BETWEENUS//taekook//vkook // Yoonmin

PART 12

Taehyung comes to school, his eyes scanned the hallway, locking onto Jungkook's bright smile. His heart skipped a beat as he hastened towards him.

But just as he was about to reach Jungkook's side, Taehyung's gaze fell on Jimin standing protectively behind him, his eyes narrowed.

Taehyung's feet halted abruptly, his approach halted mid-stride.

For a moment the three formed an awkward triangle tension hanging heavy in the air.

Jimin's piercing gaze seemed to warn Taehyung to keep his distance.

Jungkook, oblivious to the undercurrents, turned to face Taehyung.

"Hey, Tae! Morning!" Jungkook called out.

Taehyung's smile faltered, his eyes darting between Jungkook and Jimin.

"Morning, Kookie," Taehyung replied, his voice measured.

The air was thick with unspoken emotions.

Jungkook watched, perplexed, as Taehyung  past through without a second glance.

"Hey, Tae, everything okay?" Jungkook called out, but Taehyung was already disappearing into the crowd.

Jimin's gaze lingered on Taehyung's retreating back before shifting to Jungkook.

"Seems like someone's in a mood," Jimin commented.

Jungkook frowned, sensing something was off.

"Yeah...yesterday we were fine, watching movies and laughing," Jungkook thought.

Why the sudden change?

"Jimin, did I miss something?" Jungkook asked.

Jimin shrugged.

"No idea, Kookie. Maybe he's just stressed."

But Jungkook's instincts told him otherwise.

He couldn't shake the feeling Taehyung's sudden chilliness was connected to their encounter yesterday.

The bell rang signaling the start of class, Jungkook reluctantly headed to his seat.

His mind remained preoccupied with Taehyung's strange behavior.

Taehyung sat rigidly, avoiding eye contact with Jungkook throughout the class. His mind raced with conflicting emotions.

"I need to ignore him," Taehyung thought firmly. "We're getting too close, and I can't afford to blur the lines."

But every time Jungkook's gaze drifted towards him, Taehyung's heart skipped a beat.

Meanwhile, Jungkook struggled to focus on the lesson. Taehyung's cold shoulder weighed heavily on him.

"Did I do something wrong?" Jungkook wondered.

As the class dragged on, Jungkook's usually cheerful demeanor faltered.

Taehyung, sensing Jungkook's gaze, stiffened.

"Don't look at him, don't think about him," Taehyung's inner voice commanded.

But his thoughts betrayed him.

"Maybe I'm just scared of how natural it feels around him...how much I enjoy his smile."

The classroom door swung open, signaling the end of the period.

The students filed out, Jungkook lagged behind, hoping to catch Taehyung's attention.

Taehyung swiftly gathered his belongings and exited the room without a glance.

Jungkook's eyes fell, a pang of disappointment settling in.