Chapter 4 – Rivals in Smoke

The room smelled of cigar smoke and expensive cologne. Crystal glasses clinked, papers shuffled, and the sound of muffled laughter from old men filled the long table where the city’s most feared bosses sat. It wasn’t just a meeting—it was a battlefield disguised in suits and silk ties.

Taehyung leaned back in his chair, silent, a glass of whiskey untouched in front of him. His sharp jawline caught the golden light from the chandelier, but his eyes… cold, unreadable, like shards of ice. He didn’t speak much in these meetings. He didn’t need to. Presence alone was enough.

Then, the double doors opened.

Jeon Jungkook walked in.

The air shifted instantly, thick with tension. Every head turned, some men straightening nervously, others smirking like they enjoyed the show. Jungkook’s steps were calm, too calm, as if he owned the place already. His black suit fit perfectly, shoulders broad, eyes dark as night. A cigarette burned between his fingers, smoke trailing after him like a shadow.

And there it was—the moment.

Jungkook’s eyes met Taehyung’s across the room.

Neither flinched. Neither looked away. The rivalry was a storm sitting in silence, waiting for thunder.

“Ah, Jeon Jungkook,” one of the older bosses chuckled, breaking the silence. “We thought you wouldn’t show.”

Jungkook smirked, sliding into the empty chair across from Taehyung. “And miss the fun? Never.” His voice dripped with amusement, but his gaze never left Taehyung.

The other bosses began their talks—territory, money, the usual politics of blood and greed. But the true war was happening in the space between V and Jungkook. Every word spoken around the table felt like background noise compared to the heat of their silent exchange.

Taehyung finally moved, tilting his head slightly, lips curling into the faintest smirk. “You’re late,” he murmured, his deep voice steady, cutting through the chatter.

Jungkook blew out smoke, leaning back lazily. “I like making people wait. Especially you.”

Some of the men laughed nervously, sensing the bite under the words. Everyone here knew about their history—the deals gone wrong, the blood spilled, the hatred that grew like wildfire between them. And yet, something else simmered beneath the venom, something only they could feel.

Taehyung’s hand tightened slightly on the armrest, though his face stayed calm. “You should be careful, Jungkook. Playing with fire can get you burned.”

Jungkook leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, eyes narrowing. “Funny. I thought you liked the flames.”

The room seemed to shrink, air growing heavy. It wasn’t just anger lacing their words—it was tension, sharp and dangerous, but electric in a way no one else could understand.

One of the bosses cleared his throat, trying to drag attention back to business, but it was useless. Everyone was watching them.

Taehyung’s voice dropped lower, almost a whisper, but everyone heard it. “You think you can scare me?”

Jungkook’s lips curled into a dangerous smile. “No. I think I can destroy you.”

For a moment, silence.

Then, laughter. But not from Taehyung. Jungkook chuckled softly, shaking his head as if amused by the challenge. The sound was dark, mocking, but there was an edge in his eyes that betrayed something deeper—something unspoken.

The meeting continued, deals struck, papers signed. But nobody left that room thinking about money or power. They left whispering about the fire they had just witnessed—the kind of fire that could either burn the city down or light it up in ways no one expected.

And as the smoke cleared, Taehyung and Jungkook stood, eyes locked one last time before walking separate ways.

Enemies, rivals, maybe something more dangerous.

The war between them had only just begun.

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