chapter 9
It had been almost 20 days since Kook and Taehyung started talking to each other through their usernames, *Bunny_the_butterfly* and *Winter_Bear*, respectively. Their chats had become a comforting routine for both of them, with each day feeling a little brighter because of the other’s messages. Kook had continued writing her story on Mangatoon, and Taehyung had been reading along, providing encouragement and compliments. The bond they shared, though still confined to online chats, was growing deeper with every exchange.
Today, though, something was different.
Kook had just updated her story, and as usual, Taehyung opened her phone after a long day of shooting. She sat back, scrolling through her feed on Mangatoon, her finger lazily tapping the screen until she reached Kook’s latest update. She clicked it and started reading.
Kook’s character in the story had been getting close to another character—an unexpected love interest who had been introduced a few chapters ago. But today, as Taehyung read through Kook’s newest chapter, she froze at a particular line.
**Kook’s story:**
_"As the sunset bathed the room in a warm glow, Lila felt her heart race. She glanced at the man across from her, the one she had known for so long but had never seen in this light. 'I can’t deny it anymore,' Lila whispered, stepping closer, 'I've always admired you… more than you know.' Her fingers brushed his, sending an unexpected rush of electricity through her."_
Taehyung blinked. The words were bold, flirtatious, and...unexpected. There was something strangely familiar about the tone, something that made her stomach twist. She had read many flirtatious exchanges in stories before, but this felt different. Lila, Kook’s character, had always been portrayed as shy, innocent, and thoughtful, much like Kook herself.
And yet now, Kook had written this bold, confident declaration of affection—one that felt almost too personal. The way Lila spoke to the love interest seemed to mirror the way Kook spoke to her.
Taehyung’s heart rate picked up, but she quickly pushed the feeling aside. It was just a story, right? Nothing more. But still, a part of her couldn't help but feel a little...off. She didn’t know why, but there was something that felt too real about Kook’s words. As she scrolled through the comments, she saw Kook’s message to her in their private chat.
@bunny_the_butterfly ( kook)
How do you think about my story today?
@bunny_the_butterfly ( kook)
I might have gotten a little carried away with Lila’s character, but I think she deserves some love.
Taehyung’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t that. Her fingers hesitated over her phone screen. She wanted to reply, to say something encouraging and supportive, as she always did. But today, she felt... uncomfortable. It was like Kook had crossed a line, even though she had done nothing wrong.
The fluttering in Taehyung’s chest only deepened. Her hand gripped the phone tightly. Was it jealousy? Was that what she was feeling?
No. No, that didn’t make sense. She was just a friend, a fellow writer encouraging another. That was all.
But as she thought about it, she realized that she didn’t like how easily Kook was flirting with the character in her story. It wasn’t like the usual banter they shared. Kook had never talked like this with her, not directly, but the way she had written those lines about Lila—Taehyung couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a reflection of how Kook might see her. Taehyung could never allow herself to be something more to Kook. She had always considered their relationship one built on friendship and creativity, nothing more. Yet, this strange, possessive feeling was gnawing at her.
After a long moment of hesitation, Taehyung typed out a response.
@winter_bear ( tae)
Hmm, it’s a good story… Lila’s pretty bold, huh? Almost like someone I know.
Her fingers hovered over the screen, and then she added more, trying to push down the discomfort.
@winter_bear ( tae)
But just remember, Lila's character should be careful about how she’s coming on to him.
@winter_bear ( tae)
Sometimes, words can mean more than we intend, right?
Taehyung hit send before she could second-guess herself. There. That should be enough. She was just giving advice. Kook was a good writer, but maybe it was time for her to think twice about how far she was pushing Lila’s relationships.
Taehyung stared at the screen, waiting for Kook’s reply. Her mind raced as she fought to keep her feelings in check. *What was this?* Why did she care so much about a fictional character?
Meanwhile, on Kook’s side, she had just put her phone down after updating her story, feeling a sense of pride in the new chapter. She never imagined that writing a bit of flirtation between Lila and her love interest would cause this kind of reaction. But as soon as she opened her messages and saw the reply from *Winter_Bear*, her stomach tightened.
@winter_bear ( tae)
Hmm, it’s a good story… Lila’s pretty bold, huh? Almost like someone I know.
@winter_bear ( tae)
But just remember, Lila's character should be careful about how she’s coming on to him. Sometimes, words can mean more than we intend, right?
Kook stared at the message for a moment, the words sinking in. Was Taehyung...scolding her? She frowned, not quite sure how to take it. She had never been scolded by *Winter Bear* before. After all, they were just friends—so why did she feel so embarrassed?
Kook had been teasing the character in her story, but she had never expected Taehyung to react this way. She wasn’t even flirting with her directly, right? But now that she thought about it, maybe the way she wrote Lila was too close to how she had been talking to Taehyung. Maybe Taehyung was reading too much into it.
@bunny_the_butterfly ( kook)
Oh no, did I go too far? 😅 I didn’t mean anything by it! Lila’s just… um, expressing herself.
@bunny_the_butterfly ( kook)
But thanks for the advice! I’ll tone it down a bit. I guess I got carried away, haha!
Kook didn’t know why, but there was something in her message that felt apologetic. She didn’t want to upset Taehyung, not now, not when they were getting along so well. But at the same time, the fact that Taehyung had been so serious about the flirting made her feel... strange. Was it because of the way they were connecting?
Taehyung read Kook’s reply and felt a little better. But something in her still bothered her. She leaned back against the couch, glancing at her phone, trying to decide whether she should say more.
The truth was, Taehyung didn’t want Kook to get too close to anyone else. Even though they hadn’t met in person and their connection was still only digital, it was starting to mean more than she cared to admit.
Kim taehyung
Maybe I’m just overthinking it,
She muttered to herself, pushing her phone aside.
But deep down, she knew something had shifted. Something had changed in the way she looked at Kook.
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