Bound By Obsession

4- I'm a fool

Jungkook stared at the assignment paper in his hands, feeling a wave of disbelief wash over him. His professor had paired him with Taehyung for their final project. He could almost laugh at the irony—*best friends,* the professor had said. Little did he know how broken things were between them now.

Sitting at the back of the classroom, Jungkook glanced over at Taehyung, who wore that same casual, indifferent expression. It was as if the tension between them didn’t exist. As if nothing had happened. But Jungkook could feel the heavy weight of unspoken words and broken trust hanging in the air.

When class ended, they were forced to talk. The conversation was strained, full of awkward pauses and tension that neither of them addressed. Each passing day working on the project only worsened the situation. Jungkook tried to keep his distance, but Taehyung’s presence was suffocating, always lingering just a bit too close. The unresolved mess between them was a constant, heavy burden.

Finally, it all came crashing down one afternoon in the college cafeteria.

Jungkook was sitting at a table, absentmindedly picking at his food when he saw her—Lily—approaching Taehyung, who was leaning against the counter, smirking as usual. Jungkook’s stomach tightened as he watched her walk up to him, her cheeks flushed as if she’d gathered all her courage for what was about to happen.

"Taehyung, I… I like you," Lily confessed, her voice soft but determined.

The cafeteria went silent, and Jungkook’s world collapsed in that moment. He stared, frozen in place, as Taehyung looked down at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Jungkook’s heart pounded in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. He knew what was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Taehyung’s response was slow, deliberate. “Lily… yeah, I know.” He smirked, casting a sideways glance at Jungkook, who sat still, feeling like the ground was crumbling beneath him. “Alright. Let’s give it a try.”

The words felt like a knife to Jungkook’s chest. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing—couldn’t process the fact that Taehyung, the person who had kissed him in desperation, was now accepting Lily’s feelings so easily. And the way he looked at Jungkook when he said it, as if this was all just another twisted game.

Without another word, Jungkook shot up from his seat, his hands trembling. His vision blurred as he stumbled out of the cafeteria, pushing past the confused looks from the other students. His breath came in ragged gasps as he made his way to the parking lot, his heart breaking into a million pieces.

He grabbed his helmet and swung himself onto his bike, revving the engine with shaking hands. He didn’t know where he was going—he just needed to get away. Away from the campus, away from Taehyung, away from everything.

The ride was a blur of wind and headlights as Jungkook sped through the night, pushing the bike to its limits. By the time he reached his elder sister’s house, dawn was just breaking. He stumbled off the bike, barely able to hold back the tears that had been threatening to spill the whole ride.

When his sister opened the door, her face filled with concern, Jungkook broke down. He fell into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably, the weight of everything crashing down on him all at once.

“Shh, it’s okay,” she whispered, stroking his hair as she held him tightly. “I’m here, Jungkook. I’m here.”

He cried harder, burying his face in her shoulder, unable to find the words to explain what had happened. All he knew was that his heart felt shattered, and he didn’t know how to put the pieces back together.

“I don’t know what to do,” he choked out between sobs. “Everything’s so messed up.”

His sister held him close, murmuring soft reassurances as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. “It’s going to be okay, Jungkook. You’ll figure it out.”

But even as she tried to comfort him, Jungkook couldn’t shake the feeling of hopelessness. Everything was falling apart—his friendship with Taehyung, his feelings for Lily, the life he thought he had under control. And now, he had no idea how to fix it.