FACING THE SAME FACE | JINKOOK

CH12

The light from the phone screen illuminated the room, casting elongated shadows on the walls. Jin couldn't stop staring at the cryptic message he had just received: "Don't trust JungKook." The words hovered in front of his eyes, like a shadow that wouldn't dissipate.

He didn't understand any of it. Everything was so confusing. His life had felt turned upside down ever since he saw JungHyun again. He still didn't know how he truly felt about him; his emotions fluctuated between admiration and something deeper that he couldn't quite grasp. But JungHyun had been so kind, so warm... And now, that same sense of closeness seemed to be reflected in the gestures of the person he thought was JungHyun. However, something deep inside him was telling him that things were not as they seemed.

The sound of his phone interrupted his thoughts. An unknown number appeared on the screen. Who could this be at this hour? he thought, his pulse quickening. He took a deep breath and, without thinking too much, answered.

"Jin?" The voice on the other end was deep, urgent.

Jin tensed at the sound of the voice. It wasn't common for someone to call him at this hour, let alone from an unknown number. But hearing that particular tone sent a shiver down his spine. It couldn't be...

"SeungChol?" The surprise made his voice louder than he had intended. Jin hadn't heard from him in ages, not since he'd finished his time in China.

"Yes, it's me. Sorry for the time, but it's important you hear this." SeungChol's voice grew urgent, almost alarming. "There's something you're not seeing, Jin. Something's not right with the person you're with." Jin fell silent for a moment, trying to process what he had just heard. He hadn't heard from SeungChol in so long, and now his voice sounded so serious, so grave. A sudden chill took over his chest.

"What are you talking about?" he finally asked, though his voice betrayed a hint of unease. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm not saying this to scare you, but you need to know that the person you're with isn't who they say they are." SeungChol's voice was now more determined, as if he had been waiting a long time to say these words. "They're not who you think they are." A knot began to form in Jin's stomach. SeungChol's words were completely throwing him off.

"What do you mean by that? Who's behind all this?" Confusion overwhelmed him, but he couldn't stop listening. His heart was racing, and anxiety was starting to take hold of him.

"I don't know everything, but I know something doesn't add up." SeungChol's voice sounded shaky, as if he was struggling with something more than just words. "The person you're with isn't who they say they are. You need to stay alert." Jin felt like his mind was about to shatter. Everything seemed to be crumbling around him. He couldn't understand it. JungHyun... who else could it be if not him? The man he'd spent so much time with lately, that strange feeling, those moments... Now it all felt like a lie.

"Who is it, then?" The question slipped out before he could stop it, full of desperation. "What are you telling me? Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because it wasn't the right time, Jin." SeungChol sighed, as if searching for the right words, but the urgency in his voice didn't fade. "Now it is. And you can't ignore it. Don't trust him." SeungChol's words pierced Jin like needles. The phone felt heavy in his hand.

"But... how do you know all this?" The disbelief made it hard to think clearly. He couldn't understand how SeungChol knew something he hadn't even realised himself.

"I can't explain everything over the phone." SeungChol's voice softened, but the seriousness remained. "But I'm telling you now because it's urgent, Jin. You need to be prepared." Silence filled the room for a moment. Jin was caught between confusion and fear, unsure who he could trust.