(Time skip, I'm not bothered)
The tension in the room was thick, but Kai pretended not to notice as he settled in on the couch between Beomgyu and Soobin. Taehyun sat at the far end, his eyes glued to the TV, but his mind was elsewhere—on the way Kai had been acting all day. Kai had been overly sweet to everyone, especially Soobin, and it was getting under Taehyun’s skin.
As the movie played, Kai gradually leaned closer to Yeonjun, eventually resting his head on Yeonjun’s shoulder with a soft sigh.
Yeonjun didn’t seem to mind, but Taehyun’s jaw tightened. He kept his eyes on the screen, refusing to acknowledge the irritation bubbling inside him. But it wasn’t easy. Every time Kai’s soft laughter or casual touches reached his ears, it felt like a deliberate test of his patience.
When the movie ended, Kai “woke up” with a yawn, playfully thanking Yeonjun for letting him rest on his shoulder. Taehyun forced a smile as their friends gathered their things and said their goodbyes. As the door closed behind the last of them, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Kai glanced at Taehyun, waiting for a reaction, but Taehyun just walked past him, heading to his room without a word. Kai’s eyes followed him, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he went to bed, the unspoken tension still hanging between them.
'Huh.' Kai thought.
The next day, Taehyun decided to push back. He kept his distance, avoided Kai’s gaze, and didn’t reach out for even the simplest of touches. Normally, they’d share breakfast together, but today, Taehyun ate in silence, leaving Kai’s plate on the counter without a word.
Kai noticed immediately. Taehyun’s coldness was subtle but deliberate, and it left Kai feeling off balance. He tried to break the silence with small talk, but Taehyun barely responded, his answers short and clipped.
By evening, the tension had only grown. Kai came home to find Taehyun in the kitchen, cooking dinner. But instead of their usual routine of eating together, Taehyun served the food and went straight to his room, leaving Kai to eat alone. Kai sat at the table, staring at the empty chair across from him, frustration simmering beneath the surface.
After finishing his meal, Kai knocked on Taehyun’s door, but when he got no response, he sighed and went to bed. The coldness between them was starting to wear on him, but he wasn’t ready to be the one to break.
On the third day, things finally came to a head. Taehyun continued his silent treatment, ignoring Kai’s attempts to talk and staying out of his way. But Kai wasn’t having it anymore. The tension had reached a boiling point, and it was only a matter of time before something gave.
That evening, as they sat in the living room, the silence between them was palpable. Kai was scrolling through his phone, but his mind was racing. He couldn’t take the distance anymore. He decided to confront Taehyun, but his approach wasn’t exactly gentle.
“So,” Kai started, his tone sharp, “you’re just going to keep ignoring me?”
Taehyun glanced up, his expression guarded. “I’m not ignoring you.”
Kai scoffed. “Could’ve fooled me. You’ve barely said two words to me all day. What’s your problem?”
Taehyun’s eyes narrowed. “My problem? Maybe it’s the way you were all over Yeonjun and Soobin, Beomgyu too, last night. Did you even notice I was in the room?”
Kai blinked, caught off guard. “That’s what this is about? You’re mad because I fell asleep on Yeonjun and all that?”
Taehyun stood up, the irritation he’d been holding back finally spilling over. “It’s not just that, Kai. It’s the way you’ve been acting—you’re trying to get under my skin!”
Kai stood up too, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Maybe because you’re acting so damn cold! I can’t even talk to you without feeling like I’m walking on eggshells!”
Taehyun’s fists clenched at his sides. “We were just playing games, Kai but now you're messing with me like this is some kind of test. Well, I’m done playing along.”
Kai’s voice rose. “Oh, so you’re done? Just like that? You’re so quick to walk away whenever things get tough.”
Taehyun’s temper flared. “Well, if you don’t like it, maybe I should just go-!”
“Yeah! Maybe. You. Should.” Kai spat the words out, his voice laced with anger. The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them, his face pale, but it was too late.
'Oh crud.' Kai gulped.
Taehyun froze, the color draining from his face. His heart seemed to stop, the hurt hitting him like a physical blow. He stared at Kai, the words echoing in his mind—'Maybe you should.' His chest tightened painfully, and without another word, he turned and walked out of the room.
Kai watched him go, panic rising in his chest as he realized what he’d just done. He wanted to call out, to take it back, but the words stuck in his throat.
'Shit. Shit, shit, shit.'
Taehyun didn’t stop until he reached his room. He closed the door softly, the sound of the lock clicking shut barely audible. He stood there for a moment, his back against the door, as the weight of the argument settled over him like a crushing force. Then, finally, the tears came—silent, heavy, and unstoppable.
He slid down to the floor, curling in on himself as the sobs wracked his body. He didn’t want Kai to hear, didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how deeply those words had cut. But the pain was overwhelming, and all he could do was cry, muffling the sound with his hands.
Outside, Kai stood in the middle of the living room, his heart pounding with regret. The silence in the apartment was suffocating, and all he could think about was the look on Taehyun’s face—the way his eyes had shattered the moment Kai had spoken those words. He wanted to fix it, to go to Taehyun and apologize, but he didn’t know how. Not after what he’d said.
Kai sat down on the couch, his head in his hands, feeling more guilt than ever. He knew he had crossed a line, and the fear of losing Taehyun for good settled into his chest like a stone.
All he could do was sit there, the silence between them growing heavier with each passing second, the weight of his mistake pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket.
'What've I done...'
