Ch 4: The Game Begins

The private training hall of the Jeon estate was vast—high ceilings, reinforced walls, and every type of weapon imaginable displayed like trophies.

Taehyung stood in the center, stretching his limbs as Jae-hyun observed him with an unreadable expression.

Jungkook leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed, while Jungguk sat on the floor, chin resting on his palm, watching like a predator waiting for entertainment.

“I’ll start with an assessment,” Jae-hyun said. “Show me what you can do.”

Taehyung took a deep breath. This was important.

He couldn’t appear too weak—they’d never take him seriously. But he also couldn’t be too skilled—it would raise suspicions.

Carefully, he lunged forward with a basic attack. Jae-hyun dodged effortlessly, his sharp gaze analyzing every movement.

“Your form is sloppy.” Jae-hyun caught his wrist mid-punch and twisted it behind his back in a fluid motion. “You rely too much on instinct. That’s dangerous.”

Taehyung gritted his teeth. Dangerous? Try surviving ten years in an apocalypse.

But he swallowed his frustration. He needed this.

Jae-hyun let him go and stepped back. “We’ll start from the basics.”

Jungguk groaned. “Boring. Just throw him into a fight with me.”

“No.” Jae-hyun’s voice was firm. “He needs proper foundation.”

Taehyung smirked. “Afraid I’ll beat you, Jungguk?”

Jungguk’s grin widened. “Oh? You’re getting cocky now?”

Jungkook chuckled. “This is getting interesting.”

Jae-hyun ignored them, tossing Taehyung a wooden training dagger. “Again.”

For the next two hours, Taehyung trained.

He practiced dodging, footwork, and basic self-defense. Jae-hyun was brutal, correcting his every mistake with sharp precision.

Sweat dripped down Taehyung’s forehead, but he didn’t complain. He was making progress.

Jae-hyun finally called for a break, stepping back to grab a water bottle.

That’s when Jungguk pounced.

Taehyung barely had time to react before he was tackled to the ground.

“What the—?!”

Jungguk pinned his wrists above his head, grinning down at him. “Let’s test something.”

Jae-hyun sighed. “Jungguk, get off.”

Jungguk ignored him, eyes locked on Taehyung. “If this were a real fight, what would you do?”

Taehyung narrowed his eyes.

This wasn’t about training. Jungguk was testing him.

Fine.

He’d play along.

Taehyung abruptly bucked his hips up, twisting his legs around Jungguk’s waist in a way that sent them both rolling. Within seconds, he flipped their positions, now straddling Jungguk with his dagger pressed lightly against his throat.

The room fell silent.

Jungguk blinked up at him before—

He grinned.

“Well, well,” he purred, “didn’t know you liked being on top.”

Taehyung immediately shoved off of him. “Shut up.”

Jungkook was laughing, while Jae-hyun simply looked unimpressed.

Jungguk stretched lazily, smirking. “I like this new version of you. Feisty.”

Taehyung scowled. These brothers were insufferable.

But as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, he couldn’t help but smirk.

Step One: Strengthen Himself—Underway.

Later That Night

Taehyung sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling.