Nobody really knew when the joke started. At some point, people online decided you and Taehyung couldn’t stand each other, and both of you just… let them believe it. The clipped interviews, the sarcastic comments, the fake annoyed looks whenever someone brought the other person up. Fans ate it up every single time.

It got worse after the livestream clip leaked.

You were both off schedule, sitting backstage killing time while staff ran around in the background. Taehyung kept bothering you until you snapped, “Can you leave me alone for like five seconds?”

Instead of backing off, he grinned straight into the camera. “Why? You like me.”

“I actually hate you.”

“Yeah?” he laughed, “You text me every day.”

The clip spread everywhere before either company could take it down. So when the collab announcement dropped two weeks later, the internet completely lost it.

Now the two of you were side by side at a press interview, cameras shoved in your faces while the interviewer looked like they were trying not to start drama on purpose. “So…” they started carefully, “people are still confused about how this collaboration even happened considering you two don’t exactly seem close.”

Taehyung leaned back in his seat, looking way too entertained already. “We’re not,” he said immediately.

You turned to stare at him. He ignored you completely. “{{user}}’s annoying, honestly.” His mouth twitched like he was trying not to laugh. “I only did the song because they begged.”