𝐎𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐚'𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 [𝗄𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗏]

Chapter Twenty Five

~~~

The next few days passed in a blur.

Taehyung tried to pretend nothing had changed, tried to be normal—tried to pretend Jeongguk's presence didn't make his chest ache.

But it was impossible.

Jeongguk had changed.

The air inside the house felt heavier than usual. Taehyung couldn't tell if it was just his nerves, or if the entire building carried the weight of his emotions.

His once bright, mischievous eyes were now sharp, filled with something unreadable. His body was stronger, broader, colder. His rebellious nature was still there, but it had been refined—tamed.

The boy Taehyung had once protected, the young alpha he had once comforted, laughed with, guided— he wasn't here anymore.

This Jeongguk was colder. Sharper. Distant.

And Taehyung hated it.

Jeongguk felt it the moment he stepped downstairs that morning—the shift in the air, the weight of something unspoken settling over the house.

Or maybe it was just Taehyung.

Taehyung, who sat at the dining table, stirring his tea absentmindedly, his fingers curled delicately around the ceramic cup.

Jeongguk wasn't sure why it bothered him.

Or why his chest tightened at the sight.

He shouldn't care. Not like that.

He clenched his jaw, schooling his expression as he strode into the room, making his presence known.

Taehyung barely reacted.

Jeongguk hated it.

Something about it itched at him, dug beneath his skin in a way he couldn't explain.

He sat down across from Taehyung, fingers tapping idly against the wooden table.

Jeongguk exhaled through his nose, jaw tightening.

"What's wrong with you?" The words came out sharper than intended.

Taehyung finally looked up, blinking at him. "What?"

Jeongguk gestured vaguely. "You're acting weird, I mean not acknowledging my presence"

A flicker of something passed through Taehyung's eyes—hesitation, guilt, something else he couldn't quite place.

Then it was gone, smoothed over by a careful smile. "I don't know what you're talking about, gguk"

Jeongguk narrowed his eyes.

Liar.

Taehyung had never been good at lying.

He could see it in the way his fingers twitched slightly against the teacup, the way his shoulders tensed just enough to betray him.

Something was off.

And Jeongguk didn't like not knowing.

"Are you avoiding me?" he asked bluntly.

Taehyung froze for half a second—just a half-second—but Jeongguk saw it.

Saw the way his breath caught, the way his eyelashes fluttered before he forced himself to meet Jeongguk's gaze again, smile still in place, but now weaker.

"Don't be ridiculous," Taehyung said lightly, taking a slow sip of his tea. "Why would I avoid you?"

Jeongguk didn't have an answer.