The Clandestine Us

Twenty-one

───── ❝ Jungkook's POV ❞ ─────

"I don't know what to say to you," Jimin said, breaking the silence.

I glanced up at him, noticing he looked just as troubled as I felt.

"Have you talked to her yet?" J-Hope asked, his tone laced with concern.

His question hit me like a wake-up call—I hadn't called Jennie back after missing her first call. Worse, I hadn't even opened her messages since I found my phone.

"I... I didn't. I forgot," I admitted, stumbling over my words.

"Are you serious? I can't believe this is happening," Jimin said, disbelief clear in his voice.

"No wonder V's upset," J-Hope added, shaking his head.

I didn't respond. Instead, I reached for my phone, the weight of guilt pressing down on me. Three missed calls and a handful of messages stared back at me from the screen.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself, and opened her messages.

My JK 🥟

You busy?
Why aren't you answering?
Call me back.
Please!
Is it you?
Okay, Jungkook. I get it.
I totally get it.

No long paragraphs, no elaborate explanations—just short, clipped messages that hit harder than anything else could. They were powerful enough to make my world come to a halt.

───── ❝ Jimin's POV ❞ ─────

I've been observing everything Jungkook has been doing ever since he arrived. When he explained himself, I could tell he was telling the truth. But what I didn't understand was why he felt the need to lie about meeting Tzuyu when we first asked him.

It all started when Rosé forwarded a picture to our group chat—the same one that had been shared in their 1997 idols' group chat. Rosé was beyond furious, almost cursing at everyone in the room until Jisoo stepped in to calm her down. Lisa, on the other hand, expressed her disbelief in her own way: by replying with a middle-finger emoji to the forwarded image.

The atmosphere was chaotic and tense, which wasn't surprising. Everyone knows how protective they are of each other, especially when it comes to Jennie, who they consider the youngest at heart despite her fierce demeanor.

We tried to explain that we didn't know anything about it, but Jisoo shut us down with a cutting remark: "Of course, you don't know. That's exactly what boys would say."

V, however, stayed silent. He didn't need to say anything—his anger was written all over his face. I know him too well.

V is my soulmate, my constant companion, and I've always known how much he likes Jennie. From the start, he's admired her, but out of respect for our group, our friendship, and the bond we share, he never acted on his feelings. He valued the members and their happiness too much to let his own feelings get in the way. So, I understand why he's so upset now.

Jungkook, on the other hand, looked completely disoriented as he opened his phone to read Jennie's messages. He was so distracted that he didn't even notice when it slipped from his hands.

I quickly picked it up and glanced at the screen. The messages were brief, but they carried Jennie's unmistakable personality—strong and direct, yet layered with emotion that made her words cut deeper.

Jennie is known for her badass attitude and fierce independence. But those of us who are close to her know the truth: beneath her strength lies someone soft, fragile, and pure. She loves cute things, has the most random quirks, and somehow makes sense of it all in a way only she can.