Book Of Tease

Mall

After their eventful day at the park, Taehyung and Jungkook decided to head to the nearby mall to cool down. The air-conditioned interior was a welcome relief from the afternoon sun, and Taehyung sighed in contentment as they strolled through the spacious halls.

"Let's grab a drink first," Jungkook suggested, leading the way toward a café. "I could use something cold after all that paddling."

"Me too," Taehyung replied, feeling refreshed and excited about the rest of the day. They ordered their drinks and found a cozy spot by the window to sit and chat.

After a few minutes, Taehyung excused himself to head to the restroom. As he walked through the mall, he felt a sense of contentment, thinking about how much fun he had with Jungkook. However, that feeling quickly turned to confusion when he exited the restroom.

His heart dropped as he spotted Jungkook standing with a woman. She had long, wavy hair, dressed elegantly in a sundress, and was laughing at something Jungkook said. Taehyung's mind raced, and a sudden wave of jealousy washed over him.

"Who is that?" he muttered to himself, not bothering to consider that it could simply be an acquaintance.

As he approached, he noticed the woman lean in closer to Jungkook, her playful demeanor making Taehyung's heart clench. Before he could process his emotions, he marched right up to them, inserting himself between Jungkook and the woman.

"Jungkook! There you are! I've been looking for you!" Taehyung said, his voice slightly more frantic than he intended. He plastered on a smile, trying to hide his rising irritation.

Jungkook's expression shifted from surprise to amusement as he looked between Taehyung and the woman. "Hey, Taehyung! This is Rose. We met at a charity event last week. She's just-"

"Hi, Taehyung!" Rose interjected, a smirk playing on her lips as she took in the situation. "I see you've found Jungkook. He's quite the charmer, isn't he?"

Taehyung shot a glare at Jungkook, who was stifling a laugh. "Yeah, very charming," Taehyung replied, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "But I think it's time we get going, Jungkook. We had plans, remember?"

"Plans?" Jungkook echoed, raising an eyebrow as he leaned casually against the wall. "What plans?"

Taehyung's cheeks burned as he tried to think of something. "You know, the... um... thing we were going to do! The... the ice cream tasting!" he exclaimed, feeling ridiculous.

Jungkook burst into laughter, clearly enjoying Taehyung's flustered state. "Ice cream tasting? That sounds... delicious," he teased, leaning closer to Taehyung. "But we can still hang out for a bit, right? Rose and I were just talking."

"Yeah, just talking," Rose said, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she watched the dynamic unfold. "You two seem close. It's cute."

Taehyung felt the heat rise in his cheeks, wishing he could melt into the floor. "We're just friends!" he quickly asserted, his voice higher than intended.

"Oh really?" Jungkook teased, leaning in closer to Taehyung, his breath warm against Taehyung's ear. "Is that why you're so jealous?"

"I'm not jealous!" Taehyung protested, crossing his arms defensively.

"Sure, sure," Jungkook replied, chuckling as he nudged Taehyung playfully. "You just happened to come in between us like a knight in shining armor, huh?"

Taehyung shot Jungkook a glare, trying to maintain his composure. "This isn't funny, Jungkook!"

"Oh, it totally is," Jungkook said, clearly enjoying the moment. He turned back to Rose. "I'll catch up with you later, okay? Taehyung and I need to, uh, continue our ice cream tasting."

Rose laughed lightly, stepping back with a wave. "Alright! Nice to meet you, Taehyung! You're lucky to have Jungkook as a friend."

"Yeah, right," Taehyung mumbled, still flustered as she walked away. Once she was out of earshot, he turned to Jungkook, his annoyance boiling over. "What was that about?"

"What? I was just talking to her!" Jungkook said innocently, his grin wide.

Taehyung felt a mix of embarrassment and irritation. "You could've introduced me properly!"

"I didn't think you'd mind! Besides, you looked so cute getting jealous," Jungkook teased, stepping closer to Taehyung, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Cute? Jealous? I wasn't jealous!" Taehyung insisted, but the heat in his cheeks betrayed him.

"Sure, sure," Jungkook replied, his playful tone only making Taehyung's frustration grow.

"Stop it!" Taehyung huffed, trying to maintain a serious demeanor but failing miserably. He glanced away, not wanting Jungkook to see how much the teasing affected him.

Jungkook stepped even closer, his expression softening. "Hey, I'm sorry if that bothered you. I promise it was nothing serious. Just a friend."

"Yeah, well, it didn't look like just a friend," Taehyung muttered, crossing his arms again.

"Aw, come on, don't be like that," Jungkook said, his voice lowering to a more sincere tone. "I like spending time with you, not her. You know that, right?"

Taehyung felt his heart flutter at Jungkook's words, but he tried to play it cool. "Yeah, whatever. Let's just get back to our plans."

"Alright, ice cream tasting it is!" Jungkook said, his grin returning as he grabbed Taehyung's wrist and led him back toward the café.

As they walked, Taehyung couldn't shake the feeling of jealousy from earlier, but deep down, he was beginning to realize just how much he enjoyed Jungkook's attention-and how much he might actually care about this friendship growing into something more.