𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 • ᴊɪᴋᴏᴏᴋ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 3 : Fate's play

Jungkook's eyelids flutter under the blinding rays of sunshine pouring through the windows. He makes an unintelligible sound as he rolls over under the soft covers and buries his face in what he assumes is a pillow.

"Rise and shine, honey."

The voice has his eyes snapping open and his body jerking into an upright sitting position on the bed. A woman, draped in the most elegant clothes, the most expensive jewels dangling off her neck, gives Jungkook a puzzled look.

"What is it, sweetie? Did you have a nightmare?"

Jungkook is sure that her expression of puzzle is mirrored back on his face.

"No, mother," he blurts, taking himself by surprise because that response comes so naturally from him.

The woman takes a seat beside him on his bed and strokes his hair back to press a kiss to his forehead.

"Freshen up, darling. I'll tell the maids to get you your breakfast in bed."

Jungkook finds himself automatically nodding. The woman gently ruffles his hair and retreats from his room. It's only then that Jungkook gets a good view of the room he is in.

There's a King-size bed he finds himself sitting on, draped with blood red sheets with intricate gold patterns drawn over it. The window panes are golden and the curtains are the same shade as the bed covers. They're thick and heavy and golden strings hold them together, such that the ends of the material fall to the tiled floor in pleats.

The windows are huge and a fancy body length mirror stands a little distance away from the window. The whole room screams luxury. Luxury that Jungkook would never be able to afford.

His thoughts are interrupted when there's a knock at his door.

"My prince, may I come in?" a high-pitched voice floats in.

Jungkook catches onto the word "Prince" and his confusion only grows. 

"Come in," he calls, surprising himself with the authority he hears in his voice.

The doors are pushed open and a woman meekly walks in with a silver tray. She places the tray on the bedside table, then quickly rushes to place the wooden breakfast table on the bed for him. She shifts the tray of food onto it and Jungkook's eyes widen because he's never had the luxury of having such kind of food on his table.

Never before this day.

"Breakfast is served, my Prince. Eat well," she says, almost robotically, as though it's some scripted response she reads off a paper with a smile plastered over her face.

"Thank you."

Jennie, his mind supplies. He wonders if it's her name.

"Jennie?"

"Yes, my Prince? Is this not what you wished to eat today?"

Jungkook shakes his head, "no, thank you for the breakfast. It smells wonderful. Looks quite appetizing too. I just wanted to know if your name was Jennie, that's all."

There's a perplexed look that flashes across the maid's face but it's gone in a second, "my name is Jennie indeed, my Prince."

"Thank you."

The maid bows and places a couple of red napkins on the table before she takes her leave. Jungkook stares down at the food and lifts the silver fork and spoon. He gently stabs the fork into the meat and lifts it to his lips. He chews on it, his eyes lighting up at the delicious taste.

He digs in for a couple of more bites and dabs his lips with the napkin when he is done. He swings his feet off the bed when his eyes catch sight of a framed photograph hung on the wall. He approaches it, recognising one of the three people in the photograph to be himself.

His brows furrow together as his eyes trail the people on either side of him. On his left is the same woman he saw earlier when he just awoke from his slumber. The one he referred to as 'mother' without meaning to. On his right stands a man, a little stout, elegant in his dressing, a crown atop his head, his brown locks tumbling to his broad shoulders. His moustache curls at the ends, and he looks up with dignity.

King Arang, his mind supplies and Jungkook frowns.

King Arang . . . Queen Aera.

He repeats those names. They taste so familiar on his tongue. He wracks his brain.

Where has he heard them before?

Kim Jennie.

The maid.

He's heard of her too.

But where?

The question bothers him. It's there. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the answer lies, but he can't seem to reach it. He's hungry for the answer though and keeps pushing. And like a truck, it hits him.

King Arang, Queen Aera, the maid Kim Jennie . . . they're all characters in his book. Fictional characters that he brought to life through the story he wrote, a story he left incomplete. A book that revolves around a royal family, a book that is centered around the young prince.

His eyes trail to the prince in the photograph, seated between the king and the queen.

Himself, but a different version of himself.

Someone more confident, more elegant. Someone rich and respected. Someone of authority. Someone who held power. Someone, who he could once only dream to see himself as.

He is the main character in the story and although he can't remember what exactly his story contains now, he doesn't seem much bothered by it.

Euphoric.

That's how he suddenly feels. He chuckles to himself. Now this is life, he thinks to himself and plops himself on his bed, bouncing slightly on the soft mattress.

——

"Addiction promises a world that doesn't exist and provides happiness that only lasts for a short while. It promises luxury that never seems sufficient for the individual until they realise it's nothing but iron bars they are behind, caging them in and they can't get out anymore."

What game is fate playing and how will this help Jungkook save their dying relationship? Seems like a bogus attempt, doesn't it? Or...does fate have something bigger in store?

29 May, 2023