Taehyung leaned against the cold railing of the balcony, his elbows propped as he gazed into the starless abyss of the night sky. In his hands, he cradled a ceramic mug, its warmth seeping into his palms, a subtle comfort against the chill. The scent of freshly brewed espresso hung in the air, mingling with the distant hum of the city below.

"Taehyung?"

The voice startled him from his thoughts. He turned, his expression neutral, as he set the cup down on a nearby table. "On the balcony," he called out. Moments later, the curtains parted, and Jin stepped through.

"Hey," Jin greeted, his tone casual but laced with something unspoken.

Taehyung raised a brow in acknowledgment. "Do you need something?"

Jin crossed his arms, a flicker of irritation flashing across his face. "Oh, so I can only come to you when I need something?"

Taehyung shook his head immediately, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I didn’t mean it like that. Come on, hyung."

Both men settled on the balcony’s modest couch. Taehyung reclined, his hands draped over the armrests, while Jin leaned back and cleared his throat.

"Y/n told Jisoo something today," Jin began, his tone measured.

Taehyung’s brow arched, a teasing glint in his eyes. "So, you did come here because you wanted something."

Jin’s stern glare silenced him. "Taehyung."

With a resigned sigh, Taehyung gestured for him to continue. "Fine. Go on."

"So..." Jin hesitated, his words carefully chosen.

"Yes, I’m listening, hyu—ah!" Taehyung yelped, rubbing the back of his head where Jin had smacked him.

"Stop with the quips and listen," Jin snapped, his patience thinning. After a pause, he pressed on. "Why did you and Y/n break up three years ago?"

The question hung heavily in the air, and Taehyung visibly tensed. His jaw tightened, and a shadow passed over his features, though he quickly masked it. Jin noticed but chose not to comment, waiting instead for an answer.

"I... I thought I liked her," Taehyung said at last, his voice faltering slightly, "but I realised I didn’t. Not the way I thought I did."

Jin raised a skeptical brow. "You’re sure about that?"

"Yes," Taehyung replied firmly, picking up his cup again and taking a deliberate sip, his gaze fixed on the railing.

"Taehyung, you look at Y/n like she’s your entire world," Jin remarked, his voice soft but insistent.

Taehyung laughed bitterly. "If that’s what you see, then your eyes are deceiving you."

Jin rolled his eyes. "Every time she gets sick, you act like she’s on her deathbed. You care about her more than you’re willing to admit."

"She’s my close friend," Taehyung retorted, his tone sharp. "I’d worry about you too if you were sick. Don’t read too much into it."

Jin hummed thoughtfully, unconvinced. "And your soft spot for her?"

Taehyung snorted. "I treat her like everyone else. Stop making assumptions."

Jin leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "You, who hate showing emotions, somehow feel comfortable showing them to Y/n. Why is that?"

Taehyung’s patience snapped. He slammed the mug onto the table and rose to his feet, his voice cutting. "If you’re fishing for a confession, stop it. I don’t like her like that. She’s a friend—nothing more, nothing less."

He spun on his heel, intending to storm away, but froze in his tracks. There, standing by the curtains, was Y/n. Her fingers gripped the fabric tightly, her face pale, and her eyes betraying the hurt she desperately tried to mask.

Taehyung’s chest tightened painfully. How much had she heard?

He parted his lips to speak but faltered, no words coming to mind. Jin followed his gaze and cursed under his breath when he saw her.

Y/n forced a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "Your dad’s here, Taehyung. He asked for you."

Taehyung nodded stiffly, glancing briefly at Jin before following Y/n out of the balcony.

As they walked through the dimly lit hallway, Taehyung quickened his pace, gently grabbing her arm to stop her. "Y/n," he began, his voice low and urgent. "About what I said—"

She shook her head, cutting him off. "You don’t owe me an explanation, Tae. It’s fine."

"It’s not fine," he insisted, his grip firm but gentle. "Please, just let me—"

"Tae," she interrupted again, her tone gentle yet resolute. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch grounding. "Your dad is waiting. You should go to him. We can talk later."

Defeated, Taehyung exhaled deeply and nodded. Together, they descended the stairs to the living room, where Mr. Kim sat, his fingers fidgeting nervously.

"Dad," Taehyung greeted, managing a small smile.

Mr. Kim stood and pulled him into an embrace. Though hesitant at first, Taehyung returned the hug, the rare display of affection catching him off guard.

When they pulled apart, Mr. Kim’s face turned serious. "How are things?"

Taehyung sighed, his posture stiffening. "We’ve got a problem—Hee-sung."

Mr. Kim’s expression darkened, and Y/n stepped in to explain. "He sent a spy to infiltrate us. The spy leaked shipment details, but we handled it. Still, it’s clear he’s planning something bigger."

Frustration etched deep lines into Mr. Kim’s face. Taehyung placed a hand on his father’s shoulder. "Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it."

Mr. Kim nodded, his confidence in his son evident. "I trust you."

Later that night, Taehyung lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep eluded him as Jin’s words echoed in his mind:

Why did you and Y/n break up three years ago?

With a groan, Taehyung sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. Running a hand through his hair, he let the memory he’d been avoiding resurface, each detail vivid and haunting.

Three years ago.

“What’s with the frown tugging at your lips?” Taehyung asked, casting a fleeting glance at Y/n, who sat beside him in the passenger seat.

“Keep your eyes on the road! Or are you planning to kill me off?” she shot back, her voice laced with a mix of exasperation and concern.

Taehyung rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the highway stretching endlessly ahead. “I swear, you’re impossibly dramatic.”

“I’m mad. Don’t talk to me,” Y/n huffed, crossing her arms as she turned to stare out of the window, her posture stiff with annoyance.

Taehyung chuckled softly, his deep voice filled with a teasing lilt. “What did I do now?”

Y/n whipped her head back toward him, her expression incredulous. “What did you do? Stop pretending to be innocent, Taehyung. You’re anything but.”

“I genuinely have no clue what you’re on about,” he said, feigning ignorance, though the hint of amusement tugging at his lips gave him away.

“You wanted to take me on a date,” she began, her tone sharp, “and instead of that being a nice experience, you—”

“—wanted to take my boyfriend on a date,” he interrupted smoothly, his grin widening. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Y/n’s eyes narrowed, her tone biting. “Nothing is wrong with that, Taehyung, but did you really need to beat up the waiter just because he flirted with me? Was that truly necessary?”

Taehyung rolled his eyes yet again, his casual demeanor maddeningly unaffected. “I wanted to kill him. Frankly, I would’ve if you hadn’t stopped me.”

She let out an incredulous scoff, shaking her head as though trying to comprehend his absurdity. “You’re too much sometimes. Honestly, I can’t even—”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry,” he conceded with a light-hearted sigh, though the apology sounded more perfunctory than sincere.

Y/n wasn’t convinced. She merely rolled her eyes in response, her frustration evident.

Taehyung sighed dramatically. “Look, I’d hold my ears and beg for forgiveness, but I’m afraid we’d end up in an accident.”

Y/n shot him a withering glare, though the corners of her mouth twitched as though suppressing a smile.

“Hold on,” Taehyung said suddenly, removing one hand from the steering wheel to dig into his pocket, his movements deliberate.

Y/n frowned in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Give me your hand,” he instructed, his tone calm but firm.

Hesitantly, Y/n extended her hand toward him, curiosity replacing her irritation. Taehyung placed something cool and delicate in her palm.

Her breath hitched as she opened her hand to reveal a silver chain adorned with a delicate petal-shaped pendant. It shimmered softly under the dim light filtering through the car’s interior.

“Taehyung, this…” Her voice trailed off, a mix of surprise and awe coloring her tone.

“Do you like it?” he asked, his voice warm, his eyes flickering toward her briefly before focusing back on the road.

“Of course, I like it,” she replied, her voice softening. “But… when did you—?”

“Yesterday,” Taehyung interrupted, his tone casual yet fond. “Jungkook wanted to pick something out for Jimin and dragged me along. I saw this and thought it would suit you, so I got it.”

Y/n wasted no time fastening the chain around her neck. “How does it look?” she asked eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement.

Taehyung stole a quick glance at her and smiled, his gaze filled with unspoken affection. “It’s beautiful on you… just like you.”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips as warmth crept into her cheeks. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

His smile deepened, though he soon returned his focus to the road, the momentary tenderness replaced by concentration.

Silence enveloped the car, comfortable and serene. Y/n gazed out of the window, a faint smile lingering on her lips as the silver chain gleamed softly against her skin.

But after a few minutes, the calm was disrupted. Y/n noticed Taehyung’s body tense, his jaw tightening as his eyes flicked from the road to the rearview mirror, the carefree energy that had surrounded him moments ago dissipating.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, her brow furrowing in concern. “You look worried.”

Taehyung’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he turned to meet her gaze briefly, his expression darkened by unease.

“We’re being followed,” he said, his voice low, the gravity of his words cutting through the air like a blade.