2

The café was small, lit by yellow bulbs that hummed with a low buzz. It smelled intensely of burnt espresso and damp wool, a stifling warmth after the biting cold outside.

Jungkook sat down across from Taehyung and immediately wanted to dissolve into the floorboards.

Taehyung pulled out his phone. He typed something quick—his thumbs moving in a blur—and then flipped the device face-down on the table. A deliberate, silent dismissal of the world outside.

Jungkook stared at his own hands, his knuckles red from the cold.

What are you doing?

The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a cold wash of panic. He had just asked a complete stranger for seven days. He wasn't this person. He planned his grocery trips two days in advance. He answered emails within the hour. He didn't chase people through Christmas crowds and blurt out proposals like he was the lead in some tragic melodrama.

"Do you want something to drink?"

Jungkook looked up, startled. Taehyung was watching him. There was no judgment in his face, just that same quiet, open curiosity.

"I'm okay," Jungkook managed.

Taehyung stood up anyway. He moved with an easy, unhurried grace, weaving through the mismatched tables to the counter. When he came back, he slid a steaming mug in front of Jungkook without a word, then sat down and wrapped his own hands around his cup.

"Thank you," Jungkook murmured.

Taehyung didn't drink. He just held the mug like a hand warmer, his gaze lowered.

Buzz.

The phone on the table vibrated against the wood. Taehyung glanced at it, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face, then picked it up.

"Hey." His voice dropped, low and rough. "Yeah, I know... No, I'm not coming back." He paused, listening. "I'll explain later... Yeah. I'm fine. I'll text you."

He hung up and put the phone back down. Face down again.

Jungkook felt a twist of guilt. "Your friends?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't have to—"

"I wanted to."

The answer was simple. It cut right through Jungkook's spiraling thoughts.

Jungkook looked down at the coffee. The steam curled up in lazy ribbons. He still hadn't touched it. His brain was getting loud again. He's just being polite. He thinks I'm weird. I ruined his night.

He didn't realize he was frowning until Taehyung spoke.

"Are you regretting it already?"

Jungkook's head snapped up. Taehyung looked calm, but there was a tension in his shoulders, a subtle bracing, as if he expected Jungkook to bolt.

"No," Jungkook said quickly. Too quickly. He took a breath. "No. I just—I don't do this. I don't talk to strangers. I don't ask people out. I definitely don't ask them to spend a week with me. I have no idea what I'm doing."

Taehyung tilted his head, studying him.

"Do you want to leave?"

"No."

The truth came out before Jungkook could filter it.

The corner of Taehyung's mouth quirked up. "Then don't apologize."

Jungkook blinked. "I'm not—" He stopped. He had been about to apologize.

Taehyung leaned back in the creaky wooden chair. "For the record," he said softly, "I'm glad you came after me."

The knot in Jungkook's chest loosened, just a little.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

The silence that followed wasn't heavy anymore. It was just... quiet.

"So," Taehyung said. "Seven days."

"Until New Year."

"And we can stop if it doesn't feel right."

"Right."

Taehyung nodded, accepting the terms. "What do you do? For work."

"I edit videos," Jungkook said. "For a media company. It's boring."

"I don't think it's boring."

"You don't see the footage I have to cut."

"Still."

Jungkook felt the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "What about you?"

"Photographer," Taehyung said. "Freelance. Weddings, mostly. Editorials. Personal projects when I have time."

"What kind of projects?"

Taehyung hesitated for a beat, tracing the rim of his cup. "I take pictures of things people usually miss. Empty streets. Windows with condensation. Reflections in puddles. That kind of thing."

Jungkook tried to picture it. A lonely street at 3 AM. The world through a lens.

"That doesn't sound boring either," he said.

Taehyung smiled then—just a small shift of his eyes, crinkling at the corners.

They stayed for a while. They talked about small things—ages (Taehyung was two years older), neighborhoods (close enough to walk), the weather (Jungkook hated the cold; Taehyung loved it). The conversation flowed easily, filling the space between them.

At some point, Taehyung's hand moved across the table.

It wasn't a grab. It was a slow slide, deliberate and gentle, until his fingers rested just inches from Jungkook's.

"Can I?" he asked quietly.

Jungkook's heart kicked against his ribs. He nodded.

Taehyung's hand covered his. It was warm, solid, anchoring him to the present moment. Jungkook stared at where their skin touched and forgot, for a second, how to breathe properly.

When they finally left, the festival crowds had thinned out. The streets were quieter, the lights softer.

Taehyung walked him home. He didn't ask; he just fell into step beside Jungkook, close enough that their arms brushed every few paces. They didn't talk. They just walked in the shared silence of the winter night.

At the entrance to Jungkook's building, Taehyung stopped.

"Give me your number."

Jungkook did. Taehyung typed it in, sent a test text, and waited until Jungkook's pocket buzzed.

"Now you have mine," Taehyung said.

Jungkook checked the screen. A new message. Just a name.

"Tomorrow morning?" Taehyung asked.

"Yeah."

"Text me when you wake up."

Jungkook nodded.

Taehyung lingered for a second longer, looking at him. The air felt charged, thick with things unsaid. Then he smiled—a real one this time—and turned to go.

Jungkook stood on the pavement and watched him walk away until the dark coat disappeared around the corner.

He went upstairs in a daze. He sat on the edge of his bed, still in his coat, holding his phone like a lifeline.

Kim Taehyung.

He stared at the name glowing on the screen.

He lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling, listening to the thudding of his own heart. He didn't sleep for hours.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***