"Are you going to keep hiding, or are you finally going to come out, Jeon Y/N?"

The sharp edge of Taehyung's voice sliced through the tense silence, causing Y/N's eyes to widen in shock. Her heart stuttered, her thoughts scrambling for a plan. Panic settled deep in her chest as she realised there was no way out-she had been caught. Running crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. He would find her again, whether here or at university. She couldn't keep evading him.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she forced herself to rise from her crouched position. Her gaze reluctantly met his, and the intensity of his glare sent a shiver down her spine.

Taehyung began to approach her with an air of unyielding authority, each step purposeful and unwavering. Y/N's throat tightened, and she swallowed hard, suddenly all too aware of the unease curling in her stomach. She began tugging at her lips-a nervous habit she couldn't suppress.

When he reached her, his hand darted out, gripping her arm with an almost painful firmness. Y/N hissed involuntarily as his fingers pressed against the spot where he had accidentally struck her earlier that morning with his bicycle. The ache flared anew, and she bit back a grimace.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jeon Y/N?!" he demanded, his voice laced with irritation and a faint undercurrent of concern. "Don't you know how dangerous places like this are for people like you?"

Her initial fear faltered under the weight of his words, giving way to a spark of defiance she hadn't anticipated. "Then what about you?!" she shot back, her voice sharper than she'd intended. She wrenched her arm free from his grasp, her movements abrupt. She didn't understand where her courage was coming from, but she refused to let him intimidate her. "Why are you here?!"

Taehyung's glare deepened, his jaw tightening. "That's none of your business," he replied curtly, his tone cold and dismissive.

Y/N scoffed, crossing her arms defensively. "You met with my dad-my dad, Taehyung! How is that not my business?"

"I don't owe you an explanation, Y/N," he snapped, his patience visibly thinning. "If you want answers so badly, go and ask your father."

With that, he turned on his heel, clearly intending to leave the conversation behind. "Go home," he said over his shoulder. "This isn't a safe place for innocent girls like you."

His words, though meant to dismiss her, only fuelled her frustration. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded, her voice trembling with both anger and desperation.

He stopped in his tracks, turning back to face her. His expression was blank, his gaze unreadable. "Just someone you shouldn't mess with," he replied evenly, his tone chilling in its simplicity.

Y/N's fingers instinctively returned to her lips, tugging at them as her nerves betrayed her once more. Taehyung tilted his head, observing her for a brief moment before speaking again. "If you're finished with your little interrogation, I'll take my leave." He waved dismissively, a smirk playing on his lips as he added mockingly, "I'll see you tomorrow... my dear friend."

And with that, he turned and walked away, his figure disappearing into the shadows.

Y/N remained rooted to the spot, her chest heaving with uneven breaths. A sigh escaped her, and she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, messing it up as her thoughts spiralled out of control. Questions clawed at her mind, their weight suffocating, yet no answers presented themselves. The unease in her chest grew heavier, gnawing at her insides.

A foreboding chill crept over her, an intangible sense that something monumental was on the horizon. Something she wasn't prepared for.

What have I gotten myself into?

She was snapped out of her trance when her phone began to ring, the sudden sound making her jump slightly. Her pulse quickened, but a wave of relief washed over her as she realised it was only her phone. Pulling it out hastily, she glanced at the caller ID-her mother's name flashed across the screen.

Y/N frowned. "Wasn't she asleep?" she murmured to herself. Without further hesitation, she accepted the call, raising the phone to her ear. "Mo-"

"Where the hell are you, Y/N?!" her mother's voice cut through, sharp and laced with panic.

Y/N froze, her confusion deepening. The worry in her mother's tone unsettled her. It wasn't as though she hadn't snuck out before, but her parents had never reacted this way. "I just went out for a walk," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant, masking the whirlwind of emotions churning inside her. She couldn't let her mother know that she'd seen her father meeting Taehyung-she didn't even fully understand it herself.

"Jeon Y/N!" her father's voice suddenly thundered through the phone, replacing her mother's. His tone was commanding, almost angry, and it made her flinch. "Wherever you are, come home immediately!"

Y/N sighed, nodding instinctively before realising he couldn't see her. "Yes," she mumbled softly before ending the call.

The urgency in her parents' voices had her on edge. She left the alley quickly, her feet moving faster than usual. The night air felt colder, heavier, and her heart raced as the thought of lurking dangers filled her mind. She knew crimes often happened at this hour, and the idea of becoming a victim terrified her.

When she finally reached her home, her shoulders relaxed slightly, but she was far from calm. What she didn't notice, however, was the figure watching her from the shadows-a man with striking red hair.

Taehyung stood at a distance, his eyes following Y/N's every move as she disappeared inside. He exhaled deeply, the weight of his thoughts evident in the tension across his features. Pulling his hood over his head, he muttered under his breath, "This girl is going to be a big problem for me." His gaze shifted to the night sky, his voice low but resolute. "I need to end this... before it spirals out of control."

With that, he turned away, hands stuffed into his hoodie's pockets, and disappeared into the shadows of the street.

Inside the house, Y/N was greeted by her father's fury and her mother's anxious attempts to pacify him. The tension in the air was palpable, and Y/N felt a pang of guilt as she stood before them. "I'm home," she said quietly, her voice barely audible.

Her father's eyes snapped to her. "Where the hell were you?!" he roared, his anger unrelenting.

Y/N flinched but refused to look up. Instead, she stared at the floor, her voice barely above a whisper. "I told you-I went for a walk."

"At 2 a.m.?" he snapped, his voice rising with disbelief.

Y/N remained silent, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground. The accusatory tone grated against her, making her feel as though she'd committed some unforgivable crime.

"I'm talking to you, Jeon Y/N!" her father bellowed. "When I speak, you answer!"

"Fine!" Y/N's head shot up, her eyes blazing with frustration as she finally met her father's furious gaze. "I didn't go for a walk! I followed you!"

Her words stunned the room into silence. Her father's eyes widened, while her mother looked at him, confusion written all over her face.

"Why did you meet Taehyung, Dad?" Y/N demanded, her voice shaking with anger. "At this hour, no less! Who is he? How do you know him? And how does he know me?"

"That's none of your business, Y/N!" her father barked, his defensive tone making her blood boil.

"None of my business?" she echoed, incredulous. "Are you serious right now? If it involves me, then of course it's my business!"

Her voice grew louder, her emotions spilling over. "A new guy suddenly joins my university, and somehow, he knows my name even though I never told him! Then I overhear you telling Mom that I 'shouldn't know about something,' and now I've caught you meeting with him in the middle of the night! Of course, it's suspicious!"

Her father's silence only stoked her frustration further. "Are you trying to tell me I'm imagining things? That I'm crazy for questioning this?"

"I don't know," she continued, her voice trembling with barely contained anger, "but what I do know is that you and Mum are hiding something from me!"

Her father lowered his head, his silence confirming her suspicions. The lack of denial hurt more than she cared to admit. "So it's true, then," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You are hiding something."

"Y/N..." her mother interjected softly, stepping forward and placing gentle hands on her daughter's arms. "It's late, darling. You have university tomorrow. Get some rest, and we'll talk about this later, alright?"

Y/N stared at her in disbelief. "No, we won't, Mum. You'll just make excuses, or you'll change the subject like you always do." She shook her mother's hands off, her voice rising. "It's either we talk now, or-"

"Young-Jae!"

The sound of the slap echoed in the room, silencing Y/N mid-sentence. Her hand flew to her stinging cheek as tears welled in her eyes. She looked at her father, hurt written all over her face.

Her father's eyes widened, the realisation of what he'd just done dawning on him. "Y/N, I'm-"

"You slapped me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You slapped me... because you wanted to shut me up."

Regret twisted her father's features, but Y/N turned away before he could speak. "It's fine. Whatever." Her voice was hollow as she stormed past him, running upstairs to her room.

Slamming the door behind her, she collapsed onto her bed, clutching her pillow tightly. Tears streamed down her face as the pain in her cheek throbbed, but it wasn't the physical pain that hurt the most. It was the betrayal, the disappointment.

Her parents had never raised a hand against her before. Until tonight.

Am I being too dramatic?

The thought lingered, but the ache in her chest refused to subside.

--

The following day, Jungkook was noticeably absent from university, and it filled Y/N with unease. He had a habit of taking frequent leaves, but each time he returned, he bore a fresh set of bruises. When Y/N asked him about the injuries, his responses were always evasive-he would laugh it off, claiming he got into a fight or, absurdly, that he had slipped on "air." It was a feeble excuse that Y/N never believed, but she understood that Jungkook wasn't ready to talk. So, each time, she let the matter drop, hoping that one day he would open up to her willingly.

On the other hand, Y/N was doing everything in her power to avoid Taehyung. It was no easy task. They were both majoring in Arts and Literature, which meant they shared almost every class. No matter how much she tried, Taehyung's presence was impossible to escape, his mere existence a constant reminder of the questions that haunted her. She avoided eye contact with him, deliberately changed her route whenever she spotted him, and refused to even acknowledge his presence in the hallways.

At present, their class was focused on art, and the assignment was to create a pencil sketch of Hansun, a senior student who had volunteered to model for them. He sat poised in a chair at the centre of the room, exuding calm confidence, while the students arranged themselves in a semicircle around him, their canvases propped up and ready.

Y/N sat quietly among them, gripping her pencil tightly as she attempted to focus on the sketch. Yet, her mind was anything but calm.

Y/N had made the grave mistake of glancing at Taehyung. He was entirely absorbed in his sketch, his sharp gaze flitting between Hansun and the canvas every few seconds. His pencil rested effortlessly in his fingers, moving with a natural elegance as he brought the portrait to life. The corner of his lips was caught between his teeth in concentration, and the strands of his red hair fell rebelliously over the top of his bandana.

Y/N's breath hitched as Taehyung suddenly lifted his gaze from his canvas and locked eyes with her. His stare was blank, yet it carried an inexplicable weight that made her heart race. Embarrassed, she broke eye contact immediately, her cheeks heating as she forced herself to focus on her own sketch, pretending the moment hadn't happened.

The class came to an end soon after, with students lining up to present their work to Mr. Jung before leaving. Gradually, the room emptied until only Y/N and Taehyung remained. They were the last to show their sketches.

"Turn off the lights when you leave, alright?" Mr. Jung instructed them as he packed up his materials.

Y/N glanced up and offered him a polite smile. "Yes, sir," she murmured softly.

With that, Mr. Jung exited, leaving her and Taehyung in the now eerily quiet classroom. Not wasting a second, Y/N began gathering her belongings in haste, wanting to escape the room as quickly as possible. "Turn off the lights," she muttered without looking at him, her voice hurried. She slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way to the door when Taehyung's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait."

Her heart sank.

Y/N froze, her breath catching in her throat. A wave of unease coursed through her, making her chest tighten. She swallowed hard, her voice shaky as she replied, "What?" She didn't dare turn around, her gaze fixed firmly on the door in front of her.

The sound of his footsteps grew louder as he approached her, his presence looming closer with each step. She felt her pulse quicken.

"Turn around," Taehyung commanded, his deep, authoritative tone sending a shiver down her spine.

Reluctantly, Y/N obeyed, her movements hesitant. She turned to face him, though her head remained lowered, refusing to meet his piercing gaze.

Her breath hitched as she felt the light touch of his finger on her chin. Her entire body tensed, anticipating his next move. Yet instead of lifting her chin to force her to meet his eyes, Taehyung tilted her face to the side. The gesture left her confused, her brows furrowing slightly.

His finger trailed from her chin to her cheek, the touch featherlight but enough to make her wince slightly as it brushed over tender skin.

"It's red," Taehyung remarked, his tone carrying an edge of curiosity, though his expression remained unreadable. He pulled his hand back, his gaze narrowing slightly. "Did someone slap you or something?"

Y/N finally lifted her eyes to meet his, though they were sharp with sarcasm. She let out a bitter chuckle, her lips curving into a mocking smile. "That's none of your business, Taehyung-ssi," she retorted, her voice laced with disdain. Without giving him a chance to respond, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the room.

As she stepped into the quiet corridor, Y/N exhaled sharply, running her fingers through her hair in frustration and ruffling it until it was a mess.

Okay, what the hell was that?

--

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