Fated Foes ||toptae||

67

Time skip
Two Years Later – The Reunion Party

The university hall buzzed with energy, laughter, and nostalgia. Former students flooded the room, reuniting with old friends, catching up on life, and reminiscing about their shared past. The scent of wine and expensive cologne mixed with the faint aroma of food, filling the air with a sense of warmth and familiarity.

At one of the round tables near the bar, Taehyung sat with his old friends, his deep brown eyes crinkling slightly as he laughed at something Wooshik said. He looked different—more mature, his features sharper, his hair slightly longer than before, styled effortlessly. There was an undeniable aura of confidence around him, but beneath it, a quiet emptiness lingered.

Wooshik took a sip of his drink and grinned. “So, Mr. Australia, how’s life treating you?”

Taehyung chuckled, twirling the rim of his glass absentmindedly. “It’s good.” His response was short, casual—perhaps too casual.

Seojun raised an eyebrow. “That’s all? Come on, man. Spill the details! Did you find someone? A nice Aussie girl, maybe?”

Taehyung scoffed lightly, shaking his head. “Nah. Still single. How about you guys?”

Wooshik laughed, slapping Seojun’s back. “This one’s still chasing his high school crush.”

Seojun groaned. “Man, don’t expose me like that.”

The group burst into laughter, the conversation flowing effortlessly. Taehyung smiled, but the moment was fleeting. There was something missing—someone missing.

The atmosphere shifted slightly when Jungkook walked in. His presence was impossible to ignore. The past two years had sculpted him into a striking figure—his features sharper, his jawline more defined, and his aura more composed. He carried himself with an air of quiet confidence, but there was a tiredness in his deep brown eyes, hidden behind his usual playful smirk.

He made his way toward his friends—Yoongi, Jimin, and Hoseok—who had already gathered near the drinks table.

Yoongi, now standing beside Jimin, smirked as Jungkook approached. “Well, well, look who decided to show up.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes, leaning against the table. “Hyung, don’t act like we didn’t literally meet yesterday.”

Hoseok laughed, patting Jungkook’s back. “Still dramatic as ever, huh?”

Jungkook smirked, but his gaze flickered across the room—just for a second. And that second was enough.

Because sitting on the other side, laughing with his friends, was Kim Taehyung.

Their eyes met.

It wasn’t planned, nor was it something they could have avoided. It was just a brief glance, but in that split second, everything they had buried over the past two years surfaced.

The stolen glances.
The whispered words.
The kisses that once felt like home.
The ache of leaving.
The pain of betrayal.

Jungkook quickly looked away, clenching his jaw. Taehyung did the same, his fingers tightening around his glass.

Nothing had changed.

And yet, everything had.

"Alright, everyone! Gather for the group picture!"

The announcement echoed through the hall, prompting everyone to shuffle toward the large backdrop set up near the stage. Old classmates pushed and pulled each other into place, laughing as they tried to squeeze into the frame.

Taehyung stood on one side, hands tucked into his pockets, while Jungkook stood on the other, his expression unreadable.

Then fate played its cruel joke.

As the photographer gestured for them to move, they ended up side by side.

Their shoulders brushed.

Taehyung tensed. Jungkook stiffened.

Neither said a word.

Neither looked at the other.

The room was loud, filled with chatter and excitement, but between them, there was only silence.

"Smile!" the photographer called out.

Neither of them wanted to.

Neither of them could.

But they did anyway.

Fake. Forced.

The camera flashed.

And just like that—

Click.

A moment frozen in time.

Two people who once meant everything to each other, now standing as strangers with nothing but unspoken words between them.

Some stories end in laughter.
Some in pain.
Some end before they should.

And some—like theirs—end with a smile that wasn’t real.

End
don't  come after me
Sorry 🙏😀