Chapter 3

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Jungkook captured Jimin's lips in a fierce kiss, stealing his breath and leaving him reeling.

The kiss was electrifying, overwhelming.

Jimin's thoughts shattered into a million pieces as he felt Jungkook's mouth move against his, the urgency and hunger sending sparks through him.

This wasn't just a simple kiss; it was a promise, a declaration of the twisted arrangement they had just established.

Jimin's heart raced, confusion and excitement clashing within him.

He wanted to pull away, to push Jungkook back and reclaim his space, but at that moment, he was paralyzed, caught in the intensity of the moment.

And just like that, it was over. So why was he low-key disappointed?

Did he perhaps.....

Like it?

Jungkook pulled away, leaving Jimin breathless and confused.

"Now, we've sealed the deal," Jungkook said a triumphant smile on his face.

He stepped back, leaving Jimin standing there, heart pounding, mind racing, as the reality of what had just transpired settled over him like a thick fog.

The air between them was thick with unspoken tension, yet Jungkook seemed calm-too calm, considering what he'd demanded.

Jimin's chest felt tight as he watched Jungkook, who now sat casually on one of the benches, his dark eyes fixed on him with a look of triumph.

There was no going back. Jimin had agreed, not because he wanted to, but because he had no other choice.

He could feel his pulse racing, could still taste the bitterness of that kiss on his lips-the kiss that had sealed his fate.

His heart was heavy, guilt bubbling inside him.

Kai.

How would he even face Kai now, knowing what he was being forced to do?

How long could he keep this secret, this arrangement, from him?

It felt like a ticking time bomb.

Jungkook got up slightly, yawning as he turned his back to Jimin, but before walking out, he paused at the door, throwing one last glance over his shoulder.

His eyes glinted with a mixture of arrogance and satisfaction, a cruel smile tugging at his lips.

"You know, President, I have to say, for someone who plays by all the rules, you sure kiss like you've been waiting for me to break a few."

His voice was smooth, mocking, as if he relished in Jimin's turmoil.

Jimin's jaw clenched, anger flickering in his eyes, but he didn't say a word. He couldn't.

Any response would only give Jungkook more power, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Jungkook chuckled at Jimin's silence, clearly enjoying the control he held. "I'll be in touch soon," he added, his voice low and confident, as if Jimin's fate was already sealed.

"And don't think about hiding, I know exactly where to find you."

With that, Jungkook strolled out of the gym, leaving Jimin standing there, fists clenched, seething with anger and dread.

The door swung shut behind him, echoing through the space.

The faint scent of his cologne lingered in the air, before disappearing out of the gym.

Jimin stood frozen for a moment, staring at the space Jungkook had left behind.

His heart hammered in his chest, a chaotic rhythm of fear, anger, and confusion.

Alone again, the reality of the situation hit him hard.

He pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over Kai's contact.

He had texted him earlier, something simple and sweet, pretending everything was fine.

But everything was far from fine now. His hand trembled as he locked the screen, unable to bring himself to message Kai again-not after this.

How was he going to hide this from him?

Kai had always been so good to him, so patient and understanding despite all the sneaking around.

He didn't deserve this mess Jimin was dragging him into.

He didn't deserve Jimin lying to him.

Jimin sank onto one of the benches, running a hand through his hair.

His mind replayed the earlier conversation with Jungkook, over and over again.

Jungkook didn't care about Jimin's life or his relationship with Kai.

This was all a game to him-a game of control.

But for Jimin, it was so much more.

It was his reputation, his family, his entire future on the line.

His parents would never accept him being with Kai, and the constant pressure from them made it feel like he was walking on eggshells every day.

If they ever found out about Kai, or worse-if they found out about this twisted arrangement with Jungkook-it would all be over.

He was trapped. And the worst part?

Jungkook knew it.

As the minutes passed, the weight of the situation pressed harder on Jimin's chest. He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing.

He had to keep it together. He had to survive this.

But deep down, a voice whispered that maybe he couldn't. Maybe this was the beginning of something that would destroy him.

He could still hear Jungkook's cocky remark ringing in his ears, taunting him. The taste of betrayal lingered bitterly on his lips.

As the cold reality of the situation set in, Jimin knew he couldn't stay here any longer.

He needed space, needed to think. Quickly, he grabbed his bag and headed for the exit.

Outside, the cool evening air hit his face, but even that didn't bring relief. He pulled out his phone, automatically swiping for the driver app his family used for their transportation.

Within minutes, a sleek black car pulled up. The tinted window rolled down slightly, revealing his family's trusted driver.

"Evening, young master Park," the man greeted him with a respectful nod. "Where to tonight?"

Jimin hesitated for a moment, unsure of where he even wanted to go. The home wasn't an option-not after tonight.

His parents would sense something was off the moment he stepped inside, and he wasn't ready to face that.

Not yet.

Not while Jungkook's threat loomed over him like a storm cloud.

He glanced up and down the street as if searching for some kind of answer in the glow of the city lights.

After a long pause, he finally muttered, "The riverbank."

The driver raised an eyebrow but didn't question him.

"Of course, sir," he replied, before pulling away from the curb and heading toward Jimin's chosen escape.

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Minutes later, Jimin stood by the riverbank, staring out at the water. The city lights reflected on the dark surface, the rippling water distorting the skyline into a chaotic blur.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the tightness in his chest refused to fade.

Jungkook's words echoed in his mind, taunting him. He could feel the weight of the arrangement crushing down on him already.

How was he supposed to keep this from Kai?

How long before everything exploded in his face?

His phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. It was Kai.

Kai:
"Hey babe, everything okay? I miss you. Wanna talk later?"

Jimin's heart clenched at the sight of the message. Guilt gnawed at him, threatening to consume him whole.

He wanted to call Kai, to hear his voice, to forget everything that had just happened.

But how could he?

How could he lie to him, when the truth was tearing him apart inside?

His fingers hovered over the screen before he typed out a quick response.

Jimin:
"Miss you too. I'm swamped with work, but I'll call you later."

He stared at the message for a moment before hitting send, the lie making his chest feel even heavier.

Jimin knew he couldn't keep this up forever, but he had no choice. Kai couldn't know-not yet.

Not while Jungkook was holding everything over him like a sword waiting to drop.

The car remained parked nearby, the driver patiently waiting for Jimin to signal when he was ready to leave.

But for now, Jimin stayed where he was, lost in the swirling currents of his thoughts. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the sound of the river, hoping it might drown out the chaos inside him.

But no matter how hard he tried, the image of Jungkook's smirk stayed with him, a haunting reminder that his life was no longer his own.

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By the time Jimin returned home, the mansion was quiet, its grand hallways dimly lit.

His footsteps echoed as he walked through the pristine foyer, the marble floors cold beneath his feet.

The familiar weight of the house's oppressive atmosphere settled on his shoulders as he headed toward the dining room, knowing he couldn't avoid the inevitable family dinner.

As expected, his mother was seated at the head of the table, her posture rigid and her eyes sharp as they followed Jimin's entrance.

She was the epitome of control, dressed in a sleek, tailored suit despite it being late in the evening.

Her expression was unreadable, but Jimin could sense the ever-present disapproval lurking beneath her composed exterior.

His father sat at the other end of the table, as usual.

Silent.

His eyes were fixed on the tablet in front of him, scanning through work emails or stock reports-something business-related.

He rarely engaged in the tension that filled the household, preferring to keep his distance from the family drama' his wife created.

"Jimin," his mother said, her voice clipped and formal, breaking the silence. "You're late."

Jimin hesitated for a moment, not wanting to set her off, but he knew he had no choice.

"I had school obligations. Club meetings."

His mother's eyes narrowed slightly, though she didn't press further.

She had never approved of his involvement in extracurricular activities-she saw them as distractions from what truly mattered: their family's image, his grades, and the future she had already planned for him.

"You know how important appearances are, Jimin," she said sharply, her fork clinking against her plate.

"Your behavior reflects on this family. Don't let those... other students drag you down. You're better than that."

Jimin bit the inside of his cheek, resisting the urge to argue. It was always the same with her.

Everything was about appearances-about maintaining their status, about projecting an image of perfection.

There was no room for individuality or mistakes. Certainly, no room for the secret life Jimin was desperately trying to keep hidden.

"Yes, mother," he murmured, lowering his gaze.

From the other end of the table, his father remained silent, not bothering to look up from his tablet.

He never intervened in these conversations, never defended Jimin, or questioned his wife's strictness.

He simply sat there, a passive observer, too absorbed in his world to care about the storm brewing at home.

Jimin's stomach twisted. His father's indifference stung almost as much as his mother's constant criticism.

He had long since stopped expecting any sort of affection or understanding from either of them, but it didn't make the sting any less painful.

The rest of dinner passed in tense silence, the only sounds being the clatter of silverware and the faint rustling of his father's papers.

Jimin barely touched his food, his appetite gone, replaced by the suffocating weight of the day's events.

His mind kept drifting back to Jungkook's kiss, his threats, and the feeling of powerlessness that had wrapped around him like a vise.

When dinner finally ended, Jimin excused himself and made his way upstairs to his room, the cold walls of the mansion closing in on him with every step.

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In the solitude of his bedroom, Jimin tried to shake off the heaviness that had settled in his chest.

His room was immaculate, like everything else in the house, decorated in sleek, modern tones, and filled with expensive furniture he hadn't even chosen.

Everything here was designed to fit the image his parents had crafted for him-a life that wasn't his own.

He sat down on the edge of his bed, staring at the wall, trying to process everything.

His phone buzzed on the nightstand, a reminder that the world outside still existed.

Another text from Kai.

Kai: "Hope your work isn't too overwhelming. Just wanted to say I love you. Call me when you can. ❤️"

Jimin's chest tightened at the sight of the message. He wanted to respond, wanted to feel the comfort of Kai's voice, but he couldn't.

Not with the lies hanging between them like a wall he couldn't break through. He tossed the phone aside, not ready to deal with it, and collapsed back onto the bed.

But sleep didn't come. His mind was too chaotic, too full of everything that had happened that day.

Jungkook's threats, his mother's coldness, his father's indifference-it all swirled in his head like a storm he couldn't escape.

Eventually, Jimin couldn't take it anymore. He needed an outlet. Something to calm the raging thoughts inside him.

Sliding out of bed, he went to his closet, rummaging through the hidden compartment where he stashed a pack of cigarettes.

It was a habit he'd picked up in secret, one that he knew his mother would never approve of.

If she ever found out, there'd be hell to pay-another lecture about how smoking was for people with no discipline, people who didn't value themselves.

But at this point, Jimin didn't care.

He just needed something to relieve the pressure, if only for a moment.

With the cigarettes tucked into his jacket, he quietly made his way downstairs, slipping through the darkened hallways like a ghost.

The mansion was too large for his parents to notice him sneaking out, especially with his father always buried in his work and his mother obsessing over her social image.

Once outside, the cool night air greeted him, and Jimin breathed in deeply, savoring the quiet.

The garden was gigantic, of course, with manicured hedges and perfectly placed stone paths.

He found a spot near the far edge of the backyard, where the trees provided some cover from the house.

Lighting the cigarette with trembling hands, he took a long drag, the smoke filling his lungs and, for a brief moment, easing the tightness in his chest.

He exhaled slowly, watching the smoke curl into the air, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Out here, away from the suffocating walls of the mansion, he could breathe-just for a moment.

This was his escape. His rebellion.

As he took another drag, Jimin closed his eyes and tried to quiet the thoughts that had been haunting him all evening.

The bitterness of the cigarette contrasted with the sweetness of Kai's earlier text, and the two worlds-the one where he was forced to live under his parents' control and the one where he could be himself-clashed in his mind.

But even here, in the stillness of the night, the weight of Jungkook's threats hung over him like a shadow.

The kiss, the deal, the power Jungkook held over him-it was all too much. No matter how hard he tried to push it away, the memory lingered.

He finished the cigarette, snuffing it out on the stone path beneath his feet. For a moment, he just stood there, letting the cool air wash over him, before finally heading back inside.

He moved quietly through the house, knowing that if his mother ever found out about this, it would only add another layer of control she'd tighten around him.

When he finally crawled back into bed, the exhaustion hit him all at once. His mind was still racing, but his body couldn't keep up.

He stared at the ceiling, the events of the day swirling in his head, until sleep eventually claimed him-uneasy and filled with dreams of control, secrets, and a kiss that haunted him.

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