CHAPTER XXV

**YERIN**

Taehyung went down the stairs in surprisingly a fresh set of clothes. He was no longer wearing the same denim jeans nor the same blue button-up shirt. Instead, he was now sporting a white shirt with its brand name printed at the center, a pair of black jeans, and even a denim jacket to go over his shirt. He really wasn’t kidding when he said he has a set of clothes ready in my closet. It made me wonder how I managed to not notice it. I’m sure I’ve seen every corner of this place already.

“Ice cream~” Taehyung said in a singsong voice as he wriggled his fingers and did a little bit of a dance once he was down the last step.

I laughed because it’s the first time (and probably the only time) that I got to see Taehyung act not like his usual self. I mean I’ve seen him be all active before but not like this. In fact, I didn’t even know he’s capable of dancing funnily since the last time I’ve checked, Taehyung is always so stiff like the word fun is omitted from his dictionary.

“I really don’t have money,” I said while standing up from the couch. The time it took Taehyung to finish his shower was enough for me to finish folding up the remaining pieces of clothes I forgot to neaten up from yesterday’s laundry and since he basically took forever to step out of the bathroom, I happen to have finished taking a shower myself.

“Or I could pay for the ice cream myself, but you have to come with me. I think that’s more negotiable.”

“You mean like a date?” I asked, and I wanted to slap myself so hard for saying that without even thinking about it first. Now, I just sounded like I’m one of Taehyung’s fangirl, desperate for some alone time with him.

I was scared to see Taehyung’s reaction, but at the same time, I want to know if I disgusted him. Of course, the latter won, and I opted to look up to meet his gaze. He was staring directly at me. His eyes weren’t actually sickened by my words. Rather, they seem like they just softened or was I only imagining things?

“Do you want it to be a date?” Taehyung finally voiced out after a moment of utter silence. His voice was low as if he doesn’t really want to be heard but I caught what he said anyway, and it made me shake my head despite the weird urge in me to nod.

“It was just a joke,” I said but I don’t think I really meant it.

I’m not sure if my eyes were deceiving me but I think Taehyung just frowned a bit.

“Well, whatever. We’re still getting ice cream, date or not.”

~~~~~

“What happened to your hand?” I asked when I took notice of the wounds that became visible all over his right knuckle as he drove.

Taehyung flashed me a glance and answered, “I punched a pole.” His tone made it sound like what he did was normal.

I gave him a ‘what the ’ look and he returned it with a mere shrug of his shoulders.

“I had to vent my anger out and the pole was the nearest thing to me at that moment.”

“You could have just shouted everything out. No one would hear you there anyway.”

He smiled at me like he was proud of himself for punching a freakin’ pole. “There’s no pain in that.”

I gave him a dirty look. “So, you’re a masochist now?”

“Just when I feel mad at myself.”

A frown made its way to my lips upon hearing his words and I didn’t even put much time into voicing out my comment on them. “You shouldn’t feel so alone, you know. You have friends who are ready to be there for you. You have your family. You’re not by yourself in this world, just in case that’s what you think to yourself all the time.”

Taehyung snickered, and I leaned in closer to see his exact reaction. He had his eyes still set on the road as he drove, but he was giving off the bitter look, like he knows what I said wasn’t true because he’s tested it before.

“They won’t understand. They never have, and they never will. They just don’t care enough about me.”

“That’s not-”

“Yes, it is. I’ve been there before.”

That shut me up from protesting on his words further. Does that mean everyone else betrayed him before and that’s why he’s putting up this façade for them? What exactly happened? It would be a hundred percent better if someone were to enlighten me on the whole story.

The wave of curiosity that tickles me every time a mention of Taehyung’s past is talked about came surging through my system once more. It made me want to directly ask Taehyung, but I know it wouldn’t be right, considering that it’s too personal. Instead, I could only look at him with sympathy. It must have been hard if ever he is telling me the truth, that everyone turned their backs against him once.

I was too keen on my emotions for Taehyung’s situation that I didn’t bother to check my words first before letting them slip past my mouth, and it was only when I realized what I just said did I regret not doing it.

“You have me.”

~~~~~

We arrived at Taehyung’s preferred ice cream parlor after enduring the awkward atmosphere inside the car. It turned out that what I said triggered a bit of tension between Taehyung and me. I mean I’m not caught surprised though. What came out of my mouth was utterly stupid. I wanted to punch myself repeatedly for saying it. Furthermore, Taehyung’s blank face the came after I said it added to the frustration I felt over my mistake. He was looking nonchalant, as he often does, that it made me think of the possibility that he didn’t hear me, but who am I kidding? I said those words loud and clear. Even my grandmother, who’s partly deaf now, would have gotten every word.

“We’re here,” Taehyung said, his tone flat.

I nodded despite him stating the obvious. I still didn’t know how to act, knowing that I just ruined the entire day for the both of us with my stupid mouth.

“Are you just going to stay there or what?”

I didn’t notice Taehyung already went out of the car and left me in my seat, thinking to myself. When I did so, as soon as he talked to me once more, I immediately snapped myself out of reverie and unbuckled my seatbelt in a rush before stepping out and closing the car door behind me.

“Didn’t I already tell you to stop doing all these daydreaming?” Taehyung said to me as we began to walk toward the shop. Why is he even acting so cool now? I mean I swear to my ancestors’ graves that Taehyung heard my senseless statement. So, why is he treating me rather…normally?

I slowed down my pace so that I wasn’t walking alongside Taehyung. Instead, I was now behind him, following his footsteps while I decided to stare at the ground while I walk.

I was too engrossed with distracting myself with the concrete pavement we were on that I was not able to see Taehyung stop and turn around. I only did so when I came into contact with his chest, and we would have stumbled had he not catch me by the arm.

“Watch where you’re going,” he said as he helped me regain my balance. He was still holding my wrists with both hands and it almost looked like we were hugging, with our current proximity.

I hurriedly took a step back and remove myself from Taehyung’s grip as I fully realized how intimate we must have looked for onlookers. I don’t want them to get the wrong idea now.

“Sorry,” I muttered, as I directed my gaze back to the ground. My cheeks were burning now, and I know it must have made my face look red, so I opted to not let Taehyung see my reaction. I’d get a teasing for it. I’m sure.

Taehyung didn’t reply so I looked at him from under my lashes. It turned out that he was averting my gaze as well. His face was looking everywhere but me and I don’t know if he knows but a bit of a blush tinted his cheeks, much like mine.

“You’re clumsy as always,” he said after a while before he pocketed his hands in his jeans and turned to walk inside of the ice cream parlor, leaving me as always.

~~~~~

“Aren’t you going to get fat eating all that?” Taehyung questioned as he stared at the cup of strawberry cheesecake-flavored ice cream in my hands. I ended up ordering the largest cup size they had and even had five different toppings to go alongside it since I wanted to take advantage of the fact that this was free ice cream. All was on Taehyung, as he promised. I just couldn’t let this perfect opportunity go to waste by ordering a small ice cream cone with only some chocolate sauce on top. Of course, I have to indulge myself. It’s not everyday things like these happen.

“What’s wrong with being fat?” I retorted as I took the seat opposite of Taehyung, who was now busy making himself a perfect scoop of his neopolitan ice cream.

“Aren’t you girls like concerned with your waist lines and all?” he said, not bothering to look up at me as he continued to struggle in fitting all three flavors and one of each topping in his small pink spoon.

“That’s a hasty generalization. Not all girls are like that.”

Taehyung shrugged. “That’s what most girls in school are like. They always stress about going to the gym but also love to eat out at cafés and indulge on those sweet treats that they post on their social media accounts. I mean what’s the point in working out when every day is cheat day?”

I narrowed my eyes and made a little pout with my lips. “You’re being too judgmental.”

“Or you’re just too nice to admit that I still do have a point despite how rude it sounded.”

Well, if you really put it that way, I guess what Taehyung said is a bit rational. Maybe he just stated his thoughts with more honesty than what’s normal that he turned out sounding a bit harsh.

“Anyway, can you really finish all of that?”

Taehyung scrunched his eyebrows as he stared at me while I placed a spoonful of ice cream in my mouth before I let out a low moan of delight as the sweetness of the treat reached my palate.

I let out a series of gleeful nods while I savored the sensation I was getting from the ice cream. It’s been a while since I last ate one of these, maybe a year or so, since I rarely go out to treat myself before because doing so is a waste of both time and money.

“It’s a wonder how you’re still skinny despite that kind of an appetite,” Taehyung commented as he stopped eating his ice cream and settled to observe me instead. I really should feel uncomfortable being stared at as I eat but odd enough, thinking that it’s Taehyung who’s doing it, I don’t even feel a bit conscious.

“It’s because I’m dealing with a lot of stress.”

“Like?”

“You.”

That shut him up, but I could see it didn’t quite offend him because instead of the mean look he’d give me after a rude joke I give him, he simply just chuckled before shoving a spoonful of ice cream to his mouth while he arched one of his brow.

“You made me look for you in the middle of the night in my favorite pair of pajamas which is now dirty and muddy, by the way. Plus, you had me stepping down from my pride to call Jimin and ask him for a ride. Not to mention the fact that it was raining very hard when I came out to search for you. If you don’t think that’s stressful enough then you might, as well, get your brain checked up at the nearest mental hospital.”

Taehyung threw his head back in a sudden burst of laughter and I don’t know if what part of what I just said was funny, but seeing how he’s so amused with it, I couldn’t help but chuckle a little myself.

Once I was done with all the fun, I immediately threw on a straight face and cleared my throat. “I’m not joking.”

Taehyung was still catching his breath when he waved his hand and nodded his head muttering a series of ‘yeah’ like he meant it. That earned him my glare. I was serious about what I said. I really did feel stressed and the worry I had for him last night had not aided my situation at all. I do admit that I’m not that all fond with Taehyung and he may have pissed me off at Yuna’s birthday party, but as I received the call from his mother last night, telling me he still hasn’t come home, all those hate I had for him completely disappeared and was replaced with concern. As I thought of every possible thing that could have happened to him, I felt my mind going more and more distressed. It’s a good thing I’m a pro at hiding such emotions though. It seems like Jimin didn’t notice anything at all…

…or maybe he did but he decided to use it for future purposes.

The last thought crept me out, so I shook my head to erase it from my head.

“Have I ever told you how weird you are?”

“You don’t have to tell me,” I replied even though I felt a bit embarrassed after having Taehyung see me snap out of my daydreaming again. I mean if he really plans for us to get married then he just has to get used to me. It’s not like I’m changing myself for him after all.

Wait…that doesn’t seem righ