Chapter 1: Bound Since Birth

The grand chandelier in the Jeon family mansion glittered like stars, casting soft light on the floor where two toddlers were tangled together, laughing as they rolled on the carpet. One had a quiet aura, dark eyes full of wonder and an easy smile that rarely left his lips. The other was fire—unruly brown curls, a bruised knee from climbing the garden wall, and the sharpest baby teeth you’d ever seen.

That was how their story began.

Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook—names spoken in the same breath since the day their fathers shook hands and merged companies. They were the heirs to a business empire and, unknowingly, to each other’s hearts.

Even at the age of four, Taehyung had taken it upon himself to guard Jungkook like a dragon over treasure. When Jungkook cried, Taehyung bit the shins of the one responsible. When Jungkook laughed, Taehyung glowed. They were inseparable—Taehyung the chaos, Jungkook the calm.

The years passed. Their playdates turned into sleepovers, then shared tutoring sessions. While other kids ran wild, they remained in their own world, built on whispered secrets and fierce stares no one else dared interrupt.

By middle school, Taehyung’s reputation had already begun to harden.

"He's unhinged," someone whispered in the hall. "Don't even look at him."

"He sent a kid to the nurse for borrowing his pencil without asking."

And yet, Jeon Jungkook walked beside him every day. Quiet, composed, always with a book under his arm or a pair of earbuds tucked in. He would smile politely to everyone but never linger long.

It wasn’t that Jungkook needed protection—he was smart, fast, and surprisingly good at martial arts. But it became clear that something shifted when Taehyung wasn't around. The predators of adolescence could smell vulnerability like blood in the water.

And one day, it all snapped.

It was a Tuesday.

The hallway outside the science lab was unusually empty. Jungkook had stayed back to finish his practical report. When he finally stepped out, he found himself cornered by three upperclassmen.

“Pretty boy’s always hiding behind Taehyung, huh?” one of them sneered, pushing Jungkook against the lockers.

“Let’s see what you’re really made of without your watchdog.”

Jungkook didn’t flinch. He stared straight ahead, clutching his notebook.

“I don’t want trouble,” he said softly. “Please move.”

That only made them laugh harder. One of them grabbed his bag and tossed it aside. The other reached to grab Jungkook’s shirt—

Crash!

The doors slammed open like thunder. A voice, low and venomous, echoed down the hallway.

“I dare you to touch him again.”

Taehyung.

Not the quiet, teasing Taehyung Jungkook knew when they were alone. This was a storm. A living, breathing storm.

He stalked forward with murder in his eyes. The first boy barely had time to blink before Taehyung’s fist connected with his face. Blood splattered across the lockers.

“Run,” the second one whispered, but it was too late. Taehyung was a blur—merciless, fast, wild. Jungkook’s name echoed between gritted teeth as he took them down one by one.

Jungkook watched in stunned silence. Not because Taehyung fought—he’d seen him fight before. But because in that moment, he realized something.

This wasn’t just friendship. This wasn’t just possessiveness. It was something darker, deeper, something that clawed at both of their hearts.

When the hallway was quiet again, Taehyung stood over the last groaning body, chest heaving.

Then he turned, and all that fury melted the moment his eyes met Jungkook’s.

“Did they hurt you?” he asked, voice barely a whisper.

Jungkook shook his head. “You didn’t have to go that far.”

“I did.”

And then, without thinking, Taehyung closed the space between them and cupped Jungkook’s face.

“I can’t breathe when I think of you getting hurt,” he said, raw and exposed. “I’d destroy the world before I let someone break you.”

Their faces were inches apart. Jungkook could feel Taehyung’s breath on his lips. His heart thudded violently in his chest.

“Tae…”

“I don’t care what this is anymore. Obsession. Love. Whatever. You’re mine.”

The air was thick between them. Something fragile snapped.

Jungkook leaned forward. Just a little.

And then Taehyung kissed him.

It wasn’t sweet or shy. It was desperate, angry, a declaration.

When they pulled apart, Jungkook whispered, “So… we’re doing this now?”

Taehyung smirked, the mischief returning to his eyes. “Hell yes, we are.”

That night, they returned home in silence. But under the stars, lying on the rooftop of Jungkook’s house, their fingers found each other.

“I guess I always knew,” Jungkook said. “I just didn’t know how much I needed you until today.”

Taehyung didn’t reply. He just kissed his knuckles and smiled.

Somewhere in the distance, a soft breeze blew through the city, carrying with it the promise of chaos, comedy, heartbreak—and love.

Their story had only just begun.

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