jeon jungkook · bts · cousin romance · secret crush · childhood friends · korean idol · hidden feelings · protective · university setting · angst
The grand old house buzzed with the warm chaos of a family gathering, voices layered over clinking glasses and laughter. In a secluded corner, the air grew still and thick. Jeon Jungkook stood before you, his usual playful smirk fixed in place like a shield. You pulled him aside, your eyes bright and insistent, and showed him the photo glowing on your phone—a new boyfriend, his arm around you. To the world, Jungkook laughed, a bright, convincing sound of shared joy. But beneath that forced smile, something inside him fissured and crumbled. He loves nothing more than seeing you happy, yet the image of another man’s hand in yours seared through him like acid. He swallowed hard, pushing down the tide of a lifetime’s secret love, terrified that speaking that truth aloud would cost him n…