Card Tricks -Jikook

Poison

It's hard to describe the feeling of expected betrayal. It's an odd sensation, similar to that of of discovering you have drank poison, and then being surprised that it has spread. On one hand, you should have known that your veins would deepen in color, that your skin would pale, and that the once dot of black has bloomed into an entire flower on your body. On the other, the smallest part of you hoped that it'd dissipate. That it'd continue to be a only dot. So, the hope isn't for the poison to be rejected from your system, but rather stay in the shape that's it's in without manifesting into a larger problem.

Korea's love, top idol, Park Jimin, was like that; Jungkook thought. When they first met, it was mainly a large wave of disbelief between the two of them of what the encounter could mean, and ever since Jungkook had never parted from his trading card. The card, you see, was the poison. The small dot his mind refused to rid of, even though all that's come of it has been continuous hurt.

He had believed him, Jimin, when they'd gone on their date. He had believed that the feelings between them were genuine, and that they were strong. That the card wasn't some state of euphoria that was completely imagined in his head. That their situation was real, and that it meant something to the both of them.

Then, the vmin photos were leaked.

Jungkook had been eating cereal, which is such an ordinary thing to eat on the day you feel like the world is crashing down. But still, Jungkook was sitting at his regular spot in the kitchen, fumbling with his phone as his mother's number flashed at the top of it. Just as usual, he ignored it, and instead took out the trading card. His thumb gently brushed across the edge of it, and the edge of his lips couldn't help but twitch up.

Jimin's laugh was oddly the first thing that came up in his mind. But, not the regular half hearted one Jimin tended to use in all those programs Jisoo forced Jungkook to watch with her, and not the bullshit smirk one which drove Jungkook insane. No, it was the rare light ring the boy would let out every now and then whenever Jimin let his guard down. The idol always told Jungkook he felt like the boy was his one true escape place, but the walls he has built around himself are too tall to ever really let completely down. But, sometimes, when Jungkook was lucky, they'd be cuddling and Jungkook would say something sweet like "you're a terrible singer, you know," and Jimin would shake his head and laugh. Purely, sincerely, somehow adorably, laugh.

At this point, it'd been a couple days since Jungkook had called on him. There wasn't a reason quite yet for the ghosting, but lately Jimin didn't seem all there whenever he appeared, if that makes sense? Jungkook let his spoon hang in his hand, sort of eating but not really the now sludge of his cookie crisps. His finger moved to trace the outline of Jimin's face on the card. The material of it looked old, the paper tearing the slightest bit at the edges, but the picture of Park Jimin was as good as new.

Well, better than new. His cheeks were full of color, his skin the slightest bit tan, his body healthy. The only thing that still resides in Jimin now is that flash in his brown eyes. Those beautifully colored piece of art that can completely stop your heart with only the smallest glance maintained their spark. Jungkook didn't know the scale of Jimin's current free fall, nor the trigger of it, but he wasn't dense enough not to notice Jimin had been taking some sort of not particularly legal substance.

He moved to put the card back in his pocket, debating whether or not to talk to Jimin about the drug thing. Their relationship was fairly new, having only met each other a couple of weeks ago, so he wasn't sure whether or not it was his place to really say anything at this point. It's not like he knew him all that well, Jungkook liked to think he did, but with Jimin you just never know. He's always on the other side of the river when you're with him. Close enough to admire, but just far enough that if you were to touch him, you'd drown trying.

"Hey loser," Jisoo spoke, snapping Jungkook out of his daze. She was wearing this black turtle neck, with jeans that were ripped up to her thighs. She barely glanced at Jungkook as she reached for an apple, wrapping his red painted fingers around it, and taking a bite. Jungkook eyes her curiously, and she growled back at him to politely fuck off while she was enjoying her daily dose of natural serotonin.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Jungkook asked, raising an eyebrow at his sister. She paused her eating, this funny smile creeping up on her lips, making Jungkook's own movements slow. He knew that look, that was her "omg 4'oclock gossip" look. Oh shut up, you try living with her and you'll be able to tell the fangirl looks apart too.

"Lisa is having a party this weekend, want to go?" Jisoo asked, to which Jungkook narrowed his eyes as she avoided spilling the tea which Jungkook was thirsting for.

"Not necessarily, sister."

"But I'm gonna wear this super cute red dress!! You could match-"

"-and I've lost my appetite." Jungkook states as he stood up from his seat in the kitchen. He grabbed his half empty bowl and began to walk it to the sink, ignoring the loud eye roll his sister shot his way. She sighed, grabbing a remote from the counter and pointed it at the living room tv, some PinkBuzz interview flooding the room with noise.

Jungkook finished washing the bowl when he heard Jisoo flip out her phone, not caring enough to know who was on the other side of it.

"Are you watching the interview right now too?" Jisoo asked, and Jungkook turned around to see which interview she was talking about. On the tv, was Kim Seok Jin, the signature host decked out in a light grey suit with a pink button up underneath. To his right, were both members of 4'oclock. Jimin looked....amazing. There was really nothing like seeing him in person, but even on camera every thing about him radiated. "Omg Lisa, Jimin's matching my outfit - no I didn't plan it! Shut up!" Jisoo laughed into the phone, and Jungkook leaned against his counter, folding his arms against his chest as his head tilted.

Jimin glances off camera, probably to look at their manager for guidance, and Taehyung laughed to something Jin had said. His hand went to Jimin's thigh at the gesture, and Jimin didn't move away from it. His eyebrows furrowed the slightest bit, but he maintained a light air to him keeping the atmosphere of the interview upbeat. Everything about the image seemed natural, it wasn't out of the ordinary for korean guys to grab each other's thighs when they joked around. Nothing about it seemed off.

But-

"I can't believe that they're actually a couple!" Jisoo squealed into the phone, a loud - equally as excited - sound came from the person on the other side of the line as a response. "-Oh hush, there's no way you knew for sure until those photos leaked. Taehyung had his tongue all the way down Jimin's throat. - Yes I saw them!! -Do you think they'll marry?!??"

Jungkook was glad he wasn't holding his bowl then, because he might have just dropped it. That small dot of poison he had been ignoring, had truly spread, and now it was too late to remove it. He could feel his mind blank from disbelief, and his chest hurt from the thought that he had trusted Jimin after the whole Sehun thing, and he went right out and did this to him again. How stupid was he? People who cheat don't just stop because they "found the right person." Jungkook could feel his fists ball up slightly, as this wave of frustration and unimaginable hurt crushed down on him.

Memories of their times together, the good times, were playing cruelly in his head. Of them laying on his bed, not saying a single thing, as simply being they're together was enough. Of listening to music on the bus. Of Dan the Man. Was all of that a lie? Was it all fake? Was Jungkook nothing more than someone to play with when mr privilege wanted?

Jungkook wanted to laugh, this was all his fault. He never should have trusted Jimin when he said that Jungkook actually meant something to him. Because, of course, of course he didn't. Jimin was simply someone taking advantage of a bizarre situation. Jungkook felt the card in his back pocket burn against the material of his jeans, and he wanted to rip it to shreds - but something stopped him.

His eyes stung from keeping them open for so long. He ran hand through his hair before muttering under his breathe. "Sure, Jisoo. I'll go to Lisa's party," and then leaving the room with a nice slam of the door.

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A/N - double update today, the next part will be up in a sec. sorry for the rearranging, this was originally going to be after the last chapter as an insight into Jungkook's side of things, but it makes sense to put it before the last chapter.

- Violette