Taehyung makes a firm decision, maybe (?), yes, firm. He will not be going to his meeting tonight, not after his koala bear experience, hanging off of Yoongi (who he’s known for all of a minute) like a vine from a branch. Just thinking about the moment has his face burning hot with the fever of embarrassment. He will not be attending tonight’s meeting. Definitely not. Nope. Not gonna happen. Plus, missing one session, maybe two, three tops, won’t hurt anything, right?

Stripping off his work clothes he decides to take a shower. The day has been less than ideal with people pulling him in every which direction, making him feel like a stretched out slinky. Warm water beating against his skin is just what the doctor ordered. He walks into the bathroom and turns on the tap, letting it run for a bit as he takes off the remaining articles of clothing. The shower is exactly the right medicine for his tired, broken body and spirit. The water feels like drops of refreshing elixir, healing him from the outside in.

Once he’s done, he dries off and throws a towel over his wet head and another around his waist. He feels refreshed, rejuvenated, and clean. His brain is charged to near capacity, and his faux pas with Yoongi stings a bit less.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were home?” Taehyung jumps, startled by Jimin’s voice.

“Mmm, just had the world’s most fantastic shower,” Taehyung replies.

“How good?” Jimin asks, waggling his brows, and it takes Taehyung less than a second to figure out what his friend is thinking.

“You know, I’m capable of enjoying a shower without .”

“I know, but why would you want to?” Jimin giggles, and it dawns on Taehyung that it’s his favorite sound.

“Not gonna lie, you have a slight, teeny tiny, like so small you can’t see it with the eye point.” Taehyung pushes his thumb and index finger together as an illustration.

Jimin thumps him in the arm lightly, not enough for it to hurt, but Taehyung screams anyway because he can, because it’s fun, because it means he wins when Jimin jumps in shock at his response.

“Really? I barely touched you. Hey, don’t you have a meeting tonight?” Jimin asks as he trots down the hall towards his room.

There it is, the thing Taehyung is trying not to think about…Yoongi. Okay, not Yoongi, but yes, Yoongi. Jimin didn’t say Yoongi, but Yoongi is the thing Taehyung is trying not to think about because the man probably thinks he’s crazy, because he spent the majority of the last session with his face hidden in Yoongi’s neck and his hand gripping onto Yoongi’s shirt. Yoongi, who he really doesn’t know and who really doesn’t know him. He doesn’t want to think about Yoongi.

It’s already been decided. He’s not going. Nope. Not gonna happen.

“Are you not going?” Jimin comes out of his room having changed into sweats and a baggy white t-shirt with a low cut neck, exposing his collar bones.

Here’s the dilemma: if he says no then Jimin is going to ask why not, and he can’t lie to Jimin; it’s not how their friendship works. Theirs is a relationship built on trust and honesty. However, he’s not ready to talk about Yoongi, not just yet, because he can’t, because he doesn’t want to think about Min Yoongi, because he can’t explain Min Yoongi, because the man and Taehyung’s attachment to him are a mystery that he has yet to solve.

“Yes! Yes, I do. But, uhm, I’m…running late?” It comes out loud and like a question, like he’s asking Jimin for the time.

“Okay?” It’s the second time in less than an hour that Jimin has given him a strange look.

“Alright, good chat. Gonna go get dressed now.” Taehyung hightails it to his room, leaving behind what he’s sure is a very confused Jimin.

He walks through the door of the meeting room as everyone’s preparing to walk out.

“Is it over?” He asks, befuddled. He’s not that late.

“No, field trip,” Jin says with a bright smile and a much too chipper voice

“Huh?”

“You’re late.” Yoongi’s deep drawl comes from behind him, and for a brief moment Taehyung freezes.

“Yup, I was in conflict.” He turns to face the man.

“So, you’re here to deal with it?” Yoongi questions, hand barely touching Taehyung’s back, guiding him to the door.

“Nope, to avoid it.” Taehyung wisely doesn’t add that right now Yoongi touching him is his biggest conflict.

“So, what you’re saying is you came to a conflict resolution class to avoid conflict?” Yoongi’s gummy grin is contagious.

“Yup,” Taehyung replies as they walk to the van in the parking lot.

“Taehyung, I knew you were gonna be the most interesting part of this class when I first met you. I love when I’m right.” He’s not sure if the words are a compliment, but he’ll take it.

The grocery store is cold and packed with people picking up last minute or forgotten supplies for dinner. Taehyung dislikes the supermarket, not because he hates shopping, but because people like to talk to him. Random strangers will, for reasons he’ll never comprehend, just start telling him their life woes. On his last visit an elderly foreigner regaled him about her guilt over not attending her daughter’s wedding, and it was awkward, and he wanted to cry for her and for himself at having to listen without being able to adequately respond.

Jin calls the group to attention.

“I bet you’re all wondering what we’re doing here,” Jin starts, and Taehyung nods his head in reply to the rhetorical question. “We all know that conflict is a pesky creature that rears its head unexpectedly, and many times our conflicts are caused by external events, people, places, and things outside of our control. However, the focus of today’s exercise is how we handle being the object of conflict.”

“We will be causing the conflict?” Namjoon asks.

“That’s right,” Jin says with a smile that Taehyung thinks borders on evil. Clearly the man loves his job.

“Uhm, why?” Krystal asks in a voice that lets everyone know she’s less than pleased with whatever is about to go down.

“Well, Krystal,” Jin continues, and the way he says the woman's name seems to Taehyung like a battle of wills, as though the man is throwing down a gauntlet and daring Krystal to take it up. She doesn’t. “Conflict can often stem from our perceived beliefs of what others think about us. So, by creating a conflict where we know that we’re the stressor, then we are better able to handle those perceived beliefs. We’ll delve more into this point during the classroom discussion next week, but for now-”

“This is a fascinating concept,” Namjoon says cutting the proctor off. “So, the goal is to learn to deal with conflict by creating it.”

“Exactly, Namjoon.”

“Intriguing, very intriguing. Ahh, sorry for interrupting. Please continue,” Namjoon says with a wave of his hand.

“The object of this exercise is to stall in the line as long as you can. I want you to feel the heat of the conflict arising around you because you’re holding up the line.” Jin smiles, and again Taehyung thinks the action is a bit sinister. “As an incentive, I’ve decided to give a prize to the team that holds up the line the longest. The winner will get gift vouchers to Okitchen3.”

Oohs and ahhs surround Taehyung, and if truth be told he is a little impressed himself. Okitchen3’s reputation for fantastic food and exclusivity has him wondering how Jin was able to get more than one voucher.

“We’ll be splitting up into groups. Two groups of two and one group of three.” Jin continues.

“Oh my God, I’ve always wanted to go to that restaurant,” Nana leans in, whispering to Taehyung.

“Me, too,” Taehyung answers back. “We should team up.”

No, he is not trying to avoid Yoongi. He’s not.

“Okay,” Nana smiles.

Jin begins to hand out colored cards, and Taehyung picks green.

“Okay, now find the person with the same color as you. Once teams are established I’ll hand out scenarios.”

Taehyung prays silently, asking God to not let Yoongi have a green card as well. Unfortunately, God’s plans are in direct conflict with his, much to his chagrin, Yoongi turns to him with a green card in his hand.

“Howdy partner,” Yoongi says, walking over to stand at Taehyung’s side.

“Alright, now that we have our groups, here are your missions.” Jin hands out another round of cards. “Good luck everyone.”

Yoongi fiddles with the card turning it about in his hand. The action leaves Taehyung fixated, staring in near wonder at the hand that is flipping the object around. Yoongi’s hands are small and veined, and Taehyung has a thing for hands. His roommate and bestie holds the record for cutest hands ever, but right now Yoongi is giving Jimin a run for the title.

“Hey, did you hear what I just asked?” Yoongi snaps his fingers, and Taehyung wakes up from his revery.

“Sorry,” Taehyung replies, and he’s still a little groggy from his stupor, still a little slow brain-wise, still in a bit of a daze which is why the next words escape his lips. “Your hands are just so pret-” he catches himself, but he knows Yoongi knows, God and the Universe know; it’s too late.

He doesn’t look up, doesn’t see Yoongi’s reaction. He doesn't wan