Two days later, Taehyung sat at his usual spot in the library, surrounded by books and notes, trying to focus on studying.
The quiet atmosphere suited him, giving him a break from the noise and chaos of the campus. Just as he settled into his work, a presence dropped into the chair beside him. Without even looking, he knew who it was.
“What is it, Jeon?” Taehyung muttered, his voice low, not in the mood for a usual round of bickering.
Jungkook leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as his eyes fixed on Taehyung’s side profile.
"You came to watch me play and didn’t even congratulate me," he said with a teasing lilt, but there was an underlying hint of something more—curiosity, maybe.
Taehyung scoffed, rolling his eyes but still not tearing his gaze from the book in front of him.
“First of all, I wasn’t there to watch you,” he replied coolly, emphasizing you with a certain bite.
“And also, you weren’t the one to invite me. It was Yoongi.”
The response made Jungkook blink, something in Taehyung's tone catching him off guard.
It sounded different—almost disappointed? Angry? Sad? He couldn’t quite figure it out. But for him, Taehyung always seemed distant, cold. Was there something else underneath?
Jungkook leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy the match. I saw you there, Kim.” He smirked, his usual confidence surfacing.
“You looked pretty into it.”
Taehyung’s eyes flicked to Jungkook for a moment before returning to his book, his expression unchanged. “I didn’t say I didn’t watch,” he muttered.
“But I wasn’t there for you. I had other things on my mind.” His voice was sharp, but his words lacked the usual sting.
Jungkook couldn’t help but wonder what had Taehyung in such a mood. It wasn’t their usual back-and-forth; something felt off.
He hesitated for a second, then, with a softer tone than before, he asked, “Are you okay princess?”
The question made Taehyung’s hand freeze mid-turn of a page. His eyes widened briefly, caught off guard by the unexpected concern in Jungkook’s voice.
He quickly composed himself, though, looking away as if brushing it off. “I’m fine,” he said shortly, though there was a softness in his tone now. He still didn’t meet Jungkook’s gaze.
“I just… want to study in peace. Please, leave me alone.”
Jungkook blinked again, surprised at the gentleness of the request.
Normally, Taehyung would snap or fire back with a sarcastic remark, but this… was different.
He found himself nodding, standing up from the chair, much to his own surprise.
“Alright, I’ll leave you to it,” Jungkook said, his usual playful demeanor slipping away for a moment. Before turning to walk away, he added, “But don’t overwork yourself. Take care, Kim.”
As he walked out of the library, Jungkook felt an unusual pang of confusion himself. Why had he asked if Taehyung was okay? And why had Taehyung’s simple words affected him so much?
Meanwhile, Taehyung stared at the spot where Jungkook had just been sitting, more confused than ever.
The guy who always flirted and annoyed him had just… left without pushing further? He didn’t know what to make of it.
_____
Taehyung had been avoiding everyone except for Jimin. In the past few days, he had only exchanged short greetings with Jungkook and his friends, nothing more.
In the hallways, he often passed by Jungkook and his group—Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok—but Taehyung barely had the energy to acknowledge them.
Sometimes he would nod silently or offer a brief "Hey" if they happened to make eye contact, but that was it.
One afternoon in the library, he had been so buried in his notes that he didn’t even notice Jungkook approaching until he felt a presence beside him.
“Still working yourself to death, huh, Kim?” Jungkook's voice had that usual teasing tone.
Taehyung didn’t bother looking up from his book. “Not now, Jeon. I’m studying.”
Jungkook chuckled lightly but didn’t press further. Instead, he offered a quick, “Don’t overdo it, or you’ll collapse before the exams are over.”
Taehyung had simply nodded, grateful that Jungkook hadn’t stayed to push him into a conversation or flirt like usual.
In the hallways, it was more or less the same. He’d see Jungkook smirk at him from across the way, or catch Hoseok’s bright wave, but Taehyung kept his head down, focusing on getting through the day without collapsing.
His cold exterior was even more pronounced now, not out of dislike but pure exhaustion.
Jimin had asked him a couple of times why he seemed even more distant from Jungkook, but Taehyung brushed it off with a simple, “Too tired to deal with him.”
The truth was, even though he was swamped with work, there was still a part of him that noticed how often Jungkook seemed to appear wherever he was. But for now, he was too drained to think too much about it.
_____
Taehyung sat on his bed, his laptop open in front of him with Tessa on a video call. His eyes were heavy, dark circles underlining how little sleep he had been getting. Tessa's face on the screen looked concerned.
“Taehyung, you don’t look good. You’re overworking yourself again, aren’t you?” Tessa's voice was laced with worry.
“You need to slow down, Tae. Please take some money from me or from Mom and Dad. You don’t have to do everything on your own.”
Taehyung gave her a small, tired smile. “I’m fine, noona. Really. I just need to get through these exams. I can’t rely on them forever.”
“You’re not relying on them forever," Tessa countered. "You’re just doing what every normal student does—taking help when it’s needed.”
He shook his head, his light brown hair falling slightly into his eyes. “I can’t. You know how I feel about that. I’ll be okay. I just need to push a little more.”
Tessa sighed, clearly unhappy but knowing that Taehyung was too stubborn to change his mind.
"At least eat something, okay? You look like you haven’t had a proper meal in days.”
Taehyung's smile faded, his mind drifting to the half-empty fridge in his apartment. “I will,” he lied.
They talked for a little longer, Tessa trying to keep the conversation light by telling him funny stories from her life in the US.
When they finally said their goodbyes, Taehyung ended the call and let out a deep breath, sinking into his bed.
His stomach grumbled, but he had no energy to make food. I’ll eat tomorrow, he thought. His eyes felt too heavy to stay open any longer, and without even changing out of his clothes, he fell asleep, skipping another meal.
_____
YOU ARE READING
Truth Or Love || Taekook
Romance"Watch your back, sweetheart," Jungkook growled, his voice lower, more dangerous now. "You and I... we're not done." Taehyung glanced down at the hand on his arm, then met Jungkook's eyes with a cool, unimpressed look. "I'd say we were never really...
