Ch 4 : A Dangerous Game

[Present Day – University Cafeteria]

Taehyung had been avoiding Jungkook.

For the past few days, he changed his usual routine—taking different routes, sitting in the farthest corners of the lecture hall, and keeping conversations short when mutual friends were around. It was working. Or at least, he thought it was.

Until now.

Jimin and Hoseok had dragged him to the cafeteria for lunch, and just as he was about to take his first bite, a shadow loomed over their table.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Taehyung froze, gripping his chopsticks a little too tightly.

Jungkook.

Jimin, ever the social butterfly, grinned and gestured to the empty seat. “Of course! Sit.”

Taehyung wanted to strangle him.

Jungkook slid into the chair across from him, his gaze flickering to Taehyung with something unreadable in his eyes. “We meet again,” he said smoothly.

Taehyung forced a polite smile. “Yeah. Seems like it.”

Jungkook tilted his head. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Hoseok and Jimin paused mid-bite, their eyes darting between the two of them.

Taehyung kept his expression neutral. “Why would I do that?”

Jungkook shrugged, but his gaze was sharp. “That’s what I want to know.”

Silence stretched between them.

Taehyung could feel Jimin’s curiosity radiating off him, but he ignored it. He needed to shut this down before Jungkook’s interest grew any stronger.

“I think you’re overthinking it,” Taehyung said finally, returning to his food.

Jungkook hummed, but the smirk playing on his lips said he wasn’t convinced.

Taehyung should have left it at that.

But then Jungkook leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, eyes still locked on him.

“You remind me of someone,” Jungkook murmured.

Taehyung’s stomach dropped.

The cafeteria noise faded into the background as those words echoed in his head.

Jungkook didn’t remember their past lives. He never did. But every time, there was always a moment—when the familiarity started creeping in, when the connection became too strong to ignore.

This was that moment.

Taehyung forced a laugh, playing it off. “Must be my incredibly common face.”

Jungkook’s lips twitched. “You’re anything but common.”

Jimin made a noise, wiggling his eyebrows. “Are you flirting?”

Jungkook didn’t look away from Taehyung. “Would it be bad if I was?”

Taehyung felt a rush of panic. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He had planned to keep his distance, to let this life pass without getting tangled in Jungkook again.

But the universe had other plans.

He needed to put an end to this—before it was too late.

\[Flashback – A Past Life\]

The ballroom was alive with music and laughter, chandeliers casting golden light over the polished floors. Taehyung stood at the edge, his fingers curled around a delicate glass of wine.

He shouldn’t be here.

Not when the prince of this kingdom—his kingdom’s enemy—was watching him with dark, knowing eyes.

Jungkook stood across the room, dressed in royal blues and golds, his presence commanding despite the lively atmosphere around him.

Taehyung should have left the moment their eyes met.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he let Jungkook approach, let him take his hand and lead him onto the dance floor, let himself be swept into something he knew would only end in ruin.

“You shouldn’t trust me,” Taehyung whispered as they moved together, too close, too familiar.

Jungkook smirked, his grip tightening slightly. “Then why do you look at me like you want to?”

Taehyung’s breath caught.

He was right.

And it was going to destroy them both.

[Present Day]

Taehyung pressed his palms against the cold sink, staring at his reflection in the restroom mirror.

His heart was racing.

Jungkook was getting too close. If he didn’t do something soon, history would repeat itself.

And Taehyung didn’t think he could survive losing Jungkook again.

Not this time.

Not when he already knew how it would end.