A Tiger Called Rapunzel ✓ || TaeGyu || HYBEPride 2021

A Date, Settled

He downed another glass of mead that same night at the tavern.

"We're doomed, Soobin," he moaned, a good bit tipsy but not drunk. "Doomed. I'm going to sing the doom song now. Doom, doom, doom, doom doom doom."

"I have no clue what that is," Soobin whispered, "but you're making an utter fool out of yourself right now." The tavern was very full, but despite the fact that there was a band in one corner playing, Taehyun was the loudest person in the place.

"I can't believe I told her yes," Taehyun sighed, pushing aside his mug of mead. "I can't believe I'm going to be babysitting a girl all day!"

"You're not going to be babysitting a girl all day," Soobin said, drinking a concoction the tavern called blue orangeade. It had no alcohol and was one hundred percent sweet, if a little odd. "You have already told this person that you have something to do in the middle of the day. Let her think whatever she wants about that. We have to focus. And I need you there to make sure that I get in and out of that room in one piece."

"Soobin, honestly, it's really easy. If you do it while the lantern lighting is going on, nobody's going to be paying any attention. It'll be like taking candy from a baby." Taehyun sighed again as he took a new glass of mead from the barmaid. "Trouble is, she's going to want to be a part of the lantern lighting, I just know it. It's the biggest part of the festival. I can't just sneak away and leave her to take care of that part. She'll be all alone."

After Taehyun had finally agreed to take Cholongkkoch, they had both agreed it was too dangerous to take Kai with her. The link between Cholongkkoch and Kai would be temporarily weaker, and Cholongkkoch would feel it sting a bit, but it would be temporary. As long as she arrived home the day after the festival, the bond would not break.

Soobin paused for a moment, then lowered his voice. "How easy was it for you to get in and out of the Prince's room?"

"Easy as pie. I'd still want someone watching out for you, though." Taehyun suddenly got an idea. "The huge window in that room overlooks the courtyard! We could light a lantern, and then watch the lanterns float out to sea from the window. It'll be the perfect place to watch fireworks, too. And you can watch guard."

"You're going to take your Tiger Festival date into the castle and let her watch fireworks while you steal the crown?"

"Do you have a better idea —" Taehyun nearly hacked up his drink. "She's not my date!"

"Okay, but the more you keep talking about this, the more it seems like a date." Soobin drank more of his blue orangeade. "I'm not saying you have to fall in love with her, dude. That wouldn't be characteristic of the Taehyun I know. But she's definitely a change of pace from all the idiots you've dated before."

"Forgive me for being in a questionable line of work."

"I will forgive you for that, but I won't forgive you for ghosting nearly everybody you've been around. It's like you just vanished into the void. Like a zombie."

"Soobin, zombies don't exist."

"Maybe to you they don't. But you also don't think Prince Beomgyu is still alive. Shame on you."

"He's not," Taehyun said, but for some reason he found himself thinking back to Cholongkkoch. As if she somehow had the answers about the missing prince. What the heck are you thinking about, Taehyun? Take her to the festival, steal the crown, get her back to her tower and then peace out of here. Stop worrying about her!

But Soobin's words couldn't get out of his head — not that night and certainly not for the rest of the week, all the way up to the Tiger Festival, and all the way through every heist they pulled off until then.

Your Tiger Festival date.

Your Tiger Festival date.

Date.

Date.

I'm not in love with her, Taehyun thought to himself, but even now he was having trouble convincing himself.