A/N

I know. I know.

pls don't be mad.

Tiffany noticed how Taeng struggled back to sit down on his chair after helping her to sit up.  She saw him giving her a small smile before reaching out for his phone to check on it.

“Y-you’re still hurting?”

“Hurm?” Taeng looked up from his phone giving her a confused look. “Oh, it’s just some few bruises.”

“Did you get it check?”

“Yeap. Sica was here while you were still unconscious, Yul was too.”

She nodded timidly before clearing awkwardly. “Can I see them?”

“They’re out now buying us lunch.”

“N-no.” She stuttered. “I mean your bruises.”

Taeng furrowed his eyebrows. “It’s nothing, you don’t have to see anything.”

“Please?” She begged.

Taeng was confused why she was so keen on seeing his wounds. “Why?”

Tiffany noticed the reluctance in his voice. She cleared before looking away. “Never mind then.”

He heaved a sigh, before moving closer to the girl. He lifted his shirt, and showed his injuries to the girl. “It’s just a few br-“

Tiffany gasped seeing those black and blue bruises on his body. There were also a few bandages on a few of them. “What’s under those bandages?”

“Cuts.”

“How did you get them?”

“They used ragged things to hit me with.” Taeng shrugged. “It must have torn my skin with those sharp edges.”

“Is it painful?”

“Not anymore. I swallowed some very good pills.” He grinned.

“Oh.” Tiffany’s expression changed hearing the excitement in his voice.

“Jessica gave them.” Taeng was disappointed that she would immediately think that he was talking about those illegal drugs. “I don’t do drugs with you around, you should know that.”

Tiffany was taken aback by the hurt in his voice. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Your face does the deed.” He sank back in his chair and looked away from the girl.

“You’ve taken some recently?”

“Yeap.”

“When?”

“Remember how I came home drunk that night? I wasn’t just drinking that day.” He confessed as he finally looked up to the girl’s eyes.

“Why?”

Taeng shrugged his shoulders. “It seemed like the best idea that day. It surely took my mind off some things. But I didn’t think that I would come home and..” He paused, remembering how he has coldly thrown the girl out of the house.

“How does it feel?”

“Urmm?”

“To be able to take your mind off some things? To go high?”

Taeng frowned. “It’s not that good.” He knew he had piqued the girl’s curiosity.

“Then why do you do it?”

“Because I was stupid to think that the pain would go away.”

“But it did, didn’t it?” She continued. “I want t-to try it too. I..”

“Listen,” Taeng leaned forward and cupped the girl’s face. “There’s nothing that you can take, or swallow to take the pain away. It doesn’t work that way. The pain is still there, after the effects are all gone. Trust me, it just added more into your sorrow to come back to the same sting that you thought you’ve left behind.”

Tiffany watched carefully those sincere eyes. “But how do you take the pain away?”

“Keep on breathing.” He said. “Do not succumb to the pain. Do not yield to them. Keep your head held high, and live.”

Her tears came out right then. Her voice wavered as she said her next words. “How do you live?”

Taeng was startled by the sudden question and the weakness in her voice. He was about to open his mouth to say something when she shocked him by her next sentences.

“How do you live, when you felt like you’re already dead?”

The words she said, the way she told them, it occurred to him that they were the same things came out of his mouth not too long ago when his mother died.

“I-I don’t know.” He didn’t have the answer to that question even till now.

“I want to give up.” Tiffany said. “But why do you keep on telling me not to?” She asked him, anticipating his answer.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Because I don’t want you to.”

“Why?”

“I care for you. I’ve told you this.”

She grew quiet, eyes still staring into each other. She used to feel suffocated whenever he said that. But now, somehow, she felt lighter. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Taeng’s lips.

“F-fany?” Taeng stuttered, obviously surprised by her first time initiating a kiss between them. He didn’t even know if he was dreaming or not. “Did you just k-kiss me?”

Tiffany opened her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, her eyes showed a glint of light in them. “I want to give it a try.”

“On what?”

“Us.”

*****

“Hey, Channie, my man!” Taeng chirped cheerfully at the boy who laying on the bed, before giving the latter a big hug. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been hit in the back of my head.”

“Funny.” Taeng lightly slapped his arm. “Anyway, there’s someone here to see you.”

Tiffany stepped out from Taeng’s shadow and smiled weakly at Chanyeol.

“Noona, you woke up already?”

She nodded her head. “I’m sorry about your-“

Chanyeol cut her off by opening his arms wide open, gesturing for a hug. “How about a hug instead of an apology?”

Tiffany blushed before taking a few steps forward and hugged the injured boy.

“Okay, that’s long enough.” Taeng separated them and pulled Tiffany to stand beside him. “So, what did the doctor say?”

“Possessive much, Hyung?”

“Shut up, lanky.”

Chanyeol laughed before finally telling his leader what his condition was.

“So, you’ll need at least a few weeks before you can come back to your duty?”

“Sorry, Hyung.”

“No worries. I got this covered.” He grinned before wrapping his arm around Tiffany’s shoulder and pulled her closer. “I guess I have to be your bodyguard now.”

Tiffany could feel her heart banging loudly, she shrugged his arm away and tried to glare at the sneaky guy.

Taeng chuckled. “Okay, we’ll work on that.”

“Good luck, Hyung. Noona doesn’t like being followed around.”

“It’ll be more like her following me around from now.” Taeng let out a small laugh, before realizing her glare on him. He cleared his throat. “So, Chan. We’ll come to visit tomorrow, she has already checked out, we’re going to get a bite to eat.”

“What? And I am stuck in here? Alone?”

“We’ll bring food tomorrow. Anything.”

“Fine. I want the most expensive ones.”

“Arasso. We’re leaving. Stay in your bed, Chan. Don’t do anything sudden.”

They bid goodbyes and exited Chanyeol’s hospital room.

“How you want to do this?” Taeng asked Tiffany, as they got into his car that was brought over by Yul. He insisted on driving home himself, even though he was forbidden by both Jessica and Yul. He got his ways when he played the guilt card on Yul, since Yul was indirectly responsible for Taeng’s safety, and he did a bad job with it, the least he can do was go easy on Taeng.

“Do what?” Tiffany feigned ignorance.

“You said you’re going to try. How?”

She gulped. “I- I don’t know. How do you plan to?”

He started the car, before backing out of the parking space. “Why are you asking me that? You’re the one who wants to.”

Tiffany was taken aback by his lack of enthusiasm. “You don’t want to?”

“I’m already trying, Fany. Can’t you see?” He smiled at the girl before taking a hold onto her hand.

Tiffany  retracted her hand on reflex.

Taeng huffed.

“S-sorry. It’s a habit.” She slowly inched her hands towards Taeng’s hand, and finally held it.

He chuckled at her answer and was satisfied when he felt her hands in his. He brought it to his mouth and gave a tender kiss on the back of her fingers.

“I’m not gonna kiss your hand, just so you know.” Tiffany said, which brought Taeng to his laughter again.

“Why are you being so cute and funny today?” He managed to say in between his laughs.

“I can’t help it, was born this way.” She shrugged and flipped her hair, before looking away to hide her blushing face from the sudden compliment.

“Well, I like this. It’s like the old you.”

Tiffany snapped her head back to the man, she was confused. “Old me?”

“Yeah. You used to be like this right? All vibrant and happy.” He smiled at the girl. “I miss seeing that in you.”

“How do you know that? You didn’t know me before.”

Taeng’s expression changed noticing what he slipped out.

“Yahh!” Tiffany poked his shoulders when he remained quiet. “Tell me now.”

“Just a wild guess.”

“Liar.” She replied. “Tell me, or I’m not going to talk to you again.”

He blew some air in his mouth before letting it out. “Fine. Remember that café you used to go when you were still in college?”

“Le Gardenie?”

“I used to get my usual morning coffee there. That’s when I first saw you.”

“And?” She sensed something else from what he was about to say.

“I saw you a couple more times since. Going there, just to see you.”

“You stalked me?”

“N-no. I was..” His eyes wandered away in guilt. “I was…”

“Admit it!” She poked his cheek.

Taeng tried to bite the finger that was pointing at him accusingly but she pulled back in time. “Maybe.”

“I was right.”

“About what?”

“You are a weird creep.”

“Yah, what’s weird about stalking someone you like?”

“Oooh, you like me even then?” Tiffany teased the man.

“I won’t deny that. You were so full of energy then, it mine too.”

Tiffany raised her eyebrow. “That would mean that you become lifeless when you saw me.”

“Not exactly lifeless. Mindless, maybe?” He chuckled. “Come on, Fany. You’ve never stalked anyone you like before?”

“In high school. Not when I’m in my mid twenties.” She jabbed back at the guy.

“Ouch. That hurts.”

“Good then.” She smiled a little, feeling amused by their current conversation.

“So, I can’t stalk the person I like anymore?”

“You have someone else you like now?”

“Yeap. Want to see her?”

“Who?”

“You’ll see.” He grinned. “In fact, we’re going to meet her right now.”

Tiffany couldn’t help but to feel discouraged by the fact that the guy has another girl in her mind. Was she wrong in reading him? Was he sincere with her? Or she’s just another girl in his life.

“I d-don’t want to meet her.”

Taeng frowned and glanced at the girl. “Why? It’ll be fun. She’s been expecting me.”

“Send me home. You can go by yourself.” The earlier smile had long gone from her face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked. “We’re here already.”

Tiffany noticed that they had pulled up in front of an all girl high school. She widened her eyes, before attacking the snickering man.

“What. The. Hell?!”

“Ouww, ouww.” Taeng tried to block her attacks on him. “Stop, will you?”

“You’re a dirty ert!”

“W-what?”

“This is a high school, goddamn it! You’re stalking a high school girl? Are you crazy?”

It took Taeng quite some time to finally get what Tiffany was accusing him of. He laughed hard which earned him a few more hits from the girl.

“I was talking about, Sulli.” He said. “I’m not a ert nor a e, Fany-ah.”

“Oh.” Tiffany was embarrassed. She hid her face in her palms, ignoring the laughs and jabs from the guy beside her.

A tap on the window stopped the both of them from their banters.

Taeng smiled gleefully before stepping out of the car, which was soon followed by Tiffany.

“Hey, Sul.” He grinned when the girl threw her hands around him.

“OPPA!” She exclaimed excitedly, she hasn’t seen the man for a couple of days. “Wait! What happened to your face?”

“The usual.”

“You told me you weren’t going to those boxing matches anymore.” Sulli pouted.

Tiffany raised her eyebrow, but she saw Taeng shaking his head at her.

“Do you want to have dinner with us?” He changed the topic purposely.

Sulli’s eyes brightened up immediately. “Really? Now?”

“Right after you change your uniform.”

“YAYYY!” Sulli skipped towards the door which was held open by Taeng and slipped into the car.

“Boxing huh?” Tiffany muttered out.

“She won’t understand.”

“I thought you’re always honest with her.”

“I am. But I like to keep her in innocence in such things. What she didn’t know, couldn’t hurt her.”

Tiffany nodded in understanding. “You know that sayings could backfire, right?”

Taeng looked at Tiffany.

“Don’t keep her in the dark for too long. It would hurt her more in the future.”

Taeng felt those words hit the right spot in his heart. Only he didn’t feel it in regards with Sulli but rather with Tiffany.

Just a little bit longer, Fany. I hope you would understand when I finally tell you.

***

Everything seemed like it went back to their old routine. But only the two people know how different it was for them, especially for the girl who had stopped fighting with her feelings ever since that day in the hospital. She wanted to avoid him sometimes for his constant annoying behaviors, but at the same time, she felt like wanting to see him everyday.

Taeng noticed this, but didn’t probe further, thinking that the girl was still recovering from her shock. He was actually relieved that they had stopped fighting on petty things. They had improved so much from the first day they met.

It took them that one occurrence to change everything again. One precious incident. And no one seem like they want to waste anymore time.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Why?”

“You look like a creep.”

Taeng chuckled. “I am not going to deny that.”

Tiffany scoffed and rolled her eyes. “.”

“Looks like you got your attitude back.”

“What?”

“Nothing, it feels weird to not have you arguing and insulting me. It’s been what? Three days now?” He grinned.

“So you want me to start doing that again?”

“No.” Taeng shook his head quickly. “I like this one better.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

“Why? Aren’t we better now?” Taeng raised his eyebrows up and down. He leaned closer, puckering his lips at her.

She quickly pushed him away.

“That doesn’t mean that you can do t-that.” She stuttered and felt her heart skipped a beat. She can never get used to that.

He laughed and pinched her cheeks. “You’re so cute that I feel like eating you up,” He paused, “Wait, that came out wrong.” He was frowning now.

Despite his erted sentence he just blurted out, she found him very adorable, changing his expressions quite frequently. He was like a little kid, having million of expressions to convey his feelings.

“Oh, now you’re smiling at yourself. Who’s the creep now?” Taeng pointed at her nose, before pulling it teasingly.

“Aish, stop bothering me.” She slapped away his hand.

“Waeeeyooo~” He whined.

“And stop doing that!”

“Fine.” He crossed his arms.

Tiffany started to poke him since he has been quiet for quite a long time. “Heyyy~~”

He ignored her, and started to set his eyes back on the television.

“Heyy~~”

“Stop bothering me. I’m trying to watch the tv.” He said monotonously.

She felt annoyed that he was ignoring her now, when he was the one who bothered her while she was watching her favourite drama earlier. “Yahh!” She shoved him hard. “How dare you ignore m-“

She stopped her sentences when she noticed his face, distorting in pain. She was afraid that she had caused him pain with his previous bruises.

“D-did I hurt you?” She moved closer to him, on the couch. Her hands reaching out to somehow ease the pain.

Taeng caught the hands and pulled her close, before capturing her lips. After a quite long kiss, he released her and gave out a grin. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

She blushed, and her hands started to hit the naughty leader. “I told you that you can’t do that anymore!”

“Why?”

“Because we are starting as friends now. Babysteps.”

“And? Friends don’t do this?”

Tiffany raised her eyebrows. “You do this with your other friends?”

“Of course.”

Tiffany’s eyes widened, she immediately felt like leaving the room, but Taeng held her down.

“Kidding, Fany.” He placed his palm on her cheek, “I’m only like this when I’m with you.”

“B-but..”

“My heart is beating again because of you.”

“So you were dead before?” She tried to joke, wanting to ease the butterflies in her stomach.

He chuckled. “Kind of. But I am more than alive now.” He leaned in, but a hand got in the way. “What now?”

“We’re not even in a relationship yet.” She muttered softly. “So, you can’t do this.”

Taeng let out a small laugh. He held onto her hands and gave them a squeeze. “Would you do the honor of being my one and only love? The one I swear to protect and care for the rest of my life?”

Her eyes blinked a couple of times, not believing what he just said. She couldn’t even believe herself when her head move unconsciously, giving him the answer that he had been waiting for.

“Is this for real? I mean, you don’t have to say yes just because you feel like you owe me. I don’t want that. Only say yes when you mean it. I can wait. I’ve been wait-“

She cut him off and gave him a surprise kiss on his lips. “Yes.”

“W-what?”

“I told you that I want to give us a try.”

“B-but..”

“I think I’m falling for you, Kim Taeng.”

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edit: Can someone tell me why is it rated M?