8 Friendly Date

I walk to my class, humming incomprehensible sounds. I smile widely seeing a familiar man's figure, who's facing towards the window. I sit beside him and touch his shoulder for his attention. He turns over to face me and smiles. "Why are you so gullible?" He asks as he crouches his cheeks to his palm. 

"We are okay now, that's why I'm happy," I say with a cheerful tone. 

He chuckles and ruffles my hair. I glare at him while fixing my hair. 

"You just cluttered up my hair Tae! Did you know I fixed my hair like 30 minutes!" I exclaim, pouting at him.  

"30 minutes you say. Your hair will be messed up since you're outside." I roll my eyes as I grab my things inside the bag. 

Our professor walks inside the room before greeting us.

After an hour, we step inside the cafeteria and my eyes land to Jungmin's position. I smile while waving my hand. I clutch his arms and pull him closer to me. 

"For the first time, I see you two walk together," Mingyu mutters while resting his chin on his hands. 

"We have the same schedule. Nothing more, nothing less." I reply, smiling at him. 

"Really. Anyway, where's your friend? I haven't seen him yet." I glance at Seojun, narrowing my eyes, and wondering why he's searching for my friend.  

"His name is Youngjae and I don't know where he is," I mumble without glancing at him. 

"I don't like that dude. He is a freak." His whole body throbs when grumbling about Youngjae.

"You are overreacting Minseok. He's my friend and not some random guys, and he's a wonderful guy." I reply. 

They just give me a look.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" 

"Daewool, what happened to your research? Have you settled it?" Mingyu asks.

My head tilts on the other side when instantly changes the topic. I simply think that they are not interested, I close my lips tightly and finish my entire meal. 

—

My eyes glance at Taehyung, who's scribbling at the paper. I wander towards him and sit beside him. I peek at his paper and smile widely when he's drawing.

"I never thought you're into a drawing." He nods. 

"Jungmin mentored me to draw, so I'm practicing very hard to improve. Is it ugly?" I shake my head as an answer.

"It's abstract." He agrees.

"I express my feelings here in my sketch. Its—"

"Depressing and worrying." I cut him off. 

The image exemplifies a dark and treacherous which comes inside his heart. The rainbow color represents tears, rushing down the cheeks of the bold knelt lady.

My eyes glance at him, who's focused on his drawing. His flutters blonde hair that compliments his deep ocean blue eyes. It's like in my dreams. 'No, it's not him. Don't be ridiculous.' I shake my head, obliterating my distracting thoughts. 

"Minsoo, are you okay?" I nod. 

I stand to give him space but a masculine hand grasps my wrist and halts me to go.

 "You can sit beside me you know." He utters and I sit beside him. Shortly after, our professor discusses his lecture. 

"After my class, I strode to my locker to leave my unnecessary things. However, I gaze at Taehyung, who's leaning to the locker. 

"Hey!" he says, waving at me. 

"Going home?" I nodded. 

"Great! Before you leave, let's go out." I'm astonished at his words when he asks me out, all of a sudden.

"W...what?" I stutter. 

"Hmm? Let's have dinner. No, not just dinner. Date. Let's have a friendly date. Please?" He pouts.

I giggle at his action.

"Okay." 

"Yay!" He wraps his hand around me and goes to the parking lot. We both step inside his car as he starts the engine. 

Within half an hour of travel, he takes me to a restaurant called 'Flight'. The waitress hands over the menu.

The menu contains different country cuisine and my mind picks Korean cuisine.

Taehyung states our order to the waitress. 

 Shortly after, I feel an intense gaze coming from his deep ocean blue eyes. 

"Tae? I-is there something on my face?" He shakes his head as an answer before looks away. 

"Is everything all right?" I asked.

"Yes. It's just that I can't believe you're here, right now. For so many years I kept on looking at you when you were a child and I know you are someone wonderful for me. No, you are the best for me." I stare at him, confused. 

"T-tae we're just met like 2 weeks. What are you talking about?" I laugh awkwardly as I avoid his eye contact? 

"I... it's a line from somewhere, I guess Seojun read his script to us for… for his play, so I... I tried it out. Don't mind me." He says without looking at me while scratching his nape. 

"If you have something in mind. You can tell me. I'm on all ears for you." 

"Minsoo, you are good as you are. I hope you can give me a chance to show you what I crave from you." He confesses.

"W... what do you mean?"

"All these years, my heart kept on searching to fill my emptiness and when I saw you, I know what I want for but it contradicts everything." All the butterflies flutter inside me and keep telling me that I want him. 

His ocean blue eyes gaze at me, yearning for me. All these years, I seek for an answer about me and my dreams. Seeks for someone and fills up the hole inside my heart.

I guess it's Taehyung. 

"Taehyung, I need to feel that completeness all over me. You complete the missing piece inside me." He smiles.

"I know. I wish I could tell the world how much I want you. Minsoo, I perceive it's a brief period of time that I'm with you, but many things will never be right." 

"It can never be wrong if we want each other. We're just a human to fall in love."

He remains silent.

"Tae?" 

"I— what I know is I'm here to protect you. That's all it matters." He mutters.

He's quite the whole time, he doesn't want to open up the conversation. I take a deep sigh and shatter that intense feeling between us. 

"Taehyung, what keeps you holding? I want you and I perceive, you want me too." I assert. 

He heaves a deep sigh. 

"Minsoo, I can't like you or even love you. I...It's not right."

"Why can't you like me?" I ask him. 

He keeps his eyes on me.

"Let's just go home and forget what we talked about. Consider this as neglecting our feelings, okay?" He steps outside the restaurant, leaving me behind. 

This entire journey suffocates me, no one dares to speak and bring the subject back. 'He rubs the rejection into my face so why bother opening the topic, right?' I roll my eyes as I think to myself. 

As we reach my house, my eyes focus on the road, and clasps the door handle as I open it. Before then, he drives his car away without saying goodbye. 

Instantly, I sit on the grounds as I high my knees. I let my tears rush down my cheeks. Burying myself to my hands and sob until my eyes couldn't produce any tears.  

"Please tell me it is just a dream Taehyung." I plead. 

Holding you closer to me will never gonna happen and neglecting our both emotions for no reason. 

I wish this date would never occur. 

"How can you protect me from danger if you, alone, is a danger for me. A danger for my heart. What does hold you back from wanting me?"