58 Now or Never

A month had gone by incredibly slow for Jin. Every passing second without Minji in his life was dreadful, but he still had to go on with life. He had gone back to work the day after being discharged and drowned himself with work. But even with piles of work being thrown on him, he couldn't stop missing Minji or thinking about her. He would go home and fall asleep every night crying to himself.

There was no letters, no visits, nothing.

In all the times that they've spent together when Jin was sightless, he never bothered to ask her for her phone number. He figured she would always be around him and keep her promise to him.

'Not just a nurse or a friend Jin, but I want to be your eyes too. So if you let me and don't let go of these hands, I'll never let go either. I promise.'

Jin lies awake on his bed with glistening eyes, staring blankly up at nothing in particular.

Every night was the same old routine after a hectic day at work. He would come home late and then shower. Next, with nothing to eat, he would lay on his bed and stare at his ceiling as the time slowly passes.

'...but I want to be your eyes too.'

He would remember her promise and close both his eyes while reaching his right hand up toward the ceiling, hoping that Minji would magically appear and take his long-forgotten hand. Maybe she'll walk through the door and snuggle with him in bed like how they used to. Maybe, just maybe with his eyes closed he would feel her presence near him.

But he felt nothing. Nothing but emptiness and loneliness. Yes, every night was the same.

'...if you let me and don't let go of these hands, I'll never let go either. I promise.'

Minji had really left him alone. She broke her promise. She had let go when he was still desperately waiting for her to take his extended hand.

And like any other night, with that thought being the last to enter and linger in his mind, he would break into a painful cry. He grabs his unused pillow and muffled his wailing into the pillow before eventually falling asleep for the night.

**********

"What are you doing here again Taehyung!?"

"I told you, I want to take you out to dinner," Taehyung answered Haeun with a flirty grin.

She turns to look at him with her usual death glare while her hands landed on her hip.

"Go away Taehyung. I will never go out to dinner with you. I made myself clear to you already."

"Never say never."

She scoffed and blew out a huff of breath before turning around and walking away to her car. Haeun unlocks the car and Taehyung quickly run after her. He opens the passenger door and got into the car.

"What do you think you are doing?! Get out of my car!"

"Nope, not unless you go out to dinner with me first."

"Kim Taehyung!!! Leave my car! Now!"

The past month was full of nothing but Taehyung's constant appearance out of nowhere. He was persistent, never bothering to leave her alone after all the times she has rejected him.

He didn't think it would take this long to get Haeun to agree to dinner, but boy was he wrong. He never initiated his plan to get Jisoo and Jin back together yet because this girl wouldn't budge.

And Haeun was done with him pestering her. Actually, it was more like she loved it when he bugged her constantly.

Haeun had hesitated too many times over the month. She had wanted to just give in to Taehyung or just confess that she likes him, but she was afraid. Afraid that when she confessed, not only was her heart going to be broken, it will make Taehyung leave her side and not want to see her anymore. She would rather see him and have him around to bug her than never seeing him at all.

Sure, he was a flirt and every time he complimented her or calls her beautiful, her heart would flip and do summersaults, but she was never sure if he was serious or just messing around. So to keep her heart safe and keep Taehyung around just a little longer, she kept her feelings buried deep in her heart.

"Look, if I agree to one dinner with you, will you please leave me alone and stop bothering me?" Haeun asks as she rubs her temples for the illusion that she was frustrated with him.

"I'm not too sure about the second part of your request. You're too fun to pick on and I like making you mad..." Taehyung answered while grinning his wide boxy smile at Haeun.

"Why can't you just leave me alone? What did I do to deserve this?!"

"Your fault for being too darn cute and irresistible," Taehyung replied while winking at Haeun who stared at Taehyung with wide eyes, trying not to let him know how fast that comment made her heart race.

"Ha, funny Taehyung. Why have you been bugging me so much for dinner anyway?"

"To make up for what Jin Hyung and I did to you last time. I wanted to apologize..."

Haeun let out a long sigh before replying.

"Okay, fine. One dinner, that's it!"

"Aaaaaaaaand...... I also need your help with a tiny favor, but I'll let you know more about it at dinner," Taehyung rushed the last part of his sentence that Haeun almost didn't catch.

"Wait, what?! Seriously Taehyung?"

"Yes, seriously. I need a favor from you and only you can help me because you are a real nurse."

Haeun groans and hits her head on her steering wheel, pretending to be frustrated when she, in fact, was curious. She couldn't help but feel her heart jump and pace in anticipation about what his favor could be.

Taehyung's eyes enlarge at the girl who kept hitting her own head on the wheels. He was immediately brought back to the time when he was lying to Jisoo and she was hitting her own head on the metal elevator door.

Taehyung twisted his body to face the girl and reaches out his right hand to use it as a cushion for Haeun's forehead. She stops and turns to glares at Taehyung, but her face softens when she saw the look in Taehyung's face.

"Don't do that. Don't hurt yourself because of me. I don't like it..." he whispers very softly towards her.

Haeun's body froze when Taehyung's hand found its way to her forehead. His thumb was gently caressing the tiny red mark that had formed.

"I don't like it..." Taehyung repeated himself before his eyes locked on hers. Neither one spoke, afraid that all their true feelings will pour out like a waterfall.

Taehyung's eyes travel down to Haeun's lip. He swallows a hard gulp before he lightly bit his bottom lip. This tiny action caused Haeun to look down at Taehyung's lip as well.

Both were unaware of the other's rapidly increasing heart. What they both also didn't realize was that their faces had inched closer and closer with every passing second. Lips parted slightly, breaths lightly panting, and eyes slowly shutting on it own as the distance closes between them.

Their lips were just a centimeter apart before Haeun's phone started ringing loudly making her jump back to reality. Her face flushes red before she quickly digs into her purse for her phone. This caused Taehyung to pull back to his seat, but still facing her.

"Hello? Oh, Seojun Oppa?"

Taehyung doesn't move from his position and watches Haeun while he tries to calm down his breathing. His heart was not slowing down at the sight of her smiling while on the phone. In fact, it had increased by ten folds. This Seojun Oppa was making her smile and Taehyung didn't like it one bit.

He had always seen her frowning or angry with lasers shooting out from her eyes at him. He has yet to see her smile and his heart was aching to see that beautiful smile directed towards him.

"Ne Oppa. See you soon. I missed you too...."

Taehyung could feel his heart hurting and all the blood that had rushed down to the tiny muscle. It ached and he couldn't bear to see the girl that he had grown to like over the past month, confess that she missed another man. He turns away from Haeun as she hung up and spoke first.

"It seems like you are busy. Sorry, I'll get out now. Drive safely and be careful on your way."

Taehyung grabs the door handle and just as he was about to open the door Haeun grabs his free hand stopping him from exiting.

"Wait, Taehyung..."

He felt his heart stop beating for a second as she held tightly onto his hand.

"I-I'm still available to have dinner tonight before I go home. That was my brother. He just landed at the airport and called to let me know that he was going to be home in about an hour or two. B-but, if you're b-busy then....." Haeun quietly whispered the last part before biting her bottom lip nervously and broke eye contact with Taehyung.

She didn't know why she felt the need to explain to Taehyung. She wasn't even sure of how Taehyung truly feels about her. She had fallen for Taehyung since she first saw him, but she kept her act up to protect her heart. Obviously, she was failing miserably as she held onto his hand firmly.

Taehyung blinked rapidly and tried to process what Haeun had just said.  The tiny girl in the driver seat had just agreed to dinner tonight with him.

Was he just imagining things? If so, why would she be holding onto his hand at this very moment? Why is this delicate, soft, warm hands of hers holding tightly onto his own as if she was afraid to let go? Why? Just what is this girl doing to him?

He saw how nervous Haeun looked as she kept biting her bottom lip and refusing to look at him like how she normally did. He couldn't pinpoint it why she was suddenly shy, but his eyes couldn't stop staring at her lip. The way her teeth would lightly nibble her bottom lip and slowly releasing it.

"Y-Yah, stop that..." Taehyung softly and nervously calls out to her. If she doesn't stop soon, Taehyung was going to attack her and he definitely didn't want to do that to Haeun. He didn't want his feelings to be one-sided again. It had hurt enough already with Jisoo and to have Haeun not like him back either would probably just rip his heart to shreds. But Haeun wasn't making it too easy on him right now. Unlike Jisoo, there was no reason to hide his feelings or hold back, so he was very tempted to just have a taste of her lips. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her so badly.

"Ne?" Haeun asks as she gradually looks up to meet his gaze. She swallows, feeling the tension from earlier return. He looked so beautiful with the moon in the background. It was the only light that was shining down upon them. It took her breath away at how flawless his face was and those beautiful brown orbs were staring intensely back at her.

"...How do I stop myself from wanting to kiss you when you look at me like that?" Taehyung whispered ever so softly down towards her. Her breath had picked back up when Taehyung suddenly turned towards her and broke away from her grip. His hands found their way up to cup her tiny face as he moved in fast. He was about an inch away from her lips before he stopped himself.

With his chest heaving at how close she was to him, he spoke while never leaving her gaze.

"If you don't stop biting that lip of yours, I'll bite it for you. I'm barely holding back right now Haeun...."

Haeun couldn't believe her own eyes and ears. Did she just hear Taehyung say that he wanted to kiss her? Is he really holding onto her face and fighting back the urge to kiss just as much as she wanted to kiss him?

So many thoughts had entered her mind.

Should I push him away...?

Or do I just kiss him?

Push or kiss? She would ask herself as silence took over the two of them. After many internal debates within herself, both her heart and mind finally made a choice.

It's now or never.

"Then don't hold back," Haeun answered him.

"What?" Taehyung replies not really sure if he heard her correctly.

"I said don't hold back. Bite my lip for me Kim Taehyung. I want you to kiss-"

She was cut off by Taehyung's mouth on hers. Lips moving in perfect sync as they kissed their breaths away. Taehyung moved his right hand behind her neck as he tilted his head slightly to the right to deepen the kiss between the two. Lips smacking and saliva exchanged between them before Taehyung slowly let his tongue enter Haeun's mouth.

This caused Haeun to let out a small hum of pleasure as she moaned into the kiss gripping onto his shirt. Taehyung grinned into the kiss for a second when he heard her. He pulls away from the kiss and rests his forehead against hers as they both tried to catch their breaths.

"I think I might be in like with you...." Taehyung softly whispers. This caused Haeun to let out a small chuckle at what she just heard.

"You're in like with me?"

He nods his head into her as she grins before pecking his lip.

"I'm in like with you too Taehyung."

He couldn't believe that she returned his feelings. He pulls away from her and held her hands in his. He gently caresses her hands in his as he spoke words from his heart.

"It's too early for us to say or call this love, but I know I do like you Haeun. So uh, If you... Ummm... If you want to maybe turn this like between us into love someday...." Taehyung swallowed hard before asking the one question that would either break or make it work.

"...Would you be my girlfriend?"

Smiling from ear to ear, Haeun nods her head happily before replying to his question.

"Yes Kim Taehyung, I will be your girlfriend."

"Really?!" Taehyung excitedly let out a little louder than usual.

"Really, really."

Taehyung grips Haeun into a tight hug before pulling back and kissing her to start the new relationship between them.

To Be Continued...