CROSS-CHECKED (VSOO)

15

Taehyung

The morning air was way too fucking cheerful for my taste.

Silverridge's campus was buzzing, everyone acting like this was Christmas morning instead of a Tuesday where our sworn enemies were being dumped right in front of us. Balloons were tied near the gym doors, banners hung across the hallway with WELCOME CRESTRIDGE painted in bold red and silver. The cheer team was squealing somewhere nearby, a little too excited for new faces.

I couldn't care less.

Standing in the gym with Sean on my left, Joshua on my right, I carried what could only be described as an ice-cold glare. My arms crossed tight across my chest, jaw clenched so hard it hurt. Sean was trying to play it cool, but I could see the twitch in his fingers. Joshua, on the other hand, just looked like he was here for the show.

"Why the hell is everyone so excited?" I muttered, glaring at a banner that read UNITY MAKES CHAMPIONS. "They're not family. They're not even friends. They're Crestridge."

Sean shrugged, trying to act casual. "Coach wants morale up. Nationals are coming, we need numbers, and Crestridge's team is stacked. You know that."

I scoffed. "Yeah, stacked with assholes."

Joshua smirked. "So basically, you?"

I shot him a side-eye that made him laugh under his breath.

Then, the gym doors opened.

And just like that, the enemy walked in.

The Crestridge hockey team filed inside like they owned the damn place. Their blue and black warmups clashed against our red and silver, two worlds colliding under one roof. And leading them—like the arrogant bastard he always was—Jay.

His smirk hit me before his eyes did. That same cocky, too-sure-of-himself grin that made me want to land my fist in his jaw. His brown hair was slicked back in that annoying, try-hard way, and his stride screamed confidence. He didn't even glance around at the banners or the Silverridge faces staring—no, he walked like we were supposed to feel honored he was here.

Our eyes locked.

And the entire room seemed to fade.

The hate in his stare was sharp, familiar, like steel cutting into steel. My lips curled into something between a grin and a sneer. We both stepped forward, slow, calculated, until we were face to face.

And then—like the hypocrites we were—we clasped hands, pulling into a sarcastic, too-hard dap up that made both of our shoulders tighten.

"What's up, princess," Jay muttered under his breath, grin still plastered across his face.

I leaned in just enough so only he could hear. "Hope you stretched. Would hate for your sorry ass to snap on the ice."

He chuckled, low and dark. "Wouldn't want to embarrass you in your own rink."

Our eyes lingered a second longer, both of us silently daring the other to make the first move. Neither did. We broke apart, and the tension spread through the gym like fire in dry grass. Both teams were watching.

Coach cleared his throat, stepping forward with that stern, commanding voice of his.

"Silverridge. Crestridge. From this moment until Nationals—you're one team. One unit. One family. You've faced each other before, but now you'll stand side by side." He paused, letting the weight of it sink in. "This won't be easy. You're rivals, but to win on a national stage, you need to fight for each other, not against. You will practice together. Train together. Play together. And in a month—you'll be one."

I could practically feel Jay's smirk in my peripheral.

Coach began listing off positions, eyes scanning his clipboard. "Defense—Parker, Liam, and Cho. Midfield—Joshua, Nolan, and Ben. Goalies—Reese and Kade." He paused, then looked straight at us.

"Offense. Taehyung. Jay."

I nearly laughed out loud. Of course. Of fucking course.

Sean shifted awkwardly next to me. Joshua winced like he was watching a car crash happen in slow motion. And me? I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt, jaw tight enough to crack.

Of all the possible lineups, of course Coach paired me with the one person on earth I'd rather stab with a hockey stick than pass a puck to.

Jay smirked wider, leaning slightly toward me. "Guess you're stuck with me, lover boy."

I didn't even look at him, just muttered, "Don't flatter yourself."

Coach finished his speech, his voice booming. "This is Nationals. This is bigger than Silverridge. Bigger than Crestridge. If you don't want to put your ego aside—then sit out. But if you want to win, you're going to have to learn to play as one. Dismissed."

The moment he finished, chatter exploded. Some Silverridge guys were already mingling with the Crestridge players, shaking hands, trying to bridge the gap. But not me. Not Jay.

He shoved his hands in his pockets, smirking like the devil himself, and I felt my blood boil.

Sean clapped my shoulder, breaking the tension. "So... how's this gonna work?"

Joshua crossed his arms, raising a brow. "Yeah, Tae. How do you plan to survive a month of this shit?"

I let the corner of my mouth twitch into a grin, finally looking at Jay, who was still staring me down across the gym.

"It won't be me who doesn't survive," I muttered, voice low and sharp. "Silverridge life is about to be hell for them."

My grin grew darker, sharper, as I turned away, the promise already burning in my chest.

This wasn't just hockey anymore. This was war.