He did not know why but the way HaYeon looked at him when she denied him an explanation for the wounds she had drew him closer to her. He felt an overwhelming need to protect her. He saw through her lie. He knew she was hurt but she could not say it. He tries to distant himself from her because he was not sure if she wanted him around in the first place. Maybe Jimin’s and his appearance in her life just was too much for her to bear. For a girl that seemed to always be alone, having friends may appear stressful for her. That’s what TaeHyung thought. So he attempted to distant himself, the way HaYeon tried so too. But he could not help it each time her eyes wore hurt and he found himself being protective all over again. He wanted to know what was wrong. He wanted to say that he would protect her. But he knew he was not ready for it. He felt he was not able to do it. So each time HaYeon pushes him away on the surface, he just accepts it and tries to move away. But there was just something about HaYeon different from other girls to TaeHyung. She wore a smile and her actions were genuine, but behind it he feels, masks a truth about her that she wants to bury. All that smiling, laughing and joking, was just to hide the scars she had. It was to hide the real her.

TaeHyung did not know when. Perhaps it was the time when she first stepped through the gates with her innocent eyes and apologetic gestures. Or maybe it was the time when she looked him in the eye and told him to do his job properly. He did not know when he started falling for her. But it was not a good feeling. He watched couples around him fall in love like it was the best thing in the world. It used to be for him as well but not anymore. He knew so much more existed behind just lust and fluff. There were trust and compromise and hurt that comes along when these are not fulfilled. And most importantly, there was responsibility.

Something he failed to handle in the past.

Which made him feel like he was not worthy of love again.

Not with his past experience in love, and JungKook to worry about.

With HaYeon suddenly appearing in his life, his mind was not ready to accept that he was starting to fall for her, but his heart was more than ready to accept her into his life. And he knew he could not even stop himself. Which was why he tried to mask it by pretending like he did not like her. But it fell through eventually and he could not help but be kinder to her day by day.

So when he spotted HaYeon in a distant in front of him after school, despite being lashed out at earlier at lunch, he sped up and paced towards her, casually stopping by her side and offering to send her home when he noticed how down she looked and the way she nervously gripped the straps of her back pack. Jimin followed soon after, sling his arm over the taller boy, humming in unison with TaeHyung.

But as usual, HaYeon kindly rejected. The sadness in her eyes disappeared and her stance loosened as she urged the boys to go home early and have some rest. They were about to give in and head off home on their own when a deep voice came from behind, catching HaYeon’s attention despite the noise from the flock of students cheerfully leaving school.

She stood still, her eyes widened and her muscles tensed. There were no expressions on her face as she gripped her bag close to her again and locked her lips. The boys paused too from her abrupt stop, only to notice the way perspiration dripped down her face and her body quivered as the voice called out her name in a questioning tone once again. Her knuckles were white from clenching her fists too hard around the strap as she found it difficult to pluck up the courage to turn around. She gulped numerous times as the boys looked on with curiosity at what caused her sudden change in state. They turned around, faced by a cute-faced boy who was smiling brightly at her, as he skipped towards her.

She gasped dramatically as she brought her hands over trying to muff it as he jumped in front of her. She took a few steps back as her legs jellied. The boy took the opportunity to stroll towards her, his bright smile turning into a smirk in an instant that did not seemed to fit with his look.

“Hey! It’s been a while hasn’t it? Wahhhh, you have become prettier! Looks like during the time Oppa was gone you made yourself some new friends. I seriously thought you would lock yourself up in your room forever. Looks like you get over things fast huh?”

HaYeon’s eyes clouded with fear and anger. She could not move, or bring herself to say a word. She knew that students flooding out of the school gate were looking at her but she could not bring herself to hide from the attention she was receiving. Instead, her clenched fists rest by her side and tears rolled down her cheeks, all this time her body shivering as though she had gone out in winter with only a shirt. Her mind went blank and she could see nothing but his devious smile directed at her as he casually closed the gap between the two. Each step he took nearer to her sent her deeper into the state of light-headedness, so severe she forgot to breathe.

Little did she notice, the two boys beside her were nothing short of anger as well.

“K-Kai…?” Jimin spat out, his face turning crimson and his eyes sharped. HaYeon’s ears rang