Moonlight Heirs 🌗🐺 | TAEKOOK |

24.) Crossing Paths

"So..."

Jungkook walked at Taehyung's side, their pace matching yet their silence creating an invisible wall. He fidgeted, his fingers curling and uncurling at his sides. He wasn't the type to thrive in awkward silences. After what felt like an eternity of walking, Jungkook blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

Taehyung's gaze flicked toward him, his expression unreadable. "So what?"

Caught off guard, Jungkook scrambled for words. "Uh... the witch. The one we're going to meet. What's she like?"

Taehyung looked ahead, his sharp features illuminated by the soft glow of the fading sunlight. "I don't know much about her," he replied curtly, his voice low but steady.

Jungkook's brow furrowed. "You don't know much? Then how do you know she'll help us?"

"Because of Chaewon's dream," Taehyung answered simply, as if that explained everything.

"What dream?" Jungkook pressed, his curiosity sparked.

Taehyung's jaw tightened, and for a moment, it seemed he wouldn't answer. Then, in his usual short manner, he said, "Chaewon sees the future in her dreams."

Jungkook slowed his steps, his mind racing. "That means, She... saw me coming to your clan, didn't she?"

Taehyung hummed in response, neither denying nor confirming.

"So you knew," Jungkook said softly, a mix of wonder and unease in his voice. "You knew I was coming. That must mean I'm important, right? Then why..." He hesitated before his emotions surged forward. "Why do you act like I don't matter?"

Taehyung's footsteps faltered, just for a moment. His gaze remained fixed ahead as he spoke, his tone colder than before. "Her dreams aren't clear. They're fragments, not real images. She saw someone coming. That's all."

Jungkook stopped walking, his fists clenching at his sides. His voice wavered between anger and hurt. "Is that enough of a reason to treat me like I'm nothing? Like I'm not important?"

Taehyung turned to face him, his dark eyes meeting Jungkook's fiery gaze. For a moment, the air between them crackled with tension, the forest seeming to hold its breath.

"You are important," Taehyung said suddenly, his voice softer but laced with an unspoken weight.

The words struck Jungkook like a thunderclap. His anger melted into confusion, and he blinked at Taehyung, unsure how to respond.

A few steps ahead, Jimin had turned around, catching sight of the intense exchange. He squinted, noticing Jungkook's clenched fists and Taehyung's unreadable expression.

Leaning closer to Hoseok, Jimin whispered, "Are you sure it's okay to let those two stay close? It doesn't look like they're enjoying the conversation."

Hoseok chuckled, his eyes warm with amusement. "They're fine. Just figuring things out in their own way."

Chaewon, walking hand-in-hand with Mingyu, turned her head slightly. Her eyes sparkled with a knowing smile. "Trust me," she said softly, her voice carrying a mysterious certainty. "They'll get along. Maybe even better than any of us think."

Jimin frowned, still unsure. "You sound pretty confident about that."

"I am," Chaewon replied, leaning into Mingyu's shoulder. "It's only a matter of time."

Unaware of the conversation happening ahead, Jungkook and Taehyung resumed walking. Jungkook's heart was still racing from Taehyung's unexpected words. The tension between them lingered, but there was a shift—subtle yet undeniable.

As they fell back into silence, Jungkook glanced at Taehyung from the corner of his eye. Taehyung's expression was calm, but his hands betrayed him, fingers curling into fists before relaxing again.

Jungkook exhaled softly, his earlier frustration giving way to a tentative sense of understanding. Maybe Taehyung wasn't as indifferent as he seemed. Maybe, beneath the stoic exterior, he cared more than he let on.

---

The late afternoon sun hung lazily over the practice yard, casting long streaks of amber light across the stone-paved ground. The clang of swords, faint from earlier drills, had faded, leaving behind a calm stillness.

Yoongi sat cross-legged among a scattering of weapons, a whetstone in hand as he methodically cleaned his sword. The blade gleamed under the sun's warmth, each stroke deliberate, his focus unbroken.

"My favorite cousin," Jisoo's voice broke the quiet, soft yet edged with curiosity.

Yoongi didn't glance up, his hand continuing its rhythmic motion along the blade. "What?" he replied gruffly.

Jisoo stepped closer, her arms crossed as her sharp eyes studied him. "How did you find the boy?"

The whetstone paused mid-stroke. Yoongi's gaze lifted briefly, his expression indifferent but his tone sharper. "What boy?"

Jisoo tilted her head, her lips curving into a faint smile. "You know who I'm talking about."

His jaw tightened, but his tone didn't waver. "If you mean that human kid, I don't see why it's your business."

Her smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of confusion. "Human? No. I'm asking about the orange-haired boy."

For the first time, Yoongi's eyebrows furrowed deeply, the whetstone slipping from his grip to rest on the ground. His voice dropped. "Well, orange-haired boy is a HUMAN"

Jisoo's gaze narrowed, watching him carefully. "You're telling me you don't know who he is??"

Yoongi leaned back slightly, resting the hilt of his sword on his knee. His face was unreadable, but a faint edge of irritation colored his words. "I don't know, his name was something like.. Jin.. Jim, or I don't remember."

"You're lying," Jisoo said, her arms falling to her sides.

Yoongi's grip on the sword tightened, though he maintained his stoic demeanor. "If you don't believe me, why bother asking?"

Ignoring his retort, Jisoo took a step closer, her voice lowering. "Does the boy know who you are?"

Yoongi's gaze sharpened, though his expression didn't betray much. "I don't know what you're talking about, Jisoo." His voice was hard, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Leave me alone."

The tension between them hung heavy, but Jisoo didn't flinch. She stared at him for a moment longer before scoffing lightly. "Fine. But let me give you a little advice,. Don't let that innocent boy learn the truth. It'll only make things worse."

Her words hung in the air like a warning, laced with unspoken consequences. With that, Jisoo turned and walked away.

Yoongi watched her go, his brows furrowing deeper as he turned her words over in his mind. Orange-haired boy? The truth?

He shook his head, muttering under his breath, "What the hell she said?" He thought to himself.

Sliding his whetstone back into his hand, he resumed his work on the sword, his strokes more forceful than before. Whatever Jisoo was implying, he didn't have the patience to dig into it.

But as much as he wanted to shrug it off, her words echoed in his mind, a small sliver of doubt gnawing at his usual indifference.

🐺🌗To be continued...