Fated Foes

20

The three weeks flew by in a chaotic blur. Between Jungkook's meticulous planning and Taehyung's surprisingly creative problem-solving (mostly involving duct tape and questionable "shortcuts"), the sundial slowly began to take shape. Their friends occasionally helped, mostly to complain or to sneak snacks, but in the end, it was Jungkook and Taehyung who did the heavy lifting.

Finally, the day came to unveil their work to the professors. The sundial stood proudly in the courtyard, gleaming in the sunlight. It wasn't perfect-Jungkook still cringed at the slightly uneven edges-but it stood tall, casting an accurate shadow, and that was what mattered.

The professors circled the sundial, inspecting every inch with serious expressions. Jungkook held his breath, clutching his clipboard like it was a lifeline. Taehyung, on the other hand, stood with his hands in his pockets, looking like he was waiting for a bus.

"Hmm," one professor said, nodding thoughtfully. "Impressive."

Another professor added, "Excellent craftsmanship."

The dean himself stepped forward, peering at the sundial with his usual stoic expression. After a long, suspenseful pause, he gave a single nod. "Good work."

Jungkook exhaled so hard he nearly collapsed. Taehyung clapped him on the back. "See? Told you we'd nail it."

"You didn't 'nail it,'" Jungkook hissed. "You duct-taped it!"

"Same thing," Taehyung said with a smirk.

As the professors walked away, Jungkook turned to Taehyung. "We actually pulled it off."

Taehyung grinned. "Yeah. Now we're legends. Sundial heroes."

Jungkook rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide his relief. "Let's just hope we never have to do anything like this again."

---

Later that evening, Taehyung trudged back to his dorm room. For some reason, he felt... unsettled. He frowned as he stared at his door, realizing something was missing.

"No gift," he muttered, his shoulders slumping. For the past few days, there had been little surprises from the "pretty girl next door." A snack here, a note there. It had become a weirdly comforting routine, even if he hadn't mustered the courage to meet her yet.

With a sigh, Taehyung decided to take matters into his own hands. He grabbed a dumpling from his stash, scribbled a quick note, and hung it on the door next to his.

The note read:
"Meet me at the rooftop. 9 PM. Let's settle this properly, Pretty Girl."

Satisfied with his handiwork, Taehyung headed back to his room, already planning his most charming smile for when they finally met.

~

Taehyung stood on the rooftop, holding a bouquet of red roses in one hand and a carrot cake in the other. He was nervously humming a tune, occasionally glancing at his watch. "This is fine," he muttered to himself. "Totally normal. Girls love carrot cake. Probably."

Meanwhile, Jungkook climbed the stairs to the rooftop, the note from Taehyung still clutched in his hand. His heart raced with equal parts amusement and dread. When he pushed open the door and stepped out, his eyes immediately landed on Taehyung-and the bizarre combination of flowers and cake.

"What are you doing here?" Taehyung asked, his brow furrowing.

Jungkook raised an eyebrow. "None of your business."

Before the awkward tension could explode, a random girl from the engineering department wandered onto the rooftop, clearly looking for someone. Taehyung's face lit up. He turned to her with a dazzling smile, offering her the bouquet and the cake.

"The moon looks beautiful tonight," he said suavely, holding out the roses.

Jungkook froze. His eyes darted to the back of the note in his hand, where he saw the words scribbled in messy handwriting:
"The moon looks beautiful tonight. Would you like to watch it with me?"

A flashback hit Jungkook like a train. The juice. The dumplings. The coffee mug. The countless gifts and notes. They weren't from some mysterious boy.They were from Taehyung !!!!!!.

The girl, completely oblivious to the situation, awkwardly waved her hands. "Oh, um, I'm just here for a group project meeting." She backed away and disappeared down the stairs, leaving Taehyung standing there, confused.

Jungkook couldn't help himself. Holding up the note, he smirked. "The moon looks beautiful tonight? Really, Taehyung?"

Taehyung turned to him, horrified. "Wait a second-why are you holding that? Don't tell me..."

Jungkook raised an eyebrow. "Room 183?"

Taehyung's jaw dropped. "You mean... you're...?"

"Yes," Jungkook said, crossing his arms. "I'm the 'noisy bunny' next door."

Taehyung groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "This has to be a joke."

Jungkook waved the note teasingly. "So, do you want to watch the moon with me, or was that line reserved for your carrot cake date?"

Taehyung, still processing the embarrassment, snapped, "You were eating my salad this whole time?!"

"And you ate my sandwich," Jungkook shot back. "We're even."

Taehyung opened his mouth to argue but stopped. Instead, he laughed-a loud, genuine laugh that echoed across the rooftop. Jungkook blinked, caught off guard.

"You know what?" Taehyung said, smirking. "This is better than some random pretty girl. At least I know you won't complain about the carrot cake."

Jungkook rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. The moon may look beautiful tonight, but you're not that charming."

"Admit it," Taehyung said, grinning. "You're glad it's me."

Jungkook couldn't hide the small smile tugging at his lips. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sundial Knight."

And just like that, the rooftop filled with their bickering-because clearly, the universe wasn't done making their lives chaotic yet.