Fated Foes ||toptae||

41

It was a bright, sunny day when the group arrived at the beach. The sparkling waves and the sound of seagulls greeted them as they got off the bus. After a quick briefing, the host announced the first activity: a tug-of-war competition. Teams were quickly formed, and the energy was electric as everyone got into position.

Jungkook and his friends—Jimin, Yoongi, and Hoseok—stood on the right side of the rope with a few more classmates, while the left side filled up with other students, including Taehyung.

However, Taehyung had no intention of sticking to his assigned team. He quietly snuck to the back of Jungkook’s side, standing right behind him. Yoongi noticed immediately and was visibly annoyed.

"Why are you here?" Yoongi hissed, barely keeping his voice down. "You’re on the other team!"

Taehyung shrugged nonchalantly. "Rules are just guidelines, aren’t they?"

Yoongi clenched his fists, ready to teach Taehyung a lesson, but Jungkook intervened, holding him back. "Yoongi, not here. Don’t make a scene. I’ll handle him," Jungkook said, glaring at Taehyung.

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the game.

Everyone began pulling with all their might, the rope tightening under the strain. Jungkook’s team was gaining ground when suddenly he felt arms wrapping around his waist. He flinched at the unexpected touch and instinctively let go of the rope.

"Taehyung, what the hell?!" Jungkook shouted as his team toppled forward, losing the game.

Taehyung grinned sheepishly. "I was just trying to help."

"By holding me instead of the rope?" Jungkook snapped before storming off, leaving Taehyung scratching his head.

The games continued, and Taehyung kept his distance—mostly because Jimin and Hoseok were keeping an eye on him. When lunchtime rolled around, Jungkook and his friends settled at a table with their trays, finally feeling like they could relax.

But, of course, Taehyung had other plans. He plopped down beside Jungkook, tray in hand, acting as if everything was perfectly normal.

"Hey, Kookie," Taehyung said with a bright smile, ignoring the heavy glares coming from Yoongi and the others.

Yoongi couldn’t take it anymore. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the plates and drinks to rattle.

"That’s it! What is your problem?!" Yoongi yelled. "Why are you always hovering around him? Give him some space for once!"

Taehyung looked genuinely confused, tilting his head like a scolded puppy. "What did I do?"

"You lost us the game, for one!" Yoongi pointed out. "And now you’re crashing our lunch!"

"Yoongi, calm down," Jungkook said, his tone firm but quiet. "I’ll handle it."

"But—"

"I said I’ll handle it," Jungkook repeated, giving Yoongi a look that made him sit back down, albeit reluctantly.

Taehyung, still unfazed, looked at Jungkook with wide eyes. "I was just trying to be close to you. Is that so bad?"

Jungkook sighed, rubbing his temples. "Taehyung, there’s a thing called boundaries. You might want to learn about them."

Taehyung pouted but nodded. "Fine, I’ll try. But you’re not mad at me, right?"

Jungkook didn’t respond immediately, instead focusing on his food. Yoongi rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "This guy..."

Despite the tension, Taehyung stayed seated, happily eating as if nothing had happened. His carefree attitude left everyone else at the table both irritated and confused.