บท 71: As Your Friend (Pt.3)
"What was that about?"
"What?"
Jimin arched his brow at Zeren as he closed the door to his private quarters. They had finally arrived back at the palace and were just about to start eating their lunch.
"Why did you embrace that scammer?"
Zeren looked up from his bowl of noodles and slurped the soup before replying. "Oh, you mean Gyuri?"
Jimin nodded.
"I was just checking if she was armed."
"Huh?"
Zeren continued to slurp on the broth before Jimin confiscated his bowl. "Hey!"
"Explain yourself, Zeren" he ordered.
With a sigh, Zeren elaborated. "I was doing a security check. She was a servant from the House of Kim. As far as I'm aware, the assassins that infiltrated the wedding banquet were disguised as servants. I was merely checking if she had a weapon hidden underneath her robe."
Jimin returned Zeren's bowl. "I see..." he murmured.
"Were you surprised?
Jimin gaped at his friend who had a wily grin. "Yes," he reluctantly admitted. "It is inappropriate to be so intimate with a woman you are unfamiliar with."
Zeren chuckled. "Well, not intimate with yet" he teased.
"Pervert."
"Call me whatever you want, you're the one missing out." Zeren continued to eat his noodles with fervour.
"But that man..." Jimin pondered aloud as he suddenly thought of Namjoon. "He seemed familiar."
"Oh," Zeren said between slurps, "you mean Kim Namjoon?"
"Was that his name?"
Zeren nodded. "Yep. Don't you remember? He attended the coronation and pledged allegiance to you."
"Oh... so that is where I recognised him from." Jimin was pensive. "But how come he did not recognise me?"
"It's a good thing he didn't!" Zeren half-shouted. "We would've been in trouble if he did."
Jimin stared down at his hands as he recalled how much force Namjoon had exerted with his sword. He clenched his fist at the memory. "I cannot believe that I am now related to that fiend."
Zeren tilted his head at Jimin. "But you know what Chim, I noticed something about you today."
Jimin responded distractedly, "Oh? And what is that?"
"You normally shy away from female interaction but today with Gyuri, you didn't."
Jimin glanced up immediately and met Zeren's mischievous eyes. "That-that is because she was a thief! A scammer! How can I ever be attracted to someone like her?"
At this, Zeren perked up. "Oh? So, you find her attractive?"
"Wha—? No!"
Zeren chuckled in amusement.
"Do not even dare to think of such things!" Jimin continued to complain.
"Well, if you don't like her, I guess I'll just make a move."
Jimin eyed his friend in confusion. "Zeren, there are plenty of women out there."
"I know" Zeren responded before slurping a noodle. "But Gyuri... there's something about her that I like."
"You say that about all the women you come across" Jimin muttered under his breath.
He shook his head in dismay as he pondered over the possibility of his close friend involving himself with a scammer like Gyuri. The thought alone left an unpleasant taste in his mouth despite drinking the highest quality of tea.
Suddenly, Jimin recalled what the monks had taught him about women: Women are like sirens. They are attractive at first but, in time, they will lure you to your demise.
And Jimin agreed.
He sneaked a glance at Zeren who was happily slurping on his noodles, oblivious to the pending trap he was about to fall into.
I will not let her be your downfall, he thought to himself tenaciously. As your friend, I will protect you from your siren.
And Jimin believed that that siren was no other than Gyuri.
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