The Prince (JiKook)

Degorgement/Demi-Sec

Afterwards, JK escorted Jimin back to his room, treating Jimin very gently the entire time as if Jimin was someone to be cherished. JK left the room only after he placed his forehead softly against Jimin's to check that Jimin was not feverish anymore.

He even left Jimin caring words - "Don't push yourself too hard." as he left the room.

Following that, he did not hug Jimin roughly, and instead, planted a tender kiss on Jimin's soft lips.

Jimin silently reprimanded himself for craving that pair of gentle arms.

Why?

Why would he kiss me so gently?

After JK had left the room, Jimin was left alone, unable to calm his confused heart down.

The side of JK that he had just discovered and the encouraging words that JK spoke both lingered distinctly on Jimin's heart.

Since he was young, he had always wanted to be able to clearly make his own honest opinions and true feelings known, but once he thought about the position (standing) that he was in, he was unable to voice such thoughts no matter how desperately he tried.

To Jimin's own surprise, he was able to reveal the suffering and misery that he felt to JK wholeheartedly.

The heat on his face refused to cool down.

Feeling restless, Jimin was unable to sit or stroll around his room calmly. As such, he decided to leave his room to take a quick breather.

Recently, the extent to which his subordinates were not allowing him to do his duties as they were worried about his condition seemed to have gone too far to the point that they were being too overprotective of Jimin. Perhaps he should just find V and inform him in person that he was well enough to return to his duties.

This was the first time that Jimin went to find V on his own accord openly.

Jimin strode unhurriedly down the long hallway. Every time Jimin went to find V regarding work matters, V's subordinates would be on alert as they suspected that Jimin finding V was an act laced with ulterior motives.

Any man born as a royalty would definitely have their eyes on the throne. The people around V had judged Jimin with such unfounded assumptions and thus believed anything that Jimin does was an act to harm V.

Jimin himself was restricted by such unwelcome judgements of others, and was in turn, unable to face V openly and honestly.

As time passed, Jimin's frame of mind was gradually influenced by the people around him such that he started to think that V was indeed his enemy.

In reality, however, he hated the idea of having to fight with someone and he absolutely did not want to think of V as an enemy.

The words that JK had spoken earlier today made Jimin feel as if he had found himself again.

Now, Jimin knew that he would be able to be sincerely happy from the bottom of his heart for V's marriage and ascendance of the throne.

After everything that has happened, even if they could no longer have an ordinary brotherly relationship, Jimin did not have a shred of malicious intent towards V anymore. Moreover, his heart was no longer narrow and cold - he no longer felt bitter about someone else's happiness.

Although seeing others basking in their own happiness would make him feel miserable about himself as he was someone without anything, he knew that doing so would do him no good and would not bring him any sort of happiness.

V simply would not take Jimin seriously.

If Jimin continued to remain distraught over such a reality, would that not be even more foolish?