HEART2HEART

chapter 8: everything sucks

Jisoo was not expecting to see him here at all.

And neither was she expecting to be pulled into a random printer room after the meeting almost as if she were being kidnapped, freak out as a result, only to realise that the kidnapper was the very same guy she least expected to see today and finally stop squealing and threshing around.

"Sshh-" Taehyung hissed, as he finally let go of Jisoo's mouth. "Someone's gonna hear you."

"Why did you have to do that?" Jisoo complained as she adjusted her dress and stood up straight. "You really freaked me out there."

"Sorry-" Taehyung rubbed the back of his neck, feeling bad at once. "I couldn't think of any other ways to talk to you otherwise."

"What is there to talk about?"

"Okay, firstly, let's see-" Taehyung scanned Jisoo from head-to-toe and cleared his throat loudly. "Um, nice dress."

"Thanks."

"Because I've only ever seen you in a sweatshirt and sweatpants," Taehyung explained, rather unnecessarily.

"Okay," Jisoo said as she glanced down at her watch. "And...?"

"Secondly-" Taehyung racked his brain for something to say. "Oh, right. I haven't transferred you the 50,000 won I owed you yet."

"Oh, yes, about that-" Jisoo furrowed her eyebrows and folded her arms as she took a step towards Taehyung. "What's up with that?"

"What?"

"I thought you didn't send me the money immediately because you were in a tight spot or something-" Jisoo frowned. "But you're the bujang-nim here at Yeongwonhi Tech - one of the biggest tech companies in South Korea...? I'm sure you have more than 50,000 won in your bank."

Taehyung was cornered.

"N-No...?" Taehyung refused to be. "Who said so? Who said I had money in my bank? I don't."

"Why did you promise to give me money as if it was free, then?" Jisoo sighed. "All men do is lie. Forget it then, I can just earn it by myself."

"Who said I was going back on my words?" Taehyung argued. "I'm going to pay you, I'll pay you, I swear! But I just need some time - how about... I pay you in instalments?"

Taehyung knew how ridiculous he sounded, but he just wanted to drag this whole debt out for as long as he could so that he could keep finding reasons to talk to her. But there was no way she was going to buy this lame excuse of his.

"You can do whatever you want," Jisoo gave in. "Just make sure you fulfil your promise. I mean, technically, you could go back on your words as well if you wanted, but that's really not cool - raising people's expectations and letting them down so quickly."

"I'll fulfil it, who said I wasn't going to?" Taehyung got defensive. "I'm a man of my words. It'll just take some time. 500 won over a span of 100 days, how does that sound?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, man's gotta eat."

Jisoo sighed. "Okay, whatever."

"Wait, wait, wait, not so fast-" Taehyung continued, before Jisoo could leave. "There's also the training thing. The levelling up thing."

"What about that?"

"Let's do it together."

"Why should we?"

"After all..." Taehyung grinned. "Ain't I helping you level up the character you're helping someone level up... illegally?"