Taehyung and Jungkook sat across from each other in the company van the morning following their rooftop escape, on their way to a hectic day's schedule. The air between them was lively, yet neither mentioned what had happened the night before.
Jimin, sitting next to Taehyung, noticed the silence. He nudged Taehyung playfully. "You look like you saw a ghost."
Taehyung forced a laugh. "More like ran from one."
Jungkook bit back a smirk, looking out the window.
Jin turned around from the passenger seat. "Did you two do something stupid again?"
Jungkook gasped dramatically. "Hyung, why do you assume we're the troublemakers?"
Jin deadpanned. "Because you are the troublemakers."
Namjoon sighed. "I don't care what you did, just don't let the company find out."
Taehyung and Jungkook exchanged a glance.
Too late.
—
Later that day, they were backstage at a music concert, waiting their turn. Staff moved about them, inspecting costumes, repairing microphones, and reviewing the soundtrack.
Jungkook sat on a couch, scrolling through his phone, when Taehyung flopped down beside him.
"Bored?" Jungkook asked without looking up.
"Starving." Taehyung groaned. "When's lunch?"
Jungkook smirked. "Wanna steal some snacks from Yoongi-hyung's bag?"
Taehyung gasped. "That's a death sentence."
Jungkook shrugged. "Worth it."
Before they could act on their terrible idea, a staff member approached. "Jungkook, Taehyung—manager wants to see you."
Their smiles faded.
They followed the staff member down the hall to a private waiting room. Their manager was inside, arms crossed and looked unimpressed.
"You two need to be more careful," he said immediately. "The company isn't happy."
Jungkook exhaled, already tired of this conversation. "What now?"
Their manager handed them a tablet. The screen displayed a fan-shot video of them laughing together on the rooftop the night before. It was unclear and captured from a distance, but it was obvious enough.
"People are talking," the manager said. "They think there's something between you two."
Taehyung's stomach twisted.
Jungkook leaned back in his chair. "And?"
The manager sighed. "And you need to shut it down. The company is considering pushing dating rumors with a female idol to cover this up."
Taehyung's breath caught. "What?"
Jungkook's entire demeanor changed. His hands clenched, jaw tightening. "No."
"This isn't up for debate," the manager said. "You know how this works. You either control the narrative, or it controls you."
Silence.
Taehyung glanced at Jungkook, searching his face for an answer. He didn't find one.
The manager stood up. "Think about it. We'll talk later." And with that, he left.
The door clicked shut.
Taehyung let out a shaky breath. "Jungkook…"
Jungkook stood up abruptly, running a hand through his hair. "This is insane."
Taehyung swallowed hard. "What do we do?"
Jungkook turned to him, eyes dark with determination. "We fight."
Taehyung wasn't sure how, but if Jungkook was willing to fight for them—so was he.