Ties of Fate

Cold Front

Taehyung didn’t bother looking back as he left Jungkook’s office. His heart pounded in his chest, the encounter leaving him more rattled than he wanted to admit. The tension between them was palpable, almost suffocating, and it was clear that things were only going to get more complicated from here.

As the elevator doors closed in front of him, Taehyung leaned back against the cool metal wall, closing his eyes. He had expected this to be difficult. He had expected Jungkook to be cold, uptight, and distant. What he hadn’t expected was how much their exchange had affected him. His entire life had been about breaking the rules, defying expectations, and pushing boundaries. But now, he was trapped in a situation that had no room for his rebellion. "PLUS WHY AM I SHY WHEN HE HOLD MY WAIST??"

The familiar hum of the elevator filled the silence, and Taehyung opened his eyes, staring blankly at the floor numbers ticking down. His hsnd ruffling his hair. He had spent years crafting an image of indifference, of not caring about what people thought of him. But standing in Jungkook’s office, hearing the thinly veiled disdain in his voice—it had stung more than he wanted to admit.

As the elevator reached the ground floor, Taehyung straightened, schooling his features into the same mask of casual nonchalance he always wore. He had to keep it together. If he let Jungkook get under his skin now, it would only make things worse.

The moment he stepped out of the building, Taehyung was hit by the crisp autumn air. It cut through his jacket, but the chill was welcome. It helped clear his head. He needed time to think, to figure out how he was going to survive this marriage.

But there was no time to dwell on his personal crisis. Taehyung had a meeting with his own family to attend, and the last thing he wanted was to face more questions about the upcoming merger. He hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address to his parents' estate, settling back into the seat with a sigh.

The drive through the city was familiar, but today, everything seemed different. He felt as though he were standing on the edge of a cliff, staring down into an unknown abyss. And waiting for him at the bottom was Jeon Jungkook, with all of his cold, perfect logic.

---

When Taehyung arrived at his family’s home, his father was already waiting for him in the study. Kim Sung-ho looked up from the stack of papers on his desk as Taehyung entered the room, his expression unreadable.

"Did you meet with Jungkook?" his father asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

Taehyung flopped down into one of the armchairs, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I did."

"And?"

"And it went about as well as you’d expect," Taehyung muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "We’re not exactly thrilled about this arrangement, in case that wasn’t obvious."

Sung-ho leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping thoughtfully on the desk. "You don’t have to be thrilled. You just have to make it work."

"Right, because that’s so easy," Taehyung said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "We’re supposed to pretend to be in love in front of the entire world, while in reality, we can barely tolerate each other."

His father didn’t respond immediately, his eyes narrowing as he studied his son. "Taehyung, this isn’t about love. This is about survival. Your personal feelings are irrelevant. What matters is the business."

Taehyung scoffed, pushing himself out of the chair and pacing the room. "You keep saying that like it’s supposed to make everything better. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m about to marry someone I can’t stand. How do you expect this to work?"

Sung-ho sighed, standing up and walking to the window. He stared out at the sprawling estate, his hands clasped behind his back. "I know this isn’t easy for you, but we all have to make sacrifices. You’re not a child anymore, Taehyung. You can’t keep running from your responsibilities."

Taehyung’s jaw tightened at the rebuke. He had heard this speech a thousand times before—how he needed to grow up, how he needed to take things more seriously. But none of that changed the fact that this was his life being sold for the sake of business.

"And what about what I want?" Taehyung asked, his voice quieter as he gets more vulnerable. "Do my feelings matter at all?"

His father turned to face him, his expression softening. "You’re my son, and I want what’s best for you. But sometimes, what’s best isn’t always what we want."

Taehyung looked away, the weight of his father’s words pressing down on him. He had spent so long rebelling against his family, against the idea of being molded into something he wasn’t. But now, it felt like he had no choice but to give in.

"I just…" Taehyung trailed off, struggling to find the words. "I don’t know if I can do this."

"You can," Sung-ho said firmly. "And you will. You’re stronger than you think, Taehyung. Don’t let this defeat you."

Taehyung didn’t respond, his thoughts swirling as he stared out the window. He had always been the wild one, the unpredictable one. But now, he was being forced into a role that didn’t suit him, a role that felt like a cage.

And the worst part was that deep down, he knew his father was right. There was no escaping this. He had to see it through, no matter how much he hated it.

---

Later that evening, as Taehyung sat alone in his apartment, nursing a glass of whiskey, his mind wandered back to Jungkook. He couldn’t shake the memory of their meeting, the tension that had crackled between them.

Jungkook had always been so… rigid. So perfect. Everything about him screamed control and discipline, the very things Taehyung had spent his life avoiding. And yet, there was something about him that Taehyung couldn’t ignore—something that had always drawn his attention, even when they were fighting.

The truth was, Taehyung had never been able to fully figure Jungkook out. There was more to him than the cold, calculating businessman he portrayed. Taehyung had seen flashes of something else in the rare moments when Jungkook’s mask slipped—a vulnerability, a frustration that matched his own.

But those moments were fleeting, and Taehyung knew better than to get his hopes up. Jungkook was as much a prisoner of his family’s expectations as Taehyung was, and neither of them had the luxury of breaking free.

As he stared into his glass, the amber liquid catching the dim light of his apartment, Taehyung felt the weight of everything pressing down on him. He was about to marry the one person he had never been able to truly understand—the one person who, despite everything, had always been just out of reach.

And for the first time in his life, Taehyung didn’t know how to fight back.