CHAPTER II

*****

Taehyung entered the club room with a strong push of the heavy wooden double doors without giving much thought of the slam it may produce as he continued to make his way inside, feet stomping in agitation over what happened a while back at home. He directly walked over to the fridge located at the room’s mini kitchen area before grabbing a can of cold beer for himself.

“And they think what they’re trying to push me to do is that easy.”

He forcefully opened the canned drink before gulping down a hefty amount of the liquid while making his way to the room’s lounge area. A contented sigh escaped his lips as the effect of the alcohol ran down his throat. What better way to cure a hangover than to drown it with more beer?

“It’s nine in the morning and you’re already drinking beer. I didn’t know you were such a drunkard, hyung.”

Taehyung looked at the owner of the voice and he swore his mood was lifted up a bit. Jungkook, their group’s maknae whom they consider to be the manliest of the seven of them, was wearing a thick amount makeup that could challenge those of the early Chinese people. A lot of powder was obviously applied as his skin turned paper white and the red mark on his cheeks looked as if he had been slapped back-to-back for a good fifty times. Not to mention the dark red lipstick covering his lips and the purple shade adorning his eyelids.

Taehyung chuckled as he took in the sight before him, realizing this must have been the emergency that he completely forgot after his talk with his mom. He was relieved it wasn’t that serious though.

“Don’t. Laugh,” Jungkook warned as he put on a grouchy expression and casted his hyung a look.

“I’m not laughing,” he replied only for Jungkook to narrow his eyes even more.

Taehyung noticed this and cleared his throat instead to stop any laughter or hints of it from coming out of his mouth. He reckoned Jungkook was embarrassed enough.

“It’s not funny.”

“Right. It isn’t. What’s gotten into you to do this to him?” Taehyung asked, finally taking notice of the girl sitting beside Jungkook with a self-contented look, obviously proud of her ‘masterpiece’.

Choi Yuna gave her biggest grin at Taehyung as she answered him in delight. “My aunt just gave me a brand-new set of makeups and I wanted to try it.”

“You could’ve tried it on yourself. No need to drag me in your crazy antics,” Jungkook mumbled as he shifted in his seat to slump his form in the couch, trying to wipe away the cosmetics off his face only to be slapped by Yuna who obviously wanted to preserve her work possibly until lunchtime where she could show it off to the others.

Yuna giggled as she pinched Jungkook’s right cheek. “Don’t say you didn’t like it. You were certainly very obedient when I was putting on the makeup on your face.”

“That’s because you threatened to break up with me if I don’t do as you say!”

“I did?” Yuna asked, feigning innocence with which Jungkook could only roll his eyes at.

“I didn’t know you were that desperate, Jungkookie,” Taehyung commented as he took a seat on the couch parallel the couple with the beer still on hand. He thought he should stay. Watching Jungkook and Yuna never fails to amuse him. They were his happy pill- the oddest pair he encountered throughout his life. To define, they were a couple but, at the same time, also not a couple. It’s confusing but it’s the best definition he could give.

“It’s not desperation, hyung,” Jungkook defended which Yuna cut off with her own words.

“He’s just in denial of himself.”

Jungkook glared at Yuna who simply shrugged her shoulders and let out a huge smile over to the boy.

Taehyung lightly chuckled and shook his head at the two before taking another sip of his beer. He might as well finish this one can even though the people before him already managed to lighten his sour mood. He had to give it to them for turning his disposition in just a matter of a few minutes.

“Don’t you both have classes?” he asked, suddenly aware of how chill the two were despite the time obviously being class hours and unlike him, he was sure they have classes at this hour.

“Music class got cancelled,” Jungkook answered.

“Mister Nam had a wedding to attend to,” Yuna further explained as she leaned her back on the couch with Jungkook immediately stretching his arm to pull Yuna in an embrace. If he had not been used to them, Taehyung might have puked. He swore the romance of these two is like a fluctuating light bulb. Sometimes it goes on and other times it’s off. Upon the mention of the word ‘wedding’ though, Taehyung’s ears perked up and he could feel the dreadful thoughts about this morning coming back.

Jungkook picked up on the sudden shift of his hyung’s mood as he noticed the frown that threatened to emerge on his face before he hung his head low.

“Is there something wrong, hyung?” he inquired, evidently concerned.

Yuna realized the situation and went to look at Taehyung before staring up at Jungkook to ask him silently if he knew what was up. Jungkook only shrugged and both returned their gazes to the suddenly dispirited person in front of them, confused and worried.

“I just remembered the conversation I had with my mom this morning,” Taehyung said. He decided it was better to tell them. Keeping it to himself would probably drive him mad. He, too, needed his friends’ say on the matter. Maybe they can give him some good advices as well. But considering it’s these two he’s talking about, he’s not so sure.

“And what did you talk about?” This time, it was Yuna who asked as she also grew in concern. It was not likely for Taehyung to have this gloomy aura. He was always the cheerful one along with Hoseok if Yuna was not mistaken. So, seeing him this down alarmed her. Additionally, Jungkook’s friends are also her friends. She was not keen on seeing one of her friends in a bad mood.

“Marriage.”

“MARRIAGE?!” Jungkook and Yuna cried out in unison before they looked at each other to confirm if they really heard the same thing before Taehyung spoke.

“Yes, marriage. My grandmother wants me to get married before this year ends.”

“Don’t joke with me, hyung,” Jungkook tried to laugh it off as he was still denying what Taehyung just told them. In his mind, his hyung was trying to pull off a silly prank on them. He was, in fact, the best actor among their group and he always had them fooled whenever he wants to. This time was probably not different.

“I’m not joking,” Taehyung defended as he looked Jungkook directly in the eye with a grave face to indicate the genuineness of his words. “She really does want me to get married as soon as possible and bear her a great grandchild before I turn thirty. If not, I won’t be inheriting a single won from the family heirloom.”

“Then don’t inherit anything. It won’t be that much of a loss if you fail to do as she said,” Jungkook stated in which Yuna agreed with a nod of the head.

“He’s right. As long as you get to graduate this coming end of the school year, you’ll be fine without their money.”

“She’s thinking of disowning me,” Taehyung said in a deadpan tone causing both Jungkook and Yuna’s mouth to fall open.

“She can’t afford to do that.”

“Oh, trust me, Jungkookie. She will. I know my grandmother. Once she decides on something, she’ll make sure it happens no matter the cost.”

“That’s crazy,” Yuna commented, pitying Taehyung in his no-way-out situation and also somehow being thankful it wasn’t her in his situation. Well, if it were her, she wouldn’t have had trouble anyway considering she was already in a five-year relationship, going strong. However, that was the problem. As far as she knows, the last girlfriend Taehyung had left a huge scar on him. It’ll be tough for him to find someone and put his trust once more.

“Are you sure there’s no other solution?” Jungkook asked as he wrecked his brain to come up with a way to help his hyung. He was, unfortunately, left with none.

“I’m positive.”

“How are you supposed to find a girl suited for the role though?”

A blank look graced Taehyung’s face as he realized that problem now that Jungkook mentioned it. Throughout the morning, he was only focusing on his self that he entirely forgot that factor of her grandmother’s condition. He forgot the other end of marriage- the wife.

“I definitely could not find someone easily.”

“I haven’t thought of that until now that you mentioned it,” Taehyung answered truthfully as he slumped himself on the couch while ruffling his hair. Problems regarding this stupid condition just kept piling up.

“I know a lot of girls who are wife material. I could introduce you to some of them,” Yuna suggested as Taehyung tilted his head, quite considering the idea.

“If it’s Yuna’s friends then it wouldn’t be that bad.”

“That could work,” Taehyung said, nodding his head slightly in approval as he tried to brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages.

“Or you could just skip the conventional way of looking for a wife and go for something much more insane.”

Taehyung and Yuna eyed Jungkook after hearing his bold statement, asking him to clarify himself as they were somehow lost on what he was trying to say.

Jungkook gave them a passive look and said, “What I’m trying to say is you don’t really have to look for someone whom you’ll love for I know you’re still afraid of venturing into that matter after what happened in your previous relationship. Just look for someone to play the role without any romantic commitment.”

A short silence met Jungkook as Taehyung furrowed his brows in confusion while Yuna simply blinked a couple of times to digest what she just heard. That was, by far, the most sense Jungkook gave throughout her years of being with him.

“What you mean to say is that he should just hire someone?” Yuna questioned, doubtful of her understanding in her boyfriend’s explanation.

“Exactly,” Jungkook confirmed with a snap of the finger and a triumphant grin which Yuna matched in a matter of seconds, clearly liking the idea.

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