Truth Or Love || Taekook

3

The campus buzzed with life as students moved through the halls, chatting and laughing.

Taehyung, however, wasn’t interested in the noise. He walked calmly, holding a stack of books against his chest, his face composed and distant.

As Taehyung approached the reception, the receptionist, a middle-aged woman with a warm smile, handed him his timetable and locker key.

"Here you go, Kim Taehyung. Everything seems to be in order. All the best," she said, her voice filled with encouragement.

Taehyung gave a polite nod, barely glancing at her as he took the paper from her hand.

"Thank you," he replied in his deep, calm voice, though his tone was distant, showing little interest in small talk.

The woman continued smiling, trying to be friendly. "It can be overwhelming at first, but I'm sure you'll do just fine" She said.

"I’ll manage," he said simply, not offering much else.

Glancing down at the paper in his hand, Taehyung muttered to himself, "Looks like a busy semester ahead... No surprise there." His tone was calm, but his deep voice carried a hint of boredom.

"Monday, 8 AM... just perfect," he sighed under his breath, unimpressed by the early start time. He folded the paper neatly and tucked it into one of the books he was carrying and kept the keys in his pocket.

As he walked away, he heard her call out again, "Good luck!"

Without turning around, Taehyung replied softly under his breath, "I won’t need it." His confidence wasn’t arrogance—just a matter-of-fact statement from someone who knew exactly what he was capable of.

As he rounded a corner, a loud, arrogant laugh echoed through the hallway, catching his attention just as someone brushed past him roughly.

The impact knocked the books from Taehyung’s hands, scattering them across the floor.

Taehyung stopped, staring at the mess for a moment before sighing softly, annoyed but still collected.

Jungkook didn’t even bother to look down. He simply glanced over his shoulder, half-smirking at the scene he’d caused.

“Careful, princess,” Jungkook said lazily, his smirk widening. “Wouldn’t want you to break a nail picking those up.”

Taehyung bent down to retrieve his books, glancing up at Jungkook with an unimpressed expression. There was a sharpness in his eyes as he responded, voice calm and laced with sarcasm.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m quite capable of picking up after other people's mistakes.”

Jungkook leaned back against the lockers, watching Taehyung with interest.

Most people would be stumbling over apologies or scrambling to avoid his attention, but not this one. Something about Taehyung’s unruffled attitude irritated him.

“Princess and a smart mouth, huh?” Jungkook mused, crossing his arms as he stared down at the new student. “You’ve got it all. I’ll bet you’re a real hit at parties, sweetcheeks.”

Taehyung stood up, straightening his clothes and locking eyes with Jungkook, completely unphased by the mocking tone.

“If by ‘hit,’ you mean having actual conversations that don’t revolve around juvenile insults, then yes, I suppose I am.”

The response was so dry, so calm, that it threw Jungkook off guard. The usual cocky smile faltered for a brief moment, but he quickly masked it with more bravado.