She wasn't the typical goody two shoes everyone assumed she was. She was so much more than that, she was so much more than what they thought of her and Taehyung knows, because he's the only that ever bothers with Sujeong outside of school.

Inside, is Sujeong the smarty pants. Sujeong the saint. Sujeong the teacher's pet. Sujeong the valedictorian that everyone absolutely adores.

They only believe what they see, and what they saw that day on graduation was a strong girl with great beliefs and even greater dreams, giving her valedictorian speech in front of hundreds of others, she wasn't wavering or stuttering or tripping over her words. She wasn't even nervous.

Taehyung wasn't surprised, she practiced this speech over a hundred times in front of the mirror in his room. She had always been so prepared like that.

"She's amazing," one in front of him says as they all rise to their feet and cheer and holler and hoot as she descends down the podium, smiling a smile he thinks is too tight and forced. 

His head rise above the others as they clap and clap and clap, he gets a glimpse of her before he sits down, that too tight of a smile still on her face as he bows down to the teachers before she sits down in the front, where she should be while Taehyung is at the far back, where he should be as well.

When the time came for the after party, Taehyung found her behind the pavilion as the sun kissed the horizon and hid behind the skyscrapers. 

She was crouched down, wheezing and coughing with her hair fanning her face and her cheeks tear-stained. 

Taehyung knew what happened before she could even look up and tell him herself. This happened all too often, and there was a reason why Sujeong avoided him inside of school. He was the only one who really knew her behind the walls she's built and fences she's put up. 

People who knew too much about you were deemed dangerous, at least that's what Sujeong thinks. Taehyung's thoughts are different from her's, and he thinks that philosophy is ludicrous, but he doesn't tell her. He never had the chance to, anyway.

A hand is on her back and it's warm, so she has to look up at him in the eye and stop forcing all these emotions down and just let them all out for once. 

He gives her a look when he crouches down beside her, and she wraps her frail arms around his neck, and she sobs saying all these incoherent things but Taehyung doesn't need to understand what she's saying. He just needs to understand what she's feeling. 

He lets out a sigh as he stands, and she's too weak to do so that she falls into his chest and they lean against the stone-cold wall, her in his arms but not the way he imagined for her to be. 

"Your father out drunk again?" he whispers, and she nods against his shoulder. He looks up at the sky and raises his hand to caress her hair. It's soft and feels like silk against his finger tips. "It's okay, Sujeong. It's okay." 

She sniffs when she pulls away, her arms still around his neck, her vision probably blinded by tears. Taehyung jerks his head upwards, gesturing for her to look up as well. 

She does and he hopes she can see what he does. The sky is a mix of purple, blue, orange and red and a color somewhere in between them is pink. Taehyung tells her it's all her emotions, the colors are, and she's struggling to keep them in unison, struggling to keep them just one color and not different kinds, struggling to keep them inside of her. 

Sujeong sighs. "I see it," she says solemnly before resting her head on his shoulder, her arms go limp by her sides and suddenly, the wind blowing past his neck seems colder.

"We should go inside." he takes a step back and she lifts her head up, her face saying that she's ready to protest, but he places his coat around her before she could. 

She holds onto it as he adjusts the sleeves and the coat around her shoulders. Sujeong says something he doesn't catch, so she says it a little louder. "I want to stay here."

He looks at her, his hands in his pockets, he looks at her harder, waiting for the two words that'd make him hope a little more and wait a little longer for her. But when it doesn't come, he holds back a sigh.

Taehyung shakes his head. "Come on, the party won't be stopping at dawn at this rate. Let's go," he outstretches his shaky hand, and she doesn't take it right away.

"But my eyes -"

He faces her and both of his hands are on her face. She frowns, and he tells her she shouldn't go at the back of buildings to cry at events like these again. She nods, and he wipes away her tears with a swipe of his fingers. 

"Smile," he says.

She does, and it almost looks like she's really trying. Taehyung nods, a little pleased but pleased nonetheless because it's the closest thing to real at that moment. 

"Good girl," He lifts his hand, to pat her head because it's become a habit now between the two of them. But at the last moment, he musters up his courage and places it on her cheek, planting a kiss on her forehead. 

She doesn't say anything about it, and before Taehyung could speak, she intertwines her hand with his and pulls him along to the direction of the fading music. 

"Thank you, Taehyung." 

Taehyung smiles, because her hands on his feels so right there's no percentage of wrong mixed in with it. 

The party continues and bodies sway to the beat of the music while some stay at the sides, chatting and talking with glasses of either champagne or wine in their hands. 

Sujeong climbs the step and Taehyung is oblivious to the squirming of her hand as all eyes are now on them, or more specifically, on their entwined hands. Taehyung allows himself to feel proud for once, but it all goes away in one second. 

"Hey lovebirds, no wonder you were missing, Sujeong." the girl winks at them and tips her glass to their hands.

Taehyung smiles, and Sujeong lets go. 

"It's not like that," she says, laughing a laugh Taehyung knows is synonymous to fake. 

The girl is joined by others, and there all teasing Sujeong but all she does is deny. It was her forte, building walls around her with lies as a foundation. Taehyung turns to look at her, and the words she's saying breaks him.

She waves her hand in front of her and keeps shaking her head, saying "It's not like that at all guys, we're just friends. Really, I mean come on, him? He's just a friend." over and over again until Taehyung feels his heart break a little inside. 

alas, my newest ship is here. all aboard the taejung ship! 
this one isn't all that explained and thorough, but I want you guys to leave it to your imagination on what happens to them. I'd like to think that here, Sujeong counts on Taehyung to fix her behind the eyes of everyone, but when it came time to face the crowd and people, Sujeong wants to be viewed as strong and independent, that's why she avoids him in their school and in public and stuff.