08 turning point

Taehyung opened the apartment door to see a passed out Irene piggybacked by blonde haired boy. He didn’t have to wait long to find out who this person was.

“Hi, I’m Yoongi. Irene’s out cold, where’s her room?” Yoongi said matter-of-factly but then he took a second glance at Taehyung. “Are you Taehyung?”

Taehyung nodded and held his hand out, well his sweater paw out since he couldn’t touch Irene directly but this Yoongi didn’t need to know that. Taehyung couldn’t stand this image, Irene being carried by someone else.

“I can take it from here hyung,” Taehyung replied.

This was when Yoongi’s eyes changed. And Taehyung knew instantly that this guy wasn’t one to hold back on his words. They were blunt and cutting.

“Taehyung. I don’t know the whole story but she cried a lot while mumbling your name when she was drinking tonight. You need to stop playing around with her feelings. You’re better than that. Just tell me where her room is.” Yoongi finished, his voice calm and steady.

And it was a blow to his heart. But he tried not to show it. He thought he was doing well, keeping his distance between him and her. How much was he really hurting Irene without knowing it?

“I’m not playing with her feelings. She’s important to me.” Taehyung replied, as he moved forward to take Irene off of Yoongi.

But Yoongi seemed to see the game that Taehyung was playing and moved back.

“Taehyung. We don’t have all night. Just show me the damn room, I’m already carrying her. Someone needs to open the door anyways. She’s not a game for you to play with.”

Taehyung knew that Yoongi’s words were completely right and that Yoongi had seen through Taehyung’s pettiness straight away. And he could see how Irene could eventually fall for someone like Yoongi. He was level-headed and practical. And he didn’t sugar-coat his words. He was brutally honest and to the point, it was something he knew that Irene regarded highly of.

Taehyung led Yoongi to Irene’s room and opened the door to let Yoongi in and he immediately placed Irene carefully on her bed, tucking her under the blankets. Irene seemed peaceful between the sheets and mumbled, “I don’t want to go back yet. Yoongi give me one more shot…”

“Why are you doing this to her?” Yoongi asked quietly.

“Doing what?” Taehyung asked back, offended that Yoongi felt a need to into his and Irene’s business.

“Stringing a girl along with no intention of getting together with her,” Yoongi stated and his eyes finally met Taehyung’s. They weren’t angry as Taehyung was expecting instead they looked determined. “She deserves better than that.”

Taehyung stared back at Yoongi, because he knew what Yoongi was implying. He was going to pursue Irene and he was warning Taehyung to stay away.

And at the moment, Taehyung wished for nothing more but to be rid of his curse. He never wanted to be in this position, helpless to be with the only person he wanted to be with and see that she might be taken away. And the fact that he was causing Irene so much hurt, just made him feel like .

He felt like he was falling into a deep and endless pit, one he could not crawl out of. Was it fate that he had to lose her for good? He knew he couldn’t be so selfish, but he couldn’t help it.

- - -

Tonight was a quiet night for Irene. After yesterday’s unexpected and very embarrassing drinking session with Yoongi, she didn’t need another night out. Irene needed peace and quiet.

Both her housemates were out partying, which was normal for Hoseok but quite surprising for Taehyung. Irene knew it was probably Hoseok who had managed to drag Taehyung out for some partying. For Irene however, being able to have the whole apartment to herself, was a rare and very valuable opportunity.

To make the most of it, she had positioned herself on their faded brown couch, which Taehyung had picked out of the second hand shop the time they moved in. It wasn’t the best couch, since it sunk in all the wrong places. To make up for this, Irene had taken some pillows and placed them around her to make herself more comfortable. She had decked out in her most comfy PJ pants and loose t-shirt and her long hair in a bun.

On the coffee table, she had laid out a few cans of beer and had some take-out fried chicken. This was going to be a stress-free night, Irene had thought. She was going to enjoy her chicken and beer, in peace and quiet while watching some dramas on TV.

She was half way from her box of chicken and 2 cans of beer, when she heard the jingle of keys from the front door. Moments later, a dazed looking Taehyung stepped into the living room and on top of Irene. His hair was mess and his clothes dirty and wet. Irene guessed he had fallen on the ground a couple of times before he had finally found his way home.

“Hey I’m on the couch Tae too, don’t collapse on me,” Irene exclaimed as she tried to move Taehyung away from her legs, which were spread along the couch. But being a guy and thus too heavy for Irene to shove away, Taehyung didn’t budge at all. “Where’s Hoseok?”

But Taehyung had laid unresponsive to Irene and didn’t budge from his position. She wondered how much Taehyung had drunk tonight. He was good at holding his alcohol, so she knew he must have drunken a fair few to land in this state. So much for her peaceful night.

Irene wiggled her legs under Taehyung’s body to break free and stared at his peaceful face. He was stunning, Irene thought to herself. Even though she had known Taehyung since she was a kid, she wondered how he was able to make her feel so attracted to him. It must be his god-damn good looks, she thought. Taehyung had sharp features, which made him so strikingly good looking. It didn’t help that his tan skin was always glowing. She wondered why he never took up modelling.

As she moved his bangs covering his face, Taehyung suddenly grabbed her hand, catching Irene by surprise. He had been laying half on the couch and half on the ground but now, he positioned himself placidly on the couch and stared back at Irene who was sitting on the other half of the couch with his eyes half open.

He didn’t say anything but looked sadly at her. It was an expression Irene did not usually see on Taehyung.

“What’s wrong Tae?” She asked, concern etched over her face.

“Everything,” He said in a whisper, his eyes slightly dazed. “I’m sorry about everything.”

“You should go rest. Come on, I’ll get you some water to drink. You’ll have a terrible hangover tomorrow,” Irene said as she began to get off the couch. But Taehyung still had his hand clasped tightly against hers and she couldn’t move any further than a few steps from the couch. As she tried to pull apart from him, T