His Ultimate Obsession

23.Beneath the Surface

Later that evening, as Taehyung sat alone in his apartment, his thoughts spiraled further. The fear of losing Ragini gnawed at him. She wasn't just a friend to him-she was something more, even if he hadn't found the courage to say it. But if Jungkook had already taken that step, if they were already together... Taehyung didn't know if he could stand by and watch it unfold. The thought of them being together was unbearable, but the idea of confronting them felt even worse.

He stared at his phone, debating whether to send Ragini another message. Would she reply this time? Or was she too busy with Jungkook? The fear of losing her-of being too late-tightened its grip on him, leaving him feeling more conflicted than ever.

Taehyung couldn't hold back anymore. The uncertainty, the gnawing fear-it was too much. With a deep breath, he picked up his phone and began typing a message to Ragini, his fingers trembling slightly.

Tae: Hey, you've been kinda hard to reach lately... everything okay?

He stared at the message for a moment before hitting send. As the message showed "delivered," his heart raced. Would she respond? Would her reply confirm his worst fears?

Minutes passed, each second dragging on like an eternity. He glanced at the screen repeatedly, waiting for the dots that would indicate she was typing. Nothing.

Feeling restless, he added another message, trying to sound casual.

Tae: I tried calling you over the weekend... just wanted to check in.

When the notification sound finally chimed, he quickly opened the message, feeling a mix of hope and dread.

Ragini: Hey, Tae! Sorry, I've been swamped with work and stuff... everything's fine, don't worry!

He wanted to believe her, wanted to trust that everything was fine like she said, but his instincts told him otherwise.

He hesitated before typing again.

Tae: Can we talk? Just us? It's been soo long we didn't meet.

He hit send, the message hanging in the air like a plea. His chest tightened as he waited, the silence unbearable. Taehyung leaned back against his chair, staring at the ceiling, trying to keep calm, but the jealousy and fear clawed at him.

What if she was with Jungkook right now?

He shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought. But it was no use. The weekend where both Jungkook and Ragini had disappeared without a trace haunted him. He had called her so many times, only for it to go unanswered, and now it all seemed to make sense. She was pulling away from him-because of Jungkook.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed again, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Ragini: Of course we can talk, Tae. Let's meet after work tomorrow, okay?

Taehyung exhaled in relief, but it was a shallow comfort. He could sense that something had changed, but he needed to see her, look into her eyes, and understand what was really happening.

Taehyung sat at the small café, his usual spot by the window, waiting for Ragini. He glanced at his phone, checking the time again. She wasn't late, but the anxious energy inside him made it feel like time was dragging. When the door finally swung open, Ragini stepped in with a warm smile.

"Hey, Tae!" she greeted, sliding into the seat across from him.

"Hey," he replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Ragini noticed something off immediately. "You okay? You seem distracted."

Before Taehyung could answer, his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced down and saw his housekeeper's name on the screen. "Sorry, one sec."