THE BRAT WHO BURNED MY CLAIM

...my sin ...

The city never slept, and neither did Victor. At twenty-one, he was already the kind of man people whispered about. Cold, sharp, unapproachable—yet impossible to ignore. He was a walking contradiction: the boy with anger issues who could crush you with a single glare, but who melted like butter when it came to one particular brat—Kim Taehyung.

Victor told himself many times he didn’t care. He didn’t need anyone. Possession and obsession weren’t his flaws—they were his instincts. And yet, the moment Taehyung stumbled into his life, smiling with those mischievous lips and daring eyes, his world tilted.

Taehyung was trouble. At twenty, he was everything Victor wasn’t—cute, sassy, loud, reckless, and so damn flirty that half the world hated him and the other half wanted to own him. But behind the sparkle in his voice and the playful roll of his eyes, Taehyung carried something darker. He hurt himself when no one was watching. He smiled too wide when his heart ached the most. And Victor noticed. Victor always noticed.

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The First Collision

The first time Victor and Taehyung met wasn’t a love story—it was a war.

It was at a late-night college party, the kind where music bled from the walls and the air stank of alcohol and smoke. Victor didn’t belong there, but his friend had dragged him out, insisting he needed a break. He was leaning against the wall, silent and detached, when he saw him.

Taehyung.

The boy was perched on the kitchen counter, swinging his legs, a mischievous smirk painted on his face as he teased anyone who dared approach. He was wearing ripped jeans, a loose shirt that slipped off one shoulder, and that infuriating confidence of someone who knew exactly how much attention he could demand.

Victor should have looked away. But he didn’t.

Instead, his dark gaze locked on the brat who licked his lips while holding a drink like it was an extension of his personality. Taehyung noticed, of course. He always noticed when someone was staring. With a dramatic sigh, he hopped off the counter and walked straight toward Victor.

“You look like you hate everyone here,” Taehyung teased, tilting his head. “Or maybe you’re just shy?”

Victor’s jaw tightened. “I don’t do parties.”

“Then why are you here?” Taehyung smirked, leaning in too close. His perfume was sweet but sharp, clashing with Victor’s calm. “Looking for someone? Or just standing around being mysterious?”

Victor hated how his pulse quickened. “You talk too much.”

“And you stare too much,” Taehyung shot back, eyes gleaming. “Not that I mind. You’re hot. Dark and scary… my type.”

Victor should have walked away. But Taehyung had already found the crack in his armor.

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Obsession is Born

Victor tried to forget about him. Tried to pretend that brat didn’t get under his skin. But fate wasn’t kind.

A week later, he saw Taehyung again—this time sitting on the steps outside campus, scribbling in a notebook with headphones on. The playful boy from the party was gone; this version looked soft, fragile, almost… lonely.

Victor hated how much he wanted to sit beside him.

He didn’t. Instead, he stood there, silently watching until Taehyung noticed. The brat pulled his headphones down and smirked.

“Are you following me now?”

Victor scowled. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

But Taehyung’s grin only widened. “Mhm. Sure. The big scary boy just happens to be everywhere I am? Sounds like stalking, pretty boy.”

Victor’s hand twitched. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? You’re pretty,” Taehyung teased, eyes sparkling. “But I bet you hate compliments. Let me guess—you prefer control, don’t you? Someone obedient, someone who won’t talk back?”

Victor stepped closer, his voice low, dangerous. “You should be careful who you provoke.”

Taehyung only licked his lips, whispering, “Or what? You’ll punish me?”

Something inside Victor snapped that day. That brat had no idea the kind of monster he was poking. And yet, instead of walking away, Victor felt his obsession coil tighter.

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The Breaking Point

Days turned into weeks, and somehow, Victor and Taehyung kept colliding. Sometimes at class, sometimes at the café near campus, sometimes in the most inconvenient corners of the city. Each time, Taehyung pushed, and Victor pulled back—until one evening when things exploded.

Victor had found Taehyung in the back alley behind a bar, sitting on the ground with scraped knuckles and bloodied lip. He’d been in a fight.

“Are you insane?” Victor barked, kneeling in front of him.

Taehyung smirked despite the blood. “Relax, Daddy. I’m fine.”

Victor’s hands clenched. “Don’t joke about this.”

“Why not? It’s fun watching you worry.” Taehyung tilted his head, his voice softening for once. “Why do you care, anyway?”

Because you’re mine. The words nearly slipped out, but Victor swallowed them.

Instead, he grabbed Taehyung’s wrist, noticing the faint scars that peeked from under his sleeve. His chest tightened. “What the hell is this?”

Taehyung froze. For a moment, his bratty mask cracked. “Nothing.”

Victor’s anger flared. “Don’t lie to me.”

Taehyung yanked his arm back, eyes flashing. “Why do you care? You don’t own me, Victor. You don’t get to demand answers.”

But Victor’s voice was a low growl, possessive and raw. “I do care. More than I should. And if you think I’m going to let you destroy yourself, you’re wrong.”

Taehyung’s lips parted, a mix of defiance and something softer flickering in his gaze. “You’re obsessed with me.”

Victor leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching. “Damn right I am. And you better get used to it, because you’re not running away from me.”

For the first time, Taehyung didn’t fight back. He just whispered, “Then catch me, Victor. Because I like making you burn.”

And that was the beginning. The spark that would ignite a fire neither of them could put out.

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