Taehyung stepped into the room, the air around him heavy with lingering embarrassment from the previous night. As soon as he entered, he caught Jimin's side-eye, accompanied by a teasing smile that practically screamed mischief. Taehyung stiffened, avoiding Jimin's gaze entirely, and quickly made his way to his desk, sitting down as quietly as possible. He busied himself by fidgeting with his belongings, hoping Jimin would drop whatever it was he was planning.
Of course, Taehyung should've known better.
Jimin stood up and strolled over to Taehyung with the air of someone about to cause trouble. He leaned casually against the desk, crossing his arms and staring down at his friend.
"So," Jimin began, his voice light but dripping with curiosity, "you were drunk yesterday?"
Taehyung froze, his hands halting mid-motion. His wide eyes shot up to meet Jimin's, panic evident in his expression. "How did you know?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jimin smirked, clearly relishing the moment. "Oh, I have my ways," he said playfully before adding, "Actually, Gyungho came here last night and caused a scene. When I confronted him, he showed me a picture of you... with Jungkook."
Taehyung's jaw dropped in disbelief. "He did what?" he demanded, his voice rising slightly as his mind raced to piece everything together.
"Relax," Jimin said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "That's not the point. The real question isâ" Jimin leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing mischievously, "âyou were drinking with Jungkook and didn't come back? So... where did you go?"
Taehyung's face flushed a deep shade of red as he sputtered, "I... It's not like that!"
But Jimin wasn't about to let it go. He gasped dramatically, covering his mouth with his hand as if he had just solved a mystery. "Don't tell me you twoâ"
"No!" Taehyung cut him off sharply, his cheeks now burning brighter. "It wasn't like that at all!" He scrambled to explain, his words tumbling out in a rush. "He was just sitting next to me all night, making sure I didn't do anything stupid. And he's not that type of guy. Jungkook would never take advantage of a situation like that."
Jimin stared at him for a moment, his disbelief plain on his face. "He didn't do anything?" he asked, his tone skeptical.
"Of course not!" Taehyung exclaimed, flicking Jimin's forehead in annoyance. "Why do you always think the worst?"
Jimin rubbed his forehead, feigning hurt. "Ow! Okay, fine," he said, laughing softly. But then his eyes sparkled with mischief again. "You're so defensive. Don't tell me you're shy because you like him."
Taehyung glared at Jimin, his lips pressing into a thin line. "I don't like him like that," he said firmly, though the way he quickly looked away betrayed him.
Jimin smirked knowingly. "Sure, sure," he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I'll shut up... for now."
Satisfied he'd gotten the last word in, Jimin leaned back against the desk. "Anyway," he said, smoothly changing the subject, "are you going home during the vacation?"
"Yeah," Taehyung replied, grateful for the change in topic. "I think Jungkook will be going back too."
"Oh, right," Jimin said, snapping his fingers as if just remembering something. "I forgot you two are neighbors."
Taehyung hummed in agreement, but his mind wandered to Jungkook once again. He fiddled with the edge of his notebook, wondering if the awkwardness from the night before would spill into the rest of their interactions. Meanwhile, Jimin watched him silently, his teasing smile softening into something more thoughtful.