The Underdog

第一章

"I need you alive so if I'm ever on the verge of going to jail, you, my brother, will take the fall in my place." He growls, clenching Jungkook's collar tighter, choking him. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes. Right. I will go to jail for you." Jungkook says, gasping for air, "I would do well in jail."

"I knew I could count on you, dongsaeng."

Gung-Min lets go of Jungkook, who falls to the ground gasping for air. The man stands before him and brushes his hands on his pants as if he just touched something utterly revolting.

"Get up and apologize for the trouble you have caused." Gung-Min demands, smirking down at his brother.

Jungkook slowly stands up on shaking legs, clenching his hands behind his back, and bows deeply to his brother.

"I apologize, hyung-nim."

"Good." Hearing his brother's approval, Jungkook slowly straightens from the bow but keeps his gaze on the floor. Gung-Min smirks a little and pats Jungkook on the cheek before turning and leaving his office, adjusting his suit as he strides toward the entrance.

The minute Gung-Min shuts the door, Jungkook scoffs and looks around the room, "What does he take me for, an animal?"

Adjusting his tie and muttering curses at his brother under his breath, he too makes his way towards the door.

✹✹✹

After Jungkook was completely humiliated by his older brother, he does what he always does, drinks away his issues. Standing in front of Club Luna, one of the most prestigious clubs in Seoul, he impatiently checks his watch and glances down the street. Grinning when he sees the car he is looking for, he waves at his good friend Jimin, who waves back but looks significantly less happy.

"What's with the frown Chim," Jungkook asks, slinging his arm around his friend as they make their way into the club.

"Rosé is back from England." He says, avoiding a group of staggering girls who are obviously very drunk.

"So?"

"Well, you know how we dated in high school right?"

"Yes." How could Jungkook forget, Rosé, who was his crush at the time, began dating someone else, and not just a random stranger, but his childhood friend. And Rosé, who was oblivious to his feelings, kept trying to set him up with random girls and go on double dates with them.

"And how we broke up on terrible terms?"

This Jungkook did not know, he thought they had just broken up because Rosé was going to go to college in England.

"What? I thought you all were on fine terms?" Jungkook exclaimed, sitting in one of the many booths surrounding the club.

"No, she was super mad at me and wanted to break up, she kept talking about hiding something from me and I got upset, and-"Jimin pauses for a moment and looks at Jungkook in confusion, "didn't I already tell you this?"

Jungkook, taken aback, tries to remember if he ever did, "No, I'm pretty certain you didn't"

"Yes, I did, the night after she left I came to your place crying and you let me in, you spent hours listening to me ramble on about how confused I was and- you weren't listening at all were you."