment he caught a glimpse of Yoongi’s reflection in the mirror, he smirked.

“You look like some kind of fancy CEO,” Jungkook teased, his tone light but affectionate. “You’re really going all out for this wedding, huh?”

Yoongi turned slightly, catching Jungkook’s eye in the reflection. He tugged at the cuffs of his sleeves, adjusting them with a practiced ease that came from years of attending formal events he didn’t care about. “I’m not going all out,” he muttered, his tone clipped. “It’s just… what’s expected.”

Jungkook raised an eyebrow, his phone now forgotten as he watched his brother. “What’s expected. Right. Because this whole thing is about duty and family and all that.”

Yoongi’s lips pressed into a thin line. It was all about duty. That’s what everyone kept telling him—his father, the company, even Hoseok’s family. It was a business arrangement, a merger of two powerful names, and his personal feelings didn’t factor into it.

At least, that’s what it was supposed to be.

Jungkook leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he regarded his brother carefully. “Do you like him?”

Yoongi’s hands stilled for a moment. The room suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. He didn’t look at Jungkook, didn’t answer right away. His younger brother always had a way of cutting straight to the heart of things, even when Yoongi wasn’t ready to confront the truth himself.

When the silence stretched on, Jungkook’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone shifting from casual to curious. “Hyung? Do you like Hoseok?”

Yoongi took a deep breath, his fingers resuming their task of adjusting the cuffs of his tuxedo, though now it felt more like a distraction than anything else. “I don’t… like him,” he said quietly, almost as if he were convincing himself of the words as they left his lips.

Jungkook hummed, clearly expecting the answer. “Yeah, I figured. I mean, this whole thing is kind of messed up, right? You barely know the guy.”

Yoongi turned slightly, his gaze still fixed on his reflection. His voice was softer now, almost hesitant, but there was a weight to his words that Jungkook hadn’t anticipated.

“I don’t like him,” Yoongi repeated, his eyes dark and thoughtful. “I love him.”

The room fell into a stunned silence.

Jungkook’s eyes widened, the teasing smirk completely wiped from his face. He sat up straight, his phone slipping from his hands onto the couch as he stared at his brother in disbelief. “What… did you just say?”

Yoongi closed his eyes for a brief moment, taking a deep breath as if he were letting go of something he’d been holding onto for far too long. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with a quiet intensity that made it clear he wasn’t joking, wasn’t speaking out of confusion or doubt.

“I love him, Jungkook,” Yoongi said, his voice steady now. “I… need him.”

Jungkook blinked, still processing the weight of what his brother had just confessed. Of all the things he’d expected Yoongi to say, this wasn’t it. He had anticipated the usual indifference, the cold detachment that Yoongi was known for. But love? That was something entirely different.

“How… how long have you felt like this?” Jungkook asked, his voice quieter now, more serious.

Yoongi turned away from the mirror, facing his brother fully for the first time. He leaned against the edge of the counter, his arms crossing over his chest as he considered the question. How long had he known? It wasn’t something that had happened overnight. It wasn’t something he had even allowed himself to think about until recently.

“It’s been building,” Yoongi admitted, his eyes distant as he spoke. “At first, I thought it was just respect. He’s strong, determined. I liked that about him. But then… the more we met, the more I realized it was something else. Something deeper.”

Jungkook nodded slowly, still absorbing the revelation. “But… love, hyung? I mean, that’s huge. Especially since this whole thing started as an arranged marriage.”

Yoongi let out a soft, humorless chuckle. “Yeah, I know. It doesn’t make sense, does it? We barely know each other, and yet… I feel like I can’t imagine not having him in my life.”

Jungkook stared at his brother, the seriousness of the situation sinking in. He had never seen Yoongi like this before—vulnerable, open, admitting to emotions he usually kept hidden beneath layers of sarcasm and detachment. This was new territory, even for him.

“Does he know?” Jungkook asked, his voice careful.

Yoongi shook his head. “No. And I don’t know if I should tell him.”

“Why not?”

“Because… what if he doesn’t feel the same?” Yoongi’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, a rare sight that made Jungkook’s chest tighten. “What if I ruin everything? This whole marriage is already complicated enough. If I tell him how I feel and he doesn’t feel the same… it could make things worse.”

Jungkook stood up, walking over to his brother. He placed a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. “Hyung, you’re overthinking this. If you love him, you should tell him. You deserve to be happy, not just stuck in some cold, arranged marriage. If there’s even a chance that he feels the same way, you owe it to yourself to find out.”

Yoongi stared at his younger brother, a mixture of gratitude and doubt in his eyes. “It’s not that simple, Jungkook.”

“Maybe not,” Jungkook conceded. “But it’s better than keeping it all bottled up and pretending you don’t feel anything. You know you can’t do that forever.”

Yoongi looked away, his mind racing. Jungkook was right, of course. He always was. But that didn’t make the situation any less terrifying. Yoongi had spent so long building walls around himself, hiding his true feelings behind a mask of indifference. Letting someone in—especially someone like Hoseok—was a risk he wasn’t sure he was ready to take.

But then again, when he thought about Hoseok—about his bright eyes, his infectious energy, the way he stood his ground even when things were difficult—Yoongi realized that maybe, just maybe, it was worth the risk.

“I’ll think about it,” Yoongi finally said, his voice softer now.

Jungkook gave him a small smile, squeezing his shoulder one last time before stepping back. “Good. Just… don’t wait too long, okay? Life’s too short to keep waiting for the perfect moment.”

Yoongi nodded, his heart feeling heavier and lighter all at once. He glanced back at his reflection in the mirror, seeing himself in the tuxedo, ready for a marriage that had started as nothing more than an obligation. But now… now it was something more.

Because Yoongi wasn’t just going to marry Jung Hoseok.

He was going to marry the man he loved.

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So I'm really tired and there are things I'm still not finished, so the story have tons of problems and it really sucks, but I can't let u guys kept waiting for too long so hope you guys enjoy this double update