Us | Taekook | Complete

12

The next morning, the studio felt colder. The usual banter, the occasional accidental brushes of their hands, and the unspoken warmth—all of it was missing. Taehyung and Jungkook worked in silence, the tension between them sharp enough to cut through the air. 

Taehyung adjusted the corner of a large canvas, his movements stiff. Jungkook, sitting at the far end of the studio, glanced at him. His mind raced with how to fix the damage he had caused. 

Finally, Jungkook broke the silence. "Taehyung." 

Taehyung didn’t turn. "What?" 

"About yesterday... I shouldn’t have said that," Jungkook admitted, his voice quiet but steady. 

Taehyung paused, then straightened up. "It doesn’t matter." 

"It does," Jungkook insisted, standing and walking closer. "I didn’t mean it. I was just frustrated, and I—" 

"Why are you explaining yourself to me? It's not like we’re close or something...so you shouldn't care to explain" Taehyung interrupted, finally meeting Jungkook’s gaze. His eyes were guarded, his expression unreadable. 

"Because I care," Jungkook said before he could stop himself. 

Taehyung froze, his breath hitching. 

"I care about what you think of me," Jungkook continued, his voice softer now. "And I hate that I hurt you." 

Taehyung blinked, unsure how to respond. The sincerity in Jungkook’s eyes was disarming, and for a moment, the walls Taehyung had built around himself wavered. 

"You didn’t hurt me," Taehyung lied, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Don’t do that," Jungkook said gently. "Don’t pretend like you’re okay when you’re not." 

Taehyung looked away, his jaw tightening. "Why does it matter to you?" 

"Because you matter to me," Jungkook said without hesitation. 

The weight of his words hung in the air, leaving Taehyung speechless. 
To break the intensity of the moment, Jungkook gestured toward the mural. "We should finish this." 

Taehyung nodded silently, grateful for the distraction. 

As they worked side by side, the tension began to ease, replaced by a tentative sense of familiarity. Their brushes moved across the wall in sync, the silence between them no longer heavy but comfortable. 

"Do you ever think about what’s next?" Taehyung asked suddenly, his voice soft. 

Jungkook glanced at him. "What do you mean?" 

"For us. After this project is over," Taehyung clarified, keeping his eyes on the mural. 

Jungkook hesitated. "I don’t know. But I know I don’t want things to go back to how they were before." 

Taehyung’s brush stilled for a moment before he resumed painting. "Neither do I." 

Their moment was interrupted when the studio door burst open. A man in his late twenties stormed in, his expression livid. 

"Taehyung!" the man barked, his voice echoing off the walls. 

Taehyung turned, his face paling. "Hyung?" 

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?" The boy demanded, advancing toward him. 

Jungkook stepped in front of Taehyung instinctively. "Who are you, and what’s your problem?" 

The boy glared at Jungkook. "I’m his brother. And this doesn’t concern you." 

"It does if you’re here to harass him," Jungkook shot back. 

"Jungkook, it’s fine," Taehyung said quickly, placing a hand on his arm. "I’ll handle this." 

Reluctantly, Jungkook stepped aside but stayed close. 

Jong pointed a finger at Taehyung. "You’ve been ignoring Dad’s calls, skipping family events, and now I find out you’re wasting your time painting instead of handling the work and doing studies? Do you have any idea how much you’ve embarrassed us?" 

Taehyung’s shoulders tensed. "I’m not wasting my time. This is important to me." 

"Important?" Boy scoffed. "You’re throwing away everything Dad built for this nonsense. You’re a disgrace." 

Jungkook bristled. "Don’t talk to him like that." 

Jong ignored him, his gaze fixed on Taehyung. "If you don’t come back and fix this mess, don’t bother coming home. And we're sending Areum to London for treatment...you didn't even tell us that she was sick..." 

" but hyung you can't send her away... she can't live without me " Taehyung desperately said.

" You make her this way otherwise didn’t you clinged on mom the most but you learned to live without her so she will learn too..."
With that, he stormed out, leaving a heavy silence in his wake. 

Taehyung sank onto a stool, his head in his hands. Jungkook crouched beside him, his voice gentle. "Are you okay?" 

Taehyung laughed bitterly. "Why does everyone think they can control my life?" 

"Because they don’t see you for who you are," Jungkook said. "But I do." 

Taehyung looked at him, his eyes filled with unshed tears. "You barely know me." 

"I know enough," Jungkook said firmly. "And I know you’re stronger than this." 

Taehyung swallowed hard, the vulnerability in Jungkook’s gaze cutting through his defenses. "Why do you care so much?" 

Jungkook reached out, hesitating before gently placing a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. "Because you deserve someone who does." 

For the first time in a long while, Taehyung allowed himself to believe that might be true. 

-----

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