Troublemaker

TROUBLE 36

Taehyung's sharp eyes scanned the scene, his jaw tightening as he took in the sight in front of him. A boy sat on the floor, blindfolded, looking utterly miserable with his hair a complete mess and a sock tied across his eyes.

"Y/N!" Taehyung's voice was low but firm, carrying that unmistakable edge of annoyance. His gaze narrowed. "What is going on here? Why is that boy tied up like that?" He gestured toward the blindfolded boy, who flinched slightly at the sound of his voice. "And take that sock off his eyes."

Y/N opened her mouth, ready to explain, but before she could get a word out, the little "boss" standing at her side marched forward with his tiny hands on his hips. His chest puffed out, and his chin tilted upward with the confidence of someone three times his size.

"Where is Kookie hyung?" the boy demanded, his small voice clear and authoritative. "Bring him here! It's important!"

Taehyung froze, blinking twice as if trying to process whether he had actually heard that right. His brows lifted slightly. "What...?"

The boy, undeterred, stepped even closer. His gaze was unwavering as he pointed an accusatory finger at Taehyung's chest. "And you can't glare at the boss like that!" His little finger jabbed in Taehyung's direction. "If you want to talk, talk to me! I'm the boss of this group!"

Jimin choked back a laugh, turning his face to the side to hide his smile. Yoongi raised an eyebrow, glancing between Taehyung and the fierce little boy with mild disbelief.

Y/N coughed awkwardly, quickly stepping in. She grabbed the boy's outstretched hand and tugged it down gently, pulling him back by his clothes. Her eyes widened in mild panic as she leaned down toward him.

"Boss," she whispered urgently in his ear, "go upstairs and bring Kookie hyung. I'll handle this."

The boy's eyes narrowed as if calculating the risk. After a tense second, he gave a sharp nod. "Okay." His tiny shoulders squared as he turned toward the stairs with determined steps. But before leaving, he shot one last fiery glare at Taehyung—his little brows furrowed in a way that would have been intimidating if he wasn't so small.

Taehyung watched him go, his mouth slightly parted, disbelief washing over his face. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled sharply.

Y/N sighed. "Alright." She grabbed the arm of the blindfolded boy and dragged him forward. "You—come here."

She pulled off the sock from his eyes with a sharp tug. The boy, Minjoon, squinted at the sudden light, his face pale and his hair disheveled. He looked up toward Taehyung, who was towering over him with an unreadable expression. Minjoon's lips trembled slightly.

"Now say what you're supposed to say," Y/N said, shoving the sock into her

Minjoon swallowed hard, his eyes darting nervously between Y/N and Taehyung, who stood with his arms crossed, his expression carved from stone. Minjoon's gaze dropped to the floor, his hands twisting together as his voice wavered. "G-good... evening, sir," he stammered, bowing awkwardly.

Y/N huffed, rolling her eyes. "Faster! We don't have all day," she snapped.

Minjoon's eyes widened when Y/N raised her phone, the screen glowing ominously. His breath hitched as his gaze flicked toward Taehyung's cold, piercing stare. His hands trembled at his sides.

"S-Sir..." Minjoon's voice cracked. "That day... it... it wasn't Jungkook who smoked. It was Jack."

The room went still.

For a moment, Taehyung's mind blanked. His chest tightened painfully, his breath shallow as Minjoon's words echoed in his head. He couldn't decide what he should feel — relief that Jungkook had been innocent all along, guilt for not believing him, or pure rage that Jungkook had suffered because of someone else's lie. His emotions clashed violently inside him, twisting into a storm he couldn't contain.