The world had always been a distant blur to Taehyung-something he observed from behind a thick glass, never quite stepping in. He existed, but he never truly lived. People admired him from afar, whispered his name like he was some untouchable myster...
"He had spent years perfecting the art of indifference, keeping everyone at arm's length. But with her, it was different. She was slipping through the cracks he never knew existed, making him question if his walls were truly as unbreakable as he thought."
***
CHAPTER - III ~ UNSPOKEN TENSIONS
🎧: "Don't Blame Me" - Taylor Swift.
🌈AUTHOR's POV:
The moment their eyes locked, Taehyung's voice cut through the air, sharp and unforgiving. "Don't you know it's inappropriate to wear crop tops in school? Are you here to seek attention or knowledge?" His words landed with more weight than he had intended, but there was no taking them back now.
Y/N flinched slightly but masked it well. Her heart pounded-not from his reprimand, but from their closeness. She was acutely aware of the space-or lack of it-between them. His hand rested firmly on her waist, his other arm caging her against the locker. His breath ghosted over her forehead, warm and teasing. She forced herself to focus, but how could she, when his presence was so overpowering? The air between them crackled with unspoken tension, a silent war neither acknowledged.
This was absolutely not helping her one sided 'like' situation. It was already hard enough to keep her feelings in check, but standing this close to him made it nearly impossible. Every little thing about him-from the way his fingers twitched against her waist to the controlled rise and fall of his chest-set her entire body on edge. And he, as always, seemed completely unfazed.
Without warning, Taehyung tugged his jacket tighter around her shoulders. "Keep this on for the rest of the day," he ordered. His voice was rough, laced with an emotion even he couldn't quite name.
Y/N looked up at him, eyes filled with questions. He was always cold, distant, unreadable-yet now he stood so close, acting as if her well-being was his responsibility. Why does he care?
Taehyung was asking himself the same thing. Why does she make me feel this way? He had spent years fortifying his walls, keeping everyone at arm's length. Yet here she was, slipping through the cracks he never realized existed.
Before he could make sense of it, the words escaped him. "Don't disappear from my sight. Tag along everywhere. Understood?"
Y/N blinked, caught off guard. Then, with a playful glint in her eyes, she asked, "Even to the washroom?" A giggle slipped past her lips.
Taehyung stiffened, momentarily thrown. His lips twitched, the urge to smile betraying him. She's too cute for her own good. Clearing his throat, he quickly masked his reaction. "Ahem... everywhere but there."
Y/N grinned, clearly amused by his flustered state. And Taehyung hated how much he loved it. He wanted to kiss that mischievous smile right off her lips-but he couldn't.
***
"She's dangerous. Not in a way I can fight off with cold glares or distant words, but in the way she makes me feel."
***
"Just do as I say." His voice hardened again, though inside, he was still shaken. The thought of her being vulnerable to prying eyes made his chest tighten. He would rather be strict than allow that to happen.
Y/N let out a sigh, lowering her gaze. "Okay."
To shift the mood, he asked, "Did you get the books for our next class?"
Y/N's mood flipped instantly. "Yeah!" she chirped, bouncing on her heels.
Taehyung stared at her, dumbfounded. Just moments ago, she had looked like a scolded child, and now she was radiating sunshine. How she always so excited for classes? She's something else. Shaking his head, he draped an arm over her shoulder, guiding her toward class.
As they reached the classroom door, it suddenly hit Y/N. "Taehyung, where are your books?" Y/N asked with a straight face crossing her arms childishly over her chest.
Taehyung's hand immediately went to the back of his neck rubbing it in nervousness before meeting Y/N's eyes and guiltily saying, "I forgot." He said lowly.
He was yet again trapped in the web of his thoughts. Why do I want to spend more time with her? Why does her presence not irritate me like everybody else's? Why am I not afraid to show my real self to her? What are you doing to me, Y/n?
"Crapity! Crap! Crap! Its already time for class Taehyung." Y/N cried. "Go get them quick." Since she had only just joined the school, she was still stressed out with the curriculum. Taehyung had figured that out early on. He just wanted her to relax and enjoy high school-because these years couldn't be traded for anything in the world. Why he wanted to do it... that, he still couldn't understand.
"Nope," he said, grabbing her wrist. "You're coming with me." Once she realized and calculated the aftermath of going all the way down the hall to get his books, her eyes widened to the size of saucers and she said, "No Taehyung we will be late for class. We also have a test. Miss. Reha is going to kill us if we don't reach on time." She cried out of helplessness.
"I don't care you are tagging along, or we are skipping the class. Choice is yours." he challenged, eyes glinting with mischief. He had never behaved like this. His thoughts were elsewhere. His grip on reality was slipping, all because of her.
"Okay! Fine let's hurry up now, shall we?" Y/N said raising and pointing her hand towards the now completely empty hallway. This jock can be a handful sometimes she thought. He was walking down the hall taking his own sweet time with Y/N following closely behind nagging him every now and then to make it fast.
They finally reached Taehyung's locker, victorious after overcoming all the hurdles but even after claiming their destination successfully, Taehyung didn't give the impression that he was in a hurry. He stood there silently. Y/N was impatiently tapping her foot while looking here and there but when her eyes landed on Taehyung, she lost it, "Taehyung! We are gonna be late. What are you waiting for? An invitation?" she said disbelief clear in her voice.
***
"His walls were high, but somehow, she had found the cracks."
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WORD COUNT: 1037.
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