"Heart Of The Azure Dragon"- Taekook/Vkook-Book 1 Of "The Sacred Beasts"

Chapter- Five

Taehyung's pov-

From the moment I first saw him in that elevator, something shifted inside me. I hadn't thought much about it at first-he was just another student, dressed in all black, cap pulled low over his eyes. But as I stepped in, stopping the doors from closing, and caught the briefest glimpse of him, I felt something. It wasn't just his presence, though that alone was commanding, but it was like I could sense the tension coiled up in him, the storm brewing just beneath the surface of that calm, indifferent façade.

He looked away quickly when I turned my head, but not before I noticed the way his breath seemed to hitch. For someone who tried so hard to keep their distance, there was an undeniable pull between us from that very first moment. My heart raced a little-something I wasn't used to, even though I didn't show it. I've always been the calm one, the one who doesn't react much, but Jeongguk... something about him threw me off balance.

I didn't dwell on it at first. The elevator ride was short, and before I knew it, I was stepping out and going on with my day. But he lingered in my mind, more than I expected.

Then, fate-or something else-brought us together again. In the library, of all places. I wasn't expecting to see him, but there he was, scanning the room. For a second, I didn't think he recognized me, but then our eyes met, and I knew. That look-he was surprised, and maybe a little rattled, though he tried to hide it. I could feel the way his energy shifted the moment he saw me sitting there, even before he took the seat beside me.

And then, he stared. I could feel it, the weight of his gaze on me. I wasn't sure why he did it, but it was obvious he didn't realize how intense he was. It made me curious. Who was this guy who could pull me in so effortlessly, yet push everyone else away? He had that cold, indifferent persona, but there was more to him. I could sense it.

"You keep staring from earlier." I finally broke the silence, turning to face him, watching the way my words seemed to catch him off guard. His reaction was subtle, but I caught it. I always did. He denied it, but I wasn't fooled.

There was something about his eyes, something so striking that I couldn't help but comment on it. "You are gorgeous." I said it straight, no hesitation, and the way he froze for a moment told me everything I needed to know. "Especially your eyes. You've got the prettiest eyes I've ever laid my eyes on."

He didn't know what to do with that, I could tell. He was trying so hard to act indifferent, to brush it off, but I knew I had him at that moment. He introduced himself coldly, but it didn't matter. "I'm just stating a fact. You're really gorgeous."

After that day, I started thinking about him more. There was something about Jeongguk that intrigued me, something I wanted to understand. I could sense his emotions, the way he tried to keep them locked away, but there was something deeper. He was like a fortress, but I wasn't someone to be deterred by walls.

And then the restaurant happened. I hadn't expected to see him there. I'd gone to pick up my cousin, Tristan, who'd gotten drunk during an outing with his friends. The moment I walked in, I was too focused on Tristan to notice much else. It wasn't until later, after I'd left with him, that I realized Jeongguk had been there too, watching.

It didn't take long for me to sense the shift in his emotions, though. I hadn't seen him at the time, but the next day, when I ran into him by the vending machine, I could feel it. The doubt, the confusion, the jealousy even. He thought there was something between me and Tristan.

That's when I knew I had to say something.

When I approached him, he tried to leave-typical Jeongguk, avoiding anything that might make him feel vulnerable. But I couldn't let him walk away, not without clearing things up. I grabbed his hand, and I could feel the tension radiating off him. He didn't like to be touched, but he didn't pull away either.