FACING THE SAME FACE | JINKOOK

CH8

The next morning, soft morning light filtered through the kitchen window, tinting the walls a warm and cozy hue. JungKook, who had slept in the room that once belonged to his brother, was standing in front of the stove, concentrating on preparing breakfast. Although the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and toast filled the air, his mind was caught up in dark, revanchist thoughts.

Hearing footsteps, his face took on an innocent and carefree expression just as Jin appeared at the threshold of the kitchen. JungKook turned to him, holding a plate in his hands.

"Sandwich?" he offered with a light smile, raising the bread with a peanut butter filling he loved so much, almost expecting Jin's dismissive reaction.

The other looked at him with a mixture of resignation and a slight frown before replying.

"You know I can't tolerate peanut butter, that one you eat." He paused, his eyes briefly lowered to the bread in JungKook's hands. "Do you have hazelnut spread?" JungKook felt a spark of controlled fury as he listened to him. 

Of course, Jin despised peanut butter. He couldn't believe that anyone would eat that "horrifying" peanut butter, let alone that he himself was there, in that very kitchen, eating a sandwich just the way he liked it. Sometimes, JungKook thought that maybe JungHyun, his brother, had been right and that he would have gotten along better with the one he considered his killer. That idea disgusted him, but it also gave him fuel for his revenge.

After breakfast, Jin announced his departure. He was going to continue looking for work and JungKook, adopting the role of the kind and concerned brother, made him promise to come back in the afternoon.

"Until you can afford a decent room by yourself," he reminded him in an affable tone. Jin nodded without saying much, gathering his things and closing the door behind him.

Thus a week passed. Their lives had fallen into an almost monotonous routine, but for JungKook it was full of hidden purpose. They had breakfast together every morning, sharing awkward silences and superficial conversations. Jin, always in search of employment, would go out with determination, while in the evenings he would return exhausted and disillusioned, sharing details of every resume sent out, every door he knocked on without success.

JungKook listened to everything attentively, making an effort to appear sweet, understanding and, above all, shy, as if to avoid invading Jin's personal space. Always keeping a slight distance, with an air of vulnerability carefully studied so that Jin would never feel uncomfortable in his presence. But, behind that facade of a kind brother, JungKook was actually observing with meticulous attention, analyzing every gesture, every word. He had come to learn Jin's small details: his way of turning away from any direct gaze, as if prolonged eye contact was a burden, a weight too great to hold. He noticed that every time their gazes met, Jin would turn his head in another direction, uncomfortable and evasive.

Sometimes, when their hands would accidentally brush against each other as they passed cutlery, JungKook could see the stiffness in Jin's posture, how he would quickly pull his hand away, as if he had touched something that burned. This constant avoidance exasperated him. Was this the same man who had taken from his brother as much as he wanted and then left him alone?

JungKook's inner hostility was mixed with cold satisfaction. He began to amuse himself in his own way, discomforting Jin almost imperceptibly. In the moments when Jin assumed he wasn't looking at him, JungKook would glare at him with an intensity that pretended to be casual, though they both knew it wasn't. He watched his face, closely, analyzing every curve, every shadow on his features.

While Jin was busy washing the dinner dishes, JungKook stood silently behind him, observing his lean profile, the lines of his shoulders, the movement of his hands in the soapy water. There was something satisfying about watching Jin pretend not to notice the gaze on him, though JungKook knew he was fully aware. When Jin's back was turned, he would take the time to analyze every detail, his eyes resting on his figure with deceptive calm, studying every reaction, looking for every little sign of discomfort. When their gazes accidentally crossed again, JungKook would maintain eye contact, letting his attention wander undisguisedly to Jin's mouth, that very gesture that seemed to annoy him.