Veiled In Ice, Heart So Fragile ♡

CHAPTER V ~ 💛UNRAVELED IN HER PRESENCE 💛

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"Some people build walls to keep others out. He built his to see who cared enough to break through."

***

CHAPTER - V ~ UNRAVELED IN HER PRESENCE

🎧: "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" - Frankie Valli

🌈AUTHOR's POV:

Y/N blinked, her mind catching up to the proximity between them. His presence was overwhelming, intoxicating even, and the way his deep brown eyes held her gaze sent her heart spiraling, but she refused to let him win this time.

She let out a nervous chuckle, stepping back just enough to create some space. "You know what, Taehyung? We're getting late for our next class-" she paused mid-sentence, suddenly lighting up. "Oh wait! It's lunchtime! Let's go to the cafeteria!"

Before he could respond, she grabbed his arm and pulled him along. She wasn't even aware of how naturally she had intertwined their arms, but Taehyung was.

His heart did a somersault.

Taehyung's thoughts:
What is she doing? Does she even realize how easy it is for her to touch me like this? To make my heart race like I'm some lovesick fool.
I should pull away. I really should.
But... how do I?

***

"Around everyone else, he was Taehyung-the untouchable, the mystery. But with her? He was simply himself."

***

He let himself smile -just a small, fleeting one-secretly savoring the warmth of her touch, the way she chatted animatedly beside him, unaware of the effect she had on him. He kept sneaking glances at her, engraving every little expression, every unguarded laugh in his mind.

And yet, Y/N seemed completely oblivious to the fact that the boy walking beside her-the cold yet striking heartthrob-was the very definition of unattainable.

Y/N's thoughts:
He's... letting me hold him like this? No teasing? No smug comments? That's odd.
Does he actually-no, stop. Don't read into it too much.

They finally reached the cafeteria. Y/N was so busy schmoozing over her devotion to food that she would have almost missed the cafeteria if Taehyung hadn't interrupted.

Taehyung smirked, stopping in his tracks. "Weren't you hungry?"

"Huh?" she blinked, momentarily confused.

"The cafeteria. You walked right past it."

She gasped dramatically. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Oh, never mind! Let's goooo and relish our fill!"

Taehyung watched as she practically skipped towards the food counters, her excitement as genuine as ever. And for a second, he felt something unfamiliar-something he had never truly acknowledged before.

With other people, he wore his mask- a carefully crafted persona, detached and untouchable. Keeping people at arm's length was easier. No expectations. No attachments.

But with her?

Taehyung's thoughts:
Why don't I feel the need to hide from her?
With everyone else, I'm careful. I don't let them in. It's safer that way.