Threads of fate

After Jin left, Jungkook was no longer the same. The bright, golden maknae—once full of jokes, laughter, and boundless energy—had become a shell of himself. His smiles were forced. His laughter hollow. He moved like a ghost in their dorm, always distracted, always somewhere else in his mind.

At first, the other members were angry. They didn’t understand why Jungkook had pushed Jin away so cruelly, why he had walked away from the man he loved. They thought it was selfishness, immaturity, fear. But soon, they noticed something more.

Jungkook wasn’t just sad—he was terrified. He barely ate. Barely slept. Sometimes, they'd catch him staring blankly at his phone, hands trembling, sweat beading on his brow. His once-dedicated workout routine had vanished. There were bags under his eyes, and he’d startle at even the slightest sound.

Something was very wrong.

Taehyung was the first to act.

He had noticed Jungkook sneaking out late at night, always careful, always checking over his shoulder. One night, curiosity overtook him. Quietly, he followed Jungkook through the back streets of Seoul until he reached a secluded alley.

There, Jungkook met a man—his face hidden under a hood. The exchange was brief: an envelope passed from one hand to the other. Jungkook looked crushed, defeated. Taehyung couldn’t hear what was said, but the way Jungkook’s shoulders slumped and his hands trembled told him everything.

As Jungkook turned to leave, Taehyung stepped out of the shadows and grabbed his wrist.

"Jungkook, what the hell is going on?"

Jungkook froze. His eyes widened in panic. "Tae, you shouldn’t be here."

"Don't give me that. You're hiding something, and we all see it. Either you tell me now, or I swear I'll get the others."

Jungkook's resolve crumbled. His body shook as he whispered, "Someone... someone has been threatening me. I had to protect him. I had no choice, Tae. I had to push him away."

Taehyung's heart clenched. He immediately called the others, and together, they dragged Jungkook to a safe place, away from prying eyes.

Jungkook sat in the center of the couch his eyes downcast as the other members gathered around him, each one silent, tense. The air was heavy—no one dared speak first. It was Jungkook who finally broke the silence.

“I didn’t want to hide this from you,” he began, his voice low and tight, “but I didn’t know what else to do.”

He told them everything.

From the first strange call—"Leave now, or someone you care about will suffer"—to the increasingly personal threats that followed. He spoke of the photos, the videos—some taken in their dorm, others from their apartment. Private places. Sacred spaces. All violated.

The members remained still, expressions hardening as Jungkook continued.

“He knew things no one should’ve known,” Jungkook said hoarsely. “He spoke to me through my concert earpiece, told me to blame Jin for our performance. When I refused, he said he wasn’t going to kill me... he said he’d kill Jin.”

His voice cracked. “Then I saw it—a red laser dot aimed right at Jin’s heart. No one else noticed, but I did.”

Jimin’s fist clenched. Hoseok’s jaw tightened. Namjoon closed his eyes, taking a slow breath. Taehyung stared at the floor, silent fury building.

“We’ve been watched this whole time,” Jungkook whispered. “Even now. In the dorm. In our apartment. He sent me a video... of me searching for bugs in the apartment. He said, ‘You won’t find them. So concentrate on what I told you.’”