Between Us: A Taekook Anthology
Signed, Your Worst Critic #1
CHAPTER 1 : The Artist I Despise...
The comment section was on fire that evening.
Notifications stacked over each other like gasoline soaked matches.
@GoldenFrame:
"Emotion without structure is just chaos pretending to be depth."
The words sat beneath Taehyung’s newest upload like a blade.
I stared at my phone in the dim light of the studio, jaw tightening slowly.
The workspace was silent except for the faint hum of the heater and the distant traffic outside the window.
The painting glowed on my screen.
A faceless figure collapsing into blooming roses, petals spilling from hollow ribs, it was raw and unfinished on purpose with bleeding colors.
I had posted it an hour ago.
And of course i had known GoldenFrame would comment.
I cracked my knuckles one by one.
I muttered under my breath.
Kim Taehyung
Pretending to be depth..?
I hovered my thumb over the keyboard as I typed slowly.
@NocturneCanvas:
"Perfection without the soul is just your emptiness pretending to be a skill."
Within minutes, screenshots spread across art forums.
Fan accounts reposted it.
Someone stitched our quotes together in dramatic typography.
The rivalry trended again and then a notification popped up.
@ArtTeaDaily:
"When will you two just fight in real life..?"
I let out a humorless laugh.
Kim Taehyung
That's something, I'm waiting for myself...
I tossed my phone onto the desk and stood up, pacing.
Across the city, under colder lighting and sharper lines, Jungkook sat hunched over his drawing table with his sleeves rolled to his elbows and charcoal was smudged across his fingers and the side of his palm.
His studio was immaculate, every pencil was aligned and every canvas stacked evenly along with cleaned brushes.
He didn’t check it at first.
He finished shading the curve of a collarbone on his current piece first, with precise pressure and stable strokes.
Then he reached for his phone.
He read Taehyung’s reply.
His lips curved slightly.
Jeon Jungkook
Still dramatic... Aren't we..
He shouldn’t have opened the painting again.
The crying figure dissolving into roses stared back at him.
It was messy, the proportions slightly off and the anatomy was imperfect.. And yet...
His chest tightened in a way he hated, It felt like standing too close to a memory he didn’t want to remember.
Jeon Jungkook
How reckless..
Jungkook whispered at the screen.
Jeon Jungkook
You don’t even try to refine it..
His fingers moved again before he could think.
@GoldenFrame:
"At least learn anatomy before trying to be tragic."
I didn’t check it at because I knew who it was.
I continued staring at my own painting instead.
Then I picked up the phone.
I repeated under my breath.
Kim Taehyung
That’s what you see..?
I opened GoldenFrame’s latest upload in retaliation.
It was a flawless lighting with precise muscle shading and perfect hands, hands that looked like they could step off the canvas.
The detail was infuriating.
The veins and the bone structure, the subtle shadow under the wrist.
I muttered, but my eyes were glued to the painting.. I zoomed in further, the collarbone curve had a careful highlight along the jaw.
Kim Taehyung
You’re obsessed with stability... And that makes it look unreal..
I said softly to the screen.. My phone buzzed again, direct message request.
We had never messaged privately... Never crossed that line.. I hesitated but opened it anyways.
GoldenFrame:
"You always avoid the structure part... Is it because you can’t do it, or because you’re scared to try..?"
I stared at the message, my pulse slowed.. I typed back.
NocturneCanvas:
"I don’t avoid it on purpose.. I reject it."
Three dots appeared almost instantly.
GoldenFrame:
"That’s a convenient excuse."
A smirked formed on my face.
NocturneCanvas:
"And what’s yours..? Hiding behind stupid technique so no one sees what you actually feel..?
GoldenFrame:
"I don’t need strangers to see what I feel."
I leaned back in my chair.
Kim Taehyung
Oh...So you do feel.
I whispered as my fingers moved again.
NocturneCanvas:
"That’s the difference between us... I paint what hurts... You polish what doesn’t.."
GoldenFrame:
"You assume too much."
That made my smile faded slightly.
He typed: NocturneCanvas:
“Prove me wrong.”
Across the city, Jungkook’s jaw tightened, he shouldn’t have cared one bit.. he didn’t care.. And yet...
He opened Taehyung’s painting again.. and studied the slanted shoulder.. The uneven line work and the desperation in the brush strokes..
Jeon Jungkook
You’re not unskilled.. honestly..
Jeon Jungkook
You’re just… undisciplined..
NocturneCanvas:
"Or are you afraid that if you let go once, you wouldn’t be able to control it..?"
Jungkook’s fingers stilled on the table.. That hit closer to his chest.. He typed back slower this time.
GoldenFrame:
"Control is what separates amateurs from professionals."
NocturneCanvas:
"No.. Control is what separates honest artists from cowards.."
Jungkook inhaled sharply... Coward.. His grip tightened around the phone.
Jeon Jungkook
You don’t even know me.
He stood abruptly, pacing his spotless studio.. He hated this.. Hated how Taehyung’s words slipped under his skin..
GoldenFrame:
"You romanticize suffering... It’s immature."
Taehyung’s reply came almost immediately.
NocturneCanvas:
"And you sterilize everything.. Don't you think that's lifeless."
Jungkook stared at the screen.. Lifeless..?.. He glanced at his half finished drawing.. It was perfect..technically.. And suddenly, he couldn’t look at it the same way anymore and turned his phone face down..
I exhaled slowly, i felt wired, alive and arguing with GoldenFrame was infuriating..
I stood and walked back to my canvas and picked up a brush.. Without thinking too much, i adjusted the shoulder line of my painting and added more definition to it and then refined the wrist slightly...
I muttered again.. I hated that the comment floating in my mind.. I hated that GoldenFrame’s voice had a shape now in my imagination..
Kim Taehyung
What do you even look like?
I imagined someone cold, arrogant, probably a smug face.. Probably insufferable in real life... I smirked to myself..
Kim Taehyung
I’d tear you apart face to face...
Across the city, Jungkook returned to his desk.. He picked up his charcoal again.. and stared at the collarbone he had drawn so perfectly.. Then, impulsively... He smudged it roughly.. And just slightly added an uneven shadow... softened the clean line... His breath hitched faintly.
Why did that feel… freeing? He shook his head.
Jeon Jungkook
This is stupid!!
He reached for his phone again. The notifications were still exploding. Fan accounts tagging them.
Comments like:
"Lowkey they push each other to improve."
"Why does this rivalry feel personal?"
"Just admit you’re obsessed with each other."
Jungkook scoffed... Obsessed..? Hardly...
He clicked on Taehyung’s profile again and scrolled, there were paintings after paintings, they were dark and emotional but reckless.. And undeniably compelling..
Jeon Jungkook
Why is this so frustrating!??
NocturneCanvas:
"There’s an underground exhibition this weekend."
Jungkook blinked. He read it twice.
NocturneCanvas:
"You should come."
Jungkook’s heartbeat shifted.
The reply came slower this time.
NocturneCanvas:
"Let’s see if you’re as brave in person as you are behind a screen."
Jungkook stared at the message, his pride had flared, he typed.
GoldenFrame:
"Send me the address."
Taehyung’s lips curved slowly in the dark.. He sent the location.. And then added.
NocturneCanvas:
"Don’t disappoint me."
Jungkook locked his phone.. His pulse felt louder than usual.. He shouldn’t go.. Meeting would ruin the dynamics of them both.. Anonymity was his power and the distance was safe.. And yet.... Three days.
He would see him in three days.
He looked back at his smudged drawing.
Then at Taehyung’s painting still open on his screen.
Jeon Jungkook
I don’t hate you..
Jungkook murmured quietly.
Jeon Jungkook
I hate that you make me question things.
I stood in front of my canvas again as i adjusted another line, subtle, controlled... I stepped back when I was done.. The painting looked slightly sharper now.. I exhaled sharply.
Kim Taehyung
Don’t disappoint me.
I repeated softly and didn’t realize my voice carried anticipation instead of anger.
He didn’t realize Jungkook’s did too.
And neither of them understood yet.
This was never just rivalry.
And the war would have a face.
Signed, Your Worst Critic #2
CHAPTER 2 : The Stranger With Paint on His Hands....
The underground exhibition smelled like old wood, oil paint, and something metallic beneath it, like rust or rain clinging to brick.
It was tucked beneath a renovated warehouse, down a narrow staircase lit by dim amber bulbs. The walls were exposed concrete. The lighting, not bright enough to expose everything, but not soft enough to romanticize it.
I stood alone near the center of the room, dressed in a black turtleneck. My hands resting in my pockets, posture relaxed but watchful.
I wasn’t here to socialize, I was here to observe, to measure, to see if GoldenFrame would actually show up.
Even though i didn’t know what i expected. Maybe someone stiff, arrogant, polished, someone who would walk like they had precision.
My gaze settled on a painting of a shattered mirror, each shard reflecting distorted fragments of a face.
The technique was decent.
I tilted my head slightly looking focused when...
The voice came from my right. It was calm and soft..
I didn’t turn immediately until I let the words sit in the air first... And then i slowly shifted my gaze.
Dark hair falling slightly over sharp eyes. Clean white shirt rolled to the forearms. Hands faintly smudged with what looked like dried paint. He didn’t look arrogant but observant.
Kim Taehyung
You think so..?
The stranger didn’t look at me at first. He kept his eyes on the painting.
stranger
It’s trying too hard to say something tragic... It’s loud about it.
Kim Taehyung
Or maybe you’re just uncomfortable with the feelings it's portraying..
That made the stranger finally look at me.
His eyes were darker up close..
I didn't take my eyes off him while he looked like he was studying me like he was assessing a canvas.
Then he huffed a soft laugh.
And a little... Just a tiny little cute.
I felt something shift, subtle but noticeable.
The stranger tilted his head slightly.
stranger
You like messy emotions?
I stepped a little closer to the painting.
Kim Taehyung
I like honesty.
stranger
Even if it’s ugly?
Kim Taehyung
Especially.... When it's that.
The stranger’s gaze didn’t leave me this time, I could feel it.
stranger
And what if it’s not honest...? The painting..
stranger
What if it’s just indulgence.. Of mixed emotions..?
Kim Taehyung
You talk like someone who’s afraid to let go of such things..
The stranger’s eyes flickered just for a second.
stranger
Letting go without having any control over your skill...isn’t bravery..
stranger
It’s carelessness..
Kim Taehyung
But you must know that controlling everything isn’t strength..
The background chatter of other visitors faded into distant noise.. The stranger stepped slightly closer but not enough to touch us. But they were enough to make me smell the faint detergent beneath it.
stranger
You sound very sure of yourself...
Kim Taehyung
Only if you’re intimidated.. With the comments of others..
The stranger’s jaw tightened faintly.
He repeated softly as my eyes didn’t waver.
The tension coiled tighter, and then the stranger smiled.
stranger
You’re bold for someone standing alone...
I let out a quiet breath.
Kim Taehyung
Who said I was alone..?
A flicker of curiosity crossed the stranger’s face.
stranger
You came with someone..?
Kim Taehyung
I meant I don’t need backup...
That earned me a reward..... Which was another low laugh.
stranger
You’re interesting..
Kim Taehyung
But to me.. u seem defensive..
Kim Taehyung
Then maybe on your guard..?
The stranger’s eyes narrowed slightly.
stranger
You shouldn't assume too much for people u don't even know.
Kim Taehyung
You reveal more than you think.. Stranger.
We were too close now.. Our shoulders nearly brushed but neither of us stepped back.
That's when someone passing behind us, bumping lightly into the stranger’s shoulder but He steadied himself instinctively.
I lifted my hand without thinking briefly touching his forearm and it felt warm and soft.
The contact lasted half a second, but it stayed longer than that on my fingertips, we both had already noticed but for some reason neither of us commented.
I couldn't help but smile when the stranger cleared his throat slightly.
stranger
What’s your name..?
There was a beat of the heart, I considered not answering but something in the way the stranger held my gaze made me want to.
There was a subtle reaction from him, there was no recognition, he looked like he was just… processing.
I repeated it internally. Jungkook....
Kim Taehyung
Do you always critique stranger's opinions at exhibitions..?
Jeon Jungkook
Only when they’re wrong..
I laughed under my breath.
Kim Taehyung
You sure are confident..
Jeon Jungkook
I prefer being accurate tho.. Rather than being sweet...
Kim Taehyung
Same thing...
Jeon Jungkook
Not always... It's different..
We then moved to the next painting together without discussing it.
A large abstract piece violent streaks of red and black slashed across the canvas.
Jungkook crossed his arms beside me.
Jeon Jungkook
This one’s very performative.. It's annoying to look at..
Kim Taehyung
Because it looks more on the aggressive side..?
Jeon Jungkook
Because it seems loud without saying anything... It hurts my ears..
Kim Taehyung
Wow... And you think subtlety is superior..?
Jeon Jungkook
No... I think intention is what matters.. You have to feel it before you portray it..
I stepped closer to the painting.
Kim Taehyung
Maybe the intention was to show anger...?
Jeon Jungkook
Then one should show it with control... The painting is vague..
Kim Taehyung
Anger can't be controlled...
Jungkook's eyes flicked toward me again.
Jeon Jungkook
It can be...
I looked at him carefully.
Kim Taehyung
You speak like someone who suppresses theirs... Can you control yours..?
I resisted myself from smiling when Jungkook’s jaw flexed slightly as he frowned, his cheeks puffed up in the process.
Jeon Jungkook
You talk about me... Asking a million questions... To me, YOU look like someone who lets their anger consume themselves...
My eyes dropped briefly just for a moment... to his mouth?... before returning to his eyes. It was small...but an electric moment..
Then we moved again, another painting, this one was soft with pale blue coloures and a solitary figure sitting by a window.
Jungkook’s expression changed again..
Kim Taehyung
You like this one..?
I observed him quietly and he didn’t deny it.
Jeon Jungkook
It’s a bit restrained....but you can feel the loneliness..
I tilted my head smiling just a little.
Kim Taehyung
So you do appreciate emotion..
Jeon Jungkook
I appreciate everything as long as it's made with care..
Kim Taehyung
And what about vulnerability..?
Jeon Jungkook
That depends...
Jeon Jungkook
On who’s looking.
The answer hit me and my voice softened slightly.
Kim Taehyung
You don’t like being seen..?
Jeon Jungkook
You don’t know that and u don't need to...
Kim Taehyung
I don’t need to.
Taehyung replied quietly.
Kim Taehyung
Because It’s obvious...
Something unspoken passed between us, something more than the playful debate, the room suddenly felt warmer and then he broke the eye contact first.
Jeon Jungkook
There’s a café upstairs.
Jeon Jungkook
If you’re done psychoanalyzing art.
That made me arched a brow.
Kim Taehyung
Are you inviting me?
Jeon Jungkook
Don’t flatter yourself.
He huffed which made me smirk.
We walked up the narrow staircase together, not touching.. But close enough that I could feel his presence beside me.
The café was small and dim, warm yellow lights hanging low over wooden tables. We ordered coffee and sat across from each other.
For a moment, neither of us spoke and simply just observed each other.
I noticed the way Jungkook wrapped both hands around his cup, the cup looked bigger than both his hands together or was it his sleeves which covered most of his hands.
Jungkook noticed the way I leaned back casually, his eyes were alert.
Kim Taehyung
Do you always challenge strangers?
Jeon Jungkook
Only when they interest me.
Kim Taehyung
And I interest you?
Jeon Jungkook
You haven’t walked away yet.
His fingers tightened slightly around his cup.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re just kinda intense.
His eyes flickered between the cup and me.. Which made me chuckle softy.
Jeon Jungkook
Don't. I'm a guy, don't say that like it's true.
Kim Taehyung
But it’s true.
He leaned forward slightly.
Jeon Jungkook
And.. what are you?
Kim Taehyung
Idk.. maybe honest.
Jeon Jungkook
No.... You seem more reckless to me..
Kim Taehyung
You mean passionate...
Jeon Jungkook
Impulsive!!!
I smiled slowly wondering how much I had smiled today in such a short amount of time.
Kim Taehyung
You’ve thought about that..
Jungkook looked away briefly.
Jeon Jungkook
I was just looking...
We didn't say anything for a few moments.
And the silence... this one felt different it was less combative and more curious.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re not what I expected.
He admitted quietly. My eyes flickered.
Kim Taehyung
What did you expect?
Jeon Jungkook
Someone louder.. Rude or maybe cold..
Jeon Jungkook
What about me?
Kim Taehyung
What were you expecting tonight..?
Jeon Jungkook
I didn’t expect to stay this long.. In the gallery..
My smile softened slightly.
Kim Taehyung
Then leave...
His gaze snapped back to mine.
Jeon Jungkook
Do you want me to?
My voice dropped lower...... No.... I didn't want him to...
The word settled between us... It felt heavy and unmistakable.
His breath shifted as he but him lower lip.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re Stupid...
He murmured. I leaned forward just slightly.
Kim Taehyung
Only if you let me be...
Our knees brushed under the table accidentally.. But neither of us moved them away.
Jungkook swallowed before he spoke again.
The way he said my name made something tighten in my chest. I wanted him to say it more.
Jeon Jungkook
Why do you argue like you’re fighting... Do you always do that with people..?
Kim Taehyung
Says the one who had been debating with me all along..
Jeon Jungkook
Maybe.. I was... I guess
Kim Taehyung
Go on... You've said a lot today..
He didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned back slowly. A faint smirk returning.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re still wrong about the broken mirror painting.
Kim Taehyung
And you’re still afraid of messy emotions...
His eyes darkened slightly.
Jeon Jungkook
Be careful..
I whispered softly while held my gaze.
Jeon Jungkook
Because I don’t lose arguments.
My lips curved slowly..... I've lost count now.
Kim Taehyung
Neither do I.
Outside, rain began tapping softly against the windows.
Inside, the tension between them felt like something inevitable.
That the person sitting across from them... The one challenging every thought. The one pulling reactions they didn’t want to show. The one who felt strangely familiar in all the wrong ways... Was the very rival they had been tearing apart online for years.
And in three days, When usernames became faces, This quiet war would burn hotter than either of them expected.
Signed, Your Worst Critic #3
CHAPTER 3 : Blured Lines...
They began meeting regularly.
It wasn’t planned by either of them.
First, it was a coincidence.
Running into each other at the same café two days after the exhibition.
Then at the same art supply store.
Then late night walks that stretched past midnight because neither of them wanted to be the one who said goodbye first.
The café had started reserving us the same corner table.
Jeon Jungkook
Oh..You’re here again...
I said that evening, setting my sketchbook down. Taehyung looked up lazily from his coffee.
Kim Taehyung
Why..? Are you disappointed it's me again....?
Jeon Jungkook
No... I didn't say that..
Shit.. Don't answer too quickly.
I looked down at my hands when his lips twitched up at my quick answer.
Jeon Jungkook
I like this place..
Kim Taehyung
More like you like your daily routine... That's why you are here.
Jeon Jungkook
I mean yeah... you don’t..?
Kim Taehyung
I like to unpredictable...
Jeon Jungkook
That’s because you're probably scared and don’t want to think about the consequences..
He leaned back, studying me.
Kim Taehyung
You think about them too much...
I didn’t respond. Instead, i opened my sketchbook as i told myself that i was just warming up, just practicing hands and studying lines. But my pencil didn’t draw the hands, it drew the curve of a jaw, the fall of dark hair over a forehead and the sharp slope of a nose, I didn’t realize i was doing it until...
Kim Taehyung
Draw me like that again...
Taehyung’s voice was low and felt closer than before... I froze in my place... My pencil halted mid stroke.
He leaned across the table, forearms resting against the wood. His voice dropped lower.
"Don’t hide it." My pulse stumbled.. I just can't look at him...and I glanced down at the page.. It was unmistakable.
Jeon Jungkook
It's nothing..
Kim Taehyung
No... It is something.. Why else would you draw me..
Our eyes locked and something about the way Taehyung was looking at me now felt different, he wasn't teasing.
Kim Taehyung
Why didn’t you tell me..?
Jeon Jungkook
Tell you what..?
Kim Taehyung
That you’ve been studying me..... Sketching me..
Jeon Jungkook
I study everyone..
Kim Taehyung
Not like that.... That's not what I meant..
Suddenly he reached forward slowly towards my face...i couldn't move.... I couldn't breathe. His thumb brushed against my cheek. It felt warm and gentle. He wiped away a faint smudge of charcoal near the corner of my mouth.
Kim Taehyung
You missed a spot..
My heart slammed hard enough and i was sure it was visible to him.
Kim Taehyung
You’re not as composed as you pretend..
He added softly. I swallowed hard... trying to act tough.
Jeon Jungkook
you’re not as fearless as you act...either..
Our faces were too close now. The café noise felt distant and muffled... As if I was under water.
He didn’t pull his hand away.. And I was restless till his thumb stayed near my jaw.
Kim Taehyung
You really don’t like being watched.....do you?
Jeon Jungkook
Depends on who’s watching.
Kim Taehyung
What about me?
Jeon Jungkook
Still deciding...
My fingers tightened around the pencil. I wish I could smash that smile off his face... just shut up already.
Jeon Jungkook
Can't u stop assuming too much about me..
Kim Taehyung
Then stop revealing too much.. It's all on your face..
I leaned back abruptly, breaking the closeness.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re reading into my sketch.
He didn’t move for a second but then he slowly sat back too.
Kim Taehyung
I’m reading into your hesitation... Ur movements... Ur actions.
My heart did a summersault and i couldn't help it... Not one bit.
Jeon Jungkook
Why do you think everything is about you..?
Kim Taehyung
Because it is...
Jeon Jungkook
Not everything...
Kim Taehyung
Everything...
The late walks became longer after that. The air was colder.
That night, we were walking along the river, city lights reflecting off dark water.
Jeon Jungkook
You really like provoking me...don't you?
I said suddenly which made him glanced sideways at me.
Kim Taehyung
Of course..I like that a lot..
Jeon Jungkook
I think you like the way i react!!
Kim Taehyung
It's the same thing..
I stopped walking, he took two more steps before noticing and then turned to look back at me.
My eyes must be darker tonight, I've been meaning to ask for a while now.
Jeon Jungkook
Why do you look at me like that?
Jeon Jungkook
Like you’re trying to see through me..
He didn’t hesitate at all.
Kim Taehyung
Because you keep hiding from me.
Jeon Jungkook
And what if I don’t want to be seen?
Taehyung stepped closer towards me. Close enough that our breaths mingled in the cold air.
Kim Taehyung
Then stop standing so close to me...
I didn’t move away... More like I was stuck. Neither did He.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re not fair..
Kim Taehyung
Neither are you.
Kim Taehyung
Because you look at me the way I look at you.
Jeon Jungkook
And that bothers you..?
Kim Taehyung
It complicates the things in my head..
Jeon Jungkook
What things?
The space between us felt razor thin and unstable. My hand twitched slightly at my side and he noticed it right away.
Kim Taehyung
Whatever you’re holding back.
I looked down at my feet.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re not easy.
Kim Taehyung
I’m not supposed to be.
Jeon Jungkook
You make me…
I stopped myself.... This is weird...super weird.
Kim Taehyung
Make you what?
He gently caught a good onto my wrist not forceful.. It was firm.
Kim Taehyung
Don’t do that.
Jeon Jungkook
I’m not running.
Kim Taehyung
Then stay... And say it..
I couldn't think straight anymore......stay.... He said.. I looked back at him.. The city lights caught in his eyes... How pretty.
Jeon Jungkook
You don’t get to demand things from me..
His expression softened slightly.
Kim Taehyung
I’m not demanding.
Jeon Jungkook
It sounds like it.
Kim Taehyung
I’m asking.... requesting.... begging.
A long silence. Then I whispered.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re so difficult.
Kim Taehyung
And why is that?
Jeon Jungkook
Because it’s true...that is why.
Jeon Jungkook
Because I don’t feel steady around you.
The confession slipped out before i could stop it.. When i looked at Taehyung He stood before me froze. I regretted it more than anything.
His voice, when he spoke again, was quieter.
I blinked at him in disbelief.
Kim Taehyung
You’re not supposed to feel steady.
Jeon Jungkook
You enjoy that?
Kim Taehyung
I enjoy knowing I affect you.
My breath hitched faintly... What about him.
Jeon Jungkook
Do I affect you?
Taehyung didn’t answer immediately. That alone was the answer. I noticed and my voice softened.
His jaw tightened slightly.
The honesty felt like stepping off a ledge. Neither of us moved. Neither of us broke eye contact. The river moved quietly behind us.
Jeon Jungkook
You make me question things, sometimes.
Kim Taehyung
Maybe you need to question them.. Sometimes
My lips parted slightly. The air between us felt like it was thickened. For a second It felt inevitable. But a car horn blared in the distance. The was moment fractured and so I stepped back.
Jeon Jungkook
We should go.
But he watched me the entire walk back.. And that was unsettling..
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling of the pristine studio apartment.
My mind replayed everything. The way Taehyung’s thumb felt against my cheek. The way his voice softened when he said yes.
The way his grip on my wrist wasn’t forceful just… certain.
Jeon Jungkook
You’re not steady around him...
I turned to the other side, closing my eyes but i saw Taehyung’s face.. And then opened them again.
Taehyung stood in his studio wide awake with his canvas untouched.
He kept thinking about the way Jungkook said: "You make me forget everything.."
Taehyung exhaled slowly. He picked up his brush. Started painting without sketching first.
The strokes were sharper. More restrained. But still emotional. He stepped back after an hour. The painting looked different.
Kim Taehyung
You’re changing me.
Jeon Jungkook
💬Are you awake?
Taehyung’s lips curved faintly. He typed back.
Kim Taehyung
💬I don’t sleep early.
Taehyung’s pulse shifted.
The typing bubble appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again. Finally.
Jeon Jungkook
💬I keep thinking about what you said.
Taehyung’s expression softened.
Taehyung didn’t respond immediately. He leaned back against his desk. Looked at his painting. Then at the screen.
Jeon Jungkook
💬That’s what scares me.
Taehyung’s jaw tightened slightly.
Kim Taehyung
💬You don’t have to be scared.
No immediate reply. Then.
Jeon Jungkook
💬I don’t know how to do this...
Taehyung’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. His voice, when he typed, felt steadier than he felt.
Kim Taehyung
💬Neither do I...
Jungkook stared at that message for a long time.
For the first time in a while, He didn’t feel like he had to be in control.
And that terrified him, thrilled him, lines were blurring, arguments were softening, glances were lasting longer, and neither of them realized yet, that in just one more chapter, the foundation they were building so carefully.
When usernames became faces.
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