Chapter Text
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If there was one thing Jeon Jungkook hated more than public speaking, surprise presentations, and accidentally making eye contact with strangers in the hallway, it was being cornered.
Unfortunately, life seemed determined to corner him anyway.
The university café was crowded that afternoon.
Sunlight pouring through the enormous windows and painting warm golden rectangles across the wooden floors.
The scent of coffee and pastries hanging heavily in the air while students crowded around tables, laughing loudly and discussing assignments they were definitely not going to finish before the deadline.
Jungkook sat in his usual corner.
Hidden.
Safe.
Invisible.
Exactly how he liked it.
His headphones rested around his neck, his oversized cream-colored sweater swallowing his frame, sleeves covering half his hands as he focused on highlighting notes for next week’s exam.
Everything was peaceful.
Until someone sat down across from him.
Jungkook’s stomach immediately dropped.
He already knew who it was before he looked up.
Some people carried an atmosphere around them.
An energy.
A presence.
And Park Minjae had enough confidence to fill an entire building.
“Wow.”
The voice was familiar.
Too familiar.
“It’s really you.”
Jungkook froze.
No.
No no no.
Not today.
Not ever, preferably.
Slowly, he raised his eyes.
Minjae smiled.
The exact same smile that had once made Jungkook stupid enough to think he was in love.
The exact same smile that had disappeared the moment Minjae realized Jungkook wasn’t confident, outgoing, or exciting enough for him.
It had been almost a year since they’d broken up.
Jungkook had survived that year through a combination of avoiding eye contact and pretending the entire relationship had been a weird fever dream.
Apparently fate had other plans.
“Hi,” Minjae said casually.
Jungkook managed a weak nod.
“Hi.”
Minjae leaned back.
“You look good.”
Jungkook immediately looked down at his notebook.
Because what was he supposed to do with that information?
Thank him?
Cry?
Pass away?
The possibilities were endless.
“Still shy, huh?”
And there it was.
The reason they had never worked.
Minjae always made it sound like Jungkook’s quiet nature was a flaw.
Like he was something unfinished.
Something that needed fixing.
Jungkook swallowed.
“I guess.”
A laugh escaped Minjae.
“I missed that.”
Jungkook didn’t.
Not even a little.
Silence settled between them.
Uncomfortable.
Heavy.
Until Minjae spoke again.
“You dating anyone these days?”
Jungkook blinked.
What kind of question was that?
His heart immediately began racing.
Because the answer was no.
Painfully no.
Spectacularly no.
The only people Jungkook talked to regularly were his friends, his professors, and the barista who always spelled his name wrong.
But something stubborn suddenly rose inside him.
Maybe it was pride.
Maybe it was embarrassment.
Maybe it was the memory of Minjae breaking up with him because he was “too innocent.”
Whatever it was, it made him answer before his brain could stop him.
“Actually.”
Jungkook smiled.
A tiny smile.
A nervous smile.
A smile that should have come with warning labels.
“I have a boyfriend.”
The words left his mouth.
And instantly his soul left his body.
What.
Had.
He.
Done.
Minjae blinked.
“You do?”
Jungkook nodded.
Too late now.
No turning back.
“Yep.”
His voice cracked.
Minjae looked genuinely surprised.
And for some reason that made Jungkook want to continue.
“He’s really great.”
Why was he doing this?
Who was controlling his mouth?
“Really?”
“Really.”
Minjae’s eyebrows lifted.
“Do I know him?”
No.
Absolutely not.
Abort mission.
Abort mission immediately.
But before Jungkook could think of a fake name—
A shadow appeared beside the table.
A very tall shadow.
A very familiar shadow.
The entire café seemed to shift.
Students glanced up.
Conversations quieted.
And Jungkook felt every single muscle in his body lock.
Kim Taehyung.
Of course.
Because apparently the universe enjoyed violence.
Taehyung stood beside their table wearing black jeans with ripped knees, heavy boots, rings decorating nearly every finger, and a black leather jacket despite the warm weather.
His dark hair fell effortlessly across his forehead.
A motorcycle helmet dangled from one hand.
And that ridiculous smirk was already forming before he even spoke.
Everyone knew Taehyung.
Not because he tried.
But because ignoring him was impossible.
He was the student professors complained about while secretly liking.
The guy who somehow skipped lectures and still passed.
The campus heartbreaker.
The flirt.
The troublemaker.
The bad boy every warning label was invented for.
And unfortunately…
He knew Jungkook.
Not well.
But enough.
Mostly because Taehyung found Jungkook amusing.
Which was horrifying.
Taehyung’s eyes moved between Jungkook and Minjae.
One eyebrow lifted.
“What are you two talking about?”
Jungkook opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Minjae smiled politely.
“We were talking about Jungkook’s boyfriend.”
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
Taehyung looked at Jungkook.
Jungkook looked at Taehyung.
Taehyung looked at Minjae.
Then suddenly—
A slow grin spread across his face.
Dangerous.
Beautiful.
Absolutely terrible.
“Oh.”
Jungkook’s heart stopped.
No.
No.
No.
Please.
Taehyung leaned down.
One arm draped casually across the back of Jungkook’s chair.
Close.
Far too close.
Jungkook could smell his cologne.
Warm.
Woodsy.
Infuriatingly nice.
And then Taehyung said:
“You’re talking about me.”
Jungkook nearly swallowed his own tongue.
Minjae blinked.
“What?”
Taehyung looked genuinely confused.
As if there could possibly be another answer.
Then he laughed softly.
“His boyfriend.”
The smirk widened.
“That’s me.”
Jungkook was going to die.
Right here.
In public.
With witnesses.
Minjae stared.
Taehyung stared back.
Completely unfazed.
Comfortable.
Confident.
Like this wasn’t an outrageous lie.
Like he’d been dating Jungkook for years.
Then, because apparently humiliation wasn’t enough, Taehyung reached down and gently squeezed the back of Jungkook’s neck.
The gesture was casual.
Natural.
Intimate.
Jungkook nearly exploded.
“Baby,” Taehyung said.
Baby.
Baby.
Jungkook’s brain caught fire.
“You didn’t tell me you were meeting your ex.”
Minjae’s eyes widened.
Jungkook’s soul ascended.
Taehyung’s expression remained perfectly innocent.
The liar.
The absolute menace.
“Oh,” Minjae said slowly.
“I didn’t realize…”
“Yeah.”
Taehyung smiled.
“We’ve been together for a while.”
Jungkook almost choked.
A while?
They weren’t together at all.
They barely exchanged more than three conversations per semester.
Yet somehow Taehyung sounded so convincing that even Jungkook almost believed him.
Minjae shifted awkwardly.
For the first time since sitting down, he seemed uncertain.
Good.
Jungkook hoped he was uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
Maybe catastrophically uncomfortable.
After another minute of awkward conversation, Minjae finally stood.
“Well.”
His gaze moved between them.
“It was nice seeing you.”
Taehyung smiled.
“Likewise.”
It absolutely wasn’t.
Minjae nodded before walking away.
And the second he disappeared around the corner—
Jungkook buried his face in his hands.
“Oh my god.”
Laughter erupted beside him.
Rich.
Deep.
Unfairly attractive.
“Oh my god,” Jungkook repeated.
Taehyung dropped into the chair across from him.
Still laughing.
“You should’ve seen your face.”
Jungkook peeked through his fingers.
“You heard everything?”
“Enough.”
“That’s terrible.”
“It was adorable.”
Jungkook groaned.
Taehyung rested his chin on one hand.
Still smiling.
Still looking entirely too pleased with himself.
“So.”
“No.”
“So.”
“No.”
“You have a boyfriend now.”
“I hate you.”
Taehyung laughed again.
And somehow the sound felt warmer than it should have.
Gentler.
Jungkook hated that too.
For a moment, they simply sat there.
The noise of the café surrounding them.
Sunlight spilling across the table.
Taehyung’s helmet resting on the empty chair beside him.
Then Taehyung spoke.
“Problem.”
Jungkook narrowed his eyes.
“What?”
Taehyung leaned forward.
That mischievous spark appeared again.
The one that usually meant trouble.
Lots of trouble.
“The entire campus just watched me claim you.”
Jungkook’s stomach dropped.
Oh.
Oh no.
Taehyung grinned.
“We need a believable story now.”
Jungkook stared.
“We do not.”
“We absolutely do.”
“We can just tell people it was a misunderstanding.”
Taehyung laughed.
“No one will believe that.”
Unfortunately…
He was right.
Jungkook buried his face in his hands again.
This was a disaster.
A complete disaster.
And when he finally looked up, Taehyung was already smiling that dangerous smile.
The one that promised chaos.
The one that made people agree to terrible ideas.
“What?” Jungkook asked suspiciously.
Taehyung’s eyes sparkled.
“I think we need fake boyfriend training.”
Jungkook’s heart skipped.
Taehyung leaned back.
Looking entirely too pleased with himself.
And somehow, despite every alarm bell screaming inside his head…
Jungkook had a horrible feeling his life was about to become very, very complicated.