Just to be with you.

Chapter Twelve: The Fragile Silence

The next day felt heavier than usual, like a storm lingering even after the skies had cleared. Taehyung sat at the edge of his bed, staring at his phone screen, Jungkook's name glowing faintly in the message list. He hadn't texted him since the fight.

Every instinct told him to apologize, to brush it off as some silly misunderstanding. But another part of him, the part that had been silenced for too long, refused. He had spoken the truth yesterday. Every word of it.

Still, he couldn't ignore the ache in his chest. What if he doesn't see me the same way anymore? What if I pushed him too far?

At school, Jungkook was already there, leaning against the lockers, flipping through his notes. He looked normal — too normal. His expression carried none of the weight Taehyung had been carrying since last night.

When their eyes met, Jungkook hesitated. Then he gave a small, tentative smile.

Taehyung's throat tightened. He wanted to say good morning casually, like nothing had happened. Instead, what came out was a soft, almost vulnerable, "Hey."

"Hey," Jungkook replied, quieter than usual.

They stood there in silence for a few seconds, neither knowing how to bridge the gap that had opened between them.

Finally, Jungkook said, "About yesterday..."

Taehyung's pulse quickened. "I shouldn't have—"

"No," Jungkook interrupted gently. "Don't... don't apologize. You just... surprised me, that's all." His eyes softened, uncertain. "I never thought... you felt like that."

Taehyung looked away, his voice low. "I didn't plan to say it. It just... came out."

As they walked side by side, their arms brushed occasionally, sending jolts through Taehyung's body. He could feel Jungkook's presence so strongly, every step in sync like muscle memory.

But then Jungkook broke the silence again. "Namjoon's been asking if I'm joining the football practice this week."

Taehyung froze. Of course. Namjoon.

"That's... great," he muttered, his jaw tightening.

Jungkook glanced at him, noticing the shift in his tone. "You're not still... upset, are you?"

Taehyung forced a laugh. "Me? No. Why would I be upset?"

But his clenched fists and stiff shoulders betrayed him.

In class, Jungkook sat beside him like always, but the air between them was charged, every glance and every brush of their hands under the desk laced with unspoken words.

At one point, Jungkook leaned closer, pointing at a mistake in Taehyung's notes. "You always write your sevens weird," he whispered, smiling faintly.

Taehyung felt his breath hitch, the closeness unbearable. He wanted to freeze time right there — just Jungkook leaning into him, their heads almost touching.

But then Jungkook pulled back, casually mentioning, "Namjoon writes them like this too. He showed me yesterday."

The moment shattered. Taehyung's smile faltered. Even here... he has to come up.

At lunch, they sat with Namjoon and Yoongi as usual. Jungkook animatedly told a story about a joke Namjoon had made during practice, his laughter ringing across the courtyard.

Taehyung stabbed at his food silently, forcing himself not to glare. He hated the way Jungkook's eyes lit up when he talked about Namjoon. He hated that Namjoon could make him laugh so effortlessly.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Taehyung leaned closer and whispered, "You talk about him a lot."

Jungkook blinked, caught off guard. "What? I... I didn't realize."

"Yeah, well... I did," Taehyung muttered, looking away.

For a brief moment, Jungkook just stared at him, his expression unreadable. Then he reached out under the table, his fingers brushing against Taehyung's hand in a gesture so small, so fleeting, it almost didn't happen.

But Taehyung felt it like a spark igniting in his chest.

They walked home together again, but this time the silence wasn't heavy — it was fragile, like glass that could shatter with a single wrong word.

Finally, Jungkook spoke softly. "You know, no matter what... you're still the most important person to me, Taehyung."

Taehyung stopped walking. His heart pounded so loud he could barely breathe. "Do you mean that?"

Jungkook met his eyes, hesitating for only a second before nodding. "Of course. I always mean it."

For a moment, the world around them faded. It was just the two of them, standing there with the weight of unspoken feelings pressing down.

But then Jungkook added quietly, "That doesn't mean I can't... like other people too."

And just like that, the glass cracked.

Taehyung swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "What if I don't want to share you?"

Jungkook's eyes widened, his lips parting. For a second, Taehyung thought he'd finally crossed the line, that Jungkook would walk away.

Instead, Jungkook whispered, "You don't have to share all of me. You'll always have the biggest part."

Taehyung's breath caught. His chest ached with the sweetness and the cruelty of those words. So close, yet so far.

He wanted to confess right then — to tell Jungkook that he loved him, had always loved him, more than anyone else ever could. But the fear of losing him kept the words locked inside.

So instead, he smiled faintly, hiding the storm inside. "Good. Because I'm not letting anyone take you away from me."

Jungkook laughed softly, but his eyes lingered on Taehyung's longer than usual, searching, questioning, almost... waiting.

That night, as Taehyung lay in bed replaying every word, every glance, he realized the truth:

Jungkook might still have feelings for Namjoon. But something had shifted between them today — the spark was undeniable, the tension too thick to ignore.

And Taehyung knew, deep down, that this was only the beginning of a much bigger storm.