Chapter 18

 

 

 

Jimin followed Jisoo and that man without them knowing.

 

He couldn’t hear what they were talking about but they seemed pretty serious..

 

No.. it was Jisoo who seemed very serious.. while that man was just talking to her.. staring at her.. and casually touching her shoulders..

 

Who is it? Why is Jisoo letting him do all of that to her? Why does she look intimidated?

 

Then he saw the man handing her a paperbag.

 

Jisoo held it tightly on her chest. 

 

What could it be?

 

Jimin’s curiosity is killing him.. who is this mysterious man who gave her that mysterious paper bag?

 

A few moments later, he saw the man leaving her.. 

 

But Jisoo was still standing there..

 

Why.. why is she acting like this?

 

He waited for her for a little and when he saw she was still not moving from where she was standing, he came to her.

 

“Jisoo..” he called her gently.

 

But she got very startled that she let go of the paper bag she was holding and make it fall on the ground.

 

He was about to pick it up but stopped when he saw what was inside it..

 

Lace...? Is it..?

 

Jisoo picked it up hurriedly.

 

“What are you doing here?” she asked without looking at him.

 

Jimin knit his brows together.

 

“I should be the one asking you what you were doing with him Jisoo.. who is that man you were with?”

 

Jisoo kept her eyes glued somewhere else but his face.

 

“Go back to the restaurant..” she said walking past him.

 

But Jimin grabbed her by her hand.

 

“You’re acting strange..” 

 

Jisoo sighed.

 

“I’m not..” she said shaking her head.

 

Jimin pulled her closer to see her face.

 

“Something’s wrong with you..” he told her honestly. “There is definitely something with you..”

 

Jisoo pushed his hands away from her.

 

“Please pretend you never saw me talking with him..” she said in a soft and trembling voice. “I am not going to see him again anyway..”

 

But that last sentence she just said made him more worried.

 

Did.. something really happen?

 

Jisoo went away but he ran after her and took the paper bag away from her.

 

“Give it back to me!” said Jisoo holding his arm. “Just-..!”

 

“I’ll bring it with me inside..” he said in a serious tone. “Chef might see you and ask you what this is.. he will misunderstand you..”

 

Jisoo remained quiet.

 

“Go back first.. then I’ll follow after a few minutes..” he said patting her shoulders gently.

 

And she went right away.

 

Jimin took a deep breath as held on the paperbag tightly.

 

Why.. would that man give her back her.. what seems to be.. underwear?

 

It can only mean one thing..

 

That man and Jisoo.. something happened between them..

 

It’s the only thing he could think of right now..

 

And what she said before to him.. that she isn’t going to see him again? What does she mean?

 

He went back to the restaurant minutes later.

 

He met Suga by the door.

 

“What took you long? Were you buying a whole store just for a door stopper?” he asked as he looked at what he was holding. “Did you really buy-..?”

 

Jimin pushed him towards the kitchen.

 

“I need to change my clothes now.. I’ll come back right away..” he said hurrying to the staff room.

 

He wants to hide this paperbag and give it back to Jisoo when she’s alone.

 

He knows Taehyung will get furious if he knows that a man brought something like this to her.

 

Even he has misunderstood it already.. what would chef think about it? He might go and kill that man at this very moment!

 

But to his greatest shock, he found Taehyung inside.

 

“Chef!” he exclaimed as he took a step back automatically and hid the bag behind him.

 

Taehyung just looked at him while taking his shirt off.

 

“I thought you were in the kitchen..” he said clearing his throat and opening his locker in a hurry to put the bag inside it as smooth as possible.

 

He won’t notice it, will he? 

 

Taehyung turned to him again.

 

“What are you still doing here?” he asked as he ed his pants. “Do you want to see me fully ?”

 

Jimin raised his eyebrows. 

 

“Oh.. I’ll go back to the kitchen chef..” he said smiling awkwardly.

 

He sighed as he went out.

He felt like he got ten years older all of a sudden..

 

Good thing chef didn’t catch on anything.

 

But Jimin was mistaken.

 

Taehyung knows. 

 

He knows how Jimin went out of the kitchen to follow Jisoo..

 

And that paperbag he was holding.. Taehyung saw it before..

 

He knows who brought it.. 

 

He saw that familiar looking man holding it in his hands when he came inside the restaurant before..

 

He opened Jimin’s locker and stared at that paper bag..

 

If his gut feeling is right.. then this must belong to Jisoo..

 

But he doesn’t understand why.. she would accept something from that man..

 

And why she would not tell him about him..

 

He took a deep breath before taking it from Jimin’s locker.

 

Why does it make him feel so nervous right now? What is this bad feeling?

 

He opened it.

 

And he felt a great pain on his chest..

 

He put it back right away before he could rip it in pieces.

 

He leaned his head back against the wall to calm himself down..

 

That man.. who is he? And why did he have.. Jisoo’s clothes and underwear?

 

And he came here just to bring that? 

What is his motive? Who is he to Jisoo?

 

He punched the wall due to his frustration.

 

He wants to ask Jisoo a lot of questions.. but he is.. afraid..

 

It makes him scared.. that maybe he will discover something he doesn’t want to..

 

That what if.. the thing he’s fearing the most right now.. is true? 

 

That the reason to her change of attitude is because.. of that man?

 

He took another deep breath. 

 

He needs to stay calm or else he might say or do something he’ll regret later..

 

He went out of the staff room and met Rosè on his way to the kitchen.

 

“Chef! Your hand!” she said in a loud voice.

 

By then, he only realized his hand was bleeding after punching the wall earlier.

 

“This is nothing..” he said covering it immediately.

 

But Jisoo who heard Rosè’s voice, came running to him.

 

“What happened to you?” she asked worried.

 

Taehyung’s heart seemed to have found peace. 

 

His Jisoo still cares for him.. he must have been mistaken before.. did he get jealous uselessly?

 

“Let me treat it..” said Jisoo holding his arm. 

 

She brought him downstairs to get the first aid kit from the storage room.

 

Taehyung was staring at her while she was treating it without saying anything to him. 

 

What is this awkward silence between them? He knows she’s hiding something from him but he can’t even ask anything..

 

He didn’t know he sighed loudly.

 

“Why? Does it hurt?” asked Jisoo looking at him.

 

Taehyung shook his head.

 

Now that he finally got her attention. Should he ask her about that guy?

 

“Jisoo... I-..”

 

But Jisoo suddenly dropped the kit making everything inside it fall on the floor.

 

He helped her put it back inside. 

 

He just lost the timing to ask her. Will there even be next time? Or.. will she tell him herself another moment?

 

“We should go back upstairs..” she said grabbing the door handle.

 

But Taehyung pulled her into his arms hugging her tight.

 

“Can we stay like this for at least a minute?” he whispered against her ears. “I missed you a lot Jisoo..”

 

Then he felt her arms wrapping around his body.

 

He smiled unconsciously. 

 

Maybe.. she was just really tired.. and stressed about work..

 

That’s right.. it can happen..

 

She must have nothing to do with that man.. and those clothes.. he doesn’t care about them anymore..

 

They aren’t hers.. he will forget about it.. he will set his worries aside..

 

He trusts in her.. he believes her..

 

“Do you want to rest in my room after lunch? We can watch a movie or listen to some music before-..”

 

Jisoo pulled away from their hug.

 

“I have to go somewhere later..” she said lowering her gaze.

 

“Shall I come with you?” he asked smiling. “We can stop by our favorite coffeeshop and-..”

 

Jisoo shook her head.

 

It broke his smile.

 

“I want to go alone..” she said in a low voice. “You can just rest here..”

 

Taehyung’s throat moved fast. 

She’s pushing him away.. why is she doing this to him? 

Does she.. not love him anymore? 

 

“I’ll go back and help Rosè and Joy..” she said opening the door.

 

“I love you Jisoo.. a lot..” he said gently.

 

She turned to him slowly as she gripped on the handle tightly.

 

“Me too..” she said as her eyes glistened with tears. 

 

And then she went upstairs.

 

Taehyung w