Chapter 4

If there was one thing Taehyung and Jungkook learned within the first hour of becoming a fake couple, it was that they had severely underestimated their families.

The problem wasn’t that anyone was suspicious.

The problem was that nobody was suspicious at all.

Lunch hadn’t even officially started yet, and every adult in the house was behaving as if they were witnessing a long-awaited miracle.

Taehyung sat quietly beside Jungkook at the dining table while internally questioning every life decision that had brought him to this exact moment. Across from them, both their mothers sat side by side like old friends discussing their favorite television drama rather than their sons’ supposedly new relationship.

Which, in a way, made this entire situation worse because this wasn’t new to them. Apparently, everyone else had been waiting for this for years.

His aunt was the first one to start.

She looked at both of them with a grin that immediately made Taehyung nervous. “I still remember when you were both sixteen and insisted there was absolutely nothing going on between you.”

Taehyung almost dropped his spoon.

Beside him, Jungkook nearly choked on his water.
“There wasn’t,” Taehyung said immediately before taking another bite of food.

His aunt laughed. “See? That’s exactly what you used to say.”

Jungkook looked genuinely confused. “Because it was true.”

“Mmhm,” his aunt hummed with absolutely no intention of believing him.

Across the table, Seokjin was enjoying this far too much. “Do you know how many bets existed during high school? Half of us thought you’d start dating before graduation.”

Taehyung blinked. “There were bets?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

Jungkook looked equally horrified. “There were bets?”

Seokjin nodded enthusiastically. “Then university happened and everyone was convinced it’d happen there instead.”

Jungkook slowly set down his chopsticks while staring at him. “Nobody told us this.”

“Because it wasn’t important.”

“It sounds important.”

“It really wasn’t.”

Taehyung watched this entire conversation unfold with increasing disbelief. How had they never known this?

His mother laughed softly before joining the conversation. “To be fair, you two never made it easy for anyone to think otherwise.”

Taehyung looked up immediately. “What did we do?”

His mother looked at him as if the answer was obvious.
“What didn’t you do?”

Before he could even think of a response, Jungkook’s mother jumped in happily. “You spent almost every day together. If one of you wasn’t at school, the other would know why before anyone else did.”

His mother nodded beside her. “You remembered every important date.”

“You went on trips together.”
“You knew each other’s schedules.”
“You remembered each other’s meals.”
“You knew when one of you wasn’t feeling well.”

The adults kept listing examples while Taehyung and Jungkook slowly stared at each other. It all sounded normal because it was normal.

At least to them.

Then Seokjin leaned back in his chair, looking thoroughly entertained. “Also do you remember when Jungkook drove two hours to pick Taehyung up because he missed the last train during university?”

Taehyung nodded immediately. “Because it was raining.”
Seokjin smiled.

Jungkook nodded too. “Exactly.”

Seokjin pointed at them both. “Do you hear yourselves?”

Taehyung frowned. “What?”

“You say these things like they’re ordinary.”

“They are ordinary.”

Seokjin burst into laughter. “That’s exactly the problem.”

The adults around them all nodded in agreement. Taehyung was beginning to feel attacked beside him, Jungkook looked equally offended.

This entire situation was absurd. Even more absurd because they couldn’t exactly defend themselves because every explanation somehow made things worse. If they argued too much, people would become suspicious. If they stayed quiet, everyone would become even more convinced.

There was no winning.

Taehyung slowly took another bite of his food while trying to act natural beside him, Jungkook looked surprisingly calm.

At least on the outside.

Unfortunately, Taehyung had known him for ten years. He immediately noticed Jungkook rubbing his thumb against his index finger under the table.

A nervous habit which Jungkook only did whenever he felt overwhelmed, and which Taehyung knew too well. They were both suffering, across from them, their mothers continued talking enthusiastically.

“I still can’t believe it finally happened,” Jungkook’s mother said happily.

Taehyung’s mother nodded. “Honestly, I had given up hope.”

“Me too.”

“Then suddenly Taehyung announces he has a boyfriend and it’s none other than Jungkook.”

The two women laughed together. Taehyung suddenly understood where their excitement came from. This wasn’t just a new relationship to them. This was years of assumptions finally becoming reality, or what they thought was reality.

That realization made him slightly nervous because this lie had somehow become bigger than he originally intended.

Much bigger.

The rest of dinner thankfully moved on to other topics, though the teasing never completely stopped.

Sometimes Seokjin would make a comment.
Sometimes their mothers would smile at them.
Sometimes Aunt Mina would stare at them as though she was admiring a masterpiece.

By the time dessert arrived, both Taehyung and Jungkook had reached their limit.

They needed to leave.

Immediately.

Taehyung was the first to speak, he put down his spoon before looking at everyone apologetically. “We can’t stay much longer. It’s the end of the semester at university, and things are incredibly busy right now.”

His mother looked disappointed immediately. “Already?”

Taehyung nodded. “All my students submitted their assignments this week, so I have to finish grading everything. Exams are also coming up, which means all the professors have meetings almost every day.”

Thankfully, none of that was a lie.

It was simply exaggerated.

Jungkook joined in naturally. “And I recently hired five new trainers for my new gym branch, so I’ll be busy helping them settle into their schedules and responsibilities.”

That wasn’t entirely a lie either the trainers were experienced. He wouldn’t need to do much, but it sounded convincing enough. Unfortunately, both mothers looked sad.

“You’ve only just arrived,” Jungkook’s mother said.

Taehyung almost felt guilty.

But survival came first.

After another ten minutes of convincing, explaining, and promising to visit again soon, the adults finally relented. The second permission was granted, both Taehyung and Jungkook moved so quickly that Seokjin burst into laughter.

“You two look like prisoners being released.”

Neither of them denied it.

Five minutes later, they were already inside Jungkook’s car. As soon as the doors closed, silence filled the space.
A peaceful silence.

The first one they’d experienced all evening. Jungkook started the engine and drove away. For several minutes neither of them spoke. The city lights passed outside the windows while both simply processed the insanity they’d just survived.

Then, without warning, Jungkook pulled into a familiar parking spot. Taehyung blinked in confusion. “An ice cream shop” He whispered, he watched as Jungkook unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car without explanation.

A few minutes later, he returned carrying two ice creams.
Without saying much, he handed Taehyung his favorite.

Strawberry.

Taehyung smiled immediately as he accepted it and climbed out of the car. Soon they were both leaning against the front of Jungkook’s car while eating quietly beneath the evening sky. The peaceful atmosphere felt refreshing after the chaos.

After a few moments, Taehyung sighed softly. “I’m sorry.”
Jungkook looked at him. Taehyung kept his gaze on his ice cream while speaking. “For all of this. You didn’t ask for any of it.”

Jungkook chuckled quietly before taking another bite. “Then I should apologize too.”

Taehyung looked surprised, “For what?”

Jungkook smiled helplessly. “Did you hear my mother today? She practically called you her son-in-law.”

Taehyung laughed for the first time all evening. “She really did. She’s going to be unbearable now.”

“So is my mom.”

Both of them laughed again.

Then the laughter slowly faded, reality returned once more. “What do we do now?” Taehyung asked.

Jungkook thought for a moment. “Nothing.”

Taehyung frowned. “Nothing?”

“For now, yes.” Jungkook shrugged. “We’ll keep doing what we normally do and avoid giving them opportunities to gather us together every week.”

Taehyung nodded slowly.

That sounded reasonable.

They were both genuinely busy anyway. Taehyung had already finished grading most assignments, though meetings still remained. Jungkook did have five new trainers, though they were experienced enough to manage on their own.

They weren’t exactly lying.

Just stretching the truth a little.

“Then we’ll tell them we’re busy whenever they ask,” Taehyung said.

Jungkook nodded. “Exactly.”

After finishing their ice creams, they threw away the wrappers and climbed back inside the car. The atmosphere felt significantly lighter now compared to earlier that evening. The initial panic had faded, replaced by something much more familiar and comfortable. It felt like old times again.

Jungkook started the engine and drove toward Taehyung’s apartment while soft music played quietly in the background. The drive itself wasn’t long, and neither of them felt the need to fill every second with conversation. Their friendship had never required constant talking. Sometimes silence was enough.

A few minutes later, Jungkook parked outside Taehyung’s apartment building.

Taehyung unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his bag before opening the door. He had already stepped out when he suddenly paused and turned back around toward the open driver’s side window.

A small smile appeared on his face as he looked at Jungkook. “Thanks for playing along, though. I know this whole thing is ridiculous.”

Jungkook immediately waved him off as if it wasn’t even worth thanking him for. “Oh, come on. We’re best friends. Of course I’m going to help you.” Then his expression changed into a playful grin. “But you definitely owe me one now.”

Taehyung laughed softly. “That’s fair.”

Jungkook nodded dramatically. “Good. Glad we’re on the same page.”

Then he glanced at the time displayed on the dashboard.
“Okay, bye for now. I actually have work to do.”

Taehyung blinked in surprise. “But it’s the weekend.”

Jungkook chuckled at his expression. “I really did hire five new trainers, remember? I still have to organize their schedules and explain some responsibilities. So yes, I am busy. Just… not as busy as I made our parents believe.”

The two of them immediately burst into laughter.

Honestly, tonight had been so absurd that laughing felt necessary.

Taehyung shook his head in amusement. “Same here. I really do have meetings with other professors tomorrow, so I should prepare for those.”

Jungkook nodded. “I hope your meeting goes well.”

A warm smile spread across Taehyung’s face. “If you have time someday, I’ll treat you to dinner properly for helping me.”

The moment the word dinner left his mouth, Jungkook’s eyes practically lit up and Taehyung almost laughed again.

Of course.

After knowing him for ten years, he should’ve expected that reaction. Jeon Jungkook was an unapologetic foodie. The man could be persuaded into almost anything if food was involved.

Jungkook pointed a finger at him while smiling widely. “You better.”

Taehyung laughed. “I will.”

For a brief moment, both of them simply looked at each other, comfortable in the familiar ease that had always existed between them.

Then Jungkook nodded toward the apartment building. “Go inside. It’s getting late.”

Taehyung nodded obediently. “Drive safely.”

“You too.”

The second the words left his mouth, both of them paused. Then Taehyung snorted, Jungkook immediately started laughing too.

“Right,” Jungkook said between laughs. “You’re not driving.”

“Apparently not.”

“Go upstairs, professor.”

“Yes, gym owner.”

Still smiling, Taehyung finally turned around and headed toward the building entrance. He didn’t know why, but the knot of anxiety that had been sitting in his chest since dinner had loosened considerably.

Maybe because Jungkook was helping him, maybe because everything somehow felt manageable now or maybe because for the past ten years, every difficult situation in his life had become easier the moment Jungkook stood beside him.

Behind him, Jungkook waited until Taehyung safely entered the building before driving away. It was a habit he’d developed years ago. One he never thought twice about. After all, this was simply what they did. They looked after each other.

Always had.

Always would.

At least, that’s what both of them believed.

Neither of them knew that this fake relationship they had created would slowly begin changing things neither of them had ever questioned before.

TO BE CONNECTED
WORDS: 2031