The air in the office was heavy. Sweat still clung to their skin from the stage, but it wasn't the heat of the lights that made Jungkook's chest feel tight. It was the silence, broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Their manager leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, eyes sharp. He had watched them for years, from their first shaky rehearsals to the thunder of sold-out arenas. He knew their strengths, their weaknesses, the small tells they thought no one noticed.
"You two," he said finally, his gaze landing directly on Taehyung and Jungkook. "Be careful."
Jungkook froze. He felt every pair of eyes in the room shift toward them. The other members shifted uneasily, but no one spoke.
Taehyung's expression stayed neutral, calm, the way it always did when authority pressed too hard. But Jungkook felt the weight of the words sink into his chest like a stone.
"On stage," the manager continued, his tone sharp but not cruel, "emotions are powerful. But if you lose control of them, people will notice things you don't want noticed. Tonight was close."
Jungkook dropped his gaze, shame burning the tips of his ears. He replayed the moment in his head—the way his eyes had lingered on Taehyung too long during the chorus, the way their hands had brushed, how the crowd's cheer had spiked as if they had seen something forbidden.
It hadn't been intentional. Not fully. But the truth was harder to deny with every performance.
Taehyung spoke before Jungkook could. His voice was steady, carrying that calm strength that always seemed to silence a room. "We'll be more careful."
The manager's eyes narrowed, lingering on Taehyung as if searching for cracks in his composure. But Taehyung didn't flinch. He simply held the gaze until the manager exhaled and shifted his attention to the group as a whole.
"Good. You're professionals. Remember why you're here. Don't let… personal feelings get in the way of what we've built."
The warning hung in the air, unspoken but heavy.
When they were finally dismissed, the members filed out quietly. Namjoon stayed back to ask a question about schedules. Jimin whispered something to Yoongi as they walked, trying to break the tension. Jin stretched his shoulders, muttering about food.
Jungkook moved quickly, eager to escape the suffocating room, but Taehyung caught his wrist before he reached the door. The touch was light, but firm enough to make Jungkook stop.
"Wait," Taehyung said softly. His tone wasn't commanding, but it carried weight that Jungkook couldn't ignore.
The others didn't notice. They slipped out, the door closing behind them, leaving only the two of them in the quiet office.
Jungkook's pulse thudded in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to look up. He hated the way his hands trembled, hated that Taehyung would notice.
Taehyung stepped closer. "Don't let it get to you."
Jungkook finally looked up, his eyes searching Taehyung's face. There was no fear there, no shame. Only that steady calm, the same calm that had carried Jungkook through countless nights of doubt.
"But he's right," Jungkook whispered. His voice cracked. "If we keep… if I keep…"
Taehyung's hand shifted, brushing against Jungkook's knuckles, a quiet reassurance hidden in the smallest gesture. His eyes softened, but his tone stayed firm. "Then I'll carry it. You don't have to."
Jungkook's breath caught. The words were simple, but the promise inside them was heavy, almost unbearable.
And for the first time that night, Jungkook wondered if the real danger wasn't being caught. It was how much he wanted to believe Taehyung meant it.
The office door creaked open, breaking the fragile moment. Hobi stuck his head in, eyes wide with surprise. "You guys still here? Come on, we're waiting."
Taehyung dropped Jungkook's hand as if nothing had happened. His face returned to its practiced calm. "Coming."
Jungkook followed, but the echo of Taehyung's words followed him out the door, heavy in his chest, impossible to shake.
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