I woke up late. My phone vibrated nonstop under my pillow. When I finally checked it, the first thing on the screen was my own face. Screenshots from last night's live flooded my feed. My laugh. Jungkook's smile. The tiny moment when our shoulders touched. Someone zoomed in on our knees touching. Someone slowed down the clip where we turned to look at each other at the same time.
Everywhere I scrolled, something about us waited.
I set my phone aside and stared at the ceiling.
A part of me felt nervous. The bigger part felt something else. Something steady. Something that told me we did not lose control of anything, no matter what the internet thought. I reached for my hoodie and stepped outside my room.
The dorm hallway was quiet. The smell of coffee drifted from the kitchen. I walked in and found Yoongi sitting at the counter. He had a mug in one hand and his tablet in the other. He looked up at me with a blank face.
"You two are trending."
I poured water into a glass.
"I saw."
He sipped his coffee.
"Not bad. The photo is flattering. Very romantic."
I coughed into my glass. Yoongi smirked like he enjoyed my reaction.
"You look peaceful today," he added.
I shrugged.
"It is loud outside. Quiet in here."
He nodded.
"That is how you know something matters."
Before I could answer, I heard footsteps. Jungkook walked in, hair messy, wearing a wide shirt that hung on him like he picked it without thinking. He met my eyes for one second. That one second was enough to slow the morning.
"Morning," he said, voice low from sleep.
I felt something warm in my chest.
"Morning."
Yoongi cut in.
"You two need to see something."
He slid his tablet toward us. It was a fan forum, filled with new posts.
"Taekook hallway photo, full breakdown."
"Hand touch analysis."
"Did they do a soft confirmation in the live?"
"Jungkook's eyes when Taehyung speaks."
Jungkook leaned closer, reading silently. A small smile formed on his lips.
"They notice everything."
I nudged him lightly.
"They have always been fast."
Yoongi closed the tab.
"Namjoon wants a group talk after lunch. Don't worry. He is not angry. He thinks we should control the narrative with our usual style."
Jungkook nodded.
"As in… laugh and continue existing."
"That's our brand," Yoongi replied.
The morning passed slow. Everyone woke up one by one. Hoseok danced into the living room. Jimin came out wearing sunglasses inside the house. Jin video-called us from another schedule. Namjoon went around collecting cups and complaining about the mess.
The dorm felt lively. Warm. Not tense.
After lunch, we gathered in the living room. The sunlight hit the floor in long lines. Namjoon started the meeting with a calm voice.
"Listen. The rumors are loud again, but it is not destructive. The reaction is mostly positive. Soft. Curious."
Jimin raised his hand.
"So… we continue like nothing happened?"
Namjoon nodded.
"Yes. No denial. No confirmation. No stress."
Hoseok turned to me.
"You feel okay?"
I nodded.
"It's fine."
Jungkook lifted his head.
"I feel fine too."
His voice was confident. Relaxed. The kind of tone that leaves no space for doubt.
Jimin looked between us with a thoughtful smile.
"Good. If you two are steady, the group stays steady."
The conversation shifted to other things. Workout plans. Studio schedules. A future trip idea. Jin's latest cooking obsession. Yoongi's new project. Taehyung's photography plans. Jimin's dance video. Jungkook's fitness livestream.
Everything felt like daily life.
Everything felt real and soft and connected.
Later in the evening, we all ended up in the living room again. This time with snacks, blankets, and a movie playing. Jungkook sat beside me, not too close, not too far. Enough to make the whole space feel warmed from one direction.
The group laughed at the movie. Jimin threw popcorn. Hoseok kept screaming at the plot. Yoongi complained but did not move. Namjoon fell asleep halfway through.
My shoulder brushed Jungkook's.
He didn't move away.
He stayed.
The leaked photo felt far away.
The storm online felt like background noise now.
Inside the dorm, everything slowed down. Everyone breathed the same calm air. The warmth stayed steady. The tension outside clicked down to something smaller.
Before the movie ended, Jungkook leaned slightly toward me and whispered, quiet enough that only I heard.
"We handled today well."
I whispered back.
"We are learning."
He smiled.
"It feels easy with you."
My chest tightened in a good way.
The movie lights flickered across his face.
He looked peaceful.
Grounded.
Ours.
I did not touch him.
He did not touch me.
But the space between us felt filled with something we both understood.
The world outside was loud.
Inside, the quiet felt safe.
And it was only going to grow.