Instead, his eyes went right back to Taehyung, his expression unreadable. For a second, it almost felt like Jungkook was asking him silently, So you'll smile for him but not me? But Jungkook didn't say anything. He turned back to Yoongi, voice flat.

"So, what's the real reason you couldn't wait until tonight to meet me?" Yoongi was about to open his mouth when his eyes flicked toward Taehyung, who was watching them both with quiet curiosity. Yoongi paused, cleared his throat, then shot a look at Jungkook.

His gaze seemed to say everything without needing words: 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. Jungkook caught the signal immediately. His shoulders stiffened, and he turned to Taehyung, his tone shifting. "Uh, Taehyung," Jungkook said, trying to sound casual, "Why don't you take a

look around? The apartment is pretty big, a combo—there's a walk-in closet, a balcony... I think you'll like it." Taehyung raised an eyebrow, not moving. The sudden shift was too obvious to ignore. "Why?" he asked flatly. Jungkook scratched the back of his neck,

avoiding eye contact. "I just thought you'd want to check it out." Yoongi remained silent, but the look on his face said everything. The conversation they were about to have wasn't for a third set of ears. But Taehyung didn't move. His curiosity was now fully lit, and while

a part of him itched to walk away and spare himself the thickening tension between the two alphas, the more stubborn part—the one that had grown bolder around Jungkook—refused to budge. He wanted to know what they were going to talk about. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦?

He really wanted to know so, He tilted his head, smiling sweetly—too sweetly. "No, I'm good here. I'll wait. Then we can look around together." Jungkook glanced at him—and the moment their eyes met, he cursed under his breath. Because Taehyung's smile, fake or not,

still did something stupid to him. His heart skipped like it always did when he was around Taehyung looking at his beautiful face, and for a second, everything Yoongi wanted to say didn't matter. Taehyung had said together—and that was enough.

He turned to Yoongi, dragging a hand through his hair. "Let's talk another time," he said. "It can wait." Yoongi stared at him like he’d just grown a second head. "Seriously?" But then he saw it. Jungkook's expression had softened—brows drawn slightly together,

lips set with something that looked a lot like a silent plea. Give me this. Just this moment. Please. Yoongi blinked, then let out a sharp exhale. "Fine," he muttered. He glanced at Taehyung, the earlier arrogance fading just enough for a dry, "Bye, Taehyung."

Taehyung nodded once. "Bye." The door shut with a quiet click behind him. Silence settled in the room. Jungkook turned to Taehyung, that soft look still lingering in his eyes. "So… you wanted to explore together," he said, his voice gentle. "Shall we do that?"

Taehyung exhaled sharply, the breath long and weary. Now that they were alone, the exhaustion slipped into his features. He didn't even look at Jungkook as he stepped forward. "You know what?" he murmured, voice low. "I'll do it alone." Jungkook's smile faltered. He blinked,

caught off guard. "But… you wanted me to show you." Taehyung didn't pause, didn't look back. "I changed my mind," he said simply. Jungkook tilted his head, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. "You changed your mind that fast?"

Taehyung didn't meet his gaze. Instead, he picked up a flower pot from the counter, running his fingers along the smooth ceramic edge with a detached focus. "Yes, I did. Got a problem with that?" Jungkook wasn't angry—just thrown off, the unexpected shift in Taehyung's mood

leaving him more unsettled than he cared to admit. "Yeah," he said softly, "because I just kicked Yoongi out for you." Taehyung paused, the pot in his hands coming to an abrupt stop. Slowly, he turned to face him, "I told you," he said, voice cool, "I could wait until you both

finished talking. Didn't I?" Jungkook stared at him, searching his expression, as if trying to piece together what game was being played. His brows furrowed, eyes narrowing slightly—then, just as quickly, he sighed, a breath full of resignation. Not exasperated. Just... done.

"I'll go unpack my things," he muttered, turning away, too exhausted to keep up with Taehyung's shifting moods. Taehyung rolled his eyes, a barely audible huff escaping his lips. Glancing back down at the flower pot, he muttered under his breath, 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵.

— It had been nearly an hour, and Taehyung was still wandering around the apartment. He hadn't meant to take this long, but everything kept catching his eye. The space was beautiful—annoyingly so. Modern yet warm, with art pieces placed just right, soft lighting tucked into

the walls, and details that spoke of careful thought. He hated to admit it, but Jungkook had style. The kind that felt expensive and deliberate, but never over-the-top. It suited him. Or rather, it screamed alpha. The apartment wasn't even on a single level—it was a two-floor

combination, something Taehyung hadn't expected. High ceilings, wide windows, everything designed to feel open, yet private. And Taehyung… well, he had always admired beautiful things. While Jungkook was distracted in the living room,

speaking softly to someone—his mother, by the sound of it—Taehyung took the stairs. The bedrooms were all upstairs. He walked into the first room on the right—and immediately knew it was Jungkook's. It wasn't empty at all.

A king-sized bed sat at the center, covered in deep black sheets and a soft gray duvet. Black-out curtains lined the tall windows. The walls were painted a rich charcoal gray, nearly blending into the shadows. A nightstand rested on either side of the bed,

minimal yet functional. Everything about the room was sleek, dark, masculine—dripping in restrained power. The atmosphere pulsed with alpha energy, and not just any alpha. Jungkook's energy. Taehyung lingered at the edge, slowly stepping inside. He would never decorate

something like this himself—but still, he found it… lovely. In a way that made him frown. "Not bad at all," he murmured, brows drawing together as if annoyed by the realization. His gaze landed on the nightstand. Two picture frames sat neatly on top.

Curiosity tugged at him. He reached for the first one. The first frame held a Jeon family photo. A younger Jungkook—maybe fourteen or fifteen—stood between his parents and grandfather. His hair was longer, his smile brighter, his eyes wide and full of something Taehyung hadn't

seen in a while, innocence. The kid looked adorable. So different from now. He set it down and picked up the second.

It was a night photo—motorcycles lined up under flickering streetlights, the air practically humming with rebellion. Jungkook sat on one of them, cocky and untamed, that familiar smirk pulling at his lips. A girl sat behind him, arms loosely wrapped around his waist,

her chin resting comfortably on his shoulder. Taehyung scoffed quietly. Typical young alpha bullshit. Then his eyes flicked to the timestamp in the corner—December 2024. His brow furrowed. And then— "That was the day we graduated. We all went on a long drive."

Taehyung jumped, heart nearly leaping out of his chest. He spun around, scowling. "Seriously? Do you not know how to make noise like a normal person?" Jungkook was leaning against the doorframe now, phone gone. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Taehyung blinked. For a second,

he'd expected a snarky comment, maybe a smirk. But none of that came. Just a soft apology. Calm. Gentle. It threw him off more than anything else.

He cleared his throat, trying to shake off the weird feeling crawling up his "Whatever," he muttered, placing the frame back on the nightstand a little more gently than necessary. Then Jungkook spoke again, voice even lower this time. Almost like he was trying not to

break something fragile. "What do you want for lunch?" Taehyung didn't answer right away. He kept his back to him, fingers brushing the edge of the frame one last time before he stepped away. He walked slowly toward the window, pretending to look outside—like the view was

suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. "I'm not really hungry," he said finally, his voice soft. Almost too soft. Jungkook didn’t reply right away either. Instead, he walked into the room. Not close enough to invade Taehyung's space, but just enough for his

presence to settle—quiet but heavy in the air between them. "You being mad at me is one thing," Jungkook said, his voice low. "But it's already noon, and you haven't eaten since morning. I'm not going to eat if you haven't." Taehyung turned around slowly, raising an eyebrow.

His smile was sharp, almost mocking. "Really? You think you not eating is going to magically make me eat?" Jungkook met his eyes, completely calm. "I just thought you were the kind of person who wouldn't want someone else to go hungry because of you."

Taehyung didn't even flinch. "I wouldn't care if you starved, Jungkook," he said sweetly, laced with poison. "In fact, I'd love to see you suffer. Really." There was a pause. Jungkook tilted his head a little, eyes fixed on Taehyung like he was trying to see past all the

harsh words. For once, he didn't argue back or throw anything sharp in return. "...Alright," he said quietly. "If that's what you want, then okay." He turned and started walking toward the door, footsteps soft on the bedroom floor. But something about that

didn't sit right with Taehyung. The silence didn't feel like a win. It wasn't satisfying. It was… off. He frowned. "Wait—are you seriously not going to eat just because of me?" Jungkook stopped in the doorway, turning his head just enough to speak.

"Yeah," he said simply. "How can I eat when my omega hasn't?" And with that, he disappeared into the hallway. Taehyung let out a long, frustrated sigh—more annoyed at himself than anything else. "This is so stupid," he muttered, already heading after him.

He caught up to Jungkook near the bottom of the stairs. "Fine," he said, not even trying to hide the irritation in his voice. "We'll eat. But only because I don't want you passing out and blaming it on me later." Jungkook didn't answer right away. But when he finally did turn