Sparks in the Air

[Taehyung’s POV]

I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Even as Soyeon dragged me through the festival, chattering about the art and music, my mind kept drifting back to the boy in the leather jacket. His smirk lingered in my head, replaying like a song I couldn’t turn off.

“Taehyung, seriously, are you even here?” Soyeon groaned, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

“What? Yeah, I’m here.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ve been spaced out ever since we stopped by that booth. Let me guess—it’s about that guy.”

I tried to deny it, but Soyeon knew me too well. “I don’t even know who he is,” I said, sighing.

“That’s easily fixed,” she said with a mischievous grin.

Before I could stop her, she was already heading back toward the booth where we’d seen him. My heart raced as I followed, both hoping and dreading that he’d still be there.

And he was.

He stood a few feet away, his friends laughing about something I couldn’t hear. He wasn’t smiling, though. His expression was distant, almost bored, as if he’d rather be anywhere else.

Soyeon nudged me. “Go talk to him.”

“What? No way!”

“Come on, Tae. Life’s too short to overthink everything.”

She gave me a gentle push, and before I could protest, I found myself walking toward him.

He noticed me immediately, his sharp eyes locking onto mine. My stomach flipped, but I forced myself to take a deep breath and keep moving.

“Hey,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “I saw you earlier, and… I just wanted to say hi.”

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk making a reappearance. “Hi.”

That was it. Just one word, delivered in a tone so nonchalant it left me scrambling for something else to say.

“I’m Taehyung,” I added quickly, holding out my hand.

He glanced at it for a moment before shaking it. His grip was firm but brief. “Jungkook.”

The way he said his name—low and confident—sent a shiver down my spine.

“Nice to meet you, Jungkook.”

He nodded, his expression unreadable. “You too.”

Silence stretched between us, and I could feel my nerves fraying. I’d never been good at small talk, especially with someone as intimidating as him.

“Enjoying the festival?” I asked awkwardly.

“It’s okay,” he said with a shrug. “Not really my thing.”

“Mine neither,” I admitted, surprising myself. “But my friend insisted I come. She said I needed to ‘experience life.’”

For the first time, his smirk softened into something closer to a smile. “Sounds like good advice.”

Something about the way he said it made my chest feel warm.

Just as I was about to say something else, one of his friends called his name. He glanced over his shoulder, then back at me.

“I’ve got to go,” he said, his tone regretful.

“Oh. Okay.”

He hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say more, but then he nodded and walked away.

I stood there, watching him disappear into the crowd, my heart pounding.

Jungkook.

The name felt like a secret, something precious I’d stumbled upon by chance.

And for the first time in a long while, I found myself wondering if fate had a plan for me after all.

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