For the rest of the day, an even deeper chill seemed to radiate from Taehyung. His usual stoic expression had hardened, his brows permanently furrowed as if holding back a storm. His classmates noticed the shift, the icy aura pushing them away. Many simply assumed Jungkook had upset him at lunch, leading several girls to shoot accusatory glares at the oblivious boy.

Jungkook, however, possessed a remarkable resilience. He let the dirty looks roll right off him, his usual cheerful smile never quite leaving his face. He was used to being liked; being the object of quiet scorn was a new, but not yet defeating, experience. When the final bell finally rang, he saw his chance.

"Taehyung, wait up! Do you want to walk home together?" Jungkook called out, jogging to catch up, only to be met with the now-familiar, curt rejection.

"No."

Jungkook blinked, undeterred. "Why not? Our houses are right next to each other," he persisted, trying to match Taehyung's long, quick strides.

The physical distance between them was frustrating, but the emotional chasm was worse. Jungkook silently vowed that he would definitely grow taller than Taehyung, if only to close that gap.

Before he could press further, his friends' voices shouted from behind, "Kook! Let's go play basketball with the seniors!"

Jungkook paused and looked back at them, torn between his friends and his desire to reach out to Taehyung. "Ah, sorry, I can't today. I want to go home with—" he began, but when he turned back, Taehyung had already vanished, swallowed by the crowd of departing students.

Jungkook exhaled a sigh of frustration, his shoulders slumping.

One of his friends approached and clapped him on the back. "Hey, you should really stop bothering with that new kid. He clearly hates you—and everyone else. Did you see him today? He looked like someone harmed his family! I don't get why the girls like him so much when he's got such a bad attitude."

"So girls like boys with bad attitudes. Noted," another friend joked.

"If I start glaring at everyone, will people start to like me more?" a third teased.

"Nope, impossible!"

"Definitely impossible?"

"Haha, you'd just look like a constipated frog!"

Jungkook tried to smile, but the sting of Taehyung's constant rejection lingered. His friends noticed his downcast expression and quickly surrounded him, their teasing shifting to comfort.

"Hey, don't get so upset over it," one said, giving him a playful nudge. "You're pretty popular too! Especially with the seniors! Look at those big, round eyes! So cute! You wouldn't lose to some new kid!"

"Agreed!"

"Our little Kook is always the cutest!"

They began to pinch and pull at Jungkook's cheeks, loving the softness of his skin. Jungkook barely registered their antics, lost in thought as he tried to puzzle out why Taehyung had grown so cold. They'd had fun in his room, shared a meal, exchanged birthday information—a sign of trust, or so Jungkook had believed.

So why was he being pushed away?

Eventually, his friends managed to drag him to the basketball court, though his mind wasn't fully in the game.

Meanwhile, Taehyung rode the bus home alone, sitting at the back as students from other grades giggled and whispered, captivated by his striking looks. Even older students stared, though Taehyung seemed utterly oblivious. He was a master at ignoring people, and after a few failed attempts at conversation, the girls retreated, feeling humiliated.

When he arrived home, his mother greeted him in the living room, pulling him into a warm embrace. "Welcome back! How was your first day? Did you talk with Jungkook?"

"Yes," Taehyung mumbled, nodding slightly.

"Wonderful! And did you make other new friends?" Mrs. Kim pressed, her tone hopeful.

Not wanting to worry her or endure a well-meaning lecture on socializing, Taehyung gave another silent nod. Mrs. Kim's smile widened, satisfied, and she sent him upstairs to shower.

After showering, Taehyung returned to his room, his gaze immediately falling on the superhero sticker stuck to his lamp. He frowned, the memory of his harshness towards Jungkook at school today gnawing at him. A wave of guilt urged him to tear the sticker off and be done with it. They weren't friends. That's what he kept telling himself.

Yet, his hand froze mid-air.

The image of Jungkook's bright, earnest smile flashed in his mind—the way his eyes seemed to sparkle with genuine warmth whenever he looked at him. Could he really be that cold-hearted?

His mind screamed at him to stay away, to avoid the devastating pain that trust could bring. But his heart ached with a confusing desire for the connection Jungkook so freely offered. He felt hopelessly trapped between the terrifying desire for a friend and the desperate need to protect himself.

Shaking his head, Taehyung tried to dismiss the thoughts and focused on his homework. Though he didn't have his textbooks yet, he'd paid close attention in class and completed his assignments without issue.

As the sun began to set, painting his room in orange hues, he put his work away. The doorbell rang downstairs.

"I'll get it!" his mother called from the living room, so Taehyung ignored the sound and climbed into bed. He picked up his current book, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

The story resonated with him deeply, its themes of friendship, imagination, and profound loss echoing his own fears and secret longings. He felt a kinship with Jess, who built a secret world to escape a reality that felt too harsh.

He planned to read a few pages before helping his mother prepare dinner, but he had barely read more than two sentences when a knock sounded at his door.

"Come in—" he began, but the door was already swinging open. Taehyung's eyes widened in shock as Jungkook burst into his sanctuary, his face glowing with excitement and his clothes damp with sweat from his game. Jungkook's eyes scanned the room—the meticulously arranged books, the pristine surfaces, the perfect order—a world away from his own chaotic space.

"Wow, your room is seriously so clean!" Jungkook exclaimed, his voice full of awe. "There isn't even a speck of dust! How do you keep it so nice? Can you show me? My mom keeps yelling at me to clean my room. Please teach me! I'll even call you 'teacher' from now on!"

Taehyung's irritation flared instantly. "Why are you here?" he asked, his tone sharp as he placed the book onto the bed.

"Come on, don't be so cold! I might not look like it, but my feelings get hurt too!" Jungkook pouted, inching closer. He smelled of sweat and outdoor air.

"I was playing basketball earlier, but I couldn't stop thinking about you," Jungkook confessed, his voice softening with an earnestness that was hard to ignore. "I couldn't let the day end with you being mad at me. I mean, I don't even know if you are mad, but I was scared you might be! I wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise!"

"I'm not mad," Taehyung replied, pulling the book away from where Jungkook had plopped down on the bed. "You think too much."

"Huh? But I thought you were angry at me! You even went home without saying anything," Jungkook said, his head tilting in confusion. Then, a spark of hope lit up his eyes. "Wait... does this mean we're finally friends now?"

"No—" Taehyung began, his voice tight, but he was instantly cut off.

"Ah! That's my superhero sticker!" Jungkook's eyes widened with pure delight as he spotted the decal on the lamp. He scrambled off the bed to get a closer look, completely mesmerized. "You stuck it on your lamp!"

Taehyung watched in sheer mortification, frozen on his bed. He wanted to yell, to stop him, but he was paralyzed by a hot wave of embarrassment.

"See! You kept it! That means we are friends!" Jungkook declared, spinning around with a triumphant grin. "Come on, stop being so cold! You owe me a hug!"

Before Taehyung could process the movement, Jungkook launched himself forward, wrapping him in a tight, sweaty embrace. Taehyung struggled, pushing hard against Jungkook's chest, but the older boy's grip was surprisingly strong, his weight effectively pinning Taehyung to the bed.

"Stop it!" Taehyung shouted, his voice cracking with frustration and disgust at the feel of damp fabric against his skin.

Jungkook just laughed, nuzzling his nose into Taehyung's hair. "Hey! Your hair is so soft! I've wanted to touch it since the first day! It bounces when you move your head!" He took a deep, dramatic whiff. "It smells like grapes! What shampoo do you use? I need my mom to get that for me too! We should hug more so I can smell it every day!"

"Jeon Jungkook!" Taehyung finally snapped, his face burning.

Jungkook's heart soared at the sound of his name leaving Taehyung's lips for the first time. Even though it was laced with anger, the thrill of it made him happy. "Say it again!" he urged, his grin widening.

"You're crazy!" Taehyung shouted, his cheeks flushing a deep red from both anger and helplessness.

"I'm not! I just want to hear you say my name again! Please?" Jungkook pouted, putting on his best pleading face.

"No!"

"Pleeeeease?"

Jungkook knew he was pushing it, but any reaction was better than the icy silence. There was something about Taehyung that made him want to push his boundaries, to map the borders of his walls and look for a way in.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Mrs. Kim entered with a tray of drinks and cookies. Her face lit up at the sight of the two boys tangled together on the bed. "My, my, you two seem to be getting along well," she said, her voice warm with relief and hope.

Taehyung crossed his arms, scowling. "We are not!" he insisted as Jungkook finally, reluctantly, rolled off him.

Jungkook's eyes went round at the sight of the snacks. "Wow, these look amazing! Thank you, Mrs. Kim!" he beamed, his manners kicking in instantly.

"You're very welcome, dear. Now, you two enjoy," she said, her eyes twinkling as she left the room. She felt a surge of gratitude seeing Jungkook's relentless affection. Maybe, just maybe, this boy could bring back the son she remembered.

Silence descended again, thicker now. Taehyung's frown was back, making it clear he was far from enjoying himself. Yet, Jungkook only found this more amusing, his desire to tease Taehyung growing stronger. Maybe to the point that he screams his name again.

For ten long minutes, Taehyung stubbornly ignored every sigh, every rustle, every attempt Jungkook made.

"You're really not gonna eat?" Jungkook asked when only one cookie remained. "They taste sooooo good."

Taehyung turned a page of his book, the sound deafening in its dismissal. Jungkook's patience thinned. His gaze drifted around the room, landing on a framed photo on the desk. It showed a younger Taehyung, his smile bright and carefree, squeezed between his smiling parents. The boy in that picture was a stranger to the one sitting stiffly on the bed with a serious, guarded expression he always wore now.

A sudden, profound sadness ached in Jungkook's chest for the friend who had lost that light in his eyes. He turned back, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "Hey... can you smile for me?"

Taehyung's hand froze mid-page-turn for a split second. He didn't look up, but his knuckles were white where he gripped the book.

Jungkook crawled to the edge of the bed. "Please? Just a little one? I'll give you another sticker if you do!"

"No," Taehyung muttered, his voice low.

Jungkook leaned back, wiggling his fingers dramatically. "Then I guess I'll have to make you smile! You're gonna regret this!"

Taehyung shot him a blank, unimpressed look before returning to his book. Fueled by a mix of frustration and determination, Jungkook licked the last cookie crumbs from his fingers.

"Yahhh! Prepare for the ultimate thousand-finger attack!" he shouted, launching himself at Taehyung and digging his fingers into his sides.

Taehyung burst into uncontrollable laughter, a sound so foreign and bright it seemed to startle even him. He flailed, trying to push Jungkook away, but he was utterly defenseless against the tickling assault. Tears streamed from his eyes as he gasped for air.

"St-stop! Sto-hop it! J-Jungko-hahaha!" he pleaded, his voice breaking with laughter.

It was the first time anyone had ever broken through his defenses so completely.

"Not until you surrender!" Jungkook grinned, thrilled by the victory of Taehyung's laughter.

In a desperate, surprising move, Taehyung summoned all his strength and flipped them over, pinning Jungkook down. Before Jungkook could process what was happening, Taehyung began tickling him back.

Jungkook's eyes widened in shock, then pure joy. He'd expected yelling, maybe even a punch. He never, ever dreamed Taehyung would play back. His own carefree laughter erupted, mixing with Taehyung's in the sunlit room.

"Puh-please! Mercy! I surrender!" Jungkook cried, squirming as Taehyung even targeted the soles of his feet. However, Taehyung was not as forgiving as he thought. "I-I'll pee my pants if you don't stop! I swear!"

The words broke the spell. Taehyung scrambled off him as if burned, the laughter dying in his throat. The sudden return to reality, the memory of what it felt like to be so open and careless, was a physical pain. He retreated into himself, the walls slamming back down.

Jungkook lay on the bed, breathless, wiping happy tears from his eyes. His cheeks and stomach ached from laughing. "You know," he said, his voice soft and sincere, "your smile is really beautiful."

Taehyung stiffened. He didn't remember smiling except when forced by the tickling. He wanted to deny it, to erase the vulnerability.

But Jungkook sat up, his eyes shining with a new kind of determination. "I like it when you smile. You look way better that way. So I've decided! It's my new mission to make you smile every day!"

Taehyung's heart hammered against his ribs. A part of him desperately wanted to trust Jungkook, to believe that this friendship could bring him smiles and laughters. But fear, old and deep, clenched its fist around his heart. He shook his head. "Ridiculous. I didn't smile."

"You did! I saw it!" Jungkook insisted. "When you were tickling me! We were having so much fun!"

Had he? The doubt was terrifying. Even if he had, it didn't mean anything, he told himself. It was just a reaction, not a sign of happiness or connection.

Suddenly, Jungkook pulled another sticker from his pocket and pressed it onto Taehyung's lips. Taehyung reached up to rip it off, but Jungkook caught his wrist.

"It's a sticker in exchange for your smile!" Jungkook said, his grin turning mischievous. "You have to keep it safe. I'll be doing spot-checks in the future. If it's gone... you know what happens." He wiggled his fingers threateningly.

Taehyung just frowned, unsure of how to respond.

"Alright, I gotta go before my mom thinks I ran away from home! See you in class tomorrow!" Jungkook chirped, hopping off the bed and skipping to the door. He turned back to wave wildly at Taehyung, who remained silent but was watching him. Despite the lack of response, Jungkook was still elated as he left.

Once alone, Taehyung carefully peeled the sticker from his lips and pasted it onto the lamp. He looked at the two stickers side-by-side—a small, bright cluster of chaos on his perfectly ordered surface.

A faint, undeniable smile touched his lips, just for a second.

"He's so loud and unbelievable..." he murmured to himself, but the words held no sting.