Message: This is a SHORT STORY (ABOUT 10 chapters).

Taehyun had a friendly smile on his face as he peered through the clear door. When his friend turned around and met eyes with him, he was gestured to enter the studio. “Taehyun, what are you doing here? I thought you were too busy to see your old friend.”  Mino embraced him in a brotherly hug with a bright smile. Taehyun chuckled, “I’ll always have time for my older brother. How is everything?” Mino sighed happily. He rubbed the back of his neck and sheepishly smiled. “Well everything’s going okay. My mom’s getting better and my sister’s behaving well nowadays. And I’m thinking about proposing to my girlfriend.” Taehyun’s eyes rounded in surprise. The last he had heard about Mino’s girlfriend was when they started dating two years ago.

“You still have to introduce me to her. I need to know who my future sister-in-law is if I want to treat her well.” Mino laughed, his friend never failed to make him relax. “I know. I just never see you anymore, man. You’re busy with taking over your father’s company and I’m busy with work. But you might be able to see her today. She said she would stop by with some lunch.” Taehyun smiled outwardly but inside, he was dejected. He envied his friend who had found love. He should have envied Mino’s life but he did. Mino wasn’t wealthy like him but he had people who genuinely cared for him and loved him no matter what. Taehyun, on the other hand, was surrounded by people who only wanted his money and didn’t care if he grew ill or had been heartbroken.

“Babe!” Taehyun stiffened when he heard the familiar voice. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a young woman jump into Mino’s arms, giggling happily. When they pulled apart, he saw Hyewon smiling up at Mino. He turned to face her with round eyes and his finger pointing at her. “Hye, I want you to meet my best friend, Nam Taehyun.” Hyewon’s smile slipped off of her face when she heard the name she disliked. “Hyung, you can do better.” Hyewon gaped at him, offended by his comment. Mino, not knowing anything, tilted his head in confusion. Hyewon opened to say something just as rude but shut when she remembered his threat.

“What? Cat got your tongue today? You were able to argue with me yesterday.” Mino stared at Hyewon, looking for an explanation but she didn’t seem to notice Mino as she stared Taehyun down silently. “Wow, still rude, huh? I’m going to let this slide because you’re my friend’s girlfriend.” Taehyun gently disheveled her long black hair with a playful smirk. Hyewon groaned audibly and straightened her hair out. “Jerk.” She got ready to pounce on him but Mino held her back. “Calm down, baby.” Hyewon’s breathing slowed down and became steady once more when she realized that she was in Mino’s arms. A feeling of comfort washed over her and her gripped onto his strong arms.

Mino chortled awkwardly, “I can tell you two are going to get along well.” Hyewon looked away in embarrassment and cleared . She curtly held up a lunchbox and looked up at Mino. She expected him to seem disappointed in her behavior but she saw him staring at her lovingly as always. “I don’t know if you’ll like today’s menu. I think I may not have added enough salt.” Mino took the lunchbox gratefully and brushed her hair away gently, “I love anything you make. I’m sure I’ll enjoy today’s lunch. Thank you.” Hyewon urged him to sit down and eat the meal that she prepared with a full heart. She watched him eagerly as he took a bite of pasta and a small cut of steak. “It’s delicious. I don’t know what you were worried about.” He held out a fork full of pasta and a few pieces of vegetable. “No, you eat it. I’m full just watching you eat.” From the corner of her eyes, she saw Taehyun feigning nausea and she made a face.

Mino held the same fork full of food out to Taehyun, “Try it. My girlfriend’s a great cook.” But before Taehyun could say anything or take the bite, Hyewon ate it. With half full she glared at Taehyun, “No, it’s only for my babe. That devil doesn’t get any.” Mino laughed as he adoringly pinched her cheeks. “Be nice. He’s not that bad.” He looked at Taehyun, telling him that Hyewon was really kindhearted. But neither of them could believe him.

III

Months passed and Hyewon found herself seeing more of Taehyun. To her disliking, Taehyun seemed to live in the flat directly under hers. It felt as though she saw more of Taehyun than Mino. She began to hate the way she felt. She hated not liking someone so important to someone she loved. But she couldn’t help the way his rude smirk made her boil inside. She couldn’t help but clench her fists tightly to keep herself from attacking him when he made little, yet irritating, remarks. She tried her best to be calm for Mino. Just the thought of disappointing him made her anxious. But Taehyun made it harder. He made it all the more tempting.

Hyewon sighed tiredly as she got up from her desk. She massaged her aching neck and glared at the door that came into her view as she left her room. She wondered who in their right mind would ring her doorbell at midnight, especially when she was busy studying. Her hands clumsily pulled the door open and she was a second away from shutting it when she saw who was standing on the other side. But he put his hand on the door before she could fully close it. “I just came by to drop something off.” He held up a familiar black thermos in the air. Hyewon eyes Taehyun suspiciously as she crossed her arms. “I just came from Mino’s. He told me to give this to you. He said something about taking a break from studying.” Hyewon softened at the consideration. She stretched her arm out to take the thermos but Taehyun held it away, earning a frown from Hyewon.

He stared at her seriously, as if her were hurt, “Tell me why you hate me so much.” Hyewon stared back at him, surprised by how heartbroken he sounded. She saw him looking at her as if she had hurt him so much. Ashamed, she cleared and looked away, “Why do you care so much if I don’t like you?” Taehyun stepped closer to her. She wanted to step away but for some reason, she just couldn’t. “Because I don’t want you to hate me. You don’t understand how much I want you to like me the way you like Mino. Or the way Mino likes you.” Hyewon stiffened, as his voice came out pained. She made the mistake of looking into his dark brown eyes. “I like you so much and you don’t even know it. I know that I treat you wrong. I know that you’re Mino’s girl but I just want you to like me. Look my way just once.” Captivated by his soulful eyes and soft voice, she hadn’t noticed him leisurely lean his face in closer to hers. It was when his eyes had closed and his soft lips pressed against hers, she realized that she had never hated the way she felt about Taehyun because she was afraid of disappointing Mino. She hated the way she felt about him because he casually settled into her mind and heart. The things she hated about him were the things she began to like. She just didn’t want to like the way she truly felt about him.

Hyewon’s eyes slowly fluttered closed as she coyly responded. Taehyun took one step forward, she took one step back. He took three more steps forward, she took three steps back. Her back hit the wall and her hands slid up his body, gripped onto his shirt tightly. The thermos fell out of his hands and rolled away into a dark corner under a countertop. Taehyun held her by the waist and cradled the back of her neck as he led her further into her home. The back of Hyewon’s legs bumped into the edge of her bedframe and she fell back. Taehyun made her forget just how much she loved Mino that night. He made her whisper his name ever so softly. And he showed her just how hard he had fallen for her. And all the while, the black thermos cooled quietly, lying all alone in a dark corner.

***

A/N: 

Different Updating System

I will only update if there is one new comment

(in total NOT from each reader) after each new chapter post

(I don't mean every day).

The comment can be any comment (examples: ".", "I liked it.", "I hated it.", etc.).

I am only doing this to know that there is at least ONE reader that is truly interested in this story.

Thank you.