SECOND CHANCE (TAEKOOK)

The Misunderstanding

Days had passed since Jungkook had told Taehyung about the fated bond, but things hadn't changed the way Jungkook had hoped. If anything, the distance between them felt wider than ever. Taehyung didn't seem to know how to act around him anymore, treating him like something fragile that might break if handled the wrong way. It was as though Jungkook's confession had thrown a wall between them, one that seemed impossible to tear down.

Jungkook had tried to stay patient. He knew he'd dropped a lot on Taehyung all at once, and expecting him to just understand right away wasn't fair. But as the days turned into weeks, Jungkook found it harder to ignore the ache in his chest, the sting of being so close to Taehyung yet feeling like he was miles away.

One afternoon, as they were leaving the campus library together, the frustration that had been bubbling inside Jungkook finally reached its breaking point.

"Hey, Tae, can we talk?" Jungkook asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Taehyung glanced at him briefly before shoving his hands into his pockets. "About what?"

Jungkook took a deep breath, his heart pounding. "About us. About the whole fated mate thing."

Taehyung's expression hardened immediately, his jaw clenching. "Again? Jungkook, we've already talked about this."

"No, we haven't," Jungkook replied, his voice rising. "You've been avoiding it. You've been avoiding me."

Taehyung stopped walking, turning to face him. "What do you want me to say, huh? You just expect me to feel something I don't?"

Jungkook:s hands balled into fists at his sides. "I'm not asking you to force anything, Taehyung. I'm asking you to stop pretending like there's nothing there. Don't you feel anything?"

Taehyung shook his head, his frustration clear in his voice. "Jungkook, you're my friend. That's it. I don't feel the way you do, and this whole 'fated bond' thing.... it's not going to change that."

The words stung, each one landing like a blow to Jungkook's chest. "You don't get it, do you?" he said, his voice trembling. "It's not just some fantasy or a crush. I feel it, Tae. It's like.... it's like something inside me pulls me to you, no matter what I do. I can't just turn it off."

Taehyung's eyes narrowed. "And you think that gives you the right to push your feelings onto me? That because of some so called bond, I'm supposed to fall for you?"

"I'm not pushing anything onto you." Jungkook shot back, his anger flaring. "I just.... I just want you to acknowledge that there:s something here. Even if you don't feel it yet, you can't deny that there's a connection. You're just too scared to admit it."

Taehyung's expression turned icy. "You think you know what I'm feeling? You have no idea."

Jungkook took a step closer, his voice shaking as he tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "Then tell me. Tell me what you're feeling, because I'm out here trying to understand you, and you're acting like I'm crazy."

"Fine" Taehyung's voice cracked, raw emotion spilling out as he shoved Jungkook's shoulder. "You want to know what I feel? I feel trapped. Trapped by this stupid bond that you keep talking about, trapped by your expectations. You're trying to make me into someone I'm not."

Jungkook stumbled back from the push, his breath catching in his throat. "I'm not trying to make you into anything," he whispered, pain lacing his voice. "I just want you to.... to at least try to understand...."

"Understand what, Jungkook?" Taehyung yelled, his frustration boiling over. "That you think we're meant to be together just because some invisible thread is pulling us together? That I'm supposed to just fall in line and forget about my own feelings?"

"It's not about falling in line. It's about...." Jungkook could not complete his sentence.

"No," Taehyung interrupted, his voice low and cold. "You're using this whole 'fated mates' thing to manipulate me. You think that if you say it enough times, I'll just suddenly feel something for you."

Jungkook froze, the accusation hitting him like a punch to the gut. "Tae, I would never...."

"Then stop," Taehyung snapped, taking another step forward. "Stop pushing this onto me. I don't want it. I don't want you like that." His voice softened, but his words cut even deeper. "And I never will."

Jungkook's breath hitched, and he could feel his vision blur as tears filled his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, to say something, but no words came out. His chest felt like it was collapsing, the weight of Taehyung's rejection pressing down on him.

"I.... I'm sorry," he finally choked out, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't mean to.... I just thought...."

Taehyung took a step back, his expression softening just slightly, but the coldness was still there. "Look, Jungkook.... we can still be friends, okay? But you need to let this go."

The words echoed in Jungkook's mind, 'let this go'. But how could he let go of something that felt like it was a part of him? How could he just walk away from a connection that felt so real, even if Taehyung couldn't see it?

He nodded slowly, swallowing back the sob that was lodged in his throat. "Yeah.... friends," he whispered, his voice hollow.

Without another word, Taehyung turned and walked away, leaving Jungkook standing alone on the empty street, the ache in his heart spreading through his entire body. As he watched Taehyung's figure grow smaller in the distance, Jungkook sank to the ground, his knees giving out beneath him.

Hot tears spilled down his cheeks, and he let out a strangled sob, his fingers gripping the cold pavement. It wasn't supposed to be like this. The bond was supposed to bring them together, to make them stronger, not tear them apart. He had never felt more rejected, more hopeless.

"Why....?" Jungkook whispered to himself, his voice breaking as he stared at the spot where Taehyung had disappeared. "Why can't you just.... see me?"

As the evening sun dipped below the horizon, Jungkook remained on the ground, the weight of the misunderstanding pressing heavily on his chest. For the first time, he began to doubt the bond that he had once believed in so strongly. Maybe Taehyung was right. Maybe fate didn't matter. Maybe there really was no such thing as a love that was meant to be.

I hope you liked this chapter.