Whispers of a first kiss

Chapter 17

As the silver hues of the moon spilled over the horizon, Jin's home slowly emptied of its students. Taehyung stood by the car porch, his gaze following the trail of familiar faces leaving after another day of tutoring. But his eyes lingered on one particular figure, Jungkook, who was making his way towards the gate.

"Tae, I'll pack some cookies for you to take home. Wait a moment," Jin said, gathering up the remnants of their study session.

Taehyung barely registered his brother-in-law's words, his attention focused on the retreating form of Jungkook. "Can't you just bring them at night, hyung?" he replied absentmindedly, watching as Jungkook reached the gate.

"I think I'll miss my Kookie," he added with a grin, tapping his foot impatiently as Jin withdrew inside and returned with a tiffin box filled with cookies.

"Here you go," Jin said, smiling knowingly as he passed the box to Taehyung. "Don't eat them all at once."

"Okay, bye, hyung!" Taehyung called over his shoulder, already dashing out of the villa, driven by an uncontainable urge to catch up with Jungkook.

However, to his surprise, Taehyung spotted Jungkook waiting under the shade of a nearby tree, arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face. A flutter of excitement surged through Taehyung as he skipped toward him, a wide smile spreading across his lips.

"Ah, I thought you might have left," Taehyung said breathlessly, slowing to a stop in front of Jungkook. "But my baby was waiting for his hyung?" he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

However, his welcome was far from warm. Instead, Jungkook reached into his bag and launched a water bottle at Taehyung, hitting him squarely on the shoulder.

"Ouch!" Taehyung exclaimed, rubbing the spot where the bottle had struck him. "Jungkook, why are you throwing things at me like a bratty kid?" he asked, picking up the bottle and looking at Jungkook's angry pout.

"Okay, tell me, what made you angry this time?" Taehyung inquired, softening his tone as if he hadn't done anything, watching Jungkook turn away and begin walking down the road.

"Leave it. I'm waiting for the day you will throw flowers at me instead of these objects," Taehyung teased as he fell into step behind him.

"Don't come behind me. I don't like you," Jungkook said abruptly, stopping in his tracks and turning to face Taehyung.

"Good. But I like you, so it's fine," Taehyung replied with a grin, reaching out to grab Jungkook's hand.

Jungkook pulled his hand back, his glare sharp enough to pierce through Taehyung's bravado. "What do you think of yourself, huh?" he challenged, eyes locked with Taehyung's.

"Your boyfriend," Taehyung answered without missing a beat, his confidence unwavering.

"I don't want a boyfriend," Jungkook retorted, resuming his brisk pace down the road.

"Cool. Then how about a friend?" Taehyung suggested, undeterred by Jungkook's rebuff.

Jungkook stopped again, facing Taehyung with disbelief. "Do you think I'd take you as my friend after what you did earlier?" he asked, recalling their earlier encounter.

Taehyung's smile grew wider, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. "See, that's why I said we can't just be friends. Let me be your boyfriend instead," he proposed, his tone lighthearted and teasing.

Jungkook huffed, clearly unimpressed by Taehyung's persistence, and began walking even faster, almost breaking into a run to escape Taehyung's playful pursuit.

Taehyung laughed, his amusement echoing through the quiet street as he chased after Jungkook. "Stop acting cute, or I might just eat you up," he warned, his voice carrying a playful lilt as he closed the distance between them.