An honest lie | Kim Taehyung (editing*)

- We meet again -

XV

He opened the door, and like a gentleman, he strode aside to let her in first.

Flattered, but somewhat amused by his behavior, she nodded with a smirk, and went inside.

"Would you like something to drink?"

She swiveled to look at him.

"Just water, thanks." She replied while placing her bag on the small sofa sitting opposite his desk.

He flashed her a sweet smile, different from his signature one, that didn't go overlooked by Eda. "Make yourself comfortable." He then went outside to fulfill her request.

The young woman followed his figure with her gape, and after he was out of her sight, her smile shrank, and was replaced by an impassive expression.

She started gawking around and noticing every item in his office. Her orbs stopped at a calendar at the corner of his desk, and then at another one behind it, on a shelf. She arched an eyebrow and by the corner of her eye, she noticed yet another one on the bookshelves on her left. A sarcastic scoff left her lips as she wondered why would he need so many calendars.

She put her hands behind her back and looked through the books. But her gaze fell on a small picture on an upper shelf.

Eda tip toad and reached for it with a little struggle. Once the picture was in her hands, she couldn't help but smile at it.

It was Taehyung as a child with his parents, given the similarities of their features, it wasn't difficult to deduct it. His mother was kissing his cheek, while he was staring at his father with a unique boxy smile.

Even if that picture was from many years ago, she wondered whether he had the same smile still. But knowing that life changes many people, their smiles can change as well and become colder, and especially fake.

At that thought, her emotion got influenced by a rash of disappointment that only lasted for a second or less.

As she kept staring at the frame, she felt a presence behind her.

"It's my parents." His deep voice echoed in her ear, as she felt a small phenomenon of goosebumps run through her skin.

She put the picture back and turned the other way so she wouldn't make the mistake to jolt into him, since she knew he was standing pretty close to her and the outcome whould be of utter awkwardness.

But that unexpectedly led her towards the exit and she found herself next to it standing just behind the door. Feeling disoriented, she glimpsed back at him and chuckled nervously.

He looked at her perplexed, with big eyes waiting for her next move as he held the plastic glass of water in his hands.

Awkward silence took over their stable personalities for a moment, until Eda's attention fell on the glass.

He followed her gaze and realized he had been standing there like a fool. "Oh, sorry... here." He handed her the glass.

She took it while going back to her vacant mood. "Thank you."

Taehyung nodded and parted his lips to say something, but was cut off by Jungkook who barged into his office.

"I found something!"

Both of their necks turned towards the intruder's direction.

Taehyung stared at him and his professional expression back just as it did for Eda.

The inspector approached him with a envelope in his hands. "Either this guy is an idiot, or he keeps failing to mention things."

The detective quilted his eyebrows at that statement. "What do you mean?"