제9장 | And Sometimes They Go Wrong II

제9장 | And Sometimes They Go Wrong II

SERIN

I drink my lemonade as I saw Taehyung in the corner of my vision getting his order as the girl he ignored, apologized. Which he also didn't took attention on. Why is he so much of a snob? I could still remember him being so vocal back at the Ferris Wheel

"Why are you ignoring her?" I asked him once he sat down in front of me. "It's obvious. I'm not interested" he shrugs and takes a sip on his honey citrus

"Well, you could've atleast acknowledge. Like, just looking at her and say 'Oh, I'm not single- Wait. Are you single or no?" I asked. We haven't talk about this kind of topic before

"Isn't it obvious?" he arched one of his thick brows. I raised my shoulders telling him that I'm not sure, "Don't know. Who knows you also had a secret relationship like Jungkook?" I said then took another sip of my drink

He chuckles. I let myself observe his features now that he's slightly showing a different Taehyung. "I'm not Jungkook, okay?" he replied, "And don't compare me to him"

"Why? You're both chased by immature fangirls and good-looking" I point out. "You think I'm good-looking?" he smirks. Hold up, that smirk seems dangerous…

"Uh, y-yeah? Obviously why would you have plenty of fangirls if you're not?" I shrug. He starts to gaze at me, his gaze was full of amusement and something that makes me feel chilly. He's totally not the typical Taehyung I'm used. The Taehyung I first knew was a huge snob, a little cranky and was born with a straight robot expression

"I don't care about what they think. I don't know them" he said and continues to take several sips

Does that mean he cares about what I think?

"What are you doing here, by the way? I thought you're hanging out with your friend before her departure" he asks as he emptied his drink with a last full sip. I look at him, surprised. "How did you know that?"

I noticed him pause for a moment before answering, "It's better if you know- "

"Oh please, don't use that annoying phrase again. And I'm serious, how did you know?" I said. He lets out a sigh and places his elbows on the edge of the table, "I just heard it somewhere. Your friends with Chaejin, right? She's sitting behind you in Homeroom" I nodded at his response and sigh

"I honestly don't know what happened that it made her decide to drop out and move so rashly. We haven't even talk for days and this was so sudden" I opened up unconsciously. "She's more than a best friend, she's already a family and it hurts. But I need to support her no matter what. I just hoped that she wouldn't regret her choices in the near future"

"Don't worry, she's not alone" his words brought comfort and confusion. What does he mean by 'she's not alone'?

"She knows you guys are there for her anytime. She's not alone" he added as if he just heard my thoughts. I nodded along

The both of us bonded and talk with random subjects until my phone beeped and it was a message from Junghee. "Uh, Tae. I need to go now, Chaejin is leaving anytime soon" I said and stood up. I saw him look at me with adoration and there was a ghostly smile on his face making me realize that he looks alarmingly attractive. "W-What?" I choked up after feeling a little low under his questionable gaze

"You just gave me a nickname. You called me that too back at the Ferris wheel" he informed me

I did?

Without knowing what to react next, I just smiled and went out of the table space. "Want me to escort you back?" he asks. I'm still not used of his new behavior and revelation of personality. "I'm good, thanks for asking" I smiled and headed out of the café

I walk back to the school's dorm and just in time, Chaejin was walking out at the entrance with Junghee carrying two luggage and one back pack. "Chaejin! Junghee!" I called for their attention and skips to them

"Don't escort me to the train station, or else I couldn't leave" Chaejin told us when we tried to persuade her. "We just want to accompany you on your last minute here" Junghee choked a small sob. I noticed that her eyes were puffy and were shot, same as Chaejin's but Junghee has the worse

"I'm really fine. And I don't want to bother you" she said. "You were never a bother, BFFs forever, remember?" I said and links my arm with Junghee who was slumping and starting to release some tiny tear crystals

Chaejin nodded and went to us both and gave us one last hug. Junghee and I didn't waste a minute and hug her back with tightness. I can't believe she's leaving, I'm not sure if it's for god or not but I know I'll miss her so much

We broke the contact as she wipes Junghee's stained cheeks. "Unnie… don't leave…" Junghee sobs, I couldn't help but felt my eyes getting heavier and heavier as tears were forming in an instant. "This is why I don't want you guys to escort me off�� Chaejin joked

We all turned around when we heard a horn. Taehyung was standing on the corner of the pavement with a cab, the door was already opened. I look at him and saw him look at me back before at Chaejin's

"I already called a cab incase you'd be running late. Serin told me" Taehyung said as he approaches our direction and took Chaejin's bags to put them inside the cab. The driver stepped out to help as well

I couldn't help but feel light weight at his gesture. I wipe my small tears unconsciously. Although I'm still confuse why, I don't want to look bad in front of Taehyung especially that I cried twice already and my blood-shot eyes were probably now more visible

"Thank you" Chaejin thanked Taehyung with a bow. Taehyung just responded with a curt nod before proceeding to stand right next to me. I bit my lip nervously as felt something inside my chest, the feeling was very similar back at the Ferris Wheel

"Chaejin unnie, don't forget to call us every time, okay?!" Junghee called wiping her tears. Chaejin nodded and closed the cab's door as she went away

And just like that. She left

"I'm gonna go get some food to cry on" Junghee uttered in a weak tone as she walks away without even waiting for my reply. "Just let her. She's very emotional right now especially that Chaejin won't be on her 18th birthday" Taehyung told me once he noticed that I couldn't stop looking at Junghee's form, I sigh and nodded

"I don't want to leave her alone…" I said

"I'm sure she's going to Jimin. She's not alone" My head turn to him. How did he know that? As if he heard my thoughts, he answered "I saw them in a resto together"

My mouth slightly gapes as nodded along. So, he saw them both together. "Did they do something inappropriate?" I asked. I'll take this chance to know if Junghee was lying to me yesterday. To my relief, he shakes his head with an alternative 'No'

"If eating together is inappropriate then it's a yes. It just looks like Junghee introduces some food to Jimin since she was pointing at some dishes and Jimin was like nodding along with amusement" He shrugs before doing something that I didn't expect; he raised his arm and place them on my shoulders encircling them in his hold

"Let's buy some things" He said with a small smile displaying on his lips. I froze for a fraction of a second. He just smiled. Isn't he? Where's the snobbish Taehyung I know? I place the back of my palm on his forehead, making him look at me confusingly

"Are you sick?" I asked. He looks offended by my question. "Sick? What makes you say that?"

"You just smiled" I point

"So? Can't I smile?" he looks moderately pissed

"No but, I'm not used to this you. I mean, you're always a big snob, cold and intimidating" I explain, "Then, you just became assertive back at the Ferris wheel, then you're back at the snobbish one at the café, and now you're smiling"

He pouts his lips in thought. My insides are churning. He's so cute and eye-candy and at the same time dangerous. It's like his personality changes time to time

"Well… Like a normal person, I'm a snob to the people I'm not close with" he explains. "And you're sweet to the ones you're close with" I finished. He nods in a doubtful manner. "It depends, I think?"

My eyebrows furrowed, "Depends on what?"

He clicked his tongue and started to sprint off somewhere leaving me. With instincts, "Hey! Taehyung!" I run after him. Although I don't know why am I chasing him. "Stop right there!" he laughs as we unconsciously ran around the dorm area, laughing with lots of people looking at us

"Taehyung! Stop!" I half laugh and half shout, is he a cheetah with an unlimited speed and energy? "Catch me first!" he sticks out his tongue at me in a playful yet annoying manner. Why is he so fast?

JUNGHEE

"So, that's what happened before I came here" I explain before squeezing my snot out using a napkin tissue Jimin handed me. "Here, have more" he handed me the whole box which I gladly took, "Thanks" I muttered and blowing once more

"Drink some water, I bet your throat is dry from all the crying" he handed me his water jog after I neatly throw the dirty tissues on the trash in which was just next to me since I was sitting on his study desk swivel chair and he was sitting on a beatbox. I received the jog and chugged down enough water which calmed my insides

"I really appreciated this; I owe you a lot" I told him. "It's nothing, as what I told you back then, we can be each other's ears and shoulders" he gave me an assuring smile which made me flutter. Jimin is a very sweet and kind man. It's almost like he's so surreal and good to be true. You can barely find guys who are genuinely sweet and not being a double face

"So, what are you gonna do about it?" he asks, I gave him a questionable look, "Huh?"

"What are you gonna do next? You came here crying and if Jungkook was here, he would likely punch me to make you cry" he chuckled the fact. "I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anything. Taehyung is there for Serin, even though he wouldn't say it, it's obvious"

"That's why you came here?" he raises on of his eyebrows. I nodded halfway, "Probably, it was the first thing that I could think of" I admitted

"Junghee, I don't want to assume anything but…" I look at him with tired eyes, don't get me wrong, my eyes feel heavy after the crying stuff. I waited for him to finish his sentence. "What is it? You can tell me" I shrug to assure him that there's no pressure of to be conscious around me

"Are you perhaps… never mind, it's impossible" he chuckles. Because of how tired my body is after the emotional session I've been through, I just nodded along. "Are you tired?" he asks

"Very. I feel like I'm gonna passed out any time after the tears and sobs thing" I muttered as I slump my back on the swivel chair, getting comfortable. "You know, uhm, you can take a nap here. You can use Jungkook's bed and I'm just gonna text him that you're here" The subject he just talked about made me cringe and disagreed on his statement

"Nah, don't tell him. Who cares? He's not even honest with his own blood-related sister" I spat remembering the whole story Serin told me last night. He was in a relationship and he didn't even bother to tell me? I'm insulted to the full

"What do you- ah, never mind. I won't interfere in your personal, uhm, issues" He cleared his throat. I mentally smiled at his personality. He's so understanding and thoughtful, probably because he's already passed my age and now mature. I like it

"I can take a nap here on your desk, I don't mind. I don't wanna use my brother's stuff" I said. "You sure? You can use my bed. I promise it's clean, I just washed the sheets" I nodded along and frown in my head. If just washed his sheets then it doesn't smell like him but the fabric conditioner. Curse laundry

"Oh?" As soon as I lay on his bed, I heard him uttered, making me turn to his direction. He was looking at his phone with confuse yet cute eyes. "What is it?" I asked. "Isn't Taehyung, uh, you know, intimidating and probably like 'the one who doesn't smile'?"

"Yeah, he does hold that title. Why?" I ask, getting more comfortable under his blanket as he sat on the corner and showed me his phone. I almost flipped and choked on my saliva once I saw what's on his phone screen. It was the school's gossip article

"Kim Taehyung was seen smiling for the first time and was running around the campus with Yeon Serin…"

SERIN

"W-Wait… Taehyung… stop…" I clutch both of my knees with my palms to support my body. We've been running for minutes now and body can't take it anymore. I think I'm gonna faint from exhaustion

"Serin" I heard Taehyung called me but my eyes are still glued on the cemented pavement of the school property as I try to get more oxygen for my poor body. "C'mon," I felt him pulled my forearms and swing my right one over his shoulder while his left was around my waist supporting me. "Sorry about that, I guess I had too much fun" he chuckles as I hit him weakly on his side

I just let myself depend on him as my support as I seriously can't feel my bones and muscles as of the moment

Taehyung and I walked… I don't know where we're going but I think I trust Taehyung to take me anywhere as long as he's not taking me to where I'm gonna be cautious all over

We stopped by a tree where it was surrounded with cemented corner mini walls as Taehyung let me sat there for a moment before saying, "I'm gonna get you something to drink. I'll be in a minute", right after then, he jogs towards our school's stall mini cafeteria that was built for morning runners so they will have something to drink and have some bites during their run

Still in the same position to catch my breath, I habitually pat my pockets to grab my phone and try to text Junghee. I want to check on her if what's she's doing now with Jungkook's roommate

Before I could even start to write a message in our chatroom, an article update from the school's gossip page showed up. I pressed the notification and read my eyes grow like tennis balls each second I read each word that was written on the page. My phone chimed signaling that there was a message received

Sister-in-law

< YAH WHAT THE H*LL IS THIS?! ]

I unknowingly gawked in surprise at her sudden curse. This. Is. Unbelievable. "Here," I slightly jolt in my spot when a hand suddenly came to sight. "Oh, Taehyung…" I uttered with my palm on my chest

"What's that?" he refers to what was on the screen of my handphone. I'm on an awkward situation right now. Should I show this to him? "Uh, nothing. Just the school's gossip article" I said. He then scoops his hand on his pocket in search for his phone. I'm so dumb

I bit my lip in anxiousness. I couldn't just grab his phone and ran again, right? Or else we would be on the gossip article again or even break his phone by accident and I'm so broke at the moment. Plus, when did Taehyung and I got this so close, again?

I mentally panicked when I saw the article on the screen of his phone. "Who is in charge of this?" he asked after reading through its headlines. "I don't know, everything about it is anonymous" I tell him the truth. "It's not really a big deal" I shrug

"I don't think it's a big deal, judging on what you were behaving earlier" he points out the weak spot. "It doesn't really matter, okay? It's just a gossip plus, what's wrong with just hanging out with you?" I unconsciously replied without thinking

I notice his expression changes into something sour and dark, the same as the first Taehyung I met. The one who is so closed that you don't even point out what he was thinking or planning to. Honestly, back then that Taehyung just showed his light side to me and I said that I'm not used to it and wanted him to be back at the monotone one. I guess I regret saying it

He just nodded

I silently frown when he transforms into the cold Taehyung I once knew. "Take this and go back to our dorm" he hands me the water bottle that I hadn't notice since he came back. I took the bottle from his hold, "What about you?" I asked

"I have to do some stuff, I forgot about it" still now emotions. He's back to the cold one

I nodded along and feel saddened at the sudden change of mood. Even though I had a hard time to keep up with his running a while ago, I admit, I had more fun of his jolly side. "Are you going to track that article?"

"It's better if you know nothing"

NARRATIVE

Serin walk along the walls of her school dorm building with dozens of eyes and murmurs surrounding her, with either envy and bash. Although she doesn't care about what that article was saying, the audible words that were coming from her school mates were inevitable to be listened to. But nevertheless, she was distracted by the sudden turn of Taehyung's aura

"There you are!" Serin stops her tracks and turn around to see Junghee coming out from Jungkook's dorm room with Jimin. "I assume you saw the post?" the younger asked in concern. Serin nodded in a weak manner. Junghee and Jimin looked at each other, sending messages with their gazes, they though she was down and bothered by the said article, but little did they know it was because of Taehyung

The three head over to their dorm. Junghee insisted Jimin to get in as he was shy to enter a girl's dormitory

"Drink your water now, I assume it's new since it looked untouched" Junghee pointed out at the water bottle Serin was holding all along. She opens the cap and replenishes. Jimin sat down next to where Junghee was awkwardly. "Are you okay?"

"Hm," Serin hums before chuckling lowly, "Really, that article is not a big deal. It's a gossip site for starters" She closes the bottle with its cap before placing the bottle on the near table. "Besides, I don't really mind that school site ever since. It's pure toxic"

The two agreed at Serin's remark doubtingly. Serin stood up, "I'll just go get a nap for a moment after exhausting myself earlier" Junghee just nodded and motions her to rest as Serin closes the door of their bedroom

"Something is definitely up" Junghee

"Although I don't know your friend that much, I could say the same" Jimin sighs and gets his cellphone after feeling it vibrate through his sweatpants. His eyes bawled for a moment before anxiously looking at Junghee who was still eyeing their bedroom door where Serin disappeared from her sight

In slight fear, he answered the call, "Yeah?"

"Hyung! Where are you? I'm back at the dorm and you're not here" Jungkook spoke from the other line. Junghee cuts of her gaze to Jimin who was in a danger zone. What would his best friend react if he told him that he's hanging out a lot with his sister and his at her dorm right now? Definitely far from good

"Uh… I'm at the convenience store. I was buying some… stuff" he gulps and could feel his heartbeat racing. "Is it Jungkook?" Junghee mouthed in a hush manner, Jimin nodded

"Did you bring a girl here?" Jungkook asked the question that he was dying to avoid. "What? Girl? I didn't, what do you mean, kook?" he forces to laugh as if it was funny

"Hey, no joking. Your bed is touched and smells feminine" Jungkook teases, completely gullible about the fact that it was his sister. "Either way, I maybe out when you get back. I'm going to Junghee's apartment"

SERIN

I was about to close my eyes to rest a bit on my bed when a disturbance suddenly erupted. I mentally sigh and tell myself to just ignore it for the sake of my comfortable position I'm at. "Junghee! Lower that down, whatever it is" I groan

Instead of her answering, the sound wouldn't stop until I heard something fell hard on the floor causing me to sit up. What on earth was that? "Junghee?" I called her once again and went out of bed. "What on earth- "

My eyes bolted towards the mess that was displayed in front of me before it trailed on Junghee who was looking outside the window. "Hi" she uttered out of breath. "What were you doing?" I walk towards to her direction and looked outside in horror. "Jimin?!"

He did just not jump out of the window

"Quiet down or he'll hear you!" Junghee hushed me in anxiousness making me look at her in full question, genuinely have no idea what she was referring to until our dorm door binged indicating someone just press the correct passcode. Junghee immediately closed the window pane and went to our room as if she was hiding, leaving me clueless on my spot

"Oh, hey Serin" Jungkook's figure suddenly came before the door. I slightly flinched and froze because I didn't really expect to see him at this moment especially that what I witnessed back at the amusement park and what Taehyung tells me to do is still haunting me. "Where's Junghee?" he looks for his sister

"Uh…" I pointed towards our bedroom, he gives me a small 'thanks' before barging into our room followed by an annoyed groan coming from Junghee

Before picking up some of my senses and might as well calmed down a bit. The picture is starting to get clearer. Jimin sneaked out so that Jungkook wouldn't see him in Junghee's dorm. That sounds justifiable

"What are you doing here?" I take a few more steps to take a peek at the other side of the window. To my surprise Jimin is still there. When he saw me, he mouthed 'Is Jungkook there?'

Even though I find their small getaway secret and struggle funny, I can help but kind of getting worried if ever Jungkook find this out. Hopefully he'll not think this much as a big deal… hopefully. But for starters, is Junghee and Jimin are together in the first place?

I nodded in response to Jimin's question. He didn't take more time and walk out from his spot with struggle. It's highly evident that he must've hurt his leg because of the distance between our window and the ground

"Get off me, you stoned double teeth coconut monster" I heard Junghee muttered in dismay