Chapter 54

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„Alone?"

Not really. Jungkook really didn't want to talk to Minji alone, and for more reasons than just because he definitely wasn't going to leave Taehyung all on his own in this crowd of people. Whatever Minji might want to say, Jungkook really didn't feel the urge to hear it.

"I'm sorry, but I promised Taehyung we would stay together." That was a good excuse. Not that it was an actual excuse. He really had promised that they would stay together.

Minji quickly took that back. "No no, I don't mean, like, taking you away completely. It's not for me either..." She hesitated for a second. "I heard you have been kind of going around and, you know... sleeping around recently. And you seemed lonely the last time we saw each other." She was uncomfortably close and Jungkook knew it was because she was trying to make sure he heard her but it still felt too close.

"A friend of mine told me that she has a crush on you but never really dared to make a move on you because we used to date... but I think she might be good for you?" Minji squeezed his arm. "I know you're still mad at me, but I really just want you to be happy."

Jungkook frowned. Why did she act like she knew how he was feeling?

"I am happy."

He really had been recently. Ever since Taehyung had come back he felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. And he knew it was partially because he was crushing on Taehyung, but even without his crush... Taehyung just made him feel good.

That wasn't just because of the crush. Jungkook felt comfortable with Taehyung, talking to him and spending time with him. Even if all Jungkook was ever going to get out of Taehyung was friendship, Jungkook was more than content with that.

"Even if you are... maybe give her a chance? It's not like you're seeing anyone seriously right now, right?" She asked and Jungkook felt a tiny bit offended, but forced himself to not let it show. Instead he sighed before smiling a little. He had met some of Minji's friends before and they had seemed nice enough. Maybe something could come out of that even if it had something to do with Minji.

"Alright... so your friend has a crush on me?"

"Basically." Minji smiled. "I could give you her number and you can just chat her up when you feel like it. Just see if you two connect somehow."

"I'm fine with that. But tell her not to expect too much... I'm currently also somewhat going through a crush. On someone that I don't really have a chance to begin with, but I don't know how interested I would be in other people."

Minji widened her eyes in surprise. "You have a crush? On who? Is she pretty?"

Jungkook chuckled. "Yeah, they are pretty. And I can't say." Jungkook brought his finger up to his lips, smiling. "I don't really have a chance in the first place so it doesn't matter."

Minji giggled. "There's no way you don't have a chance. Have you seen yourself? I bet whoever she is, she is already interested in you."

"I doubt that." Jungkook smiled. Minji had no idea that the person he was crushing on was a thousand-year-old sea creature that had never fallen in love before and didn't like humans all that much. His chances simply weren't that great.

Minji gave Jungkook her friend's phone number before quickly hugging him goodbye. "I hope things between you and Chohee work out!"

And then she was gone, leaving him and Taehyung alone again. Jungkook turned around to Taehyung, who was watching her run over to her friends before looking at Jungkook.

"You used to love her?" Taehyung seemed curious. But there also was an undertone to his voice that Jungkook couldn't quite decipher. Something akin to annoyance. So subtle it was barely noticeable and yet...

"Yeah. But as I said before, I no longer do. As sad as it is, people tend to fall out of love quite easily." Jungkook placed his hand on Taehyung's shoulder, leading him to the main area.

"And she... wants you to fall in love with her friend too?" Taehyung looked even more irritated now. Maybe it was frustrating for a siren to watch the way humans handled love. After all it was no longer as beautiful and sacred as it was for sirens. Love, for humans, tended to be a bit of a dirty affair. So many people entered relationships actually expecting them to fall apart within a few months. And yet they did it again and again.

"Yeah. Because she thinks I could be happier that way."

Taehyung furrowed his brows, moving a little closer to Jungkook and holding onto his arm.

"Why does she think that?"

"Because she thinks I'm lonely."

"Are you?"

This time Jungkook couldn't help smiling when he answered. "No, I'm not."

"Okay, we have to look for Eunji now because she really wanted to meet you too. I've told you about her before... she pretty much is the best friend I have, so be nice to her." Jungkook remembered something. "Oh right, and she thinks we are dating because she for some reason made her mind up about that so... just don't tell her that's not true. It's better she believes that than if she starts thinking why things are the way they are."

Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "She thinks we're... partners?"

"Something along those lines. Just go along with it. Both you and I know it's not the truth, but let her believe what she believes." Jungkook squeezed Taehyung's shoulder when he noticed a short flash of light. Was someone doing a little photoshoot for Instagram? He glanced around, searching for the source. There was another flash and that exact moment Jungkook made eye contact with the photographer.

It wasn't some girl taking pictures of a friend. It was a grown ass man, probably in his late thirties, who had pointed his camera directly at Jungkook and Taehyung. For a moment Jungkook thought he was just taking pictures of the party. Maybe for some photo album or something, but when he instantly turned around the second Jungkook spotted him... he knew something else was going on.

Something was wrong.

"Please don't move away from here." Jungkook quickly yelled at Taehyung before running after the man, who was fighting his way through the bodies of chatting and dancing students. Unlike that photographer Jungkook at least tried not to make people spill their drinks all over themselves, but the fact that the man wasn't being careful just made him more suspicious. Why was he running off? What was he trying to use these pictures for?

When he finally made it to the entrance of the house the guy was already at least a hundred meters down the street. Finally no longer stopped by a mass of bodies, Jungkook sprinted after him, but the guy was at least as fast as he was. They rounded a corner and then another and Jungkook had finally halved the distance between the two of them when they reached the edge of some woods. Without a second of hesitation the guy ran inside while Jungkook came to a halt. Being out on the streets following some guy was already decently dangerous. But following him into the woods... Jungkook wasn't too sure about that.

He'd survived Taehyung. He didn't want to die because of some crazy guy he followed into the woods, especially not over a photograph. It was pretty weird but it wasn't like he could do anything with that photo.

So he came to a stop, opening his notepad app and writing down what he remembered about the guy and how he looked. Just in case he ever saw him again. He really wondered what he had been doing though. What had he taken a picture off exactly? It had seemed like it had been them. But why? Jungkook was pretty sure he didn't have a stalker. And it couldn't have been because of Taehyung... or maybe it was because of the way Taehyung looked? After all, Taehyung was almost otherworldly beautiful. But still, why would that guy panic that much then?

He turned around the corner of the street, walking back towards the house, still on his phone. He'd run quite far, he realized. The way back actually took him around ten minutes. He had barely noticed while he had been running.

He lifted his head to look at the house just to see a guy who had just turned back to the house to go inside after taking a break outside... slump over. And reveal Taehyung, who was standing right in front of him, a panicked expression on his face.

Jungkook froze in place.

A/N

😧

See you guys next week💜

Okay okay no bullying skdhdkdj I'll see when I can upload skdjdjd

But I have a little request for those of you who might be willing. I just created a patreon because I want to figure out how that works and maybe try to work towards my goal of actually publishing a book someday.

But I'm a mess and literally have no clue how patreon works yet and its so fucking confusing to me TT So I'd be rlly fucking amazing if someone could join my patreon (it costs a small sum but you'd get early updates and be able to vote on polls and so on once I figure it out) and help me figure it out.

Like give me feedback how shit looks from their side and so on.

I'll put the link in my profile as well as in a comment here! I'd rlly be happy about anyone who's willing to help me figure this out🥺