Caught in a Lie (Jimin's Heart #1)

LIE

Considering that Hae Mi and Jimin had essentially pulled an all-nighter, they were surprisingly awake and active for an early morning dance rehearsal with the rest of the members. Of course, it did help that both of them had downed two cups of coffee - black - and had grabbed the most sugary donuts they could find in the cafeteria. Although, it did give the rest of the group no right to complain when they walked into the rehearsal room, complaining about not getting enough sleep these days. Immediately, Hae Mi whipped the rest of their attitudes into shape and got the light dance practice underway.

About an hour into the rehearsal, Kyung Eun ran into the rehearsal room, her cheeks flushed with a warning. She held a tablet in one hand and a pained expression on her face. Hae Mi paused the music as she and BTS turned their attention to the dance director. Without her supervisor saying anything, Hae Mi felt her heart sink to her feet.

Something had happened.

Something bad.

"Hae Mi," she panted, stepping forward to hand her the tablet. "Hae Mi, I think you're about to be in big trouble."

"What do you mean?" Jimin demanded as he stepped up to Hae Mi's side.

Together, they silently stared down at the Dispatch article displayed on the screen.

Blanching, Hae Mi read the title out loud, "'Breaking news: Park Jimin of BTS is in a relationship with Big Hit Entertainment's assistant dance director, Lee Hae Mi.'"

The heading picture was more than enough to incriminate the two of them for their secret relationship. What was worse - it was an image of their secret date the night before. Rapidly, and in panic, Hae Mi scrolled through the article. Ignoring the words, the images were enough to cement the truth about their relationship with the world. Images time stamped all the way back to when Jimin first entered Hae Mi's apartment, their walk through the streets of Seoul, and ultimately their arrival at Big Hit Entertainment early in the morning.

But, none of the images could top the damning evidence of their kiss on the corner in front of Big Hit Entertainment.

"Dammit..." she whispered. "Dammit all to hell." Hae Mi tried to be a person that held onto her values and avoided swearing, but she was trapped in a corner with no means of escaping.

"We weren't careful enough..." Jimin murmured, expressing his own frustration in those few and quiet words. It had been the one night they had let their guards down and it had turned into a deadly mistake for the two of them.

Kyung Eun looked upon the two of them with pity. "I would expect Bang PD will be down here within the next few minutes to collect the two of you." She paused. "Although while I am disappointed that you didn't warn me about your relationship, this also means that there isn't much that I can do to protect you." She took in a deep breath, preparing to deal the final blow. "Hae Mi, I think you need to start preparing for the worst possible outcome."

"No, I should be the one put to blame," Jimin replied fiercely. "I was the one who took the step to instigate the relationship; I should be the one punished for this."

"Oppa, no," Hae Mi shook her head as she lightly placed a hand on his arm. "We both decided to pursue this relationship together. Besides, how can they punish you? You're Park Jimin, you're the Hallyu star and a member of one of the world's super groups. You're untouchable... Unlike me."