Pretend • Vmin

"Hypocrite"

[Edited]

—even I'm disappointed in Jimin here 🙄
the urge to delete this 😬

Before anyone forgets, Jimin and Taehyung aren't even together at this point—let's not forget Tae + Hyorin.

This will probably be the only rant I'll make. Enjoy the rest of the angst!

♚

Chapter Nine

"Hypocrite"

Jungkook flipped through channels with growing irritation. Nothing held his attention. It was always like this, noise filling the room, emptiness settling in anyway. Everyone else seemed to have their lives figured out. He scoffed quietly at the thought. As if that meant anything.

The knock at the door cut through his spiraling thoughts. Jungkook waited. One knock meant nothing. When a second followed, he stood, annoyance already set in his shoulders. He dragged a hand through his hair before opening the door.

Jimin.

Pink hair dusted with snow, cheeks flushed red from the cold, lips bitten raw like he'd been chewing on them the entire walk over.

Jungkook stiffened. "What are you doing here?" The words came out sharper than intended, but not unwelcome.

"Hey..." Jimin looked up at him, eyes too soft, too careful. He hugged himself slightly. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Jungkook hesitated. Letting Jimin stand there felt wrong. Letting him in felt worse.

"The place is a mess," he muttered, already stepping aside.

Jimin slipped past him anyway.

"You didn't change anything," Jimin said quietly, looking around the living room.

Jungkook shut the door harder than necessary. "Didn't see the point."

It wasn't a lie. He just hadn't cared enough to fix it.

Jimin's gaze drifted—and landed on the framed photo of them still hanging on the wall.

Jungkook felt it then. That flicker of something unpleasant. Not guilt—never that. Something closer to irritation. Possession.

He'd meant to take it down. He just hadn't wanted to.

Jimin noticed it. Said nothing.

That silence unsettled him more than any accusation could've.

They moved into the kitchen, Jungkook trailing behind.
"You kept the couple mugs," Jimin said softly. "For Seokjin-hyung?"

Jungkook took it from his hands without asking. "Seokjin and I ended it months ago." He nodded toward the cabinet. "Your mug's still there. Blue one."

Jimin picked it up. Jungkook watched as his lips curved slightly while he read his name written crookedly across the ceramic.

"I told you I should've written our names properly," Jimin said, sending him a small glare before chuckling.

Jungkook shrugged, "Fine. You're always good at everything, aren't you?"

Jimin raised an eyebrow, "Are you talking to me or yourself?"

"Myself," he answered easily, flashing a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

The silence that followed wasn't awkward, it was charged.