CHAPTER XI

**YERIN**

“Why are you looking like that?” Taehyung asked out of the blue. He must have noticed the smirk I had on ever since we began the ride. I was too preoccupied by the thought of winning our unofficial game of pride that I forgot I was being way too obvious with my plan through my face.

I quickly fixed my expression, switching it back to my innocent one, before I turned to face him. He had his eyes now fixed on the road but I could tell he was waiting for my reply.

“Looking like what?” I tried to play it like I didn’t know what he was talking about and he frowned, knowing I wasn’t saying what he wanted to hear.

“One point for me…”

“Stop playing with me. You’re obviously up to something and I want you to tell me what it is right this instance.”

I don’t know what’s with me today but I feel like getting into Taehyung’s nerves is something fun. It’s cruel, I know but I can’t help myself. It’s been a while since I had this much amusement with all the worries about finances and work before this opportunity that came to me. Honestly, being into this job is something more than just being able to get a good pay for me. I actually am enjoying every moment of it even if some are not so desirable. Still, I feel like the heavy weight that has been on my shoulders for years has been lifted off and I could breathe properly again. I feel more alive. I feel like the Yerin I was before life decided to play hard with me. Maybe, just maybe, meeting Taehyung isn’t so bad after all.

Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that I still want to annoy him today.

I smiled with all the fake sweetness I can muster and he flinched at how weird I must have looked.

“Second point…”

“I’m not planning anything. I was just looking forward to this day. I’ve never been this free before.”

Okay, part of that wasn’t a lie. I really haven’t experienced a work-free day ever since I graduated high school. After I got my diploma, I went straight to working at whatever job I got accepted in. It has always been like that for two years until now that this crazy thing happened in my life which completely turned everything upside down.

“Don’t mess with me,” Taehyung said but I could tell he wasn’t really mad at my antics. His voice didn’t have that tone of an angry man. He probably just wanted to know but in hell would I tell him.

“I really don’t have anything in mind,” I swore with my right hand held up in a promise I deem not to keep because well…I do have something in mind. “Anyway, can I turn on the stereo? I’d like to listen to some music,” I added to change the topic. Taehyung understood my intention and luckily for me, he accepted it because what he gave me was only a roll of the eyes and a casual nod.

I clapped my hands a little in glee, not because he agreed to listen to music but because he decided to drop the previously held topic between us.

“That’s three points for me.”

I reached over to my left to turn on the stereo and it roared to life, music immediately filling in the silence inside the car. The song was something I was familiar with. It’s actually in one of my phone’s playlist. I forgot the title though but I could remember the rapper’s name. San.E?

“I love this song,” I commented, suddenly jamming to the beat as I bobbed my head, eagerly feeling the lyrics.

“I bet you do.”

I threw a glance at Taehyung and he was looking at me with an amused expression as we stopped for a red light.

I continued to sing along to the song, not minding the way Taehyung was staring at me.

“Do you usually act like this?” he asked as he returned to driving when the green light flashed on the traffic light.

“Act like what?”

“Like a child.”

I snickered at his words. It’s comical how he could tell me that when in fact, he’s way more childish than me.

“Tell that to yourself.”

He chuckled and shook his head. He realized I have a point because he opted to drop the conversation and focused on his driving instead, leaving me to enjoy the music once again. Now, San.E’s song was replaced by a mellow one which I reckon is IU’s ‘Dear Name’.

My mood instantly changed to match that of the song. I knew the lyrics to this one too so I closed my eyes to feel the music once more before I began to sing along.

“The voice I long for even in my dreams…I call out the name but there’s no answer…”

**TAEHYUNG**

After the short conversation with Yerin, I decided to focus back on driving, completely ignoring her presence. She was acting strange today and it was bugging me, something that doesn’t quite fit well with me since she should be the one annoyed as of now and not the other way around.

I narrowed my eyes at the road, the grip I had on the steering wheel suddenly getting tighter. She was winning over me and it’s not something I like.

I opened my mouth to say something when, without warning, Yerin began to sing. It wasn’t like before where she was rapping like some idiot. Now, she was actually singing- one that portrayed emotions. I was taken aback. I didn’t know she could sing this well.

I turned to glance at her and she didn’t notice my stunned reaction because she was too busy singing along with her eyes shut.

“Good. She didn’t see me.”

I decided to play it cool and went back to stare at the road before me but as I was doing so, I couldn’t help but listen to Yerin as she continued to sing.

“Even if it’s so cold, it feels like it’ll break.

I won’t ever let go this time

The hands of that day that has gotten so far away.”

I shook away the feeling of appreciating her voice and distracted myself by every single thing I saw as I drove- the people, the buildings, the trees, or anything really- as long as I get my mind off Yerin’s singing.

To my dismay, it isn’t really helping at all. My ears kept hearing her voice and it’s getting quite annoying. All I wanted to do was to shut my mind from listening to her and just continue to drive to our destination in peace but quite the opposite is happening.

I rubbed my hair with one hand in frustration as I grunted. I turned to look at Yerin one more time and it seemed like she didn’t even notice the agony I was in caused by her because she still went on with her singing, now emotionally singing along to the chorus of the song. It would have calmed me down to listen to IU’s melodic voice but no, Yerin just had to mess it all up. She just had to get into my nerves and she isn’t even a bit guilty about it. In fact, she doesn’t even know what she’s putting me through right now.

My patience was slowly running thin and all I wanted to do was shut Yerin up so instead of throwing her off the moving vehicle, which is quite violent, I decided to turn off the stereo with a flick of a finger.

She must have been caught off guard because she stopped as soon as she realized the music came to a halt. She opened her eyes and looked at me with a questioning look as if asking me why I turned it off.

I shrugged my shoulders, not even bothering to glance at her. “I decided I liked the silence better.”

“Psshhh…killjoy.”

A victorious smirk formed on my lips as soon as it dawned on me that I finally got what I wanted- to shut Yerin up- and she didn’t even complain. Instead, she accepted my decision and turned to her side, opting to gaze at the view outside the window.

“Much better…”

“I was actually enjoying the song,” she muttered and I wasn’t sure if she was telling me that or she meant it for herself but I snickered anyway.

“Well, enjoy it some other time because listening to you sing was painful to my ears.”

She threw me a mean look and I glanced at her direction with the smirk still on my face.

“You’re hired as an actress not a singer so, don’t act like one.”

She rolled her eyes at me, avoiding the onset of an argument, before returning her attention back to the view outside.

My smirk widened knowing this was my win for now.

**JUNGKOOK**

I drummed my fingers against the wooden table. The two girls were busy with their laptops, typing away words for their reports, while I was left here doing nothing. Sure, I offered to help Yuna with hers but as soon as I saw what her report was supposed to be about, I realized I was better off not helping at all since I had no knowledge on the topic nor do I know what to do.

So, here I am, bored to death with nothing much in mind but the fact that I want to get out of this situation. Of course, no matter how much I desire to get out of here, I couldn’t just leave Yuna behind. I offered to help yesterday so I need to be here even though helping is pretty much far from what I’m doing as of the moment.

“Does anyone want some snacks?” Eunha suddenly voiced out, pushing herself off the chair to stand and look at us.

I could have thrown my hands up in glee at the offer but I decided to keep it low. Instead, I gave a smile and nodded.

“I am feeling a bit hungry,” I said and looked at Yuna who didn’t bother to look up from her laptop’s screen. “How about you?”

“Huh?”

“Snacks…do you want some?” Eunha repeated for her best friend who seemed like she just came back down to earth, unknowing of what’s around her.

I chuckled at how cute she looked with that dazed expression she had on. It only makes me want to pinch her cheeks so bad. I could have reached out and do so but that would be weird so I decided on remaining on my sea