CHAPTER XIII

**TAEHYUNG**

“Hyung, you know you shouldn’t have done that.”

I rolled my eyes and gulped another hefty amount of the cold beer in my hand. I honestly could not fathom how I always end up getting lectured by others and to top it all off, it is Jungkook who’s doing it now- Jungkook, our maknae. That is such a blow on my pride but right now, I’m too tired to care.

“That’s quite obvious. I kind of got that the moment she walked out on me.”

I saw Jungkook pinch the bridge of his nose from the corner of my eyes as I drank from my glass once more. He usually doesn’t do that unless something’s really troubling him. That should raise my warning signals a bit because that gesture he just did, that could mean serious business and trust me, Jungkook isn’t one to mess with when he means business. He’ll be completely altered, three hundred sixty degrees. Gone will be the cheery and always smiling bunny and it’ll be like saying hello to a hyena. Yes, that’s probably overstating it but well, that metaphor’s close enough.

From his previous steady position, Jungkook began to pace the floor, going back and forth in circles.

“What if she quits, hyung? Money can’t always guarantee she’ll stay and stick with our plans and if she does give up on us- God forbids that won’t happen- there’s a huge possibility that she’ll tell on us. You’re not the only one who’s going to get in trouble for this. I’ll be held responsible as well.”

My lips formed into a thin line. I have thought that far way before Jungkook could point in out into words. I know I angered Yerin and it wasn’t really my intention. I just happened to have said the wrong things without even realizing what they could mean to her. I admit it’s my mistake and what she did after served me right but still, shouldn’t I at least deserve the honor of not getting lectured by someone younger than me?

“I know that, too but thank you for saying it out loud,” I replied, sarcasm hinted in my tone. I felt Jungkook glare at me so I looked at him and released a breath before standing up and placing my glass on the table beside my seat.

“Just relax, okay? I’m pretty sure she’ll get over it. She’s not the type of girl to hold grudges and besides, Yuna will be there tomorrow to make sure she’s okay and she gets to school on her first day since she probably doesn’t want to see my face yet,” I began as I made my way toward the maknae and dragged him with me to take a seat back on the couch. “And she’s a grown woman. She knows well enough not to tell on us,” I added.

That somehow put Jungkook at ease even just for a tad bit because as much as I hate to say it, even I am not convinced with what I just said. I honestly don’t know Yerin that much to say that she’ll be forgiving of what I done. Heck, we only met for about a week or so and throughout that week, I only got to be with her for about two days before I blew everything up with my petty mouth. Now, I’m on her bad side and I don’t even know how to fix it.

“You’re right. She’ll probably forgive you and forget about it. Girls tend to do that,” Jungkook muttered lowly as he fixed his gaze on the carpeted floor of our hangout room here at my home. Currently, it is only the two of us as the others could only come later due to ‘busy schedules’, as if I don’t know what they meant by that. If it were an ordinary get-together, I wouldn’t have minded so much that Jungkook was the only one readily available to accompany me but as you could tell, I kind of also affected him from my unlikeable actions and to say he’d be okay with it wouldn’t be right.

I sighed in relief. At least, my problem, regarding Jungkook’s reaction by the current circumstance between Yerin and I, has been somehow resolved. That should lift something heavy from my shoulders. Well, that should have been how I should feel but that sensation never came. I still felt like a weighty boulder is placed atop me and it just kept pushing me down by the minute, as time passes without me doing anything to solve my problem with Yerin.

Wait…is this what they call guilt? Am I feeling guilty?

I looked at Jungkook with widened eyes and placed both hands on his shoulders as realization hit me in the head.

“I’m guilty,” I whispered and Jungkook could only roll his eyes.

“Of course, you are and that feeling will never go away unless you do something to reconcile with noona.”

I blinked a few times as I averted my gaze from Jungkook’s and processed what I just heard. Reconcile? Do something? How am I supposed to do that?

The moment I looked back up to meet the younger’s stare, I knew that he already has in mind what I was going to say so before I could even utter a single word, he covered my mouth with his and nodded.

“I know. That’s why I’m here. I’ve experienced this kind of thing with Yuna before and I know exactly what to do.”

**YERIN**

Groggy, I rolled up from bed as I rubbed my eyes while adjusting to the brightness of the room. Sunlight is peeking through the gaps from the curtains, creating light enough to tell me it’s morning already.

I tiredly craned my neck from side to side and rolled it backwards and forwards to soothe the muscles that were strained from my sleep. I was so exhausted from last night that the only thing I did after stepping inside my so-called home is change my clothes, wash my face, and proceed to lie down on my comfy bed where I didn’t realize I fell asleep in within minutes.

The time I spent with Rowoon strolling through the Han River really robbed me of my energy. I usually have a lot of those in stock after years of living an active life but from all the walking, talking, laughing, and eating that we did, all the life in me was literally sapped. I probably would have looked like a walking zombie had Rowoon not offered to drive me home.

Some might think this was still the day after the incident with Taehyung but as unfortunate as it is, almost a week has passed since then. Rowoon gave me his phone number after our first ‘date’ together and last night was our second night strolling through Han River. We couldn’t think of anywhere else to go besides there so we settled for that same location. It was still fun though and it gave me the relaxation I needed after getting myself caught up in this messy thing called life.

As for Taehyung, well, let’s say he’s been eaten by sharks. He didn’t contact me up until now neither did he make any effort to apologize so I reckoned he’s still holding on to his pride like the arrogant brat he is. It’s not like I care anyway. The more days I don’t see him, the better.

Ding dong…

I snapped out of my thoughts at the sudden buzz of the doorbell but instead of standing up to get the door, I remained quiet, waiting for a sign of who the person could be. The last thing I want for my morning is to see Taehyung’s face. Yes, I kind of already calmed down after this week but still, I can’t bear to face him even if I have to because of my job. Honestly, for the past days, I felt like a paranoid, always on guard on whether Taehyung’s showing up or not.

“Unnie?”

“Yuna?” I yelled from my room in a voice loud enough to reach downstairs as I scurried to get off my bed and rush to get the door.

“Yes, it’s me,” she replied as I was hastily making my way the stairs, almost tripping on the last step.

“Coming.”

I excitedly opened the door for her with a beaming face. Quite the opposite of what I expected, an angel came to me rather than the Taehyung I loathed.

Yuna returned my gesture with a huge grin of her own, displaying her pearly white teeth which I envy so much. I need to remind myself to ask what brand of toothpaste she uses. That is if I can afford it.

“Good morning, unnie. Did you sleep well?”

I nodded enthusiastically at the younger girl while I opened the door wide enough for her to pass through. “I did. And you?”

“Same,” she replied as we made our way to the couch where we both took our seats. It was only then that I noticed that Yuna was already in her school uniform and yet here I am, in my pajamas, looking horrible and disgusting.

“You’re heading to school after this?” I inquired as I fixed my eyes on the clothes Yuna was wearing. It is the iconic uniform that’s widely known here in Seoul. I mean who wouldn’t know it when Gyeongjin University’s basically the top university in the country, with its finest facilities, world-class programs, and breathtaking campus. When you look at the uniform, it isn’t really that special. The colors used were a combination of different shades of grey, coin and slate, the lighter one making up the bodice of the vest as well as a tiny part at the bottom of the skirt while the latter tinted the sleeves and most of the skirt. A plain white button-up blouse was underneath the vest, coupled with a slate grey necktie that completed the look. Yuna complemented the uniform with black knee-high socks and a low-heeled pair of oxford shoes that accentuated her long legs even more. She looked ethereal even with a uniform on and I wonder if I could ever look like her even just for a brief moment of my life.

“Earth to unnie…are you still with me?”

I was brought back to reality when I saw Yuna waving her hand over my face to capture back my attention.

“Oh, yeah? I was just lost in thoughts. What were you saying again?”

She chuckled at my embarrassme