Lure and Eros /BTS FF

Chapter 17

In the quiet solitude of the village's library, Namjoon found himself seated at his desk, a dull ache pulsating through his temples—a relentless reminder of the previous night's hangover. The tavern's remedy, a handful of pills and a hasty meal had failed to dispel the lingering fog in his head. 

He had yet to step foot home from the night prior, and instead, all he could recall was his surroundings after he had woken up amidst scattered files and an empty bottle of alcohol standing sentinel at the edge of the desk.

His recollection of the night was a fragmented mosaic, the pieces held together by the reason that had driven him to drown his sorrows with alcohol, to begin with. The truth about the relationship between his brother and Sister Veta was still a bitter fact Namjoon didn't seem able to swallow.

The only thing he could recall well from his previous wasted night was some blurry dreams, where Veta, the object of his unspoken desires, had found a place on his lap, their lips entwined passionately. The cruel jest of reality revealed a different scene, however, one where his brother, Jungkook, took the place he yearned for.

The more he recalled that fact the more that thought felt like it was the cause that was stirring a tempest within him. Yet, he remained trapped in the cage of his thoughts, unable to confront Jungbook about the truth he had uncovered. Who would have thought that, that unpleasant rumour about Veta and Jungkook would get proven to be true, leaving Namjoon grappling with emotions he could neither suppress nor act upon?

Lost in the labyrinth of his contemplation as he was, Namjoon failed to notice Jungkook's silent entrance, leaning casually against the door frame. Jungkook had been looking for him, after eavesdropping on Terra and Veta's conversation. He harboured a plethora of matters to discuss with his brother, over his actions. 

"I've been searching everywhere for you. Where have you been?" Jungkook's voice cut through Namjoon's reverie, prompting him to turn, surprised by the sudden intrusion.

"Just taking care of some things. Do you need something?" Namjoon replied, feigning indifference as he busied himself with random files strewn across the desk.

"I want to talk about your actions," Jungkook stated, his straightforwardness carving an invisible divide between them. As Jungkook closed the door for privacy, the air thickened with unspoken tension.

"My actions?" Namjoon raised an eyebrow, dismissing the gravity of the situation. If anyone's actions needed analysis, they were his interactions with Sister Veta, he had thought but kept his tongue under control.

"Yes, getting drunk and kissing people doesn't exactly align with the responsible image you usually project," Jungkook remarked, his gaze carrying a seriousness and gravity for the certainly this was no laughing matter.

"Me? Kissing people? Who did I even kiss?" Confusion painted Namjoon's face, morphing into fear as the realization struck—his drunken dreams may not have been mere fantasies.

"Seems like you were too wasted to remember anything," Jungkook approached, disappointment etched on his features. "Terra. You kissed her while drunk."

"I did what?!" Namjoon's exclamation reverberated through the room, his face drained of colour as he sat back on his chair with a thud, taken aback by the words his brother just uttered.

"Sister Veta witnessed it yesterday. She confided in me about what to do with this secret of yours," Jungkook continued, crafting a convincing narrative that wasn't completely the truth. It didn't benefit Jungkook for Namjoon to know that he had been at the monastery that early in the morning and overhead the conversation Veta and Terra had so, claiming that Veta had called him, was a better option. Certainly, he and Veta were known to have a close enough relationship to be able to confide in each other about their problems, so Namjoon wouldn't consider it strange that she would tell him.