The studio lights flickered, casting a warm, golden hue that should've made Taehyung feel comforted, but instead, they only reminded him of the spaces between them—the ones he used to fill with laughter, shared glances, and quiet words meant only for Yoongi. But that was a long time ago, before everything crumbled.
Taehyung let out a deep sigh as he settled into the plush couch of the practice room. The others were due any moment, but he already knew the tension that would hang in the air like a thick fog when Yoongi entered. It always does nowadays. It wasn't like this before—the cold distance, the biting indifference. He still remembered the day he'd confessed to Yoongi.
Five Years Ago
"Yoongi-hyung," Taehyung's voice wavered, an unusual sound for someone as confident as him. He had always been the one with a charming smile, the one who could smooth over any awkwardness with a wink or a playful nudge. But this time, he was nothing but nervous."What's up?" Yoongi's reply was cool, just like him—calm and collected, his eyes focused on the notebook he was scribbling in.Taehyung bit his lip, trying to steady the tremor in his chest. "I...I need to tell you something."Yoongi finally looked up, his gaze softening at the sight of Taehyung's hesitation. "You know you can tell me anything, Tae."And there it was. The kindness in Yoongi's voice made it hurt even more. How could he possibly risk losing that?But he had to try. He'd been hiding his feelings for too long."I like you, hyung. More than just a friend," Taehyung confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. His heart pounded in his chest, and every beat was a painful reminder of how vulnerable he was at that moment.Yoongi's expression froze, the warmth draining from his eyes. Taehyung could see the gears turning in his head, calculating, weighing his response. The silence stretched on, suffocating and cold."I... I'm with Hoseok," Yoongi finally said, his voice flat, almost mechanical.Taehyung's heart shattered, but he forced a smile, nodding like it was all okay. "Yeah, I know. I just thought... you should know how I feel."Yoongi didn't say anything more, didn't try to comfort him, and didn't give him the closure he desperately needed. He just stood up and walked out, leaving Taehyung alone in the practice room with his unspoken feelings still lingering in the air.
Present Day
The door to the practice room creaked open, and the rest of the members filtered in. Jimin caught Taehyung's eye and gave him a small, reassuring smile. He was the only one who knew the full extent of Taehyung's pain. The others had an inkling, of course—everyone could tell something had changed between him and Yoongi over the years—but Jimin had been there through the worst of it.When Taehyung hit rock bottom during their hiatus, Jimin was the one who found him. Taehyung had been sitting on the edge of his balcony, contemplating whether it would be easier to just... let go. The world felt too heavy, and the loneliness was too deep. But Jimin had rushed over in time, pulling him back, holding him tightly as Taehyung broke down, sobbing into his chest.After that, the group rallied around him. They never pushed him to explain what had led him to that point—they just offered their support in quiet, subtle ways. Seokjin would cook him meals, Namjoon would sit with him in silence while reading a book, and Jungkook would invite him to late-night video game sessions. Hoseok, despite being Yoongi's boyfriend, treated him with the same warmth and concern as always, never once letting on if he knew about the underlying tension.But Yoongi... Yoongi was conspicuously absent. Taehyung couldn't decide if it hurt more that Yoongi had distanced himself or if it was a relief not to have to face the person who unknowingly broke him."Taehyung-ah, are you okay?" Jungkook's voice cut through his thoughts, concern evident in his eyes."Yeah, I'm fine," Taehyung replied automatically, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.Jungkook didn't look convinced, but he didn't press further.Yoongi entered the room last, his expression unreadable as always. Taehyung could feel his gaze on him for a split second before Yoongi quickly averted his eyes, pretending to be engrossed in something on his phone. The familiar ache returned to Taehyung's chest. He hated how Yoongi still had this effect on him after all these years.The practice session began, but Taehyung's mind was elsewhere. He was good at pretending, at putting on a show, but today felt particularly hard. The songs they were rehearsing brought back too many memories, each note a reminder of how close they used to be, how much Taehyung had longed for Yoongi's approval, and attention.
