Two weeks had passed by then, and with them did exams. 
Taehyung and I didn’t have much contact other than meek greetings at the entrance of the college, but he would send me short texts each evening to encourage me, and send jokes as well to brighten up my mood.
No one did ever support me as much during exams, not even mother. So I appreciated our friendship.
I appreciated it even further.

That Saturday’s night, Taehyung texted me as usual.
Taehyung:‘Exams are over.’
Sivilla:‘Thankfully.’
Taehyung:‘So I wondered, would you mind spending tomorrow together?’ my brows knit at that.
Sivilla:‘Do you mean the whole day?’
Taehyung:‘No no no’
Taehyung:’I don’t mean that I don’t want to. Just choose the time that is compatible to your schedule. I am free for the whole day.’ Yet again, an undirected offer, to spend the whole day together, for that time.
Sivilla:’Alright then, would starting from lunch and going back by 19 be deranging?’
Taehyung:’Not a bit.’
Sivilla:’It is set. I bid you good night then.’
Taehyung:’Good night.’ 
Looking at the phone’s screen for too long can gravely be harmful to the eyes, so I have always refrained from it and thus, I cut the conversation short.
Nonetheless, I felt..excitement.
I had never been with Taehyung for more than two consecutive hours, so staying together for seven hours would be phenomenal, I thought.

The next day came. I was sitting on my bed’s edge, phone pressed against my ear, yet Taehyung missed my call.
Again.
So I clicked on his number to call him yet another time.
Why I called him too many times? Well, midday had already came by then, yet he didn’t call me as promised, so I did. And even so, he didn’t pick up my previous 17 calls.
I prayed for him to answer the telephone for too much in such short time.
“Good morning.” hearing his voice was of great solace.
“T-Taehyung, hello. H-how are you?”
“I’m fine. Why are you asking?” shuffling noises could be heard. 
“Well, I kept calling you since midday, but you would not pick up.”
“Really?” he paused “Ooooh I see now, I’m sorry. Excuse me if I worried you, I just woke up so..”
“I see.” It was detectable from his unusually low octave and raspy voice. 
“Since I usually have lunch late on weekends, I thought that you would too, but I guess…just how many times did you call?! “ I chuckled, which he mimicked awkwardly “I will be arriving in nearly quarter an hour, would you be fine with that?”
“Of course. I am ready after all.”
“Yeah..excuse me for making you wait.”
“It’s alright.” 
“Good. See you in a few.”

Some minutes passed by before receiving a message from Taehyung.
Taehyung:’Let’s go.’
I exited my room at the foyer, then went down the stairs before finally reaching the entry, and to my bemusement, I saw Taehyung talking to a girl.
“Does your sister live here?”
“None of your concern.”
“Come on, why are you so cold?” he rolled his eyes, and turned his head to the right, and that was when he saw me. 
He didn’t say a thing, but abruptly enough grabbed my hand forcefully and dragged me away.
The girl only called out to us, which was not acknowledged by Taehyung who kept walking towards the station.
I felt his grip on my hand loosening a tad as we neared the subways, yet he didn’t radically let go of it.
I didn’t know what to do, nor what to say, so I did neither.
We walked down to the lower floor, then stood amidst other people awaiting the train.
A few seconds passed, previous to the male beside me looking dully at my face, then at our hands, back at my face,and quickly diverted his look to our hands again.
“O-oh, sorry, I forgot about this.” He released my hand, action as rapid as his words. “Sorry if I made you feel uncomforta-“ not really knowing why, a faint laugh exited my mouth.
“It’s alright, really.” He nodded quite bashfully.
“As for that girl, I don’t know her. She came to me and started talking.” It was apparent to be so.
“You did never tell me about her, so I thought so.” He shook his head again, then started walking towards the train that had arrived.
One lone vacant chair could be seen inside, towards which we hurried. 
“It’s preferable if you would sit down before someone else would take it.” He shook his head ‘no’.
“Ladies first.” I thought for a second.
“We can share it-“
“We can’t. Just sit down.” I didn’t want to argue further with him, so I sat down.
And just as I did, an elderly came to me, her eyes pleading for me to give her my place. Even though I tried to stand fully, Taehyung pushed my shoulder down slightly.
“Taehyun-“
“You came first. Plus she could’ve worked all that time and bought a car.” I was thankful that the woman had gone further by then.

“How is it?” Taehyung showed a thumb up at Hester while I nodded in agreement, the food in our mouths preventing us from talking. The latter smiled in triumph. “Asking was unnecessary, don’t you think, Sivilla?” I swallowed before answering.
“I am positive.” 
“That’s all the confirmation I need.” his green braces came full in sight.
“Anyways,” said the other “how is work?”
“Take a look around.” I did as told.
“What has that of relevance?”  Taehyung snorted a laugh, while Hester sighed desperately.
“Come on! I meant to look at the customers’ number.” I lifted my head with an ‘o’ shaped mouth.
“They are quite much.” 
“You do have golden fingers.”
“Yep. I even got requests from clients who would like this restaurant to open up in other regions. And the other day, a foreign celebrity came here intentionally! Just how more honored could I be?”
“That is impressive.” The chef straightened his hat at my words. 
“Thank you much. Enough of me now, how have you been?”
“Pretty good.” 
“Exams have just ended, so we get to finally take a rest.”
“Exams, huh?” he crossed his hands “I didn’t really have them since I studies at the cuisine school. We just had trials and insignificant oral tests and that’s all.”
“That doesn’t seem too complicated.” Uttered I.
“The lessons are hard though, but if you are passionate, they wouldn’t be so difficult.” He paused “Hey, didn’t I tell you to talk about yourselves?”
“Well someone likes to be in the limelight.” We laughed faintly.
“Although, I have a question to ask.” They nodded “You seem to be old acquaintances, am I right?” Taehyung scratched the back of his head.
“We were basketball teammates for two years in middle school, but we weren’t that close though. And, coincidentally, I happened to open up shop near the college he studies at currently.”
“Happy ending, huh?”
“I think so.”  Laughter filled the air.
“Anyways, what are your plans for today?” I pouted in thought.
“I don’t know, maybe we will go to the arcades and then to the karaoke?” oh ,yes.
“I do miss Emma, can we take her with us as well?” he nodded leisurely.
“Emma? I heard about her before..Oooh, it’s the girl at the flower shop or something?”
“You got it right.” 
“Yes.” Agreed I. 
“Anyways, we should get going. The arcades in this area get closed early.”
“Of course. Don’t forget about your pal, okay?” we smiled at Hester as we waved him goodbye, then went to the arcades.

The place wasn’t far away from the restaurant, and I didn’t mind the few minutes of walking as they helped ease up digestion. 
On the way there, Taehyung told me that it’s a place where we play games for a specific amount of time, depending on how much is paid. 
As for the benefits, one’s accuracy could become sharper, or one could develop their stamina, or even improve some of their characteristics. 
At the moment we entered, we were bombarded upon by deafening noises; shooting sounds, and monsters’ shouts, as well as the loud chats between the players, who were mostly at our age or younger.
“What would you want to play?” I didn’t know.
“The choice is yours.”
“This is the first time you come here, so I would like you to pick whatever you wish.” I stood silent for a tad. “Maybe you would want something that would build up your personality a bit?” that was indeed a good idea.
“I see myself as a person lacking in courage..”
“A scary game then?”  mother did never let me watch horror films before, so I did want to experience playing a horror game.
“Alright.” 
After a bit, we were assigned to a room in which was a console, a television, and a number of chairs. 
“I will start the game. Sit down in the meantime.” I nodded before doing as told.
He put a CD in the device, then turned off the lights.
“Why did you deactivate the lights?” 
“It will build up even more bravery.” He winked slickly with a slight curve to his lips, which didn’t reassure me too much, then joined me.
He gave me the controller, so I started the game. The title appeared on the screen; ‘OUTLAST.’

Through the playing session, we exchanged roles every now and then, and the anguish wouldn’t go away even when he had the lead.
The hospital in the game was too dark, and too filled with people that had corrupted minds.
The abrupt and bloodcurdling scenes, ‘jumpscares’ as Taehyung chose to call them, were too many and too frightening to bear. I even enfolded Taehyung’s arm when I saw the first one.
 He did the same too, so I didn’t feel as much of a burden as I thought I was at the beginning. Although, I felt that I was starting to get used to them little by little, so Taehyung’s words did not betray me.

Few hours passed, yet we didn’t finish the game in the limited time.
“We can always come back here and finish the game.” That was Taehyung’s response to my disappointment.
Later, we went back to the area X, specifically to the flower shop.
“Good afternoon, Mrs Clair.” 
“Good afternoon, long time no see!” She greeted back.
“Yes, the exams were a hindrance, we apologize.” Responded I.
“It’s okay, really.”
“Um, we are on the way to karaoke so, could Emma join us?” the mother pouted at Taehyung, then shook her head.
“She fell sick this week, and she still didn’t recover, so I didn’t bring her with me today.”
“That is a shame.” Truly, I missed the child. “I hope that she would get better soon.
“I do too.”
“Thank you. Now go on and have fun!”
We waved back at her, then turned around and walked a bit further.
“Sivilla,” I turned my head to him “do you still want to go?”
“Yes, I do. Would it be an inconvenience to you, by any chance?” he shook his head with a thin-lined smile.
“Not at all. Let us go there then.”

We stayed at the karaoke for quite a while. For that session, we chose songs belonging to artists who have rather unique voices, yet also odd. For some, we had to mimic a specific accent, and for others, we had to change our voices’ regular octave.
After a few minutes, we sat on the floor, seeking a morsel of rest.
Our pants’ sounds overshadowed the noises coming from the rooms next to ours, the dim light of the television not providing radically clear sight to the eyes.
“The last singer’s voice reminds me of the way Amie talks.”
“Oh really?” he nodded. “I couldn’t notice, since I only talked to her twice.”
“That is true. Maybe it stuck in my mind since she has talked to me way too many times.” He paused “Well she rather mocked me, and still is.”
“I-I see..I could have confronted her that day if I could, but I undoubtedly couldn’t.” he scoffed, and hang his head down as he shuffled his bangs.
“Adults couldn’t make her feel guilty, let alone someone she wanted to bully.”
“Maybe if a person at her age would try to knock sagacity into her, rather than encouraging her further, there would be a chance of her listening to them. Adults are quite unconvincing to the younger generation, and they all think the same, and talk the same, but others of the same age can influence each other more.”
“It doesn’t matter either way.” A short silence enveloped the air, before he talked again “I can’t come to comprehend how you were led to this thought.” I looked at him in befuddlement.
“..What do you mean?”
“She was harassing you. She called you names, and assumed despicable things about you and even pulled your hair- for God’s sake, I was right at the verge of going up to her and tear her face off.”
“O-oh, I apologiz-“
“Why are you apologizing?? She is the one who should dirt off your shoes!” for once, his eyes looked filled with slight fury, and his calm manner of talking changed faintly. Of course, I was taken aback, so I didn’t answer. He only shook his head “I got too impelled, I just..I fear that she would become vengeful of you for what you did.” 
“It’s alright. I have the self defense courses fresh in mind.” He chuckled a tad. “Um, although, it seems that you resent her much.” He nodded.
“Of course. If not for her and her cousin, the second bully, things wouldn’t have become like this.”
“What did she do to you, if you don’t mind me asking?” I knew very well that Taehyung finds solace in talking about his share of problems, so I asked on purpose.
“She was the one to disperse the rumors further. Of course, she added adjustments as she spread them, making me seem even guiltier. She went all the way and found information about my life..and got me involved in yet another crime.” How much more degraded could a person get, really. Nonetheless, I nodded in anticipation “To summarize-“
“I don’t want a summary. Tell me every bit of it.” He sighed, a corner of his mouth lifting up.
“It will be long, and we won’t be able to sing more.”
“Carry on.” 
“Alright.” He nodded leisurely, then put his head back against the wall, eyes looking at the ceiling. “I was eight by then, and I stayed until night in my friend’s house, so I had dinner there. When I came back, dad and mom hugged me, and played with me, dad even told me a bed story before sleeping. The next morning, I woke up to the maid’s screams. I hurried towards the sounds’ source, to see them” his voice cracked a bit “mouths full of reddish foam, orbs unseen in the white of their eyes, limbs still, chests unmoving.” He stopped, then put a hand on his forehead, his black hairs tangling in the process. “The scene is still fresh in my mind. Such is my uncle’s crying face on their funeral. Although I knew it was but a veneer he put on.” He bit the inside of his cheek forcefully “Grandfather was dead by then, and mother was an orphan, so the only relative I had was that excuse of a person who is my uncle. Thus he took custody of me, and along with it the company and wealth. As for my parents’ death, it was deemed as a conjoint suicide done by poisoning and that was due to stress. But I know it wasn’t.” he shook his head “I know that, believe me. They were always beaming, always gleeful, always thankful and most importantly, the ecstasy was all genuine. They could never think of departing a good life such as theirs. And I know that he killed them.”
What?!
“I know that he killed them, and I didn’t say that I think so.”
“..Is there..proof?”
“Of course.” His immediate words were sure “Remember the maid that was my friend? She was the one who screamed as she saw my parents. She has the proof; no, she did the thing, she is proof.” I could do nothing but stay silent. “When I was at high school, I lived in another state. We were really close, I even considered her as a second mother to me; we knew each other for longer than my parents and I did. And the day I told her, she cried, and cried, and cried- then told me her sin. Of course I hated her, but then I told her that if she wants my forgiveness, she would have to tell the police, even though the case had already gotten closed by then. She went out of the house right then, and I had never seen her face again. He knows nothing about the occurrence to this day.” A moment of silence “Uncle did warn her, and I know that each values their life, but then, why wasn’t she as scared when she murdered mom and dad? Didn’t she see the value of their lives then?” his eyes regained their emptiness, so did his voice. “…that’s why I want to become a lawyer; to reveal the truth, so that justice would prevail, and with it innocent and righteous people of good minds.” The sound of joyful music playing was so contradicting to the melancholic atmosphere our room was enveloped in. I sighed, then put a hand on his shoulder, the flesh for a tad. He shifted his look away “Anyways, the thing is..how did we even start this ruckus?”
“Um, Amie, and the rumors.”
“Oh, yes.” A sigh escaped his nostrils “She just said that I was the reason why my parents committed suicide; the source of the stress, in short. Even uncle tells me that I am but a yoke to not only him, but to them too, and to everyone.” I nodded “She and her cousin are too pitiful, and have always given me an even harder life. She shames verbally, and he assaults physically, but thankfully he graduated last year. I don’t see what they enjoy in their pitiful hobby. She even said that I fake a tan.” 
“That is gruesome.”
“I wanted to make you laugh, but you didn’t.” the situation was too serious, of course I didn’t think of such a reaction.
“I apologize.” 
“It’s okay.” Silence “Do you want to go home?” 
“Alright, as you wish.”

As Taehyung and I walked mutely back to the foyer, I didn’t feel boredom, not in the slightest. Through the walk, I recalled the day’s events, and the number of things that we spent the day doing together. I have always read about such scenarios in novels, and poems, but never had I experienced them myself until I met Taehyung. No, not even my previous year companions were like him. They were bland, emotionless, incapable of having fun chats, neither holding long conversations. Every time I read books, I couldn’t feel envy, knowing that their characters are but a work of fiction, yet after I knew Taehyung, I feel somewhat..relatable to them.    

The next Saturday came already. Taehyung would accompany me back home daily, saying that if Emma would be at the flower shop, we would be able to stay with her, but the poor girl didn’t recover through the week.
But gratefully, that day, we didn’t get disappointed.
“Emma, you’re here, finally.” I couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
“Tae! Sivilla!” the kid dropped the pen that was in her hand, and came running into Taehyung and I. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t get better sooner! I really am! And I miss you two!”
“We missed you too, but we came to spend time with you, right?”
“That’s true, Tae!” laughter filled the air.
“So, how is our plant?”
“I took care of it, don’t fret.” Claimed Mrs Clair, to which I thanked her.
“It grew so big! Come on, let me show you.”
I walked along with her as her small hand guided me through the shop.
At the moment I saw the plant, I felt astonishment; the flowers had already grown well by then, even bigger than the previous time I had seen them in.  They had already flourished, their pallid pink colored petals granting great pleasure to the eyes.
 “They are beautiful.” Said Taehyung as I nodded in approval.
“And I have an idea.” I nodded “I want us two to take a photo with the chrysanthemums, just as Tae and I did with the scallions we planted.” Her shimmering eyes forced a meek nod from me. 
“I will take the shot. Position yourselves.” Said the mother before taking her phone in her hand.
“Could you please loosen your hair? I want the similarity between it and the flowers to be obvious.” I nodded again, working the braid loose.
“Okay, now, smile brightly!” I beamed slightly, then went towards her as she called us to see the picture. Emma was smiling toothily, her pigtails were tangled with my arm as she hugged my torso.
We did look happy.
Unlike all of my other photos.
I had never taken a photo with a person other than mother before then, and it was always her, and I, and none other. So I really appreciated the picture Mrs Clair took, and even told her to send it to my number.

At the end of the evening, Taehyung escorted me to the dorm, as usual.
“I really did want to stay with Emma for a tad longer.” The latter nodded in agreement.
“We haven’t stayed together since a long time, I didn’t want to say goodbye either.” ..
“You shouldn’t have then.” His eyes knit at my words.
“What are you referring to?”
“Saying ‘goodbye'.” His lips pouted as he drowned in thought.
“What should I have said then?” 
“Maybe..’badbye'? I think that people are at fault when calling the parting ‘good'bye.
“Well, that’s worthy to be a story's title.” He smiled lightly “Maybe a short one’s.”
“Do you write stories?” he shrugged a shoulder. 
“Sometimes.”
“Could you write one for me then?” The older responded with a chuckle.
“Alright, then it will called ‘badbye'.” I felt joyful, for a reason.
“Really?” I couldn’t hold back a smile. He beamed as well.
“You're an odd one.” Abruptly, I felt something touching my hair; to my befuddlement, it was Taehyung’s hand. “I like your hair. It's bouncy, and airy.”
“O-oh, thank you.”
“It doesn’t really look the same when braided. Why don’t you loosen it more often? It fits you best this way.” I vacillated before nodding.
“I have never really worn it down outside other than when Emma told me to, so it would be unusual. But I will try to get familiar with it. Each seeks to be more beautiful, so why wouldn’t I?” he chuckled, then put his hand back in his pocket.
“Sure.”