the low hum of sleepy students shuffling toward their classes. Taehyung strolled lazily, hands stuffed in his hoodie pocket, still humming his tune. He didn’t rush; Mondays didn’t deserve that kind of respect.
Next door, Jungkook adjusted his bag strap, slipping on his headphones as he finally stepped out of his room. The faint sound of Taehyung’s hum disappeared down the hall just as Jungkook locked his door.
The hallway fell silent.
Jungkook stretched, cracking his neck as if preparing for battle. His schedule was packed, and he didn’t have time to waste. Without sparing a glance to either side, he walked off in the opposite direction, completely missing Taehyung’s retreating figure.
They were so close yet so far.
Taehyung rounded the corner and bumped into a group of noisy engineering students. “Morning,” he mumbled, barely acknowledging them.
One of them smirked. “Rough Monday?”
“Always,” Taehyung replied, sliding past them with all the energy of a sloth on vacation.
Jungkook, meanwhile, had reached the stairwell. He adjusted his glasses, tightening his grip on his bag. As he descended, a loud thud echoed from the floor above—probably someone dropping their bag. He frowned, glancing upward for a split second.
“Probably nothing,” he muttered and continued on his way.
That "thud"? It was Taehyung, kicking his door shut because his hands were full of books he’d decided to carry after locking the door. He cursed under his breath, balancing the precarious stack and managing, somehow, not to drop anything as he made his way down the hall.
The day progressed, and fate kept them dancing around each other like a sitcom plotline.
At lunch, Taehyung sat in the courtyard with his engineering crew, lazily munching on his sandwich. Jungkook passed by with his medical textbooks, headphones in, completely focused on reviewing for his next class.
Taehyung leaned back, yawning dramatically. Jungkook’s shadow passed over him for a split second, but neither noticed the other.
Later that afternoon, Taehyung stopped by the campus café for an iced Americano, the same café Jungkook had visited not two hours earlier for a latte. The barista even asked Taehyung, “Didn’t you just come in for something?”
“Nope, must’ve been my doppelgänger,” Taehyung joked.
The barista laughed. “Guess Mondays do that to people.”
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the dorms came alive with students chattering, doors opening and closing, and the faint scent of instant noodles wafting through the air.
Jungkook sat at his desk, headphones on, nose buried in his notes. Next door, Taehyung lounged on his bed, scrolling aimlessly on his phone, completely unaware of the bunny boy studying just a wall away.
Fate was playing a long game, weaving their lives closer and closer. But for now, they were ships passing in the night, blissfully oblivious to the chaos that awaited them.
~
Jungkook adjusted his goggles, his eyes focused on the bubbling solution in front of him. The lab was quiet, save for the occasional clink of glassware and the hum of Bunsen burners. He carefully added a few drops of a clear liquid, watching the mixture shift to a pale blue.
“Perfect,” he whispered to himself, scribbling notes on his clipboard. “If I can just stabilize the reaction...”
Just as he reached for another beaker, the lab door slammed open.
“JUNGKOOK!”
Startled, Jungkook nearly knocked over his experiment. He turned to see Seokmin, his overly dramatic friend, panting like he’d just run a marathon.
“What now?” Jungkook asked, pulling off his goggles.
Seokmin waved his hands frantically. “It’s bad. Really bad.”
Jungkook frowned. “Define bad. Did someone spill acid again?”
“No, worse!” Seokmin gasped, leaning against the table. “The medical crew got into another fight with the engineering department. And this time...” He paused for dramatic effect. “...it’s BIG.”
Jungkook groaned, setting down his clipboard. “How big are we talking? A ‘shouting match in the cafeteria’ big or ‘full-on WWE smackdown’ big?”
Seokmin gulped. “More like chairs flying, juice spilling, and someone’s backpack catching fire big.”
“What?!” Jungkook’s jaw dropped. “How does a backpack even—never mind. Where is this happening?”
“Near the quad. You know, their usual hangout spot.”
Of course, by “their,” Seokmin meant Taehyung’s gang.
Jungkook pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache coming on. “And why, exactly, does this always happen? What did we do this time?”
Seokmin shrugged. “Apparently, one of the engineering guys said our anatomy charts looked like ‘bad kindergarten art.’”
Jungkook stared at him. “That’s it?”
“Well,” Seokmin added sheepishly, “then Hoseok might’ve said something about their bridges collapsing faster than their relationships, and...you know how it goes.”
Jungkook sighed deeply. “Great. Just great.”
He glanced back at his experiment, now perfectly stable but completely abandoned. “I should really finish this...”
“But Jungkook!” Seokmin whined. “Your leadership is needed! They’re losing faith without you! You’re the only one who can stop this madness!”
Jungkook shot him a deadpan look. “You just want me to clean up the mess, don’t you?”
“...Maybe.”
Grumbling under his breath, Jungkook yanked off his lab coat and stomped toward the door. “Fine. But if I miss lunch because of this, I’m holding you personally responsible.”
Seokmin beamed. “That’s the spirit! Let’s go!”
As they dashed out of the lab, Jungkook couldn’t help but wonder if it was too late to switch dorms—or majors.
Continue. ......
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Fated Foes
FanfictionJeon Jungkook and Kim Taehyung have been enemies for as long as they can remember, their families' rivalry shaping their entire lives. Their constant bickering quickly escalates into something deeper. As they compete in games and challenges, their a...
