Tattoos & Temptations [Taekook]

22.Everything Beautiful Leaves

FLASHBACK

The hallway buzzed with the low murmur of after-lunch laziness, students dragging their feet and laughter echoing off the lockers. Jungkook moved with purpose, his headphones around his neck, black hoodie pulled halfway up his forearms. His eyes scanned the corridors with calm curiosity.

It was his first day at this school — not his first time being "the new kid," but this one felt different. Bigger somehow.

Room 2-07.

He stopped at the door, pushed it open without knocking, and walked in like he belonged there.

Heads turned. A few whispers.

And then—

There.

Back row, by the window. A boy was already watching him. Not subtly. Not politely. Just... watching him.

Their eyes locked.

And neither of them looked away.

Jungkook smirked first.

The other boy raised a brow. His mouth curved, slowly. Like he'd just found something—or someone—interesting for the first time in a while.

"You're new," he said before Jungkook could even sit.

"You're observant," Jungkook replied, dropping into the empty seat next to him, not bothering to ask if it was taken.

"Gyu," the boy said, still looking at him with the same unbothered intensity.

"Jungkook."

"Nice name."

"I know."

Gyu laughed under his breath, something warm and cocky flickering in his eyes. "You always this full of yourself?"

"Only when someone watches me like they wanna draw me naked."

Gyu blinked. Then grinned.

"You're not wrong," he said, tapping his pencil against a half-filled sketchbook. "But I prefer starting with your eyes."

Jungkook's smile widened. "So you have thought about it."

Gyu shrugged, unapologetic. "Wouldn't be the first time I've sketched someone who caught my eye."

"Wouldn't be the first time someone wanted to."

Their teacher walked in, and the room fell into a pretend hush. But the energy between them stayed hot, charged, like a wire left exposed.

________

The third-floor art room was empty, the sun hitting the stained-glass windows like melted gold. Gyu sat cross-legged on the floor, fingers smudged with charcoal, Jungkook sprawled beside him, back against the shelf, a candy stick poking out his mouth.

Jungkook stole a glance at Gyu, who was scribbling with a furrowed brow.

"You're pretty when you're mad at your sketch," Jungkook said.

Gyu threw a crumpled paper at him without looking.

"You always flirt this much?" Gyu muttered.

Jungkook grinned. "Only when I'm scared."

Gyu paused, glancing at him. "Scared?"

Jungkook met his eyes. "Yeah. Scared I'll like someone who's not ready to like me back."

The silence that followed was heavy — not with discomfort, but with weight. With something real. Something fragile.

"I've never liked anyone before," Gyu admitted, voice low. "Not like... like-like. And I don't know if I'm allowed to."