𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 ❤ (𝙹𝚒𝚔𝚘𝚘𝚔 💜)

27) Under Scrutiny

The café Jungkook had chosen was quiet, tucked into a narrow alley near campus. It wasn’t too flashy, nor too empty — just enough noise around to provide privacy. The kind of place where questions could be asked in low voices and answers didn’t echo.

Jungkook sat at the farthest booth, his hands folded on the table, face unreadable as always. Calm. Composed. Or at least he looked that way.

Until Jihyun walked in.

Dressed in his casual grey hoodie and black jeans, Jihyun looked like the older brother every younger sibling knew they couldn’t lie to. Sharp eyes. A tight jaw. And a kind of tiredness that didn't come from lack of sleep but from life experience.

He spotted Jungkook almost instantly and walked over without any greetings. Jungkook stood out of habit — respect, maybe — and offered a brief nod. “Thanks for coming.”

“I didn’t come here to drink overpriced coffee,” Jihyun said, sliding into the seat opposite him. “So let’s skip the politeness.”

Jungkook didn’t flinch. He simply nodded and sat back down.

The waiter came and went. Neither of them bothered ordering anything.

“So,” Jihyun started, leaning forward, “when did you two fall in love?”

Jungkook expected that. He looked him straight in the eye. “It happened gradually. I didn’t notice it at first.”

“That’s vague.”

“It was vague,” Jungkook replied smoothly. “I didn’t realize it myself for a while.”

Jihyun tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “And you’re telling me that my brother just… what? Got swept up in your charms? And never thought to tell me a damn thing?”

Jungkook shrugged.

He shrugged.

Making Jihyun more angry than he already is.

“Where did you two first meet?”

Jungkook didn’t miss a beat. “A café,” he said plainly.

Jihyun raised an eyebrow. “A café? Not your campus?”

Jungkook nodded. “It was before I knew he was a student. That morning. I went to the cafe actually and bumped into him. " Jungkook smiled a bit remembering the memory.

"And he spilled his coffee on my suit. Looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him.”

“But something about him caught my eye right then,” Jungkook continued, voice softer. “He was clumsy — yeah — but he was still… composed. Not in a forced way, just… natural. He tried to clean the mess while bowing every two seconds, apologizing like he committed a war crime. I couldn’t stop watching.”

Jihyun’s expression didn’t change, but he was clearly listening now.

“I haven’t seen that kind of… innocence in someone before. He looked fragile, but he carried himself with this quiet strength — like he’d been through things, and still stood tall. It was rare. I didn’t even know his name, but something pulled me in that day.”

“You fell for him right then?” Jihyun asked, tone skeptical.

Jungkook gave a small smile. “Yeah. I think I did.”

“And who confessed first?” Jihyun asked, eyes narrowing.

“I did,” Jungkook answered simply. “He took forever to even admit he might like me back. I had to do the work.”