The Change Within

⑯Is That True?

Taehyung tossed his phone on his bed with a groan and rubbed his temples as he shut his eyes in complete frustration.

He had been staring at his phone for about thirty minutes, and not even a single idea had come to his mind about the next scene he was supposed to write.

I was doing good, I had found my pace! What the fuck happened? Dejected whines erupted from his mouth as he flailed and kicked, twirling on his bed from side to side like a little kid.

His meltdown ended with another sonorous groan, and he was left gazing at the ceiling in the depths of despair.

He sat bolt upright when Jeongguk popped up into his mind, and he jumped to his feet, sprinting to his room.

He slammed the door open without notice, something he regretted once he perceived the sight in front of his pure eyes.

Wearing only sweatpants and his boxing gloves, Jeongguk threw a few more blows on his punching bag before he jounced back, startled by the intruder. "What the fuck?"

"Oh, um, I-I'm sorry." His eyes roamed on his upper body that was shiny with sweat, soaking in the thick veins in his arms, his toned chest that rose and fell at a rapid rhythm, and he licked his lips mindlessly as his fingers twitched with the sudden need to touch.

Maybe he didn't regret opening his door without his permission after all.

Jeongguk's annoyed state soared when the boy continued to just stand there, staring him down with parted lips and an intense gaze. "Maybe close the damn door?"

"Oh, y-yeah! Sorry," Taehyung spluttered and scuttled out of the room, feeling his heart palpitate so madly it could easily burst out of its place at any time now.

Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, why is he so fucking hot? Taehyung flung his body into his bed, burying his face in his pillow, and he slapped his head for his weird, irrational thoughts.

The image of the shirtless Jeongguk remained engraved in his mind for a long time, and damn, he didn't think he could forget it anytime soon.

"What the fuck was that?" Jeongguk asked as he barged into his room a while later, almost giving a heart attack to the oblivious boy who was still lying flat in his bed with his face tucked into his pillow. "Don't you know how to knock?"

Taehyung flipped onto his back and fumbled to sit straighter, not daring to even glance at him. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

Jeongguk's scowl mellowed just a tiny bit upon seeing his pouty face, and he sighed as he shook his head. "What did you want?"

"I, uh, I want help. With a scene."

"Not again," he muttered as he looked heavenwards, feeling a surge of frustration travel through his body.

"Please, please, please?" Taehyung mumbled, his brows creased and his lips pursed into a deep pout as he glanced up at him with puppy eyes.

"Kim—"

"Please, please, please, please?" Taehyung hopped off his bed and stood in front of him, crouching to meet his gaze since Jeongguk refused to look at him.

The younger did his best to dodge his stare, but eventually yielded under his continuous tries to make eye contact, and only a once-over of his puppy-like face was enough to make him groan. "Ugh! Fuck, just say it."

"Great!" Taehyung's pout switched into a beam, and for a moment he thought he saw Jeongguk's lips twitch, but he dismissed it without musing over it. "So, you fight with the one you like — let's call him, well, let's call him Kim — and you said a few hurtful things you didn't mean, right? And you feel bad about it, but you're not comfortable with apologizing. How do you make it right?"