Misunderstanding

“Seehun, the lead dancer of the world’s biggest K-pop star, Jeon Jungkook, reveals all about her little love life secrets.”

Taehyung wasn’t sure why he let his curiosity take over and clicked on the link. After all, he had never really been interested in Seehun’s life or the artists who accompanied his “almost-husband” wherever he went. Jungkook was a jealous, possessive man. Taehyung had never had any reason to doubt him, even when he was far away.

For five years of being a couple, Taehyung had believed in their unshakable love. Jungkook had even proposed three years ago, though they had never set a date for the ceremony. It had never seemed important... until now. What mattered, at that very moment, was this article.He had never felt so humiliated. His heart skipped a few beats, and his fingers trembled as he held his phone.

It’s a joke. Just a joke, he tried to convince himself.

Seehun must be imagining things. This girl was a brat, convinced that everything was owed to her because she was pretty. Taehyung had guessed from the first time they met that she was the kind of person who must have been a bitch at school. Probably a bully, someone who never questioned herself.

He was convinced of it since the day Jungkook brought her home after hiring her as the lead dancer. Taehyung had never been able to stand Seehun. Her gaze, her way of being... everything about her seemed fake. But Jungkook hadn’t wanted to listen:

“— You’re just jealous and stubborn, it’s nothing to make a fuss about.”

What a joke.”

His eyes scanned the lines of the article, each word stabbing his heart like a knife. Seehun described in chilling detail their torrid nights together and claimed they had been in love for a year. Worse still, she said they were going to start a family: she was pregnant, with a pregnancy test as proof.

At first, Taehyung didn’t know what to do. Call Jungkook? Tell him about this scandal? But Jungkook was on tour for his new album, supposedly written with thoughts of “the love of his life.”

Taehyung stayed seated on the large luxurious couch for hours, his eyes glued to the article, already going viral. The great Jeon Jungkook in a relationship and soon-to-be father? Of course, everyone wanted to know more.

Finally, he gave up on finding any explanations. He walked to their massive walk-in closet and quickly packed his bags. Jungkook was the main spender in their relationship. A big house, a huge closet, a perfect garden... Taehyung should have realized it from the start. You don’t make these kinds of plans just for two people; it was a house meant for a full family.

With his suitcase in hand, Taehyung wandered the streets before ending up in the arms of his best friend, Jimin, who was surprised to see him arrive so weak and lost.

“— He cheated on me, Jimin... He lied to me! Him and his sweet words: “Don’t worry, Taehyung, I’ll tell the whole world we’re together after the wedding!” And I believed him!

— That son of a... Do you want me to go beat him up?

— Park Jimin, your language.

— But Jin!

— There are more civilized ways to talk about destroying the face of a cheater, Jin replied seriously.”

Jimin looked at the oldest of the three with a lost baby face before finally smiling. Of course, Seokjin, the oldest of the Kims, hadn’t hesitated to come to Jimin’s place to figure out what was going on with one of his two “little brothers.”

When he had learned about Jungkook’s infidelities, he saw red. He launched into one of his usual rants: Getting involved with a rich person is always a bad idea. Rich people are sneaky, always ready to stab you in the back.

Seokjin spoke from experience. He had his heart broken by a certain Kim Namjoon during his university years, where he was studying business management. This man, from a wealthy family, had disappeared overnight at the end of the year, leaving Seokjin with a broken heart. Since then, he had preached an anti-rich philosophy. And today, poor Jungkook was paying the price.

But Taehyung couldn’t defend Jungkook anymore. The evidence was overwhelming: he had been cheating on him shamelessly for a year.

A deep sigh escaped Taehyung as he placed his forehead against the table, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn’t want to have this conversation. He just wanted peace and to forget that Jungkook existed.

“— Let’s drink to our little Tae’s new single life!

— You’re a bit too happy, Jin. Don’t you want to be a little more discreet?

— Why pretend? Now, Taehyung can get his life back on track, post online, and do what he loves without anyone jumping on him.”

Taehyung raised his head. Jin was right: he could finally focus on Seokjin’s website and promote the restaurant, something he had done before Jungkook came into his life. Jungkook’s label had been clear: Taehyung had to stay invisible to protect their relationship. For five years, he had lived in silence, deprived of what he loved.

In the end, it wasn’t such a bad thing. He could finally live for himself, without fear of being scolded like a child.

“— You needed someone for the website, right? I thought you had found someone.

— No, he was terrible. Customers kept complaining. I had to fire him. The position is vacant.

— Great! Now we can go back to the restaurant without feeling like we’re being served by an alien.

— I’m not an alien! Taehyung protested, amused.”

The evening passed without incident, warming his broken heart. But when the calm returned, Taehyung couldn’t help but check his phone. No messages, no responses. Jungkook should have been on a break.

So it’s all true, he thought. Otherwise, why would he stay silent?

It was with this thought that he fell asleep, curled up against Jimin, the rhythm of his best friend’s heartbeat soothing his pain.