𝐎𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐚'𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 [𝗄𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗏]

Chapter Thirty Three

The days passed in uneasy quiet.

A week had gone by since the summit, yet the tension between Taehyung and Jeongguk remained, a lingering storm that neither addressed nor acknowledged.

They had returned to their house, the one Namjoon had gifted them, and on the surface, everything seemed smooth. There were no fights, no raised voices—just a fragile silence stretched too thin, threatening to snap at any moment.

Both lost in their own thoughts.

The morning sun streamed through the windows, golden light spilling across the wooden floors.

Jeongguk would wake early, train with the warriors, and return in the late afternoon. He would find Taehyung already seated at the dining table, eating quietly, eyes fixed on his plate as if avoiding something—or someone.

Jeongguk would sit across from him, their meals shared in silence. No words, no stolen glances, just the soft clinking of silverware and the steady rhythm of their breathing filling the space between them.

Jeongguk didn't know how to fix this. He didn't know if it could be fixed at all.

Their bond should have made things easier, should have pulled them closer, but instead, it only made everything more complicated. They were mates, tied together by fate, but it didn't erase the years of secrets and misunderstandings between them.

It didn't erase the resentment Jeongguk still carried in his chest, heavy and unshakable.

And Taehyung—he wasn't reaching for him either.

Not in the way Jeongguk wanted him to.

So they remained like this, trapped in a delicate balance, pretending that the silence between them wasn't suffocating.

The morning started as any other.

Taehyung stood in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up as he worked on breakfast. The scent of freshly cooked eggs and buttered toast filled the air.

Jeongguk was in the living room, slouched on the couch, watching a movie. Or at least, pretending to. His eyes flicked toward the kitchen every few minutes, tracking Taehyung's movements.

Then the phone rang.

The sharp chime cut through the quiet morning, making Taehyung pause. He wiped his hands on a towel before picking up the phone, pressing it to his ear.

"Jimin?" he greeted, slightly surprised.

Jimin's voice came fast, urgent. "Taehyung—someone spread it."

Taehyung frowned, his grip tightening on the phone. "Spread what?"

"The truth," Jimin said. "Everyone knows. About you and Jeongguk."

The words hit him like a blow to the chest.

The plate in his hand slipped from his grasp, shattering against the floor.

For a moment, he could only stand there, heart pounding in his ears. His mind struggled to process what Jimin had just said. The secret they had guarded so fiercely, the truth that only a select few knew—exposed.

His breath came shallow, his pulse racing.

"Taehyung?" Jimin's voice was still on the line, but it sounded distant now. "Are you okay?"

His lips parted, but no words came out. He felt paralyzed, his entire world tilting under his feet.

The sudden crash of breaking porcelain made Jeongguk jolt upright.