Hooked | JJK | Thirteen

  Pair: UndergroundFighter!Jungkook x f!reader 

Summary: Walking away from your brother was never what you intended, you just wanted to run from the ghosts of your past. But now you’re back home and ready to pick things up from where you left off. If only things could be that easy, right? 

There’s a new guy living in your house, your brother’s best friend, someone you can’t help but grow close to. And the more you find out about him, the more you learn about yourself. An underground fight club, a newspaper competition, an overprotective brother and secrets you can’t seem to escape from. Did you make the right decision by coming back? Or did you just put yourself and those you love in danger? 

Genre: Series, fluff, smut, angst. All the aus: non-idol, underground fighter, brother’s best friend, roommates, rap-scene, chaebol. 

Chapter warning: You go to Jeju, secrets start to come out, some familiar faces appear and………. Jealous Jk is here. 

WC: 7.6k

 JULY 09TH | 06:41

You should be out of the house by seven am on the dot to go to the airport to fly to Jeju. You might not be the friendliest morning person on the planet, not like Hoseok anyway, but you also weren’t as hard to wake up as your brother. 

None of that explained, however, how it was ten minutes until you had to be out of the door and you still couldn’t get out of your desk chair. 

You’ve been staring into your computer screen for the past thirty minutes, after reading and re-editing your article for what felt like the hundredth time since you decided to give this contest a shot. A week ago you would have been perfectly fine with just sending in the first draft, just the way it was when you first word-dumped on the empty document, but now you had your doubts. 

Now you had Taehyung’s words bouncing around in your head; what if people actually took an interest in the article, what if the police got involved? Now you thought about Mingyu, the friendly giant that was more like a big baby once you got to know him. You thought about Lisa and how she was working to put herself through makeup school. You thought about Hatter and his weird-print shirts and about Hwasa and her friends, who just wanted to make clothes. 

On the other hand, you had changed a few major details that wouldn’t identify the Circle. For starters, you called it The Hole. You said the hidden passage was at the back of a convenience store and not at a laundromat. You didn’t use any real names and you changed a few things to protect everyone involved. 

But you still couldn’t shake off the shadow looming over your shoulder asking… What if you ruined everything, without meaning to? Hell was full of good intentions, afterall. 

This would have been easier to do if the fighters were being exploited, if they were bleeding every night. You wouldn’t be hesitating if the girls were there against their will. 

“For fucks’ sake, what’s taking you so long?!” Namjoon was yelling from somewhere down the hall. 

“Give me a minute!” you shouted back. 

“If the car gets here and you’re not out, we’re going without you!”

Your brother was under a lot of pressure, but damn did he need to be a pain in the ass right now?! 

“Good luck checking into the hotel without me!” 

It was now or never, you knew that. You had a few more hours before the applications closed and you had to send in the article, but you were about to leave town and you didn’t want to have this looming over your head. 

With your heart on your throat, you moved all the way down to the bottom of the page, pressing ENTER a few times and adding a note:

‘This story is a work of fiction written under the pseudonym of K. Y. This is for entertainment purposes only.’ 

You couldn’t explain it, but it felt like a mountain had been taken off your shoulders. You were able to breathe in and out freely. You saved the file and uploaded it to the contest website, adding an email that didn’t say much about your identity and sending it in. 

“Here goes nothing.” you told yourself as you pressed send. 

And then you were closing off your computer and running out of your bedroom after grabbing your backpack and shoving your phone into the pocket of your pants. The house was quiet, all of the lights were off and the front door was open. 

You shoved your feet into your shoes as you turned on the alarm of the house, locking it behind you. 

Outside in the front yard, Namjoon was already sitting on the front seat of the paid ride that would take you to the airport, but sweet Jeongguk was pretending to have a hard time fitting the suitcases into the booth of the car, no doubt to gain you more time. 

“I’m here!” you announced as you hopped on one foot as you tried to push your ankle into the back of your shoe. “Did I miss Bammie? I wanted to kiss him goodbye.” 

“You missed him by five minutes.” Jeongguk told you with a side pout, suddenly managing to close the booth with no more issues. “He was happy to see the trainer, don’t worry.”

Bam had to stay behind and you obviously couldn’t leave him alone at the house, so you had to send him to a nice puppy-daycare. It was the same one where Yoongi and Jimin always sent Holly when they had to be out of town, so you knew you could trust them. 

“You wouldn’t have missed him if you were on time.” your brother grumbled from the front seat. 

“Hyung, we have plenty of time to get to our flight.” ever the pacifist, Jeongguk tried to ease everyone’s moods.  

“What were you even doing anyway?” Namjoon still pushed, even though everyone was sitting inside the car at 06:59h. “Don’t you usually pack like, a week ahead of time?” 

“I couldn’t find my g-string.” you deadpanned, feeling surprisingly satisfied to hear Namjoon choking and looking to the driver as if ready to apologize. 

“Yaaaah.”

But your sibling left you alone after that, which was all you needed right now. 

It was weird to share the backseat with Guk and have to sit so far away from him. Granted, there was only the middle seat separating you, but you were both practically stuck to your respective doors, looking out the window as if glancing at each other could suddenly tip off your brother that just last night you were sneaking kisses inside the pantry. 

You were about to pull your headphones out of your backpack, to cover the awkward silence with a podcast, when you caught Jeongguk typing on his phone by the corner of your eye. And as soon as he stopped, your phone buzzed in your pocket. 

If Jeongguk wanted to play, you’d play. 

You clicked on the share button and was taken to your camera roll, scrolling a few pictures down to find the few many photos you took while wearing the same tiny bikini bottom you were talking about. It wasn’t exactly a g-string, per-se, but the way you were posing made it look like it was and that was good enough for you. 

In the picture you selected, you were in the bathroom of your house, back turned to the mirror while your ass was resting on the sink counter to make it look bigger. You weren’t wearing the matching top of the bathing suit, so Guk could see your bare back and a tiny bit of the side of your boob as you turned at an angle that let you aim the phone to take the picture. 

You added to your thread and looked at the boy sitting across from you to see his reaction. 

Jeongguk’s lips parted as if he was about to say something, about to react, only them remembering he needed to watch himself. His eyes were still wide and his tongue poked between his lips before adjusting himself on the sit as if the car bench suddenly became too uncomfortable. 

You knew you’d won when he locked the screen and placed the phone on top of his thigh, without replying to you. 

 JULY 09TH | 11:59

You might’ve been a little late to meet everyone in the lobby of the Lotte Hotel, but at least you weren’t the last one to arrive. By the time you joined the group, Hoseok and Angel still hadn’t made it. All you found was a nervous Namjoon, a relaxed Yoongi, a pouty Jimin and an avoidant Jeongguk. 

“Listen, I get that you have ‘artist stuff’ to do,” Jimin was saying as you approached the group, complete with air quotations and everything. “But why does Angel get to come, too?” 

“What did I miss?” you stepped into the circle, fitting in between Jimin and your brother. 

All everyone did was check-in into the hotel and change from the plane clothes into something more island friendly and your blonde friend already found something to complain about. 

“They are going to the festival now!” Jimin told you, Busan satoori tick on his full lips. 

“We're not going to the festival, Min.” Yoongi gently corrected. “We're going to sign up and get our artists’ pass.” 

“And your backstage passes too, hyung.” Jeongguk added, but he didn’t spare a look at you once. 

“And Angel is coming because she's pretending to be our manager.” Namjoon explained. “Make us look good, yknow?”

“I can pretend I’m a manager, too.” Jimin scoffed, looking at you to link your arms together and add: “The two of us can.” 

“Dressed like that?” Yoongi pointed out. 

Jimin was wearing red swimming shorts and a black, sleeveless shirt. You were just as underdressed in your mustard yellow, two piece bathing suit and tiny denim shorts. When Yoongi sent you a pleading look, you knew he was asking for help. 

“I don’t know, Minie, I was kinda hoping we could have some drinks by the pool.” you offered a second option. “We can catch up, tan, and then meet the boring crew back at the festival later.” 

It looked like Jimin wanted to argue, but thought better about it and asked the boys: “Are you just staying there all day?” 

“Namjoon-ah is going to have a fit if we don’t stay there long enough to see his wife.” Yoongi deadpanned, making you and Jimin stare at your brother. 

“His what, now?” you weren’t holding back a laugh, eyes wide and thirsty for the tea. 

“Yah, it’s not–” Namjoon tried to defend himself, but Jimin lifted a finger to shut him and it worked. 

Damn, you should learn how to do that. 

Jimin pointed to Jeongguk, who had perpetually pink cheeks since you arrived. 

“You, go.” 

“Well, I don’t–” Jeongguk choked, but he wasn't immune to Jimin’s convincing powers. “There’s this band Joon hyung likes and they are playing at the festival today.” 

“And Joon-ah has a fat fucking crush on the lead singer.” Yoongi finished throwing your sibling under the bus. 

“I regret ever telling any of you shit.” Namjoon complained while you giggled. 

“Okay, well, I’m not missing that.” you grinned. “Text us the time and we’ll join you.”

“Hyung!” Jeongguk was waving to someone behind you and everyone looked back to see Hoseok and Angel. 

Both of them looked red in the face and a little sweaty, Hoseok was fixing his shirt and his girlfriend was pretending everything was perfectly normal. It was obvious to all of you why the couple was late, which just proved all of the stories you’ve heard about the two of them. 

“I’m glad my room isn’t close to theirs.” you mumbled, highly amused. 

“Why is that, by the way?” Jimin sent you a look with squinted eyes. “Why did you have to put me sharing a wall with the Dom and Sub of the group?” 

“Is everyone good to go?” Angel saved you from having to reply, still sounding out of breath. “I’m excited for my first day as manager. Usually I’m just the one dressing you.” 

“Take good care of them, unnie.” you told her genuinely. “We’ll see you guys later.” 

Before Jimin could continue to pout or complain any more, or even bat his eyes enough to convince Yoongi to bring him along, you grabbed Jimin’s arm and pulled him away. 

You’ve been to this hotel a few times growing up, back when your family was still complete, so you knew your way around without having to look at the information signs. You went from the lobby to the pool area outside in a heartbeat. 

Summer definitely arrived as you felt the sun burning your skin deliciously as you stepped outside, taking your sunglasses from the top of your head to cover your eyes. You and Jimin were side by side and it was incredible just how many men and women stopped to see him pass. And he knew it, too, smirking and running a hand through his golden locks. 

Maybe Yoongi should have said yes to bringing him along. 

“Bar first?” Jimin asked you, to which you nodded positively. 

“We’re on summer break,” you agreed with a shrug. “Kinda.” 

“Are we going to use that excuse all weekend?” the man laughed like a cherub, a sound that always had you smiling along. 

“It works!” 

The outside area of the resort was open and extensive enough that it never looked exaggeratedly busy, unless you were talking about the many bars spread around the place. Jeju was a tropical island, so everyone was in a good mood and shared yours and Jimin’s mentality when it came to day drinking. 

As you stood in front of the Tiki-inspired bar, you and Jimin read the drink options written on the wood board. Some of them you recognized, others you knew how to make from working in the Circle. 

“You know what you want?” you asked Jimin after picking your own.

“I’ll have a Mai Tai.” 

“Coming right up.” 

You marched to the bar, squeezing between two patrons and waving the bartender over. It felt weird to be on this side of the counter, but that was something you’d keep to yourself. 

The workers of this bar looked a lot more overworked than you ever felt at your night-job, and while you had a nice AC all night, these poor underwage employees were sweating in their lime-green uniforms. 

“I’ll take a Moscow and a Mai Tai. Charge it to room B21 and you can add a tip to it.” you smiled as a bartender approached you. Using your recently-acquired pleading eyes, you added: “Don’t hold back the rum, please.”

“You got it!’ the man winked, swayed by the tip, no doubt. 

You watched the drinks be made with justified curiosity and when you had both drinks in your possession, you stepped down from the bar and turned to find Jimin. 

It took you a while to locate him a few meters away, already shirtless and saving two stretchers by the pool. His little wave was cute as you made your way to him. 

“Confidence looks good on you.” Jimin told you as soon as you handed him his drink. 

You definitely felt more comfortable in your own skin –and in showing so much of it– thanks to the outfits you were made to wear for every shift. 

“Your face looks good on you.” you replied, sitting on your chair and silently thanking that half of it was in the shade provided by a beach umbrella. 

“I miss you a lot, you know.” he was always honest and earnest and your heart clenched from how much you missed him. “I feel like we haven't hung out just the two of us since you came back.”

“That’s because we haven’t.” you weren’t happy about that, bringing your drink to your lips. “Now you have a boyfriend and a cousin, so you don't have time for me.”

“It’s good to know you’re still just as dramatic as you were before you left.” Jimin chided, getting comfortable in his seat.  

“I don’t think I really changed that much.”  

“I think you did.” the boy disagreed quickly. “You might not notice it, but I do. You’re being carefree again.” 

“Oh.” 

Hearing those words, put like that, surprised you. You wondered if it was a case of ‘I don’t see you everyday, so I notice changes easily’. And somehow, you didn’t think it was the time you spent abroad that had that effect on you. 

“I think leaving was a good decision.” Jimin spoke again, as if reading your mind, or knowing you too well. “Coming back was even better.”

“I feel bad I wasn’t here for Joon.” perhaps it was the day drinking that made you open up like that. Either that, or you’ve been holding it in for too long. 

“It’s best that you weren't.” he continued to soothe your worries. “He needed Hobi hyung and Yoongi hyung more than he needed you.” 

“Ouch.” you chuckled, but knew he didn’t mean it like that. “I know he was better off without me, it just hurts because I would have helped him if I could.” 

“I know. And he knows that too.” Jimin assured you. “But hyung needed to go through what he went through, just as you.”

Carefree was a word that could never really describe any of the Kim siblings. You were always expected to do great, to have the highest grades, to be the best at all your classes, to join the family company. 

Being the first born son, Namjoon carried most of that weight for a really long time. 

He tried holding up the standards imposed by your parents, but once the accident happened and Appa and Eomma got a divorce, he simply couldn’t handle it anymore. Your brother went through a bad phase, one that hurt everyone around him. His friends, his family, you. Namjoon developed anger issues. Covered himself in tattoos just to piss off your parents even more. 

Later he would justify it as an attempt to feel something, when he numbed himself with either medication or alcohol. Namjoon would go out to dingy clubs and bars, just to pick up fights. You lost count of how many times Yoongi and Hoseok had to drag his ass back home, almost blacked out.  

When your parents split and moved out of the country, Namjoon didn’t know how to deal with it. He was only two years older than you, and you weren’t doing much better either. But when your sibling succumbed to his demons, you didn’t have that option. You were forced to step up, to replace him as the heir of the family line; a decision you were too young to understand the implications of, one you were still trying to get out of to this day. 

But women tend to grow up faster than boys, after all. 

When you left, you weren’t turning your back on Namjoon. Far from it. In fact, you wouldn’t have gone if your presence, if you staying, didn’t make it worse for him.

So you had to watch Namjoon heal from afar, relying on information that your friends sent you, just to know he was okay. That’s when he found his passion for music, in those same underground clubs and dingy places. That’s when he started writing and putting his million thoughts on paper in the form of lyrics. 

Namjoon turned his anger and his pain into art. And you could see he was doing much better now, he was happier. Your relationship was much better, too. There were still moments where he was too overprotective or that he acted before thinking, but you knew his heart was in the right place even if his actions weren’t. 

“Do you need another drink or can I ask what I've been dying to know?” Jimin dropped the bomb, making you stop with your half-full glass on the way to your mouth.  

“Oh god, Park Jimin.” you groaned, folding your legs to sit sideways and look at him as you waited for the worst.  

“What’s going on between you and Gukka?”

It was that accusation that had you coughing as you tried to swallow the drink. Your voice sounded weirdly high pitched when you shot back: “What makes you think there’s something between us?” 

“Oh, please, those three might be too blinded by this festival to notice, but you don’t fool me.” he told you with knowing eyes and a circling finger in your direction. “He didn’t look at you once when you came down to the lobby.” 

“And that means there’s something going on?” you fought, taking another sip of the drink to wash down your nerves. “What in the fifth grade is this?”

“Oh my god, you totally fucked.” he deduced. 

“Shut up!” 

“Did you?!” he tried again, but had already made up his mind. “You did, didn’t you?!” 

“Will you shush?!” you looked around to check, even if you knew the rest of your friends weren’t coming back to the hotel this early.  

“This is gold. This is so good.” Jimin was holding his stomach as his legs folded into himself, laughing. “I knew he had a crush on you, and you obviously had a crush on him–”

“What do you mean obviously–”

“But I didn’t know he’d have the guts to do it.” your friend looked surprisingly proud, once he caught his breath. “When did it start?”

Still minding your volume, you told him what he wanted to know: “We kissed that night at The Warehouse.” 

“Damn, after the fight broke out?” his moon eyes were round. “I swear I thought Joon hyung would ground you for life.” 

“Before that whole thing.” you explained, rushing to add: “Thanks for ratting me out, by the way.” 

“If we hadn’t, they wouldn’t have found you and Guk and who knows what would have happened.” Jimin justified, but got back on track: “Hang on, that was over a month ago.”

“Kinda, yeah.” 

“And you’ve been together this whole time?” 

“Not officially… But exclusively.” a fact that very much excited you. “We’re waiting to tell Joon before we make it official.” 

“Oh my God, Namjoon hyung.” he gasped again, reaching for his drink to take a long sip. “He’s gonna freak, you know.” 

“He’s not gonna freak.” you shook your head, but you wished you could sound more certain than you did. “We’re going to talk and show him we’re serious–”

“And then he’s gonna freak that you’ve been sneaking around behind his back for a month.” 

“Woa– it’s not like we’ve just been fucking like bunnies every time he leaves the room!” you whined in your own defense, resting your drink on the table between your chairs. You didn’t need any more reasons to feel sick. “We’ve never even slept in the same bed yet.” 

“That’s kinda sad.” Jimin looked at you with pity, but it only lasted a few seconds. “And I guess our group has a thing.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“A thing about hiding relationships. First Hoseok hyung and Angel,” he started to count on his fingers. “Then Yoon and I hid it for a while there. And now you and Guk.” 

“Minsu and Tae didn’t really hide.” you pointed out the flaw in his plan.

“And maybe that’s why they didn’t work.” he shrugged. 

“Because their relationship wasn’t built on lies and deceit?” 

Jimin grinned like an evil Gremlin. “I call it excitement and temptation.”

 JULY 09TH | 19:50

Much to your dismay, you ended up missing Se So Neon’s concert; the band of the woman that your brother apparently held a fanboy crush for. But after two drinks and a day in the sun, you and Jimin ended up falling into a nap that got out of hand too fast. 

You met Hoseok and Angel at the entrance of the Artist’s lounge when the sun was already setting in the sky, getting your all-inclusive-VIP-passes to the closed area reserved for those performing, their guests and a few influencers lucky enough to have been invited to the festival. 

The couple was on their way out, however, as they wanted to tourist around the island before all the craziness that would ensue the next day. 

Warm light bulbs looked like string lights on steroids and brought that backyard feeling to the VIP lounge, the floor was purely grass and a few patches of sand as you weren’t too far from the beach, the wind was nice and cooling down your skin. 

You were wearing a flowy white dress that wasn’t tight on your slightly burnt skin, hair tied up in a bun Chaeyoung taught you how to do. You couldn’t tell anyone, but you missed the pretty bows Moonbyul always made you wear. 

You were also starving when you made it to the festival with Jimin, thankful for the trucks that served free food. Ten minutes ago, your group had split up to gather enough snacks and drinks to share and now you were walking back to the meeting spot while balancing three trays of kimbap. 

Namjoon and Jeongguk had already found a table for the group, each of their contributions in the middle; a full plate of bulgogi, rice and greens, a small tower of corn dogs and a couple bowls of steamy tteokbokki. 

The table could easily sit six people and your brother and secret fling had already taken the spots on the edges, facing each other. You were kneeling on the wooden bench on one of the longer sides of it, adding your kimbap, when Jimin showed up as well. 

“Yoon’s not back yet?” the blonde man was clearly worried, taking the spot on your right and gently nudging you closer to Guk, who was now on the edge to your left. 

“Hyung received a call and just started walking, but he couldn't have gone far.” Jeongguk told him before stuffing his mouth with a piece of meat kimbap.   

“Oh, he’s over there, Minie.” 

You pointed out to a few meters away, where you could see your friend coming over holding plastic cups with what you guessed was beer. But Yoongi wasn’t alone as a guy just a little taller than him was talking to him excitedly. And Yoongi was too receptive of it for the stranger to be only a fan he ran into. 

Next to you, Jimin had hawk eyes towards the scene, but he was much too secure in their relationship to be jealous of something as innocent as talking. 

“Hey, guys. This is my friend Yijeong.” Yoongi introduced the man to your group, placing the five cups that he managed to carry with two hands on the table. “That's my boyfriend Jimin, Namjoon, Guk and that’s Yn.” 

“What’s up, guys.” Yijeong was friendly enough, taking the seat across from you as Yoongi sat across from his boyfriend.

“Yijeong is headlining tomorrow, too.” Yoongi explained what most of you were wondering; how he ran into one of his friends at the festival. 

After quick greetings, Yoongi told his friend that he could eat whatever he liked and you clearly had enough food to feed all of you and then some more. Jimin started to distribute the few paper plates and chopsticks he’d found and you caught yourself staring at the new addition to the group. 

And, obviously, the man wasn’t running from your curious stare. 

“I’m sorry, you just look a little familiar.” you heard yourself saying, as if needing to justify your gaze. 

“So it seems I've left an impression, huh?” one of Yijeong’s arms rested on top of the table as he gave you an answer that clearly meant you’ve met before somehow.  

“He used to DJ at The Hole back in the day.” Yoongi provided a little more content than the man himself. “You might remember him as El Capitxn.” 

“Oh my god, yeah!” 

The Hole was a very popular hole-in-the-wall kind of bar, a few many years ago. The vibes were much like The Warehouse, but with less alternative and more hip hop, with kpop nights in between. 

With a mouth full of rice, your brother joined the conversation: “Wait, you’ve never been to The Hole before.” 

“Just because you didn’t see her there doesn't mean she did go.” Jimin, the prince of Throw-You-Under-The-Bus land told the table.  

“Come on, everyone went to that club.” you waved the air, starting to eat, lest you be left with nothing. “That's where you all started rapping, do you really think I'd never go?” 

“I don't even want to know.” your brother shook his head, downing half of his beer in one go.  

“I didn’t know that place still existed.” you commented, ignoring Namjoon. 

“It does. I haven't DJ-ed there in ages, but I heard it's still going strong.” Yijeong told you as he still looked a bit out of place. 

That is, until Yoongi pushed a corn door near him and the man started to let loose a little bit. Conversation started to flow around you, with Namjoon and Yoongi asking Yijeong about his set tomorrow, Jimin adding his input whenever he saw fit. 

Jeongguk was a little quiet next to you, but he was an introvert at heart. It took a little bit for him to feel comfortable around new people; it was like this when he’d first met you as well. But you hated to see him so in his head, so you turned to him and offered him a small smile. 

“Are you okay, Guk?” you probed him gently, resisting the urge to touch his thigh under the table.  

“Just nervous about tomorrow.” he shrugged, smile not reaching his eyes.  

“You're a headliner too?” Yijeong introduced himself into the conversation, an opening for Guk to let a little loose. 

“Ah, no. Just doing a song.” Jeongguk answered. 

“Not yet.” you encouraged. “Guk is really good, you should check out his stuff. It's goldenjk–”

“Maybe we can get together and you can show me.” Jiyeong offered, but he was talking to you and not to Jeongguk. 

There was flirting and then there was this. The man tongued the inside of his cheek and his eyes held a nonchalant aura that would be attractive, were you not completely locked in with someone else. 

His candidness made you chuckle, more surprised than anything, and shake your head. Maybe you were growing immune to being hit on by strangers, not even reacting to it when hearing much worse than that every bartending shift.  

“Oh my god, that’s her.” Namjoon, who was completely unaware of the conversation happening on your side of the table, was bringing everyone’s attention to him. 

“What are you talking about?” Jimin asked, trying to locate who your sibling was talking about. 

“Soyoon, that’s her!” Namjoon hushed, using his head to point to an area off to his right. 

When you followed Namjoon’s line of sight, you saw the woman he was talking about. She was beautiful, no doubt, but the kind of girl you thought might be Namjoon’s type. Not that you ever thought about it, god no, but this Soyoon didn’t look anything like his exes. 

She had an edgy look to her, intimidating if it wasn’t for the way she was smiling while talking to her friends –band mates?–. Long, dark bangs framed her face, strong features making her stand out. Small eyes were hidden behind aviator glasses, her clothes were a mix of black, white and chains. Her chunky boots reminded you of Jeongguk’s and her makeup definitely didn’t say ‘weekend at the beach’ and more ‘just out of a goth club’.  

“That’s your wife?” you gasped, shocked to say the least. “Damn, she's cool.” 

“I’m sorry, am I missing something?” Yijeong was a little confused about the mention of a wife. 

“Well, go talk to her!” you encouraged your brother, there was no time to explain this whole thing to the new guy. “Shoot your shot, big guy!”

Namjoon scoffed. “Yeah, right. What would I even say?” 

“Hello is a good start.” Jimin proposed.  

“Just tell her you like her band, hyung.” Guk tried too.  

“You know what, I’m going for it.” 

As if taken over by an invisible force, your brother stood up and puffed out his chest. He was hyping himself up with small jumps and you hoped to god that Soyoon wouldn’t look this way right now and watch that scene. 

“Hyung?” Namjoon turned to Yoongi, who was apparently already waiting for it. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be your wingman.” Yoongi looked tired and like he wanted nothing more than to stay seated.

But Yoongi was a real one, getting up after Namjoon and walking off to conquer their mission. You knew for a fact that they had done this dance before, helping each other get girls or boys, ever since they were old enough to be interested in hooking up. You only watched long enough to see both men coming up to the trio and introducing themselves. 

“So how long have you and hyung been together?” Yijeong asked Jimin, reaching for chopsticks and a juicy piece of bulgogi. 

“Almost three years now.” Jimin beamed, proudly. 

“That actually looks really good…” you thought out loud as you watched the newcomer make a little wrap with a perilla leaf, rice and meat. “Mind if I copy you?” 

“You can have this one.” Yijeong offered promptly, reaching for your plate to place the wrap there. 

“Oh, thanks!” 

You picked up the perilla leaf and closed it back to make the wrap, pushing it into your mouth. You closed your eyes just for a second, flavors exploding when you chewed. Yejeong laughed as he made another wrap for himself. 

Jimin was poking you on the side and when you looked at him, he tilted his head towards something on your left. 

That’s when you saw Jeongguk staring at you. 

Pierced eyebrow raised.

Hard gaze.

Jaw locked. 

 JULY 09TH | 22:36

Jeongguk wasn't answering your text messages. 

It's been twenty minutes since you came back to the hotel and everyone went into their respective bedrooms with the intention of getting a good night's sleep before the big day tomorrow. 

You had made plans to go to the beach in the morning before hitting the festival in the afternoon to watch your friends’ performances, so you knew you'd have to wake up early for that to happen. 

But you weren’t ready to go to bed, not before talking to Guk and making sure everything was okay between the two of you. 

All the way back, and for a while there after dinner, the boy didn’t really talk to anyone. 

You had somewhat of an idea of what was going on, as the man only closed into himself when Yijeong joined the group. And, you’d admit, Yoongi’s friend did hit on you a few times during the night. 

Quite shamelessly. 

But you didn’t entertain him, you didn't flirt back and you didn't let it bother you. 

Yet, it still bothered Jeongguk. Which is why you wanted to talk to him to learn Just what he'd expect from you, or what he wished you might have done differently. If not for your own peace of mind, then to avoid situations like these from escalating in the future. 

If only he would answer. 

You tried one last text message, but when it stayed unread for five minutes, you took matters into your own hands. 

When booking the hotel for everyone, after your father pulled some money strings and called a friend –the owner of said hotel, no less–, you were able to pick what kind of suite you wanted and distribute it amongst the group as you saw fit. 

With your own bad intentions in mind, you put yourself and Jeongguk in side by side rooms, connected by a door. Just so that the two of you could freely walk into each other's bedrooms without risk of anyone else seeing it. 

Both of you had the power to stop it, simply by locking the adjoining door from the inside of each respective room. So, when you turned the doorknob and found it unlocked, you knew Guk couldn’t be that mad. 

You opened the door slowly, trying not to spook the man in case he was asleep, but you found the bedroom empty. The bed was a little ruffled, as if someone's been laying down, twist and turning. 

On the other side of the room, the door to the bathroom was slightly open and you heard as the shower started to run; as well as a little curse from the too-hot or too-cold water. 

You made your way over there, finding Jeongguk shirtless and turning faucets left and right to try and adjust the temperature. 

“If you pull that second lever, you'll activate the rain shower.” you peeped, not quite stepping into the bathroom yet. “The water pressure is really good.”

You saw his shoulders move with your voice, but Jeongguk didn’t turn around or acknowledge you. The only way you were certain he even heard you was the fact that he looked up to locate the lever you mentioned and pulled it. 

“I’m getting the silent treatment now?” given that Jeongguk didn’t regard you, he also didn’t tell you to leave, so you took it as the invitation you were waiting for to come in and close the door behind you. “Please, look at me.” 

Jeongguk shook his head and you knew he was rolling his eyes even without seeing it. When he turned to face you, finally, his lips were slightly pursed and his eyebrows were pushed apart. 

This wasn’t the time, but Jeongguk looked hot as hell. 

“So you are mad.” you stated the obvious. 

“Do I have any reason to be mad?” 

This was a funny stand-off. Jeongguk half naked, you in a pretty white dress, the bathroom quickly filling up with steam. 

“You really don’t.” you told him, hoping it might reassure him in some way. 

But then he said: “Does hyung’s friend know that?” 

“Know what, exactly?” you challenged. “Because if you’re asking if he knows I’m not interested, then yes he does.”

“Didn’t look like it from where I was sitting.” his head tilted right, daring you to say he was wrong.  

“Oh, really? Were we not on the same table then?” you didn’t back down, crossing your arms and jutting out your hip. “Because not once did I flirt back.”

“Back, huh?” Jeongguk’s smirk was acidic, like you walked into his trap. “So you admit he was flirting with you?” 

“Did I ever deny it?” you questioned back, taking a step forward.  “I never entertained it, that should count for something.” 

“You never–” and then he was laughing and throwing his head back, making you utterly confused as to what you could have done to cause this.  

“What is that supposed to mean?” getting annoyed wasn’t helping the situation, so you took a breath and tried to calm your nerves. “Guk, what did I do?”

“You took the perilla leaf.” he deadpanned, lips pressed together.  

“What?” 

“The perilla leaf wrap. He gave it to you.” Jeongguk continued and you had to force your brain to decipher what he was even talking about. “And you ate it. You accepted it.”

“I’m wrong for accepting food?” you summed up his nonsense.  

“You don’t get it.” he looked away from you, exhaling through his mouth. “It’s a metaphor.” 

“For what?!”

“First he’s offering you a perilla leaf and next thing you know you’re getting married!” Jeongguk explained, exasperated and with arm gestures to match. You were so astonished that your lips parted but no words came out. “Can’t even argue with my logic, huh?”

“There’s no logic in what you just said!” you practically shrieked.  “Guk–”

“I need to shower, I had a long day.” and then he was turning his back to you and pushing his shorts down to walk into the glass stall.  

“Fine.” you gritted.  

Jeongguk didn’t address you anymore, stepping under the shower stream and letting it damp his hair and body. You had no damn clue what just happened, making a mental note to Naver search possible spiritual meanings connected to a perilla leaf of all things. 

Thankfully, you were too stubborn to leave and let this fester, dropping a curse under your breath before pulling your dress over your head and dropping it on the floor. Your underwear was next to go and you ignored how wet it was. 

You pushed the glass door open, stepping inside after him, unceremoniously. Jeongguk noticed right away, turning around while rubbing the water out of his eyes.

“What are you–”

“Isn’t this what we do now?” you asked loud enough to be heard over the constant flow of water. “We get jealous and then we fuck?” 

You didn’t waste any time in raising yourself on the balls of your feet, holding Jeongguk by the face and kissing him. Jeongguk reacted even faster than you, hands on your waist to pull you against him, mouth opening instantly and attacking your lips. 

You groaned as you felt his teeth on your lips, back bowing in his arms as you pulled back and made him chase you, just to know he wanted this. It earned you another sharp look, one that said you’ve done enough for one night. 

And then he was taking a step back and bringing you with him under the shower head. The water was hot on your sensitive skin, the front of your body was burning against Jeongguk’s. One of his arms circled your waist to keep you safe from slipping on the wet floor, the tattooed hand coming to the back of your neck to hold your head so he could deepen the kiss. 

Everything was wet and you were pretty sure you both swallowed shower water at some point, but you were too gone to care. 

Your body was flipped over and your back was suddenly pressing against the wall of the stall. You hissed from the coldness, looking up to see Jeongguk staring down at you, both of his hands on the wall beside your shoulders, caging you in. He was breathing hard, wet hair pushed back and away from his forehead. His chest was glistening with the shower droplets and reflecting the bright lights of the bathroom. 

“I’m yours.” you persisted, touching the side of his face, thumb caressing his jaw. “You know I’m yours.” 

“I just–” Jeongguk groaned, fingers flexing against the tiles of the wall as if trying to grasp something. “I felt manic tonight. Not able to kiss you in front of that guy, to show him and everyone that yes, you are mine.” 

“I know. I feel it too.” you kissed the corner of his lip, then the other, then his chin. “It won’t be like this forever.” 

“It won’t.” he agreed, eyes closing as his forehead pressed against yours. “I’ll make damn sure of it.” 

You nodded slowly, no words needed at the moment. Jeongguk unclenched his hands and his lips met your forehead. It made a small smile blossom on your lips, knowing you were okay. You both let the quiet engulf you, the shower being the background music. 

You drew paths against his skin, fingertip tracing the scar on his cheek, down to his sharp jaw. Your digit continued to touch the freckle on the side of his neck, following the course of his vein. The pads of your fingers brushed the healing scar on his shoulder, down to his chest. You connected the dots across his skin, touched the lines, memorized every detail. 

Gentle digits sketched abstract art on his abdomen, making his breath grow heavy as you continued a south-bound path. You couldn’t help looking down when your middle finger lightly traced the v-line on his hip until smooth, golden skin, turned into a neat and dark patch. 

“Dove,” he encouraged breathlessly. 

Jeongguk wasn’t completely hard, but it was getting there. His cock was heavy between his legs, starting to fill up with every touch you granted him. Your hand reached for him slowly, taking it in your palm, wrapping your fingers around the shaft. 

“Fuck.” he cursed, laying his head against your shoulder, still watching the way your small hand glided up and down, giving it a couple squeezes to work him into full hardness. 

You reluctantly let go of him to ask: “Can you pass me the soap?” 

The man nodded wordlessly, taking his own shower gel, one that was sensitive-skin friendly, and squirted a few pumps onto your opened palm. He saw the way you felt him again, movements a lot easier now that your palm and fingers were lathered with the slippery gel. 

“Better?” you asked him as you worked him with small flicks of your wrist in up and down strokes. 

His brows were furrowed and his lips were parted, moans dropping like leaves in a cool autumn afternoon. One after the other, faster than the previous. You closed your fist around his tip, the squelching was dirty and sensual as you squeezed gently. 

Jeongguk’s mouth found your neck, nose nudging your cheek for you to tilt your head so he could fully kiss you where he wanted. Your eyes closed as he made his own path down to your collarbones and chest. He kissed the wet slopes of your breasts, tongue darting out to roll against a nipple. 

You moaned, hand never stopping the pumps and strokes of his hard and leaking cock. Pressing your thighs together to soothe some of the ache, you bowed your back to push more of your chest into his face, free hand on the back of his neck to hold him close. 

Jeongguk caught the opposite nipple between his lips, playfully biting it before sucking it fully into his mouth. Your hums of pleasure were mixing with his moans as his hips began to move back and forth. Your thumb and pointer finger formed a tight ring for him to fuck into, quickly losing himself, pace becoming sloppy and untimed. 

This wasn’t about lasting, it wasn’t about impressive skills or dirty words. It was about the connection, the need and yearn. 

His climax came without warning, the release in the form of white ribbons that hit your lower stomach and your fingers. It was carried out with moans and beautiful groans. 

“Will you stay in my room tonight?” Jeongguk asked like a plea. 

“I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.”