"A Love Beyond Spotlight" | Taekook ✨💜

9. The Truth Untold

The silence was thick, like a weight pressing down on them, each tick of the clock amplifying the tension between them. Jungkook's gaze was downcast, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, while Taehyung sat a few inches away, watching him with a mixture of nervousness and determination. His heartbeat pounded so loudly that he half-expected Jungkook to hear it too.

Taehyung cleared his throat, breaking the saw quiet but feeling his own voice falter. "Jungkookie, I... I want to talk about everything. About us." His words stumbled out, his eyes searching Jungkook's face, desperate for some kind of reaction. "We used to talk about everything... you know me better than anyone, and I know you. I don't want that to change."

Jungkook lifted his head, gaze fixed on a far corner of the room, lips pressed together tightly. Taehyung could see the tension etched in every line of his face, the silent, unspoken hurt that seemed to pulse around them. Jungkook let out a soft, shaky sigh, his voice just a murmur. "Then why does it feel like it's already changed?"

Taehyung's heart squeezed painfully. He scooted closer, tentatively reaching out and taking Jungkook's hand in his, squeezing it gently. "I know things have been rough," he admitted, voice low and strained. "I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry. I just... I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was helping her, but I see now I was wrong."

At the mention of Jennie, Jungkook flinched, his jaw clenching as he pulled his hand away sharply. He got up, walking a few steps toward the wall, his back turned as he swallowed hard, his voice tight with a mixture of anger and sadness.

"It's not the first time someone's spread rumors about you, about us," he said bitterly, crossing his arms over his chest. "But it's the first time you didn't shut them down. This time, you... you fueled them. Do you know how that felt, watching you with her?" He turned back to Taehyung, eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. "It was like you chose her over us, over everything we had."

Taehyung felt his chest tighten, an ache blooming as he scrambled to his feet, closing the space between them. "Jungkook, I didn't choose her," he said desperately, his voice rising. "I was just trying to be there for someone who needed a friend. She needed a shoulder—"

"And what about me?" Jungkook's voice was loud now, raw, each word cutting into Taehyung like a knife. "What about when I needed you? You were her shoulder, but where was mine?" His hands balled into fists, his breathing uneven as he tried to blink back the tears that stung his eyes. "You held her hand, you smiled with her, you let everyone believe it was real. So tell me, hyung—tell me if it's true."

The accusation hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Taehyung took a step forward, desperation etched into every line of his face as he shook his head. "Jungkook, no... it wasn't like that. I never went on any dates with her. There's nothing between us. She just... she needed someone to talk to."

"Oh, I see." Jungkook's voice was cold, eyes glinting with a bitter light. "So she needed someone to talk to, and you decided to be her hero." He laughed, a hollow, humorless sound. "You gave her your shoulder, your time, your attention. Was that not enough? Does she want your heart too?"

The words hit Taehyung like a blow. "Jungkook, you're twisting this—"

"No, hyung, you don't get it." Jungkook's voice was almost a whisper, pained, barely holding back tears. "You keep saying there's nothing, but I see it. You wouldn't keep going back to her if you didn't feel something." His voice dropped, filled with vulnerability and hurt. "Maybe you even... maybe you fell for her."

For a moment, the room was silent, the weight of Jungkook's words settling like a heavy cloud. Taehyung's heart pounded, his mind racing with frustration and guilt. In a flash of anger, he crossed the space between them, his hands gripping Jungkook's shoulders as he met his gaze, eyes blazing.