Jin pulled away from Jungkook, an unmistakable glimmer of tears in his eyes as he created distance between them. "Jungkook," he began, his voice trembling, "if you truly believe that my voice and what I say matter to you, then you will listen to me." He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "This, between us, cannot be anything more than what happened on the trip. I have decided to marry Chungjae, and I would like it if you stop showing up here like this again. Please."

Jin's gaze locked onto Jungkook's, desperation evident in the depths of his eyes. "Please, that's all I'm asking of you. I can continue to be your stylist and support you in that role, but we can't pursue anything further than this."

Jungkook stood there, tense, his jaw clenched tightly in frustration as he fixed his stare on Seokjin. Never in his life had he spent so much effort trying to be with someone, and hearing the painful denial was a foreign experience for him.

It wasn't just the rejection that stung; it was the unmistakable sense that Jin wasn't being completely honest. Jungkook knew that the chemistry between them was undeniable. For the first time, he felt he could completely open his heart to someone else without any doubt.

"You're trying to convince me that you love that man? Do you think I'm that naive?" 

"Jungkook," Jin replied. "I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I'm telling you the truth, you're not the one I want to be with. I am with Chungjae, and that's who I want to be with."

At a loss for words, Jungkook shook his head in disbelief. Unable to bear it any longer, he finally said, "I will give you time to think about this because I know you aren't serious. Whatever hold he has on you will be released because there's no way you can be in love with that man." After speaking, he turned and walked away.

After Jungkook left, Jin stood outside for a moment. The cool air helped him calm down, and he tried to hide his feelings. He didn't want Chungjae to see that he had been crying. When he finally felt more in control of his emotions, he returned to the house, preparing himself for what awaited.

Jin pushed open the heavy front door and stepped into the dim hall of the house. He immediately felt tension in the air. Chungjae stood there with an angered expression, his brows knitted tightly, making Jin uneasy.

"Why was he here?"

Jin hesitated for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "It was about work," he finally replied. "Since I left abruptly during the trip, which disrupted a critical project, he had questions about when I would return."

Chungjae stepped closer, closing the distance between them. His hand shot out, grabbing Jin's wrist firmly, compelling him to meet his eyes. "You are lying to me, aren't you?" he demanded.

Jin's heart raced, a flutter of anxiety settling in his chest. "No. Why would I lie, and what would I even lie about?"

"I am not stupid, Seokjin; I know something happened—" Chungjae started, his tone laced with accusation.

"I never said you were!" Jin shot back. He took a deep breath to collect himself. "Why do you think something happened between me and Jungkook? Do you wish something would happen between us? I'm getting married to you! Isn't that enough?" His voice rose, the stress of the day crashing over him.

Chungjae's expression hardened, and he stepped back as if Jin's words had created a distance between them. "I am moving up our wedding!" he declared. "If you think I'm going to allow someone else to get close to you, then you truly don't know me, Seokjin." With that, he turned and walked away.

*****

Two months later

*****

As the plane started to land, Hoseok leaned closer to Jimin, looking tense and worried. "Have you heard from Seokjin?" he whispered, barely audible above the plane's noise.

Jimin shook his head slowly, eyes filled with concern. "Not a word," he replied, glancing out the window at the clouds drifting below them. "The last message I received from him was a promise that he'd surely return to work next week. But that feels so uncertain right now."

Hoseok heaved a heavy sigh and began drumming his fingers anxiously against the handrest of his seat. "Taehyung called me earlier. He's concerned that once we land, Jungkook won't think twice about heading straight to Jin's house, regardless of whether Chungjae is there."

Jimin's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to Hoseok, leaning in closer. "What? You think he would go over there?"

Hoseok nodded, his brow furrowed in frustration. "I don't know for sure, but apparently, he did it two months ago. Taehyung's convinced that the only reason he's been holding back lately is because he's been out of the country for so long. But now that he's back and with the way he's been acting, Taehyung feels like it's only a matter of time before Jungkook impulsively acts on his emotions.

He wants your help because we can't afford for Jungkook to cause any chaos right now; there's too much at stake."

Jimin bit his lip, a sense of dread pooling in his stomach. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, apprehension creeping into his voice. He wasn't sure if he was ready to step into the middle of this potentially explosive situation.

*****

Jin lounged on the sofa, completely absorbed in the show on the TV screen, an evening of relaxation that he'd desperately needed after the week he had. On the opposite side of the sofa, Chungjae was working on his laptop, fingers swiftly tapping away as he worked on a project that required his full attention. Their comfortable silence was broken by the ring of the doorbell.

Chungjae hesitated briefly before closing his laptop. "I'll get it," he said. "It's probably my mother. She mentioned she would stop by one day this week."

Jin offered a slight nod, hardly tearing his gaze away from the screen. As the minutes ticked by, Jin lost track of time, caught up in the drama he had been watching.

But, suddenly, he was jolted from his thoughts when Jimin stepped into the room alongside Chungjae. "Jin!" Jimin called out.

Startled, Jin turned to face Jimin, "Jimin? What are you doing here?" He stood up and smiled at him as he walked toward him.

"Well," Jimin began, his tone slightly hesitant, but before he could finish, Chungjae interjected.

"They have a big project going on and need an extra hand. Jimin said he tried calling you, but your phone went to voicemail. Is your phone off?" Chungjae questioned as he stood just behind Jimin, a watchful gaze fixed on Jin.

"Maybe," Jin replied, not being sure. "I think I forgot to charge it last night." It was a convenient half-truth; the reality was that he had been keeping his phone intentionally off.

"Sorry for missing your calls, Jimin. Also, what's happening at work? Is it urgent, too important to wait for me until I come back next week? I'd love to help, but Jae and I have plans this evening."

"It's fine," Jae responded dismissively, a smile playing on his lips. "You can go with him. My father messaged me, and he wants me to travel tonight for a meeting he won't be able to attend. I was going to let you know right before Jimin arrived."

"Oh," Jin said, feeling surprised. The sudden news of Chungjae's travel was unexpected, leaving him momentarily unsettled. Needing to talk with him, he glanced at Jimin. "Can you give me a moment with Chungjae, please? I'll meet you outside in a little while if that's okay."

Jimin nodded, "Of course, of course, take your time. You agreeing to help us is already more than enough for me." He offered a brief wave before stepping out of the room.

Once he was sure Jimin had left, Jin turned to Chungjae, a serious expression clouding his features. "You're actually okay with me going back to work there?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Chungjae replied, his tone assuring as he approached Jin. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around him. "I told Jimin that you're not allowed to do any traveling," he continued. "Besides, it's not like you will be doing whatever work you do there for long. But since I've had to be the bad guy these last couple of months, I want to remind you that I love you. I'm always willing to compromise where you need me to, as long as it makes sense to me."

Chungjae then leaned in, pressing a kiss to Jin's lips. "And make sure they give you an updated badge to reflect your name change," Chungjae added with a smile.

*****

"How have you been?" Jimin asked Jin, breaking the silence in the car.

Jin turned his head slightly, "I have been good," he replied, his voice steady, though he fought off the tiredness that had settled in.

"Is your mom doing better? Hoseok told me she wasn't well," Jimin probed, his brow furrowed with concern as he recalled the worries they'd shared about Jin's mother.

"She is. Thankfully, she is. The doctors said she's on the mend," Jin responded, his relief evident as he thought of his mother's improvement. He noticed they were driving away from the familiar route toward their office. "So, what's the project that you need my help with?"

Jimin hesitated for a brief moment, pressing his lips together in contemplation. "I'm sorry, but there isn't actually a project. It's about Jungkook. He really wants to see you, and if I hadn't come to get you, he was going to come himself. Hoseok and I figured that wouldn't be the best idea," Jimin admitted.

Jin fell silent at the revelation. He closed his eyes for a moment and leaned his head against the window. The familiar pain of a headache began resurfacing, a reminder of the stress and strain that had occupied his mind for weeks.

As Jimin parked his car in front of the modest house where Jungkook was staying, he mumbled an apology. "I'm sorry if you feel I betrayed your trust."

Jin opened his eyes and met Jimin's gaze. "No, you're fine. I'd rather this than him showing up unannounced at my place. I guess I can understand why he wants to meet. The last time I saw him, things didn't end well, and with me being out of work for the past two months, I get it," he said.

Jimin sighed in relief. "Thanks so much for not being mad at me. Jungkook said he will call me when you're ready to leave. I'll come pick you up then," he assured Jin.

Jin nodded, a small, genuine smile creeping back onto his face. "Okay."

****

Jin inhaled deeply, trying to steady his racing heart as he reached for the doorknob. As he turned it and pushed the door open, he was met with the unexpected sight of Jungkook standing there. Their eyes locked, and for a brief moment, the world around them seemed to fade away.

"Hi," Jungkook said softly. His voice was just above a whisper, but it felt like a lifeline to Jin.

Before Jin could fully process the moment, Jungkook grasped his hand and pulled him inside the house effortlessly. The door slammed shut behind them. In an instant, Jin's back met the solid door, and Jungkook's lips found his. At first, Jin was still caught off guard by the kiss. But as Jungkook's warm hand wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, a wave of longing flooded through him. His lips parted slightly, and suddenly, he was kissing Jungkook back with equal passion, the heat between them escalating with each passionate exchange.

Breathless, they eventually broke apart, their foreheads resting against one another's, both panting slightly. Jungkook's voice was loaded with concern as he asked, "Why have you been ignoring me? You weren't serious about what you said, were you? Do you know how crazy it has made me that I have been so busy and haven't been able to come see you?"

Jin's heart dropped at Jungkook's questions, and for a moment, he felt guilt. He instinctively released his grip on Jungkook's hand, pushing it away as he created a small distance between them. Jungkook took the cue and stepped back, his brows furrowing as he watched Jin inhale deeply, preparing to speak.

"We shouldn't have done that," Jin finally admitted, his voice trembling slightly.

"What—" Jungkook started, his confusion evident, but then his gaze flicked down and caught sight of Jin's left hand. His expression morphed from confusion to disbelief as he focused on the ring adorning Jin's ring finger. "You got married? You didn't, right? I didn't hear anything about you having a wedding!" His voice was edged with panic.

Jin looked away, "Umm, we haven't had the wedding ceremony yet, but we registered our marriage," he confessed.

The hurt and anger that rose in Jungkook's chest were real. "Why would you do that? You don't love him! Seriously, Seokjin, why would you do that? Did he force you to?" The desperation in Jungkook's eyes and voice was suffocating, and Jin could feel the intensity of it all.

"NO!" Jin shook his head vigorously. "He didn't. It's always been our plan to get married, and you knew this. I told you. Chungjae is someone I'm meant to be with—"

"Bullshit! Don't lie to me, please." Jungkook's voice raised, filled with pain. "I've told you before Seokjin, I know what I felt between us was real. You wouldn't be here if you didn't feel the same as I do. So spare me the lies and tell me the truth."

"I am not lying—" Jin started, but he was cut off.

"Yes, you are!" Jungkook yelled. "You can't even look at me! Why would you get married to him? Is it because your mom is sick? Did he threaten you? What the hell happened, Seokjin? If it was about your mom, I told you I could help—"

Jungkook paused, catching a faint sound from Jin, too low for him to comprehend. "Can you repeat that?" he urged, his heart pounding in anticipation.

Still avoiding Jungkook's gaze, Jin lowered his head and muttered, "I am pregnant."

A silence enveloped the room as Jungkook processed Jin's confession. The shock settled in as he stammered, "S-so that's why you registered your marriage?"

Jin remained quiet, not knowing what to say.

Jungkook's expression hardened as he pressed, "How far along are you with the pregnancy, Seokjin?"

"I—I think about a month," Jin replied, his throat dry.

"You're lying again, aren't you?" Jungkook challenged, his voice rising.

Finally, Jin lifted his head, their eyes locking. "I am not! Please, just let's forget about this, please. I really shouldn't have come here."

"There is a very likely chance that you are pregnant with our child, and you want me to just let it go?" Jungkook's voice cracked with the heavy emotion of what he was feeling.

Jin's heart raced, the weight of Jungkook's statement crashing down on him. Ever since Chungjae had pushed him to take the pregnancy test and he saw those indisputable results, anxiety had filled him.

"How soon can we get a paternity test done?" Jungkook asked.

"Jungkook, please, this baby was conceived by me and—"

"Don't you dare mention his name unless you can prove he is the father! Twice that night we didn't use a condom, Seokjin! Twice! I may not be a doctor, but that gives me a fifty, if not a hundred percent chance, that I am the father."

"Jungkook, please don't be ridiculous about this. You have your career—"

"What the actual fuck does my career have to do with me being a father?" Jungkook shot back. "What makes Chungjae more qualified than me? If you think you're going to walk away with my child and live miserably ever after with him, you are so fucking wrong! Seriously, did you really register your marriage? Tell me that's a joke."