Never Not [Taekook]

NN 49

Taehyung.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. As you can see, we have all gathered here to announce and celebrate my daughter's engagement party with the one and only Jeon Jungkook, the sole heir of the Jeon Corp. I would like to invite the couple on stage and have them join me for a toast,” Jessie's father proclaimed, his gaze filled with pride as he observed his daughter and Jungkook ascending the stage. “Ah, I feel immensely proud looking at them. Aren't they lovely?”

I sipped on my wine, tightly gripping the glass. A hard gulp accompanied my discomfort as I averted my gaze from the sight of Jungkook holding Jessie by the waist. It unsettled me, but I had to maintain my composure.

A tap on my shoulder brought my attention to Jaemin. His look seemed to echo the reminder that this was all part of an act.

But I couldn't shake off the unease.

I nodded at Jaemin, taking another sip of my drink before rising from my seat, adhering to Seungkwan's instructions.

The entire assembly rose, raising their glasses. "For the future couple!" Seungkwan exclaimed.

"For the future couple!" echoed the enthusiastic response from the crowd.

A knot tightened in my stomach as those words echoed in my ears, rendering me sick, dizzy, and nauseous. Every fiber of my being urged me to escape, but my feet seemed reluctant to comply.

I sighed, forcing myself to remember it was all part of the act. Returning to my seat, I downed my drink, letting the alcohol spin my head. Rising again, I made my way to the bar, perching on a stool and ordering another drink.

"Don't drink too much; it will give you a heavy hangover," a voice warned.

I turned to see a stranger behind me, unfamiliar but casual. I shrugged, dismissing the advice, and took a sip.

He settled on the stool next to mine, ordering a drink as well. My gaze remained fixed on the glass in my hands.

"You're Kim Taehyung, right?" he asked.

I furrowed my brow. How did he know my name?

Glancing at him, I questioned, "How did you know my name?"

He shrugged, sipping his drink. "Well, my girlfriend always talks about you a lot. If I didn't know Jeon was hitting on you, I'd probably be jealous of you now."

My forehead creased in confusion. "Who are you?" He simply smiled, taking a seat beside me.

"Are you serving Bloody Mary here?" he casually asked the bartender, who nodded and began preparing the drink. He glanced at me, offering a smile. "I'm Sunghoon, Park Sunghoon," he said without meeting my eyes. I stared at him, bewildered. He chuckled at my expression. "Jessie’s boyfriend," he dropped, taking a sip of his Bloody Mary.

My jaw hit the floor as I stared at him. WHO IN THEIR DEAREST LIFE WOULD SHAMELESSLY AND PUBLICLY CLAIM THEMSELVES AS SOMEONE’S BOYFRIEND? Especially when that someone was no ordinary person—Jessie was the bride and the main character in this damn party.

Wide-eyed, I shifted my gaze to Jessie, who was engaged in conversation with her father's friends. "Jessie? You mean Do Jessie? Jeon Jungkook’s fiancée?" I asked in disbelief.

He glanced at the girl and smiled, nodding. “Ahh, she looks so beautiful in that dress,” he commented before turning his gaze back to me. He chuckled at my expression. “You still don’t believe it? Was it that unbelievable?”

“Dude, you don’t expect me to get all jolly and ask cliché questions like when did you meet or what callsigns do you have after you drop a bomb like that, do you?” I hissed. “That’s Do Jessie, Jungkook’s bride. You don’t expect me to look happy; rather, I look confused, do you?”

“I expected that already. I just didn’t know you still didn’t have any idea who I am. I’ve known you ever since Jungkook and I started talking. I didn’t know he didn’t tell you the real reason why we’re both here,” he mumbled, cautious about his voice as he looked around.

I sipped on my liquor and nodded. “I get what you mean. The old Jeon told me and asked me to do something.”

“Same thing happened to me,” he said, playing with his shot glass. “Jungkook asked me to do something too.”

We exchanged glances, about to discuss further when we were disrupted by a screeching noise coming from a microphone in Jaemin’s hand.

"Oh! I’m sorry about that," he chuckled. "I would like to greet each and every one of you a pleasant evening. I would also like to give my speech for the lovely couple. First, thank you to all the visitors who have come and participated in this party. I’ve been wondering when I would experience such a moment like this, but here I am, standing in front of all of you, proudly announcing that my son, my very good-looking only son, is already getting married to this lovely girl, Do Jessie, Do Seungkwan’s daughter.” Everyone clapped their hands as they gathered around the stage, offering their congratulatory speeches to the couple.

Sunghoon and I moved closer together. Jaemin continued to give his speech while I searched for Jihoon. When I saw him, I immediately approached him, maintaining enough distance between us.

“Wait until he finishes his speech; that’s our cue,” Jihoon whispered as we both watched Jaemin fake smiles and filter his words on the stage.

As soon as he finished his speech, he looked at us, and Jihoon immediately pushed me towards an agent dressed like a waiter holding a tray of tequilas. Everyone screamed when the waiter purposely poured the liquor towards Mr. Do’s circle of friends.

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