|| CHAPTER - 36 ||

•| CHAPTER ~ 36 |•

•| The Fall Of Love |•

✿───❀  ♡  ❀───✿

Jungkook stood there, hands deep in his pockets, smirk tugging at his lips as he watched Taehyung walk away like a man who'd just had the ground ripped out from under his feet and honestly, that broken, betrayed look on Taehyung's face?

That was the best thing he'd seen all week.

The silence that followed felt awkward for anyone else maybe, but not for him. He breathed it in like it was fresh air. His gaze lingered on the spot Evie had been standing, and he almost laughed to himself.

God, that was too easy. A few twisted words, some well-timed appearances, a little nudge here and there and boom. They crumbled like paper.

All that love? Trust? Bullshit.

They didn't even put up a fight. They just fell apart like they were waiting for a reason. And him? He gave them one.

Just as he was still soaking in the delicious wreckage he helped create, he heard familiar footsteps behind him, and sure enough, there she was–Raven. Confidence and strutting like she owned.

"Well, well," Jungkook muttered as he turned to her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her close without missing a beat. "Did you come to witness your favorite villain at work, or are you just here because you missed me already?"

She gave him that look–the one she always did when she wasn't sure whether to slap him or make out with him. "Please. I'm just here to make sure your dumbass didn't fuck it up."

He laughed under his breath, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Fuck it up? Babe, I just served them a five-course meal of betrayal and heartbreak, and they swallowed every damn bite."

"You're unbelievable," she muttered, shaking her head. "I've never felt this evil in my life. Seriously, I should be in therapy after this shit. And it's all because of you."

He leaned in, voice low, like a secret. "I'll be your therapy, baby. Lay you down, fix your morals one night at a time."

She shoved him away, snorting, "Fuck off," but she didn't move far. That was always their thin crossing lines, then pretending they cared about them.

Then her tone changed, just a little more serious. "But hey... don't go too hard on Taehyung. Yeah, he was a prick to you, but your real beef's with Evie. Not him."

Jungkook narrowed his eyes, not because he was mad, but because it was funny hearing her say that. "Look at you, suddenly playing angel. What, you got a soft spot for him now?"

Raven crossed her arms. "No, but he's not the one who slapped you across the face in front of the whole damn college. That was her. She humiliated you. Taehyung? He just manipulated by her and go against you. He doesn't deserve the full wrath."

A short, dry laugh slipped out of Jungkook's throat. "You think I'm giving him the full wrath? Babe, that was a warm-up. But don't worry, I've got a little more patience saved up for Evie. She's gonna get every bit of what she deserves."

He leaned back against the wall casually, like they weren't discussing emotional warfare, and grinned like a man who enjoyed watching things burn.

"And come on," he continued, "you saw how easy it was. Taehyung didn't even ask questions. Just believed every fucking thing I said and I portrayed like some dumb. Pathetic. And Evie? God, she's even worse. All it took was a few words and scene and she's crying, falling apart, and doubting her pretty boyfriend."

He scoffed again, lips curling with mock pity. "They didn't even trust each other. That's the sad part. All that love talk and they didn't even try to fight for it. Both dumb as shit—perfect match, really."

Raven laughed a little under her breath, but she still side-eyed him. "You're gonna rot in hell, you know that?"

He winked. "Baby, I'll save you a seat."

She shook her head, then stepped back slightly, glancing around the area. "Careful. Parents and students around. Don't need someone recording your dirty little monologue for tomorrow's gossip bulletin."

Jungkook made a show of glancing around. "Right, right. Public image,' he said sarcastically. "God forbid someone sees me being a bad influence."

Raven rolled her eyes, already walking away. "Shut up and come on."

He followed behind her, still grinning, still high off the wreckage. The only thing better than watching them fall apart would be watching what came next–when that little cute lovestory got ruined.

And he'd be there, front row.

Meanwhile,

The ceremony was nearly over by the time Evie quietly slipped back into the auditorium. The applause had already died down, and soft music played in the background as professors and students began to mingle.

Her eyes burned from crying, but she quickly wiped her face, forcing herself to keep walking as if nothing had happened. She felt like a ghost moving through the crowd  but. All the smiles around her made the weight inside her chest feel even heavier.

Her heart still throbbed with the words Taehyung had thrown at her not long ago.

"I was a fool to love you… to trust you."

She couldn't understand how things had come to this. What had she done to deserve such cruel words? He hadn't just broken her heart—he'd stomped on it like she was nothing.

The event for final-semester students had started outside, but Evie didn't want to go. She didn't want to pretend everything was fine. She did't want to see him laughing with others, pretending she didn't exist.

She made her way toward the back, where her father stood waiting with a proud smile on his face. As soon as he saw her, he opened his arms and pulled her into a warm hug.

"There she is, my brilliant girl," he said, his voice full of pride. "You did it, Evie. I saw you and your name being called on the top list. I'm so proud of you."

Evie gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Thanks, Dad… but I want to go home now."

Her father looked taken aback. "Go home? But the day just started. There's still food and pictures—don't you want to enjoy a little with your friends?”

She shook her head gently, eyes lowered. "I just… I'm tired. I don't feel like staying."

"Taehyung must be around, right? Why don't we wait and say goodbye properly?" he asked with a casual tone, still unaware of the storm she was holding in. To him, Taehyung was just her best friend. He didn't know how deep things had gone between them.

"I don't want to see him," she said before she could stop herself. Her father's brows furrowed, confused by her tone, but she quickly added, "Please, Dad. Can we just go?"

He paused for a long moment, studying her face. The sparkle in her eyes was gone. She looked pale, tired, and hurt. And even though she wasn't saying much, he could feel something was wrong. Still, he didn't push.

"Alright," he said softly. "Let's go."

Just as they turned to leave, a voice behind them made her freeze.

'Sir."

It was Jungkook.

He walked in casually, his posture confident, dressed like the perfect student. He approached with an easy smile, eyes flickering briefly to Evie before focusing on her father.

"Congratulations, sir. Evie did really well. She's one of the brightest in the class–you must be proud."

Her father smiled politely, clearly flattered by the gesture. "Thank you, son. You've done well too. Every student works hard in their own way–it's not easy."

Jungkook gave a small shrug, his expression modest. "It was just an average score."

But Evie's father shook his head with a kind smile. "Still, effort counts more than marks sometimes. You're doing good. That matters."

Jungkook's eyes briefly flicked to Evie, lingering on her face with a hint of something unreadable. A subtle smirk tugged at his lips before he turned back to her father. "I'm honestly grateful to have a friend like Evie. She's incredibly smart–one of the brightest students in the whole college. She deserves every bit of this success."

Unaware of the silent tension between them, Evie's father beamed with pride. "That's very sweet of you to say. You seem like a good boy, and I'm glad you're friends with my daughter. It's always good to see young people supporting each other."

Before Jungkook could could respond, Evie stepped forward, eyes cold.

"Stop pretending."

Jungkook's smile faltered just a little, but he kept his calm expression. Her father looked at her, startled.

"You can play this nice act in front of everyone else," she said, her voice shaking with emotion, "but not in front of me."

She shoved him back slightly. She couldn't take his fake bullshit anymore.

Her father was stunned. "Evie! What is wrong with you?" he asked, his voice filled with concern and confusion.

But she didn't answer. She didn't owe anyone an explanation anymore. She just grabbed her father's hand and said, "Let's go."

And for once, he didn't argue. He looked at Jungkook once, then at his daughter and without a word, walked out with her.

Evie didn't look back. She couldn't.

Evie reached home just as the sky had turned into darkness. The city lights flickered outside, but inside, the house felt heavy and quiet. Her father had asked her multiple times on the way back why she suddenly wanted to leave the ceremony, what had happened, but she gave him nothing more than a vague shrug and a half-hearted smile.

She didn't have the strength to talk about it–not yet.

Hours had passed since then. Her father was asleep in his room now, the house dim and still. Evie sat alone in the living room, curled up on the couch with her knees pulled close to her chest. The silence around her only made her thoughts louder. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop her mind from going back to Taehyung.

Everything he said.

Everything he didn't.

His words echoed in her head like they had been carved into her. "I was a fool to love you." That single sentence kept playing again and again. She tried to breathe through it, tried not to cry but her eyes welled up regardless. The sting in her chest hadn't dulled.

She wiped her face quickly, not wanting to cry again. Not tonight.

It was late. But Evie didn't feel sleepy. She just sat there in the half-lit room, lost in thought, staring at nothing.

The–a knock.

Soft, but sharp enough to grab her attention.

She blinked and sat up straighter. The knock came again, just once, like someone didn't want to wake the whole house. Strangely, no one rang the bell.

Evie glanced at the hallway leading to her father's room. He was still asleep, thankfully. She felt a slight unease settle in her stomach.

Who would knock at this hour without ringing the bell?

Her brows furrowed as she stood, barefoot and cautious, walking slowly to the front door. She hesitated for a moment, her hand resting on the handle. Then, taking a quiet breath, she turned the lock and gently pulled the door open.

And the moment she did–her heart stopped.

Standing there in the dim porch light, as real as the ache in her chest.

The last person she expected.

There he was.

Taehyung.

Evie froze in place the moment their eyes met. For a second, her brain struggled to catch up with the reality standing on her doorstep. She hadn't expected to see him again–especially not tonight, and not like this.

He looked… different.

His usually calm, composed face was a mess of emotions–his eyes red and heavy, like he'd either been crying or hadn't slept in hours. His hair was tousled, his jaw tense, and the weight in his gaze felt heavier than anything she'd ever seen from him before. But what made her stomach twist with dread wasn't just the pain written all over his face—it was the distant smell of alcohol that floated in with him.

"Taehyung…?" her voice cracked as confusion swirled in her chest, "What are you doing here?"

Her words came out cautious, uncertain, as she stepped halfway behind the door, like trying to keep some distance between them. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he just stood there, his eyes locked on hers like he didn't hear her–like he wasn't even sure what he was doing himself.

"I need to talk to you," he said after a beat, his voice rough, low, like it had scraped through too much emotion.

Evie's brows drew together. She shook her head slowly, trying to make sense of what was happening. "You're drunk," she whispered, more to herself than to him, in pure disbelief.

Taehyung took a step forward and instinctively, Evie stepped back.

He followed.

Another step. Closer. The smell of alcohol became stronger.

"Taehyung, wait," she said, her voice rising slightly now, a mix of confusion, anger, and a growing sense of fear. "What are you even doing here? After everything you said to me–after how you made me feel–you're drunk and you come to my house?"

But he didn't stop.

Suddenly, his hands reached out firm enough and he pushed her gently backward.

Not out of aggression, but with a kind of emotional desperation that felt far more dangerous.

Evie stumbled back, the back of her shoulders hitting the wall beside the entrance. She gasped softly, not because it hurt, but because it was him. Because this wasn't like him. Because she knew Taehyung—and Taehyung never acted like this.

His hands pressed against the wall on either side of her, caging her in.

His head dipped slightly, his eyes locked onto hers with something unrecognizable in them–anger, heartbreak, regret… and something else that made her throat tighten.

Evie's breath hitched.

"Taehyung, stop," she said firmly, her voice trembling just slightly, both from the sudden closeness and the shock. "You're drunk. This isn't you."

But he didn't move back.

Taehyung's eyes burned into hers–haunted, bloodshot, and swimming with something raw and wounded. There was heartbreak in them, but something deeper too–like betrayal into every inch of his soul. His jaw was clenched tight, but his voice, when it came, trembled under the weight of emotion he wasn't even trying to hide.

"I am fine and I am not going…" he whispered, his breath unsteady as he pressed her further against the wall.

The wall was cold at her back, but the way his body boxed her in felt suffocating. She winced slightly at the force, not because he was hurting her, but because she'd never seen this version of him.

This wasn't the Taehyung she knew. And that scared her.

"Taehyung, you're not in your senses," Evie said quickly, her voice low but urgent. Her hands moved up to gently press against his chest, trying to create space between them. "You never drink–you told me you hate alcohol, that you'd never let yourself lose control like this. What happened to you?"

He didn't move.

Didn't budge an inch.

His breath hitched, his hands tightening against the wall behind her. He wasn't being violent, but there was something so intense about his stillness that it made her heart race in panic.

"Go home," she said again, this time firmer. "You're not okay right now. We'll talk later, when you're sober."

But Taehyung only shook his head, slowly. His voice came out harsher now, like he was fighting through every word. "No. I'm not leaving. I'm not drunk enough to forget what I want to say. I know what I'm doing."

"Taehyung, stop it!" she snapped, her voice finally cracking as she pushed at him more forcefully. "This isn't you. You're scaring me. My dad is home–he's sleeping in the next room. What if he hears us? It's the middle of the night–you can't be here like this!"

But Taehyung didn't care.

He just looked at her like the entire world had broken and she was the last piece he didn't know how to hold onto or let go of.

And still, he stood there, his body refusing to back away, his pain bleeding through every breath he took.

His face looked tired, but there was anger in every sharp breath he took. He leaned in just a little more, as if trying to trap her with both his words and presence, his hands still pressed on either side of the wall near her shoulders. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, but his words came out like poison.

"Stop pretending, Evie," he muttered, his tone cold and accusing. "This innocent act... these wide eyes, like you've done nothing wrong. It's not going to work on me anymore."

Evie was speechless and her body froze as her breath caught in her throat. She had no idea where this was coming from, what he even meant. He wasn't just angry–he was broken. But the way he was talking, the way he was looking at her, made her feel like he was seeing someone else in her place. Someone he hated.

"What... what are you even saying?" she whispered, her voice barely holding itself together. "Why are you talking like this? Taehyung, what happened to you?"

But he didn't stop. He was spiraling, and his voice became sharper.

"You pretend like you're so different from everyone else," he said bitterly. "Like you're better. Like you're some perfect girl who could never hurt anyone. But you're just like the rest. Maybe worse... because you hide it so well."

His words hit her harder than she expected.

They didn't make sense.

It was like he was accusing her of something, but she didn't know what.

She could feel the sting behind every word he spoke, and yet, she couldn't figure out what had pushed him to this point. The person standing in front of her was someone she barely recognized.

She swallowed hard, and her voice shook as she spoke. "Taehyung... you're not okay. You've never drunk like this before. You're not in your senses. Please… go home. We can talk later."

Still, she raised her hand slowly, gently reaching out to him–maybe to stop him, maybe to comfort him, or just to understand if he was really okay. But the moment her fingers got close, he harshly smacked her hand away.

"Don't," he snapped, his voice cold. "Don't touch me with your hands."

That rejection felt like a slap, not just to her hand but to her heart. She stared at him with wide, confused eyes, tears slowly forming at the corners, but she refused to let them fall.

She didn't know what she did to deserve this. She didn't even understand what he thought she had done.

But she knew this version of him–angry, drunk, and cruel–wasn't the Taehyung she knew.