Deadlock || ᴠᴍɪɴ

Chapter 10

Jimin wasn’t very enthusiastic about being alone with V, but he didn’t have the option of running away. He stood there, putting on a nonchalant face as V stopped a passing waiter and took two glasses of champagne from the tray, passing one to him without missing a beat.

“…Thanks.”

Jimin felt fidgety as he sipped his champagne. He stole glances at V, who was gazing at the guests expressionlessly.

V looked stunning in his tuxedo beneath the sparkling chandelier. His body was perfectly sculpted, and his well-proportioned face was a mix of masculine ruggedness and softness. His neatly-groomed brown hair together with his glasses added to his intellectual look, which made him look mature and even more alluring.

However, Jimin found the former V many times more attractive, back when he was wearing his denim prison uniform. Even while being dressed like everyone else, V had always stood out from the rest, giving off a unique air. It wasn’t just his looks; his existence itself was simply unlike any other.

As soon as he began to reminisce about V in their prison days, Jimin was overcome by a powerful nostalgia that unexpectedly choked him up. Soon, he found himself lost in his past memories.

V was sitting on the bed that took up most of the space in their small cell, his hair swept carelessly into a ponytail. The bed was much too low for his long legs, and they dangled over the edge and stretched across the floor as he sat silently reading his book. Whenever a sliver of light would shine through the small window and catch his hair, his pure blond locks would light up like golden threads.

V alone had always appeared detached and elevated above his poor living conditions. Although he must have harboured a violent hatred and rage in his heart, his solitary and stoic attitude was almost like that of a monk.

In a sense, Jimin’s impression hadn’t been mistaken. Just as a monk devotes his life to God, V had devoted his entire being to a God called revenge. Back then, Jimin had wished every day for the nightmarish days to end, but now, he looked back on those days spent with V and found them to be precious, irreplaceable memories.

Jimin bitterly averted his eyes from V’s profile, inwardly reprimanding himself for allowing himself to wallow in pathetic sentiment. He didn’t necessarily want to return to those days. If being by V’s side was all that he wanted, he wouldn’t have chosen such a difficult path.

“So I hear you and Rob are sharing a room,” V said, still facing forward. It was a short question, but Jimin could tell from his tone that he was asking the question as V, not as Muller.

“Yeah, we are. What about it?” Jimin said hesitantly. V leaned in close to him and murmured by his ear.

“Have you slept with him yet?”

“…!”

Jimin snapped his eyes open in surprise at the unexpected question. V gazed at him darkly for a moment before turning away, as if satisfied to receive the answer he had been expecting.

“Rob is caring, unlike me. He’s a much better fit for you,” V said flatly.

“Wait a minute,” Jimin said, his voice rising uncontrollably at the sheer absurdity of V’s words. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

How could V say such a thing while being fully aware of how Jimin felt? He had no idea if V had meant it or if he was just being snide.

“I meant exactly what I said. Nothing special about it,” replied V, his voice expressionless. Irritated by his lack of emotion, Jimin swiped V’s glass from his hand and thrust it toward one of the hostesses nearby before grabbing V’s arm with his free hand.