Little (Under Editing)

Chapter 21: A Friend

Chapter 21:  A Friend

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the study, highlighting the tension that hung heavy in the air. Jungkook stood stiffly before his father, Jeonho, the man's anger a palpable force. Jeonho, a towering figure of wealth and power, radiated an aura of barely contained fury.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jeonho's voice boomed, the words laced with a venomous edge.

Jungkook remained silent, his gaze unwavering. He knew he was in trouble, but he refused to give his father the satisfaction of seeing him cower.

"You goddamn knew, kid!" Jeonho roared, slamming a book on Jungkook's chest, the force of the impact sending a jolt of pain through his body. "Why would you leave your fiance's birthday and drive a friend of yours instead? Have you lost your sanity?!"

Jungkook's jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. "I don't understand what you're talking about," he said, his voice flat and emotionless, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play dumb with me, Jungkook," Jeonho snarled, his eyes narrowed. "You know exactly what you did. You prioritized that… that friend over your fiance. Do you have any idea how disrespectful that is?"

Jungkook's inner voice scoffed. "Yun Seong knew about it. She didn't complain, so why would you?"

"Are you insane?!" Jeonho bellowed, his voice echoing through the room. "It doesn't matter if she didn't complain. You should prioritize your fiance! Do you think I wouldn't find out about your stupidity?!"

"All I needed to do was please her, right?  She didn't mind what I did. I don't see any reason for you to react like this," Jungkook argued back, his voice laced with a hint of defiance.

"Now you know how to use your brain when you're talking back to me?!" Jeonho thundered, slamming his fist on the desk, his face contorted with rage.

"I'm just saying it's unnecessary for you to get mad like this. It's not like you'll get into trouble with what I did. Yun Seong even agrees with it," Jungkook defended himself, his voice growing bolder.

"Jungkook, you'll become a husband very soon. You should know how to act like one! Did you think you won't hurt Yun Seong by your actions? You need to be a decent husband for her. You will fail her if you are like this even just as her fiance," Jeonho advised, his voice softening slightly, but his words still carried a heavy weight of disapproval.

"I don't see any problem, though," Jungkook muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.

"You better take her on a date now to amend your mistake. I don't want to be an embarrassment to my friend just because of you," Jeonho said, his voice laced with a threat.

"Fine," Jungkook agreed, his voice devoid of emotion. He didn't want to hear his father's rants anymore. It was a pointless exercise, a battle he couldn't win.

He left his father's house, his mind racing, his heart heavy with a mixture of frustration and longing. He wanted to be with Taehyung, to escape the suffocating pressure of his father's expectations. He pulled out his phone, his fingers hovering over Jimin's name, but then he saw Taehyung's caller ID pop up on the screen. A wave of warmth washed over him, chasing away the shadows of his frustration.

"Baby..." he answered, his voice softening, a hint of tenderness lacing his words. "What's up? Why did you call?"

"Well, uh, I just want to ask how are you?" Taehyung's voice was shy, his tone laced with a hint of concern. "You left while I was asleep..."

"I'm sorry, love, I had a business need to deal with. You were sleeping peacefully; that's why I couldn't say goodbye to you," Jungkook explained, his voice laced with gentle reassurance.

"I see..." Taehyung mumbled. "Sorry for bothering you, though. I just missed you..." he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.

"I know that very well, babe," Jungkook chuckled, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

"Will you come back here?" Taehyung asked, his voice barely audible, his question laced with a hint of hope.

"Would you like me to?" Jungkook responded, his voice teasing, his heart already yearning to be back in Taehyung's presence.

"Well, Jin Hyung said it's fine, but if you're busy, it's okay. I don't want to bother you..." Taehyung uttered, his voice filled with a mixture of shyness and concern.

"I can't promise you, but maybe I'll try. I had a lot of things I needed to do. Is that fine?" Jungkook suggested, his voice laced with a hint of regret.

"Sure, but can you inform me if you can come? So I can tell Jin Hyung to prepare something delicious for us," Taehyung said, his voice filled with excitement, a warmth that filled Jungkook's heart.

"I would've loved to, baby," Jungkook said, his smile widening, his heart soaring with happiness.

"Okay, Jungkookie, bye," Taehyung said, ending the call.

Jungkook simply chuckled, his mood lifting. He needed to find a way to escape his father's forced date, to get back to Taehyung. He badly wanted to see him, to feel the warmth of his presence, to be lost in the comforting embrace of his love.

Jeonho, watching Jungkook from the window of his study, saw his son pull out his phone and dial a number. He knew that this "friend" was someone special to Jungkook. He had seen the way Jungkook looked at him, the way his eyes softened, the way his demeanor shifted. It was a vulnerability that Jeonho found both unsettling and infuriating.

He picked up his phone, his fingers dialing a number, his voice cold and calculating.

"Yes, Boss, what did you call for?"

"Keep an eye on my son, Jeon Jungkook. Tell me everything he does. Mostly, if there was someone who seemed to be close to him. Tell me immediately who that person is. I will give you something important to do once you successfully do what I just told you," Jeonho explained, his voice laced with a dangerous threat.

"Sure, Boss, I'll do that, and I promise you, I won't fail you," the voice on the other end replied, his tone obsequious.

Jeonho ended the call, his eyes narrowed, his mind already formulating a plan. He would get rid of anyone who threatened his son's future, anyone who dared to stand in the way of his carefully constructed legacy. He would not allow a small mistake, a fleeting distraction, to ruin everything he had built for so long. His son, Jeon Jungkook, would be his heir, his legacy, and he would make sure that nothing, not even love, would stand in the way of his destiny.