FACING THE SAME FACE | JINKOOK

CH18

JungKook watched from the corner of the room, his eyes fixed on Jin and TaeHyung, who were sitting close to each other, speaking in low voices, their laughter blending with the air. Despite the distance, the atmosphere felt charged. He couldn't help but notice how they looked at each other, how their laughter seemed more intense than usual, closer. Something tightened in his chest, a feeling he couldn't quite identify but that grew with every word exchanged between them.

"Why is he so close to TaeHyung?" JungKook thought, confusion overtaking him as the knot of jealousy tightened in his stomach.

"Are you looking a bit too much, JungKook?" SeungChol's voice pulled him out of his trance. The tone was laced with a hint of mockery, something that made JungKook quickly turn around.

SeungChol was standing by the door, a playful smile curving his lips. There was something in his gaze that JungKook couldn't quite read, but it made him feel on edge.

"What's up, SeungChol?" JungKook tried to sound indifferent, but his voice betrayed his unease.

"Oh, nothing... It just seems like you're watching a bit too closely," SeungChol said, walking towards him without taking his eyes off his face. "At Jin and TaeHyung, right? Could it be that they're so close it makes you uncomfortable?" JungKook frowned. It couldn't be true. SeungChol was just teasing him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course, you do," SeungChol replied with a light chuckle. "It's obvious you're bothered, right? The little closeness, the private jokes between them..." His tone was soft, but the mischief was evident. "You're jealous, JungKook, aren't you?" The blow was direct, though disguised as a joke. JungKook couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. Jealous? Him? His face reddened slightly, but he tried to hide it.

"No, I'm not jealous," he said quickly, but his voice sounded more insecure than he'd like to admit. "It's just... weird seeing them so close."

"Sure, sure..." SeungChol didn't bother to hide his mischievous smile. He took another step closer, lowering his voice. "So, what would you do if... if they were really beyond that 'friendship' they pretend to have? Wouldn't you like to know how close they really are?" JungKook swallowed hard, a painful knot forming in his chest. What did he mean by that? The idea of Jin and TaeHyung having something more than friendship made him feel... dizzy, overwhelmed, as if something inside him had broken. But how could it be? It couldn't be. It just couldn't!

"What are you implying, SeungChol?" JungKook looked him in the eye, trying to control the anger that was starting to boil inside him. "I don't know what you're trying to do with this, but I don't have time for your jokes."

"Oh, don't get like that," SeungChol shrugged, but the look he gave him was more challenging than sympathetic. "I'm just curious to know how in love you are with Jin. Does it make you uncomfortable seeing them together? Would you like to be in TaeHyung's place? You with Jin?" The question hit him like a punch in the stomach. JungKook didn't know how to deal with the intensity of what he'd just heard.

"I don't know what you're talking about." His response was automatic, but he said it in a quieter voice, almost as if he were saying it to himself. Doubt settled in his mind, like a slow poison.

SeungChol wasn't fooled.

"Come on, JungKook. It's obvious you still have feelings for him. You're jealous, and I don't know why you're denying it. It's natural. It's not something you should be ashamed of." JungKook closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a mix of rage, confusion, and sadness. Was that what he felt? Memories of Jin flooded his mind—smiles, hugs, promises they'd shared... Why did it feel like all of that was crumbling now, as if it had never been real?