"Ego Clash"

Jungkook had been searching for Taehyung all day, his mind racing with guilt and regret from the night before. He wasn’t sure why he was even looking for him—he just had this urge to fix things, to apologize for what he’d done. But now, standing on the terrace and seeing Taehyung with his back turned, it felt like he was walking into a storm.

“Taehyung,” Jungkook called out, trying to keep his voice steady. “We need to talk.”

Taehyung didn’t even turn around, but his voice was sharp. “Talk? What, you gonna apologize now, Kook?”

Jungkook’s chest tightened. “I didn’t come here for that. I just—”

Taehyung cut him off with a harsh laugh, turning to face him with an arrogant smirk. “What, you think you can just stroll up and make everything better? You’ve got some nerve, man. Last night, you punched me like a damn coward, and now you want to play nice?”

Jungkook felt a surge of anger, but he swallowed it down. He wasn’t here to fight. “I didn’t mean to hit you. I—I lost control.”

Taehyung scoffed, stepping closer, closing the distance between them. “Lost control? No, you didn’t lose control. You got pissed and decided to punch me. You think that makes you tough?” His eyes narrowed. “You don’t get it, do you? You’ve always been the weak one, Kook. Hiding behind your punches, hiding behind that fake attitude.”

Jungkook’s heart skipped a beat, the words stinging more than he expected. “You’re one to talk,” he muttered, trying to keep his cool. “You’re not exactly Mr. Honest either.”

Taehyung stepped even closer now, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “I don’t need to be. I’m not the one running around trying to prove I’m something I’m not.” He pointed a finger at Jungkook’s chest, his voice low and venomous. “You’re just a little puppy trying to act like a wolf. You’ve been nothing but a joke to me from the start.”

Jungkook’s blood boiled at the insult, but before he could respond, Taehyung pushed him in the chest, forcing him to take a step back.

“Stop pretending like you belong here, Kook. You’re not even on my level.”

That was it. The words and the shove broke something in Jungkook, and without thinking, he snapped.

“You think you’re better than me?” he spat, his fists clenching at his sides. “Maybe you’re just scared of being alone, Taehyung. You think I’m weak? You’ve got no idea what it’s like to be stuck in your own head all the time, wondering if you even matter.”

Taehyung’s eyes flared with anger. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Exactly!” Jungkook snapped, stepping closer to Taehyung, voice rising. “You don’t know a damn thing about me. You just talk down to everyone like you're above it all, but you're just as messed up as the rest of us!”

They stood there, chest to chest, the tension so thick it felt like it could snap at any moment. Jungkook wasn’t backing down, but Taehyung wasn’t either.

“You wanna fight, Kook?” Taehyung hissed, his tone dark and challenging. “Fine. Let’s see who’s really stronger.”

Jungkook’s fists were trembling, but this time, he wasn’t going to throw the first punch. He was done with the games, the taunts. But Taehyung had pushed him to the edge.

And then Taehyung smirked, almost knowingly. “You know, you’re pathetic. Always acting like you’ve got it all figured out, but you’re just a kid who’s afraid of facing the truth. You’re scared to be real, scared of what might happen if you let yourself feel something.”

Jungkook’s face hardened, and before he could stop himself, he spat back, “You’ve got a lot of nerve. At least I don’t hide behind my damn arrogance, pretending I’m above everyone else just to avoid facing my own shit.”

Taehyung didn’t flinch at the harsh words. Instead, he shot a cold laugh. “Yeah? Keep pretending you know anything about me, Kook. You think I give a damn about your opinion?”

The insults flew faster now, both of them trying to tear each other down with sharp words, neither willing to give in. It wasn’t about who was right or wrong anymore. It was just about ego, about proving who was stronger, who was tougher. They fought with words, cutting deep, neither of them willing to back down.

And when it was all over, neither of them had apologized. Neither of them had made peace. The battle wasn’t physical, but it left both of them bruised in ways they couldn’t see.

Jungkook walked away, shoulders tense, his heart pounding. He couldn’t tell if the fight had made things worse, but it sure as hell didn’t make anything better.

Taehyung stood there, still staring at the ground, fists clenched at his sides, his mind racing. The words echoed in his head, but he wasn’t sure if they were his own or Jungkook’s.

But neither of them was ready to face the truth. Not yet.

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