My Dearest Rival: Jeon Jungkook

The rain in London didn’t fall, it aggressively misted, ruining YN’s perfectly styled hair and her remaining thread of patience.

“I owe you my life, Kim YN! Just sit there, look pretty, eat a scone, and make sure he doesn’t think I ghosted him!” Her university friend’s frantic voice echoed in her memory. It was a favour. A stupid, un-rejectable favour because her friend had accidentally double-booked a family emergency and a blind date arranged by an elite matchmaking circle.

So, there YN sat in an obnoxiously upscale Mayfair café, tapping her manicured nails against the marble table. She was a Kim. Even away from South Korea and the suffocating shadow of her father’s disapproval, she carried herself like royalty. Her oldest brothers, Jin and Namjoon, had practically raised her on a diet of corporate strategy and high fashion, while her immediate older brother, Taehyung, had taught her how to weaponize a smirk. She was smart, she was bold, and right now, she was incredibly annoyed.

The chair opposite her scraped back.

YN didn’t look up from her phone. “You’re twenty-three minutes late. In the corporate world, that’s a bankruptcy.”

“Good thing we’re in a café and not a boardroom then,” a smooth, maddeningly arrogant voice replied in crisp English, laced with a subtle South Korean accent.

YN finally raised her eyes.Oh. Great.

The guy was offensively handsome. He had a sharp jawline, a silver eyebrow piercing that screamed rebellion, and an oversized designer leather jacket that cost more than a used car. He slid into the seat, not with an apology, but with the casual confidence of a man who owned the air he breathed.

“Jeon Jungkook,” he introduced himself, leaning back and crossing his arms. He didn’t offer a hand. “Let’s get one thing straight. I only came because Hobi Hyung threatened to delete my gaming servers if I didn’t show face for his aunt’s matchmaking setup. I’m busy. I have an empire to build. So, let’s keep this quick.”

YN blinked. The sheeraudacity(baepsaebehaviour at its finest).

“Fascinating,” YN said, her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm as she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. “Let’s get a second thing straight, Jeon-ssi. I am only here because a friend begged me. I’d rather be formatting Excel spreadsheets at 2 AM than looking at your eyebrow piercing. So, don’t worry, your precious empire is safe from me.”

Jungkook’s eyes narrowed. He was used to girls swooning, blushing, or at least pretending to be demure. This girl looked like she wanted to dissect him under a microscope. “You have a lot of attitude for a blind date.”

“And you have a lot of ego for a guy who couldn’t even manage to arrive on time,” YN shot back with a brilliant, fake smile.

The waiter arrived, sensing the lethal aura vibrating between them. “Welcome to L’Aura. What can I get started for you today?”

Jungkook didn’t even look at the menu. “The gold-leaf truffle ice cream sundae. And a double espresso.”

“Make that two,” YN said to the waiter, her eyes never leaving Jungkook’s.

“An expensive taste,” Jungkook noted, a mocking glint in his dark eyes.

“I can afford it,” YN replied coolly. “Can you?”

Jungkook let out a dry, incredulous laugh. He was a self-made prodigy, working alongside Jimin and Hoseok to build a tech and logistics start-up that was already shaking up the UK-Korean import market. Nobody questioned his wallet. “Ah, the classicChaebolprincess attitude. Let me guess, daddy bought you that designer bag?”

A flash of cold steel crossed YN’s eyes. Mentioning her father was a one-way ticket to her bad side. “My brothers bought me this bag because they actually have taste. Unlike you, who looks like you got dressed in a dark room full of safety pins.”

“It’s called streetstyle, Princess.”

The waiter returned, carefully placing two elaborate, towering ice cream sundaes covered in actual 24-karat gold leaf between them. The bill followed immediately.

Jungkook casually reached into his pocket, pulling out a sleek black card. He slid it toward the waiter. “On me. Since you clearly need your brothers’ allowance.”

“Oh, please,” YN scoffed. She pulled out her own premium card and slammed it on top of his. “I don’t let boys with tardiness issues pay for my dessert. Split it.”

“I said, I’m paying,” Jungkook said, his voice dropping into a dominant, competitive tone. He pushed her card away.

“And I said no,” YN hissed, shoving his card right back.

The waiter looked between the two terrifying international students, sweating through his uniform. “Uh... Mastercard or visa...?”

"Mine,” they both snapped in unison, switching to intense Korean.

“Look,Yaa,” Jungkook barked, leaning over the table, his competitive streak fully triggered. “I don’t lose. Not in video games, not in business, and definitely not over a £500 ice cream bill.”

“Then today is your lucky day, Jeon, because you’re about to experience your first loss,” YN smirked, her brilliant mind already calculating a petty move.

Before Jungkook could stop her, YN grabbed her spoon, scooped up a massive, heavy chunk of the gold-leaf truffle ice cream, and casually dropped it right onto the lap of his pristine, white designer jeans.

Splat.

The café went dead silent.

Jungkook froze. He looked down at the dark, melting puddle of luxury ice cream sinking into his expensive denim, then looked up at YN. His jaw was clenched so tightly a vein was pulsing in his neck.

“You... you did not just do that,” he whispered, horrified.

“Oops,” YN said, absolutely devoid of regret as she elegantly wiped her hands with a napkin. She stood up, tossing her split portion of the cash onto the table. “My hand slipped. Just like your manners. Enjoy the dessert, Jeon Jungkook. Consider it a lesson in humility.”

Jungkook scrambled out of his chair, grabbing a napkin and trying to wipe the stain, which only made it spread worse. He looked ridiculous-a towering, handsome billionaire-in-the-making, completely defeated by chocolate dairy.

“Kim YN!” he yelled after her as she calmly walked toward the exit. “You’re crazy! If I ever see you again, I’m going to make you regret this!”

YN stopped at the door, turning around to give him a slow, devastatingly confident wink. “Don’t count on it. You can’t afford me anyway.”

She stepped out into the London rain, a victorious smirk on her face, completely unaware that back in Seoul, the Kim family empire and the rising powerhouse of the 3 J’s were already on a catastrophic collision course.