SEOUL, SK
KOOK & CHAE
—
The moment Jeon Jungkook stepped out of their van, the people crowding around erupted into chaos, more so than usual. Reporters, journalists, and camera-mans were the main individuals that were there, which made the boys confused. Usually, situations like these would consist more of their fans waiting eagerly for their arrival.
They kept pushing forward, towards him, to get closer to him, and their bodyguards tried their best to hold them back. They were all screaming his name. Most times, Jungkook would feel flattered, but there was a different aura that night, there was a different tone to the voices; it gave him an anxious feeling that he could not shake off.
He kept his eyes on the ground, trying not to make any eye contact, as he made his way to the restaurant and trailing behind the others. They were there to film a new episode for their variety show 'Run BTS.' Jungkook hoped the emotions he was feeling currently wouldn't affect the rest of his mood during the taping. He also silently hoped that the boys would walk faster or that the guards would clear up more space for them quicker.
He was afraid of what he knew was for sure going to be exposed sooner or later.
And what he feared the most, came true as the shouts of the people around them became more clear.
"Jeon Jungkook are you dating Blackpink's Rosé?"
"Can you comment on Dispatch's news?"
"Why were you two caught kissing?"
"What happened in Madrid?"
Upon hearing these inquiries, the six snapped their heads back to look at Jungkook. They all had the same expression on their faces. He avoided their gaze as he knew he was about to get the beating of his life.
They rushed into the building and all he wanted at this moment was for the ground to swallow him whole. Jungkook, the usual smiley and collected type, was trembling at the presence of his bandmates.
The tension between him and them pierced through the air. Even the restaurant employees and production staff were afraid. They had never seen BTS like this before.
Someone firmly gripped his hand and led him away. Jungkook looked up to find a blank faced Namjoon. The rest were following behind them.
The seven boys went into a private room of the establishment. It was a conversation they needed to have without the prying eyes and ears of others.
"You want to explain something to us, Jungkook?" It was the oldest, Jin, who spoke up first. To his relief, his hyung did not have an angry tone to his voice. He seemed rather more concerned and worried.
What happened in Madrid, well, they weren't really being that discreet about it, but Jungkook hoped that they wouldn't have been recognized. He guessed that the fans put two and two together and figured out that it was them.
He knew they were smart. The truth was bound to come out one day, he just didn't expect it to be the day after he returned to Korea. He had not gotten the chance to formulate an answer yet.
The tense vibe between all of them was ruined by the sound of snickering.
All eyes travelled to Jimin and Hoseok, who were huddled in the corner, looking and giggling intensely at their cellphones.
"Yah!" Yoongi scolded the two boys, causing the two of them to look up. "What are you both on about?"
Jimin glanced at Hoseok, wondering if he should show the rest of them what was on his phone. Hell, they would have seen it anyways.
The seven came closer and their eyes widened in shock as he showed them the picture.
The picture wasn't just any picture. No, it was a picture that would be forever remembered in Kpop history. If there was a museum for it, this picture would be displayed in it.
It was of their very own Jungkook and, a member of the most popular girl-group currently, Blackpink's Rosé, locking lips in what looked to be Plaza Mayor in Madrid. She had her hand place delicately on the nape of his neck, and his was around her small waist. The picture was dark as it was taken at night, but it was undoubtedly the two of them.
Looking at the photo, Jungkook felt anger boiling inside of him. Not towards the girl, but to himself for allowing it to happen. Contrary to what the rest were probably thinking right now, it was all a mistake to him. If only things that happened in Madrid would stay there.
"Oh my fucking g-," Yoongi started to say before Jin hit him for swearing.
"Jeon Jungkook, I don't even know what to say," Namjoon said, not turning away from the photo, as if it would disappear if he blinked.
"Kook, you should've told us you went on that trip for her!" Jimin exclaimed, putting his hand up, anticipating a high five from him. Jungkook just rolled his eyes at his hyung's teasings.
He ran his fingers through his hair in attempt to calm himself down. The repercussions of this situation could be detrimental to his career. He wondered where the media got this picture from and who was the individual that had taken it.
Namjoon stared him down. Jungkook knew his leader was still expecting some sort of explanation.
"I honestly don't know," he admitted. He didn't like being cornered like this, but he knew he deserved it. This could affect their whole group. "I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Namjoon asked. His tone was a bit different now, more softer. He must have noticed the trembling in Jungkook's voice. "You know you didn't need to hide your relationship from us."
The rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement. They were like brothers. If any one of them had a significant other, they should be open to telling each other. No one else would have their backs like they would.
Jungkook shook his head, "That's the thing. We're not together."
His bandmates' confusion grew and it was evident on all of their faces.
"We just kissed?" he continued. "I don't know, it's hard to explain."
The older boys glanced each other like they were using telepathy. They knew not to keep prying. Jungkook honestly seemed to have been at a loss of words, and it wouldn't do them any better to keep asking him questions.
As if on cue, a knock came at the door. Their manager entered with an expression that Jungkook couldn't quite read. In any case, he knew he was in trouble.
"The filming will be rescheduled to another date. We're requested to return to BigHit immediately," their manager informed all of them before fixing his eyes on Jungkook, who squirmed at his stare. "Don't answer any questions and keep your head low."
Awkward silence filled the room as only the sound of their feet shuffling out of the building was heard. Jungkook closed his eyes to prepare himself for the wrath he was about to face, both from the public and their entertainment company.
The sound of the reporters and paparazzi could be heard through the entrance doors. His bandmates looked at him worryingly, but Jungkook just gave them a small smile of reassurance. Their security had seemed to double since their arrival which was probably the doing of their manager.
They formed a wall around him as they exited the building and made their way towards their van. The press were still hounding him with the same questions as before. But as per instructions, he ignored all of them and kept his eyes down, quickly making his way into the van.
The ride to their entertainment company's building was unsettling. Except for the light and occasional chatter, and the sound of the radio, it was mostly silent and awkward.
Jungkook knew that all of the thoughts of his members comprised of him and the current situation. It did not help that the radio started playing one of Blackpink's songs. He wanted to throw himself out the window at the sound of her voice. The rest of BTS wanted to burst out laughing at the coincidence, but they tried their best to keep their cool and not worsen Jungkook's mood. Jimin on the other hand would not let him live it down as he poked him from behind during her parts.
After the longest drive of his life, they finally arrived at BigHit and were met with a bigger crowd than the earlier at their filming location. It seemed like their was double the amount of reporters and paparazzi. Once again, they were given the same protocol and protection. Exit the van, do not answer questions, and enter through quickly.
Once they stepped through the doors, it was a whirlwind of events. Jungkook does not know how it happened but he found himself separated from his members and into the elevator with only their manager and a few security. He wondered what he had gotten himself into for it to produce such serious measures.
He was met with a pair of eyes he did not want to see when he entered Bang Sihyuk's office. Park Chaeyoung, also known as Rosé from Blackpink, was sat on a chair across from the CEO's table and surrounded by people that looked similar of those with Jungkook.
He noticed that she had a slight tan and it made her glow a bit differently. It suited her well, especially in complimenting her blonde hair. She also still had her nails done from when they went to the salon together. Although, he had removed his matching polish off already. Jungkook became confused as to why he was thinking about this. Seeing her made all of the unwanted memories come rushing back.
"Sit down, Jungkook," Sihyuk said authoritatively.
On the way here, he was brainstorming all the ways in which his boss would react. He assumed he would be mad, but his tone did not seem to have any anger, it was very much just sharp and focused. His expression was hard to read as well, as if he was calculating a million thoughts at once.
Jungkook quickly followed his orders and sat in the only available chair which was beside Chaeyoung. He could feel her intense gaze on him but tried his best to avoid that.
Suddenly, the door opened and the CEO of YG Entertainment stepped in. Once he entered, all of the security personnel in the room exited, leaving only the two idols, the two CEOs, and their managers. Jungkook swallowed hard. He was afraid of how exactly they were all going to resolve this, as it was not looking good.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Hyunsuk apologized as he made his way to stand beside Sihyuk.
"Did they see you?" Sihyuk asked as to which he replied with a simple head shake. By they, he was probably referring to the massive crowd of people outside of Bighit right now. Jungkook was assuming that it had still not died down.
"We managed to get through the secret entrance the same way as Rosé," he responded before turning to look towards him and Chaeyoung with curious eyes. From his peripheral vision, he could see her fidgeting with her fingers, cowering under the presence of her boss. Jungkook wanted to scoff as she was the one who got them into this mess. "But to get straight to the point, are you two dating?"
Jungkook immediately stood up from his seat and denied the claims, "No!" he yelled. Many were taken aback by his strong reaction, creating a weird atmosphere in the room. He cleared his throat and spoke in a calmer manner, "I'm sorry. No, we're not."
"Then explain to us what that picture was," Sihyuk asked, folding his arms over his chest. Like the rest of BTS once hearing the truth, he looked confused.
He looked back towards Chaeyoung, hoping she would chime in with something, anything, to lessen the tension on him. But now, she was avoiding his stare, seemingly looking at something that was in the corner of the room. Of course she wouldn't answer, he thought. He sighed in frustration at how she was absolutely no help.
"It was a drunken mistake," he replied. It was not the wholehearted truth, but it was the most that he could say at that moment. He noticed that Chaeyoung had stopped fidgeting but was now clinging on tightly to the hem of her skirt. She was noticeably uncomfortable but he kept going, with even more lies. "When we were in Madrid, we ran into each other a couple of times. The last night, we had a few drinks and we accidentally kissed. Nothing more."
Jungkook was no actor but that was one of the best performances he had ever given. Everything he had said was improvised on the spot and he applauded himself for not stumbling. His only hope now that everyone in the room would believe his story. He would deal with Park Chaeyoung later.
A few minutes had passed since his big spiel and not one word had been muttered. He was getting nervous, not wanting to admit anything further. Like he said earlier, he wished that everything that happened in Madrid would just stay there.
Finally, Hyunsuk heaved out a deep sigh before saying, "Okay, we understand that but it'll be much harder for the public."
Sihyuk nodded in agreement and scolded them, "You two should have been more careful, especially because of your level of popularity here. Much drama would go around if people found out that two of the biggest names in Korea got drunk and became comfortable with one another."
"We're sorry for that," Chaeyoung finally spoke up. "Like Jungkook said, it was our mistake and I'm ready to go along with whatever plan both of you will come up with to control the damage."
He took back what he said earlier as he wanted to roll his eyes at the sound of her voice and at what she said. Chaeyoung might agree with anything, but he was not. She was naïve. He had been in this industry for a very long time. He knew how these kinds of scandals work and how they solved it, he was just waiting for their bosses to finally say it.
The two CEOs looked at each other knowingly, as if they had already discussed this before this meeting even occurred. Jungkook closed his eyes, preparing himself for the worst,
"Well, we will release a statement that the you two are in fact dating, and continue to act so for at least two months," Hyunsuk stated firmly.
Now, it was Chaeyoung's turn to have a strong reaction. She stoop up from her seat in shock. Jungkook buried his face in his hands in frustration. He almost wanted to laugh at how right he was in predicting the future.
"We know it's not ideal. Hyunsuk and I are not oblivious to the fact that you both have had a long standing feud, you could imagine how surprised we were upon hearing the news," Sihyuk said, letting a small chuckle out at the end with his friend as if it was a running joke between the two of them. He gestured for the two of them to sit back down. "But these are the consequences of your own actions. We have to let the public believe that kiss was intentional and justified. It's only for a few months, you will occasionally see each other for dates, until an inevitable break up saying your schedules got too busy. It works out because Rosé will go on her world tour soon after."
His words seemed like a practiced script. As if this was not his first time saying those words. Jungkook's whole world came crashing down upon hearing the words he was already expecting. It felt different actually hearing them directed towards him, compared to just imagining. This was his real life.
He looked towards Chaeyoung and she just had a dumbfounded look on her face, as if she did not know how to react. Jungkook would be that way too but he just wanted to get this meeting over with. He didn't want to cause a scene either, knowing his emotions would get riled up if he tried to speak up. He reluctantly nodded his head, confidently assuming that he had no say in this and they would not care if he disagreed.
Chaeyoung now had her eyebrows furrowed. She was probably shocked that, of all people, he was agreeing to this set up. He could tell she wanted to speak up and object. There was a fire behind her eyes and her nose was flaring that way it would when she got angry. She had a strong grip around the arms of her chair in attempts to hold herself back in front of their CEOs. But Chaeyoung must have realized that her opinion did not matter in this situation either. It was also her who said she would agree to any plan they decide upon, although she probably wanted to take back her earlier words now.
"Your dates don't have to be long, just enough so that some photographers see you together and things like that," Hyunsuk continued to explain their well thought out idea. "Don't worry, both companies will take care of the news, as well as for when your breakup comes around. Your managers and group mates will be informed of the truth so you don't have to lie to them. But make sure this information stays confidential. We don't need rumours going around that this was all fake and ruin your reputations further. So please act like you actually like each other, especially with other idols around."
Both Jungkook and Chaeyoung had nothing to say but nod in response. Though their bosses were reassuring them of their plan and efforts, the air got much colder and uncomfortable around the room.
A million thoughts were going through both of their minds. There was too much at stake. Who knew that one trip, one action, one picture, could change the trajectory of their lives this much? Furthermore, neither one wanted to get their members involved and ruin their respective groups' public image. It was a discussion both were going to need to have once they return to their dorms. And they also wondered how their fans were going to react, if it would create more tension between Armys and Blinks, or possibly build a bridge. They could even lose supporters because they might feel as if something was being taken away from them.
Jungkook looked towards Chaeyoung. One thing he knew for sure that he needed to do was to talk to her, no matter how much he disliked her. They needed to get their stories straightened out so it does not cause any suspicions, as well as figure out how they were going to successfully execute this plan.
"If there is nothing else left to say, you all may be dismissed," Sihyuk said before saying a formal goodbye and thank you to Hyunsuk.
As everyone was getting ready to leave and making their ways to the door, Jungkook said, "If it's not too much, I'd like to speak with Chaeyoung privately for a few minutes."
The girl was startled at the sudden mention of her name, especially coming from his mouth. She looked at him with questioning eyes, like she did not fully believe that he wanted to speak to her.
"Sure, go to the lounge, I believe no one is there. Your manager and security will be waiting for you outside," Sihyuk informed. He nodded and the two idols bid their farewells.
Chaeyoung was reluctant to oblige, but she had no choice but to trail behind Jungkook out of the office into an elevator, while her staff followed from afar. The room was only a short distance from the office and so the walk in the hallway was brief. Despite short amount of time, it did not stop the atmosphere around them to grow with tension and awkwardness.
The big doors at the end of the hall opened into a very open and spacious floor plan. There were couches scattered about and natural light coming from the floor to ceiling windows. It seemed like a place to relax and lounge.
"What did you want to talk about?" Chaeyoung asked, breaking their silence that was becoming suffocating. The two stood face to face in the middle of the room. She had her arms folded and did not tear her stare away from him. Jungkook knew she was putting on an act. She was completely anxious inside.
"You have to go along with everything I said in that office," he replied firmly. There was no way in hell anyone else was going to find out about the real truth.
"Those were all lies!" Chaeyoung retaliated, breaking her tough exterior. Jungkook knew that. He did not know how else to cover up what happened, especially to people that pretty much controlled their lives. They were only there for a few days but so much transpired between them, too much to try and explain to others. "You know for a—"
"Shut up!" Jungkook interrupted. "We agreed to not talk about what happened and go back to how things were."
Chaeyoung stood there astounded at how he was changing the narrative. "No, you agreed," she corrected, rolling her eyes, remembering exactly how everything went down between the two of them before they parted ways in Madrid.
Like it was only yesterday, she could still picture the airport and how every word that Jungkook said broke her heart. She cringed reminiscing on how she spent the whole flight back in tears. Chaeyoung now realized to never trust anything that came out of his mouth.
"Say and do whatever you want, Jeon Jungkook. Don't worry about me," she sighed. She could not deal with his presence any longer. If she spent any more time with him, she would combust. After everything, she knew she needed to keep a strong boundary between the two of them, especially now that they have to spend more time together. God knows what would happen if she let her walls down again. "I'll text you about our schedules and we can make a set calendar for our meetings. Don't contact me for anything else, and sure as hell don't contact me after this ends."
After saying this, Chaeyoung walked out, leaving a dumbfounded Jungkook behind.
He stood there not knowing what to do. He felt unsettled. He knew what he did at the end of their trip was terrible, he can even admit to being a jerk. She had the right to be mad but he never saw Chaeyoung be like that before, her words felt like daggers while her eyes looked like blades.
She talked about their arrangement as if it was a strict business contract, not two lovers agreeing to date. And how come it left him feeling empty and unsatisfied? It was exactly what he wanted, right?