Episode 1

Episode One: The Hunter and the Hunted

The night was thick with the scent of rain, the neon lights reflecting off the wet pavement like shattered fragments of color. Jungkook pulled his hood lower over his face, blending into the late-night crowd. His breath was steady, his pulse controlled. He had done this so many times before that it was second nature—watch, follow, disappear.

But this time was different.

Because Taehyung was leading him.

Jungkook had spent weeks believing he was the one in control, the one stalking from the shadows. He had memorized Taehyung’s habits, the rhythm of his days, the places he frequented. It had become a dangerous thrill, watching him without being seen.

And then last night happened.

That message. That voice behind him.

"I was wondering how long you’d keep this up."

The words still echoed in Jungkook’s head, sending a sharp rush of heat and unease through his body. Taehyung had known. The entire time. And instead of confronting him, he had played along, letting Jungkook believe he was unseen, only to turn the game around when he least expected it.

Now, for the first time, Jungkook wasn’t sure who was chasing whom.

He watched from a distance as Taehyung entered a quiet jazz bar tucked between dimly lit alleys. It was small, intimate—the kind of place that made Jungkook’s skin prickle with awareness. If this was a trap, it was a well-set one.

Jungkook hesitated only a second before pushing open the door.

The air inside was warm, laced with the rich scent of whiskey and something slow, smooth—a saxophone crooning in the background. Taehyung was already seated in a booth near the back, one arm draped lazily over the velvet seat, a drink in his other hand. His gaze lifted the second Jungkook stepped inside, and a slow, knowing smile curved his lips.

Jungkook swallowed hard.

There was no point pretending anymore.

He moved toward Taehyung’s table, his legs feeling heavier with each step. He hadn’t been invited, but somehow, he knew Taehyung had been expecting him.

"Sit," Taehyung murmured, his voice like velvet, thick with amusement.

Jungkook didn’t argue. He slid into the seat across from him, heart pounding in his throat. Up close, Taehyung was even more dangerous—sharp jawline, dark eyes that gleamed under the dim lighting. He was too beautiful. Too unreadable.

Too in control.

Taehyung tilted his head, watching him like a cat with a trapped bird. "Tell me," he mused, taking a sip of his drink. "Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you?"

Jungkook clenched his jaw. He should have walked away. Should have lied. But under Taehyung’s gaze, every carefully built wall inside him felt like it was crumbling.

"I thought I was careful," he admitted.

Taehyung chuckled, low and deep. "You were." He set his glass down, leaning in slightly. "But I was waiting for you."

Jungkook's breath hitched.

Taehyung's fingers trailed along the edge of his glass, slow, deliberate. "The real question is," he murmured, "why did you follow me?"

Jungkook couldn't answer. Not truthfully. Not without exposing something dangerous—something Taehyung already seemed to know.

The tension between them was suffocating, thick and charged, pulling Jungkook into something he wasn’t sure he could escape from.

And then, Taehyung smiled again, this time softer, more dangerous.

"You're already trapped, Jungkook," he whispered. "So tell me… what are you going to do about it?"

Jungkook exhaled slowly, his fingers curling against his knee.

He had followed Taehyung for weeks, convinced he was the one hunting.

But now, as Taehyung leaned back, watching him with that quiet, knowing confidence, Jungkook realized the truth.

He had been the prey all along.