delicate | K.TH

30

AMIN

My lips are still swollen by the time I come out of the shower to the bedroom. Taehyung's already out, a towel hung loosely around his neck.

He's sitting blankly, on the edge of the bed.

His mouth is redder than mine.

And I suppress a laugh. He looked like he'd lost his mind, just staring emptily into the opposite wall with his hands on his lap.

He'd been like this ever since we'd come back from the pool.

"Taehyung." I whisper, handing him one of the pastries that I'd found prepared on the table. Swimming had made me so hungry, and I chew halfway through mine as he takes it almost confusedly.

"Eat."

He just seems so confused.

Stifling a smile, I sit down on the edge of the bed next to him and touch the bread to his lips. His eyes focus, at the soft texture.

"I said eat."

"N-Noona."

He grips my wrist, looking serious. "Where did you learn something like that? I never—"

"You're just inexperienced." I tease, and his dark eyes instantly scrunch together. "Did it really shake you this much? I didn't realize it would."

His eyes are hazel in the sunset.

"...what?"

"Nothing."

Hurt fills his face. But the moment he stands and grabs his coat from the coat hook, I don't show a single sign of urgency.

At this point I'd known him for so long that I knew if he was faking an expression or not.

He gives a hesitant glance back when I don't say a word.

I can practically hear his voice at his wavering gaze.

....Noona?

So I do what he wants.

"Taehyung, where are you going?"

The hesitation turns to certainty.

"Work." He just says, and I nearly burst into a giggle as he pulls the coat onto his shoulders. "Stay here, Noona. I'll be back."

"Work? Are you serious— when?"

"I don't know."

Huh.

"Alright." I say, hopping off the edge of the bed. Then I walk over to him, just to grab my coat off. His eyes widen slightly when I start to push my feet into my shoes.

"Where..."

"It's the States. I need to go try some food."

"No."

He holds me back, eyes completely alarmed now at my statement. "Noona. You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because..." His voice trails, and I push my laughter back as hard as I can when he looks like he's lost all words.

His expression tightens.

"Because I don't want you out alone without me. This is a foreign country, don't you understand? It isn't South Korea."

"I know. I can practice my English."