CHAPTER XXXVIII

**YERIN**

I sighed, looking at my phone for probably the hundredth time today. There is still no text from Taehyung which made me kind of worried. I even stayed up late last night, not for homework, but in trying to come up with a good idea on what it could be that suddenly troubled Taehyung. I don’t know exactly what it is that went through his mind to make him leave but I’m guessing it has something to do with the kiss we shared.

I frowned. Does that mean he didn’t like kissing me? Was I not good at it? Well, he started it in the first place. Besides, he’s the only guy I ever locked lips with. He shouldn’t expect me to be an expert.

“Stupid alien,” I muttered under my breath as I walked alone in the school’s hallway. My last class for today finished early and I texted Taehyung to tell him about it but until now, I still got no reply. In fact, it’s like he’s been avoiding me all this time. He didn’t pick me up but sent this mustached guy in a black tuxedo to drive me to school instead. He also didn’t join me for lunch, so I almost ended up eating by myself had Sowon-unnie not found me. I never seen nor heard from him since morning. There hasn’t even been a single text nor call. I’m starting to think that I did something wrong but no matter how much I think about it, I come up with nothing but the idea that I may have disgusted him during our kiss.

“As a lady, I am insulted,” I said to myself, shoving my phone to my skirt’s pocket. I decided that I shouldn’t worry about Taehyung so much. I do know how he is. He likes some time to himself so if that’s what he needs now, then I’m giving it to him. I won’t even bother making my presence known until he personally comes up to me and apologize for being such a prick.

I held my chin up and tugged my backpack tighter. Who needs him anyway? Definitely not me.

*****

“Wow. It’s fancy seeing you here.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes as he threw his backpack to the couch of their club room. “I could say the same. Shouldn’t you be somewhere else?”

“Like where?”

“Uh, like the clinic?” he replied to his hyung with as much sarcasm that he could muster. “You’re this school’s nurse, remember?”

The older guy laughed the statement off and continued sipping on his glass of cranberry juice. “I posted a sign back at the clinic that says I left to attend an important meeting.”

Taehyung mockingly put his hand to his chest. “Aww, I didn’t know you consider meeting the group as important. I’m quite flattered. Should I give you a cuddle?” he teased, coming closer to his hyung.

Jin made a disgusted face and set his juice to the side, ready to defend himself. “ off, Taehyung.”

It was Taehyung’s turn to laugh. He took the seat opposite his hyung and stretched out his legs to rest his feet on the center table. “Where’s Jungkook and Jimin?” he asked.

Jin shrugged and retrieved his glass, sipping on the remaining juice with a slurping sound. “They’ll probably be here later. From what I know, Jimin’s last class won’t end ‘til four and Jungkook might still be waiting for Yuna.”

Taehyung simply responded with a nod which made Jin remember what it was that he should have asked earlier, had he not been distracted by his friend’s sarcastic nature.

“Where’s Yerin?”

Taehyung raised a brow and rolled his tongue in his cheek to think. The question got him off-guard that it took some time for him to come up with an acceptable answer before he went with the safest one he could give.

“She went home early. She has a lot of school works due this week.”

“That ,” Jin commented as he played with the ice cubes that are melting in his empty glass. “School works are way too tiresome especially after going on vacation over the weekend.”

Taehyung bit his lips. He didn’t lie since Yerin does have a lot of things to work on that concerns her studies. It’s just that he’s not sure if she really did go home right after texting him that her class finished earlier than expected so he didn’t bother saying anything more. Instead, he kept silent and hoped his hyung won’t notice his unease.  He never told anyone about what happened yesterday and that he’s currently avoiding his fiancée because he’s a loser who still can’t come into terms with his emotions. He actually thought about telling a bit of his problem with Jungkook or anyone else from the group, but he thought otherwise when he remembered that they probably won’t understand. They hate Irene until now and anything he says that involves her would automatically make their advices way too subjective. He knows that well enough after years of hearing them tell him that he should move on and he should forget about her. It sickened him. He’s aware of what should be done. It’s just that he’s tired of everyone pointing it out to him when he’s trying his best to do so despite it being so hard.

“You’re thinking hard,” Jin said, disrupting Taehyung’s thoughts.

The younger stopped his mind from brooding further and faced his hyung. “Just contemplating on some stuffs.”

Jin hummed and re playing with his glass. Taehyung internally sighed in relief as he lowered his gaze and thinned his lips. Little did he know that Jin threw him secret glances that perfectly gave away the troubled expression he thought he could hide.

*****

The sound of crisp paper echoed inside the quiet vehicle as Irene casually flipped through the data given to him by one of his family’s trusted men.

“Does she still work at the café?” she asked.

“No, ma’am. She quit a month ago.”

She hummed, reading through the rest of the details etched on the paper. “And she coincidentally transferred to Gyungjin on the same month.”

“As far as what I have gathered, that would be correct, ma’am. Do you want me to look up further?”

Irene put the papers down and faced Doohwan, a grim look on her face. “No. I think I’m better off finding things out on my own from here.”

**YERIN**

My afternoon had never felt so dragging ever since I came here to Gyungjin. It was only now that I really came to appreciate Taehyung’s presence. He may be a pain in the with his rapidly switching moods, but I have got to admit that I enjoy his company.

“A sweet lollipop for a sour expression.”

I flinched in my seat when someone suddenly shoved a lollipop beside my face. I didn’t have to turn to know who it is though. I recognize the voice.

“Rowoon…”

He circled around the bench to take the vacant spot next to me and handed over the lollipop once more, urging me to take it. I did without question. No one should say no to free candy after all.

“You look down,” he commented. I would have denied but I realized that I had this frown on my face the whole time. He was simply stating the obvious, so I decided to unwrap the candy and aim all my frustration at it instead.

“I guess today isn’t my kind of day,” I mumbled while I struggled to take off the remaining plastic that stuck to the lollipop.

“Is it because of your boyfriend?” he asked, looking around, “I don’t see him anywhere.”

“Because he’s avoiding me, and I don’t even know why,” I wanted to say but I know I had to say something else. Rowoon doesn’t need to know anyway. If I do tell him, I’m afraid I might end up telling him more than what he should know. “His mother called him. You can’t expect me to hold him off.”