The soft glow of the dormitory lights illuminated the space as Taehyung and Jungkook stood outside, the cool evening air wrapping around them. Taehyung shifted awkwardly, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt as he glanced at Jungkook.
Before he could say anything, Jungkook stepped closer, his hand reaching out. Taehyung froze when he felt Jungkook's fingers in his hair, his heart skipping a beat.
"Don't move," Jungkook said softly, his gaze fixed just above Taehyung's ear. "There's a bug here."
His fingers brushed lightly against Taehyung's hair as he flicked the small insect away.
Taehyung blinked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Did it go?"
Jungkook nodded, his hand lingering for just a moment longer before dropping back to his side.
"Taehyung," Jungkook called, his tone uncharacteristically hesitant.
Taehyung tilted his head, curious. "Yes?"
For a moment, Jungkook looked unsure, his gaze darting away briefly before locking back onto Taehyung's. He hesitated, his lips pressing into a thin line as if weighing his next words carefully.
"Don't hide from me," he finally said, his voice quiet but firm.
Taehyung blinked, surprised by the sudden vulnerability in Jungkook's tone. He opened his mouth to respond but stopped when he saw a flicker of emotion in Jungkook's eyesâsomething raw and unspoken.
Unaware of Jungkook's inner thoughtsâI'll be sad if you doâTaehyung nodded.
"I won't," he said softly, offering a small smile.
Jungkook seemed to relax, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Well... goodnight," Taehyung added quickly, stepping back toward the door.
"Goodnight, Bear," Jungkook replied, the teasing nickname returning as he watched Taehyung's retreating figure.
Taehyung paused briefly at the entrance, glancing back over his shoulder. For a moment, their eyes met again, and Taehyung felt the faint stirrings of something unfamiliar in his chest. But instead of dwelling on it, he waved briefly and disappeared into the dormitory, leaving Jungkook standing under the soft glow of the lights, a faint smile lingering on his lips.
_____
Taehyung burst into the dorm room, his cheeks still slightly flushed from his encounter with Jungkook. Before he could compose himself, Jimin looked up from his bed, his face already brimming with mischief.
"Did you go on a date today?" Jimin teased, raising an eyebrow.
Taehyung froze, his eyes darting to Jimin. "No!" he replied, a little too quickly.
Jimin's suspicion only grew, and a smirk tugged at his lips. "Oh god, did you two kiss too?"
"What? No!" Taehyung stammered, his voice pitching higher than usual. "What are you talking about?"
Jimin leaned back, clearly enjoying himself. "Then why do you look like a tomato, Tae?"
Taehyung's eyes widened in panic, and without another word, he dashed to the bathroom. Locking the door behind him, he leaned against it, his chest rising and falling as he tried to calm his racing heart.
Approaching the mirror, Taehyung took a deep breath and leaned closer. His cheeks were unmistakably red, and just seeing his flustered reflection made his embarrassment worse.
"Stop," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
But as much as he tried, the memory came rushing backâthe accidental kiss with Jungkook. His face heated up even more as the scene replayed in his mind: the warmth of Jungkook's lips, the surprised look they exchanged, and the teasing that followed.
"Ugh, no. Stop thinking about it," Taehyung groaned, slapping his cheeks lightly in an attempt to shake off the thoughts.
Then, Jungkook's words from earlier echoed in his mind: "Don't hide from me."
Taehyung's heart clenched at the memory of Jungkook's earnest expression. He didn't want to avoid Jungkook either. But ever since that dreamâa dream filled with a far-too-vivid image of Jungkook holding him close and... kissing him again and againâhe couldn't help feeling awkward around him.
"Why am I like this?" Taehyung muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He splashed cold water on his face, hoping it would cool down both his cheeks and his thoughts.
As he stared at his dripping reflection, he sighed. "I can't keep acting weird around him... but how am I supposed to face him after all this?"
With one last splash of water, Taehyung pushed off the sink and straightened himself. He would deal with thisâsomehow. For now, he had to survive Jimin's teasing without revealing any more than he already had.
Taehyung stepped out of the bathroom, trying to appear as composed as possible. Jimin, however, was lying in wait, sprawled across his bed with an expectant smirk.
"You took your time in there," Jimin teased, propping his chin in his palm. "Were you... reminiscing?"
Taehyung rolled his eyes, walking straight to his bed and throwing himself onto it face-first. "I wasn't reminiscing. I was cooling off because someone kept pestering me."
Jimin let out a laugh. "You're so bad at lying, Tae. It's adorable." He sat up, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at Taehyung. "Come on, spill. Who's the lucky guy?"
Taehyung groaned into the mattress, his voice muffled. "There's nothing to spill."
"Right, because 'nothing' makes your face light up like a stoplight," Jimin quipped, tossing another pillow. "Is it Jungkook? It's Jungkook, isn't it?"
Taehyung turned his head to glare at Jimin, his cheeks flaring up again. "Can you stop? I said it's nothing!"
Jimin gasped dramatically. "Oh, it is Jungkook! I knew it!" He clutched his chest as if his suspicions were a revelation. "What did he do? Did he confess? Did you confess? Did youâ"
"Jimin!" Taehyung cut him off, sitting up and flinging a pillow back at him.
Jimin caught it effortlessly, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "If it wasn't a date, why do you look so guilty? Hmm?"
"It wasn't a date," Taehyung muttered, tugging at his hair in frustration. "We just... studied. That's it."
Jimin tilted his head. "And?"
Taehyung's mind flickered back to their accidental kiss, and his heart started racing again. He averted his eyes, trying to find somethingâanythingâto distract himself from Jimin's piercing gaze.
"And nothing! End of story!" he said hurriedly, grabbing a book from his nightstand and flipping it open.
Jimin narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. "You're hiding something."
"I'm not," Taehyung said firmly, refusing to look up.
"Okay," Jimin said with a shrug, lying back on his bed. "But you should know, the more you deny it, the more obvious it becomes."
Taehyung groaned again, burying his face in his book. Why does Jimin have to be so perceptive?
As the room grew quieter, Jimin's teasing faded, but Taehyung's thoughts didn't. His fingers tightened on the book, his mind replaying Jungkook's words and the way his heart had skipped when Jungkook looked so serious.
"Don't hide from me."
Taehyung sighed quietly. He wasn't sure how long he could keep pretending this didn't mean anything. But he also wasn't ready to admit to himselfâor to anyone elseâwhat it all might mean.