Hearts on the line

Chapter 9 : Between Silence And Word

As Taehyung stepped into the university the next day, he immediately felt the shift in the air. His friends—Jin, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi—were all gathered near the entrance, having arrived together in Yoongi's car, except for Jin, who had come separately. But Taehyung barely registered their presence. His mind was elsewhere, his gaze scanning the area, searching for someone he couldn’t find.

Jungkook. His eyes darted around the crowd, but there was no sign of him. The absence felt heavy, like a void Taehyung couldn’t ignore. He had expected Jungkook to be there, maybe avoiding him, maybe still angry—but there was nothing. Neither Jungkook nor Jimin was at class, and it unsettled Taehyung.

Yoongi, noticing the tension in Taehyung’s posture, raised an eyebrow. “Why is Jimin not picking up his phone?” Yoongi asked, his voice laced with concern. “Where is he? And Jungkook too? I hope they’re okay.”

Taehyung’s stomach twisted at the mention of Jungkook. He didn’t want to sound like he cared, but it was impossible to ignore the panic rising in his chest. "What do you mean? Are they not answering?" Taehyung’s voice came out tighter than he intended. He forced himself to focus on the group, trying to hide the worry gnawing at him.

Yoongi looked at him closely, his eyes soft with understanding. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to reach Jimin all morning. It’s not like him to just... disappear.”

The words hung in the air, and Taehyung couldn’t help but feel a knot form in his throat. What if something had happened? What if Jimin was angry, or worse, what if Jungkook... was hurt?

He quickly shook off the thought, trying to push it down. He couldn't afford to dwell on it. Not now.

..//..

After three days, as the bell rang signaling the start of class, the door suddenly burst open. Jimin walked in, panting heavily, with Jungkook trailing behind him. Taehyung let out a quiet sigh of relief the moment he saw Jungkook, but his heart still thudded in his chest. Both of them looked disheveled, their clothes in disarray, like they had rushed to get there.

They made their way to their seats. Jimin quickly settled beside Yoongi, while Jungkook hesitated for a moment, scanning the room. Most of the seats were already taken, but the one next to Taehyung was empty. Jungkook paused, his eyes flicking briefly toward Taehyung before he greeted everyone else in the room—except him. He ignored Taehyung completely, and Taehyung felt the sting of it more than he expected.

Jungkook then turned away from Taehyung and walked toward the back of the room, plopping himself down next to a girl. Taehyung's gaze followed him, irritation bubbling up inside. He didn’t like this. The coldness in Jungkook’s behavior made his chest tighten, but before he could think much more about it, the teacher walked in, signaling the start of the class.

Taehyung clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus on the lesson, but his eyes kept drifting back to Jungkook at the back of the room, sitting with that girl flirting with her, and it only made the frustration burn even more.

As Taehyung sat there, his gaze fixed on the teacher at the front of the class, his mind drifted to Jungkook. He tried to focus, to pay attention, but his thoughts kept circling back to him. "Why can't I ignore him?, This is what I wanted! Then why?" Taehyung thought, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk. "I should be happy he’s not pestering me, that he’s finally giving me space. But... why do I feel like this?"

A surge of frustration washed over him. "Why does it bother me so much that he’s avoiding me?" He frowned, leaning back in his chair slightly." It’s not like we were friends before, not like he owes me anything."