The Clandestine Us

Twenty-five

───── ❝ Jungkook's POV ❞ ─────

We returned to our room a little while after Jennie left. Mingyu wouldn't stop teasing me, saying my eyes were practically glowing—completely different from when he first saw me today. He kept calling it the "Jennie effect," and honestly, I wasn't about to deny it.

Everything felt lighter. The drinks tasted better, the food was more enjoyable, the conversations felt more engaging, and even the songs seemed to hit differently. Maybe it really was Jennie's effect—on my mood, on my whole being.

The room was filled with people I was close with, so there wasn't a single dull moment. Laughter, banter, and music filled the space, keeping the energy alive.

"JK, JK! Who even invited you here?" I heard Bang Chan call out to me over the noise, his voice laced with curiosity.

I downed the rest of my drink before lazily pointing at Mingyu, who was beside me, jumping around with the others, his arm slung over my shoulder.

"Mingyu did," I answered, slightly slurring my words.

Bang Chan blinked.

"Huh? How?" He looked genuinely confused. "This is a 1995-liners get-together, you know? Baekho-sunbaenim asked me to attend on his behalf, so I brought Yugyeom along."

"Really? Well... it's true. Mingyu invited me," I shrugged, watching as Bang Chan nodded, still looking baffled.

The night went on, the music shifting between upbeat and mellow tracks. At one point, a slower, sweeter song started playing, and for a second, I wished Jennie was here. It would've been nice to dance with her.

"Gyu, you seriously invited JK?" Bang Chan asked again, still stuck on it.

"Uh, yeah," Mingyu answered casually. "He's Jimin's plus-one. I'm Seungcheol's."

I raised a brow.

"Wait,.. how did that even happen?"

"I asked him, and he agreed. Simple as that," Mingyu grinned.

"I'm Jeonghan's plus-one, and DK is Joshua's," Minghao chimed in.

I frowned slightly, realization dawning on me. So we actually needed to be invited by someone from 1995 to be here?

"The '97-liners should do something like this too," Yugyeom suggested.

"Nah, we're too lazy to organize something this big," Eunwoo answered nonchalantly.

"Gyeomie would probably take charge," DK joked.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no," Yugyeom immediately shut it down, making everyone laugh.

Despite the teasing and the randomness of the night, I couldn't shake off the lightness in my chest. Jennie was giving me a chance to talk tomorrow. She told me she missed me. She still cares. That alone made me feel like tomorrow was bound to be a good day.

As an upbeat song blasted through the speakers again, we all jumped up, linking arms over each other's shoulders, forming a circle as we bounced to the rhythm. It was chaotic, fun, and full of energy—like we were meant to be here, even if it wasn't really our party. But somehow, it felt like we made it ours.

───── ❝ Rosé's POV ❞ ─────

The energy in the room was electric, pulsing with the deep bass of the music. Hwasa was completely drunk, moving effortlessly to the beat, her body swaying in a way that commanded attention. It was like a silent signal—before I knew it, Jennie, Jisoo, and Wheein had joined in, their movements just as hypnotic.