The Bet - Masters of Puppetry » Jikook

열더섯

Part Fifteen
"I don't want this to end."
        
         
Once again, Jungkook thought his lungs were out of air. His whole world was spinning around ruthlessly and he didn't know how to make it stop. There was also a painful sting in the depth of his chest, an indicator for his bleeding heart.

This was the moment he had dreaded so much; Jimin's getting the know the truth.

Everything had seemed so perfect, but Jungkook should have known better than to believe happiness was something he could have in his life, that is was something he knew how to keep.

Jungkook didn't know how to act around his boyfriend anymore, though. Jimin must've heard what he had said on the phone. Something about his countenance told him that he had heard. He knew.

"I won the bet."

"Fuck, I did what you had told me to, Namjoon. I slept with him."

There really was nothing left for him to say. He had played with Jimin, had withheld the truth from him. Jungkook just didn't have it in him to trot out another excuse. Moreover, there was no adequate defence. There was nothing he could say or do to make the elder feel better, either, and he certainly didn't deserve to be lied to. No, no more lies.

Since Jungkook didn't give an answer, Jimin looked disappointed and eventually told the younger, "You know what? Save it! I won't believe a word you say anyway. What I've heard is reason enough for me to leave." The blond male turned around and stormed back into the living room to pack up his stuff.

Jungkook didn't stop him. Instead, he was glued to the spot, his eyes following the elder's every move.

Besides, it was Jimin's right to go. Hell, Jungkook would've done the same if he were him. What he hadn't realized yet was that Jimin didn't truly want to make use of that right. He much rather felt as if he had to. There were tears streaming down his deeply saddened face. He had fallen in love with the younger. Jimin knew that now. His heart was breaking into a million pieces only Jungkook was able to put back together.

But his behaviour hurt the elder even more, the way Jungkook stayed silent and didn't even try to explain himself.

Had he ever cared about Jimin at all?

"I fucking hate you, Jungkook," the blond cried out desperately. "I hate you so, so much!" He didn't actually mean it but, at the same time, he did. Jimin didn't specifically hate the brunet. He merely hated loving him.

After Jimin had made sure to have taken all his belongings, he set out for the front door. But in spite of his reasoned urge to leave the brunet's apartment, he was reluctant to press the door handle.

He didn't even know what he was waiting for.

Maybe he was hoping for Jungkook to call after him, to stop him from going away. Maybe he was hoping for him to tell him another bittersweet lie just to make him stay, because he would. God, how much he would love to stay. But how could he ever be sure whether he was in love with the real Jungkook or whether he had fallen for someone who didn't even exist, someone the younger had created to fool him?

"Wait!"

Jimin raised his head to see how the other was walking up to him in a frantic hurry. "Wait. Please, hear me out," the brunet whispered while reaching out for Jimin's hand to hold it tightly. "Yes, I lied to you. I admit it."

Jungkook's bottom lip was quivering helplessly. He was keenly aware of his being close to shedding tears as well. It was hard for him to face the elder, knowing his following words will hurt him badly, but he had to tell him the truth and nothing but the truth. Anything else wouldn't have been fair.

Jimin deserved to know about Namjoon and what he had to do with their relationship, if they still had one. Also, he needed to hear it coming from Jungkook's mouth. The younger didn't want him to form an opinion based on assumptions.

"The guy I was just talking to on the phone, that was Namjoon. We made a bet about a month ago," the brunet recounted, meanwhile always checking the other's facial expression.

It was reserved and cold as if he didn't care a fig about it. Jungkook didn't blame him.

"He made me seduce you. He gave me immunity for some bad things I've done back when I was a teenager in return. I don't know why he was so interested in setting me up with you, I still have no idea, but I accepted his offer. I didn't really think about it. Then he told me where to find you, so I did and well... You know what happened afterwards. I told him about our night and that I was done with him and I genuinely thought I was until he called me up today," he explained the situation they were currently in, avoiding Jimin's intimidating gaze. His voice was shaking as he brought up both his hands to caress the blond's cheeks hesitantly.

Jimin was confused by the other's soft touches and overtaxed by all the information he had been provided with, and hurt at that.

He felt used all over again, like a doll you fish out of a toy box whenever you feel like it. Both Jungkook and whoever that Namjoon was, probably the guy that had harassed him in the supermarket, had taken advantage of Jimin's broken state. They had chosen him to be the victim of their playing God. They had decided to pave the path of his future, the way you fabricate a story for puppetry, making Jimin feel powerless, unconscious.

He felt as if everything had been fake.

Each and every kind word the younger had spoken, every friendly gesture he had come forward with and every tender kiss he had given him seemed like only means to an end now. Jimin couldn't even trust his own doings any longer since he had been manipulated.

How was he supposed to trust Jungkook of all people ever again?

"Jimin, in all honesty, I don't know what Namjoon is expecting from me right now. I think he wants us to break up but I don't want to. I- I really meant it when I said I liked you," Jungkook emphasized his being sincere. Even if Jimin was to break up with him, he didn't want him to leave, thinking it had all been an act. "I really do like you, Jimin. I don't want this to end. Nonetheless, he's a bad guy and I- I'm afraid he's onto you. Maybe he's bluffing, maybe he's not, but I'm genuinely scared for you. Let me protect you. Please."

He believed him, he really did. But it was simply no longer possible for Jimin to ever look at the younger the way he had looked at him before. So, the blond smiled with tears in his eyes, watching the other lovingly before pecking his forehead.

"Goodbye, Jungkook."

With that having been said, Jimin grabbed the door knob and abandoned the younger's apartment without looking back, leaving not only one but two hearts excruciatingly broken.

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