CROSS-CHECKED (VSOO)

19

Taehyung

I couldn't get the image out of my head.

Jisoo, standing there in the middle of the field, her eyes wet, her shoulders trembling, looking like the world had just ripped her open. And then—her breaking down in my arms.

I'd never seen her like that before. She was always put together. Polite, quiet, a little shy, maybe, but steady. She carried herself like someone who wanted to blend into the background and never be noticed, like she was hiding on purpose.

But tonight, the mask had cracked.

And I'd been the one to see it.

Why me? Why did she let go in my arms, of all people?

My chest felt heavy, like there was a weight pressing on it. No matter how many times I replayed it, the feeling of her clinging to me—like she was drowning and I was the only thing keeping her afloat—lingered. It made me restless.

By the time practice wrapped up, the locker room cleared, and we ordered pizza, my head was still spinning.

I sat on the couch in our dorm common room, a slice of pepperoni pizza dangling from my hand, grease dripping onto the paper plate. Sean was sprawled across the beanbag, already halfway through his third slice, and Joshua sat cross-legged on the floor, scrolling on his phone like it was glued to his palm.

The silence was comfortable until Joshua suddenly sucked in a breath.

"Holy shit," he muttered, eyes widening.

Sean groaned. "Don't tell me the pizza place raised their prices again."

Joshua looked up, his expression shifting into something serious. "Not that. I just... I just found out something crazy."

Taehyung raised a brow, chewing lazily. "What is it this time? Another one of your gossip finds?"

Joshua smirked. "Not gossip. Truth. At least... mostly." He leaned forward like he was about to drop the biggest bomb ever. "It's about Jay. And Jisoo."

The second he said their names together, something twisted in my stomach. I set my slice down. "What about them?"

Joshua tilted his head, studying me for a second, almost like he was weighing how much to say. Then he sighed. "So... apparently, Jay and Jisoo used to date. Back when she was at Crestridge."

My jaw clenched before I even realized it. Of course. That explained the way they looked at each other earlier. The way Jisoo froze like she'd seen a ghost. The way Jay's voice dripped with venom when he spoke to her.

Sean sat up straighter, surprised. "Wait—hold on. Jisoo? Our Jisoo? And Jay? As in Captain Cocky Crestridge Jay?"

Joshua nodded. "Yup. They were together for two years. But... things went to hell." He hesitated for a moment, then continued, his voice quieter. "There were rumors. That Jisoo cheated on him."

I froze.

Sean frowned. "Rumors?"

"Yeah." Joshua tapped his phone screen, his tone grim. "People at Crestridge said there was this video... a girl who looked like her, you know, with another guy. The story spread fast. Everyone turned against her. And Jay? He believed it. Apparently, he made her life hell after that. Completely destroyed her."

The room went still.

Sean's pizza dropped back onto his plate, forgotten. His brows furrowed, anger flickering across his face. "You're kidding me."

Joshua shook his head. "Nope. Word is, she couldn't take it anymore. That's why she transferred here. To get away from him. From all of it."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. My thoughts were spiraling too fast.

The image of Jisoo crying on that bench suddenly made sense. The way Jay glared at her. The way she crumbled when he spoke to her.

Sean finally broke the silence. "That's fucked up. Seriously fucked up." He shoved his plate aside, his voice sharp with anger. "Jisoo's one of the nicest people here. Sensitive, yeah, sure—Alisha says she's kind of fragile sometimes—but she doesn't deserve any of that. If Alisha had been at Crestridge with her? Jay wouldn't still be walking."

Joshua snorted, but there was no humor in it. "Alisha would've castrated him on the spot."

Sean leaned back, shaking his head. "But honestly, good on Jisoo. Transferring here was the best thing she could've done. She got out before he ruined her completely."

Their voices faded into the background as my mind raced.

Jay. Jisoo. Together.

Jisoo... with him?

The thought made my chest feel tight, like I'd swallowed glass. Out of all people... why him? Why would she have chosen him, trusted him, loved him?

And why the hell did it bother me so much?

I pressed my lips together and stood up suddenly. "I'm going to bed early."

Sean blinked. "Already? Dude, it's not even ten."

"Yeah," Joshua added with a grin. "You're usually the last one to crash. What gives?"

"Nothing," I muttered, waving them off. "Just tired. Don't wait up."

I left them in the common room and went into my dorm, shutting the door behind me.

The second I hit the bed, I stared up at the ceiling, my hands behind my head, the shadows flickering from the streetlight outside.

But sleep didn't come. Not even close.

My mind kept replaying everything—Joshua's words, Sean's anger, Jisoo's tears, Jay's smug face.

Why did I care so much? Why was I so restless, so angry, so protective over a girl who, on paper, should be just another classmate to me?

I didn't know her well. Not really. And yet... I knew her. I'd watched her in silence long enough to memorize the little things—her quiet laugh, the way she bit her lip when she was concentrating, the way her eyes softened when she thought no one was looking.

I kept telling myself she was just a normal girl. Nothing special.

But she felt special.

And that terrified me more than anything.

Because if she really was special, then I was already in too deep.