Sweet & Sour | Taekook

Chapter 4

Taehyung stands frozen there, his mouth agape in surprise.

Jeongguk looks impossibly even more handsome this close. Taehyung already knew it but he can't help but think about how perfect Jeongguk really looks, from all the dips and hollows of his features to the way his eyes shine as they reflect the sunlight coming through the big windows.

For a few moments, Taehyung loses track of his surroundings as he takes in Jeongguk's facial features now that he's getting a clear and good look at him now. His mind is filled with awe and disbelief as he continues to stare shamelessly.

It's only when he hears Jeongguk clear his throat that everything finally comes back to him; he's still standing in the middle of the cafeteria, surrounded by almost the entire student population who are all staring at the two of them with bated breath as if waiting for a bomb to explode. More importantly, Jeongguk is still standing in front of him, his shirt soaked from the contents of the cup Taehyung has been holding.

Finally, his mind clears from all his earlier thoughts, now replaced with embarrassment and nervousness as he feels every single pair of eyes now staring at him, making his blood run cold from all the unwanted attention.

He feels his hands shake from his side and next thing he knows his hand shoots out and grabs Jeongguk's wrist before pulling him out of the cafeteria, away from the prying eyes.

The adrenaline he feels is what lets him continue pulling at Jeongguk behind him, leading him to the locker room where he thinks, wishes, nobody is currently occupying so he can deal with this, with Jeongguk, without anyone watching for once.

From an outsider's perspective, he probably looks pretty calm but in reality his mind is reeling at the fact that he's currently holding Jeongguk's wrist right now and that Jeongguk is actually letting him instead of pulling away like Taehyung expected him to.

Taehyung only lets go of Jeongguk when they finally make it inside the locker room. Taehyung takes a quick look around to check if there's anyone in the room. Fortunately, the room ends up being empty so he finally goes back to where he left Jeongguk, who is currently standing there, just watching him with amusement.

Now that it's just the two of them, Taehyung's current situation finally dawns on him and he couldn't find himself talking now that he's facing Jeongguk alone.

If it wasn't for the suffocating silence between them, Taehyung probably would just remain standing there, looking pale like he's just seen a ghost. Not to mention, Jeongguk makes it impossible to talk to him, always so intimidating without even trying to do so.

"So..." Jeongguk starts to say, making Taehyung jump, not expecting the other to break the silence first.

Now, Taehyung has to talk. After all, he's been the one who dragged Jeongguk here in the first place.

Taehyung swallows, tangling his fingers together, nervous habit, before he finally finds his voice to speak.

"I-I'm sorry," Taehyung mutters, not being able to speak clearly because of the jitters he feels. Why is it so hard to talk all of a sudden?

"Sorry about my drenched shirt or the dating rumor?" Jeongguk says, making Taehyung's eyes widen nervously despite the rather teasing tone in Jeongguk's voice.

"I'm sorry! About your," Taehyung's hands gesture at Jeongguk's shirt and then waving his hand around him, still having a hard time finding the right words to say. Still having a hard time talking at all.

Finally, Taehyung gives up, his hands falling on his side, dejected and feeling very tired all of a sudden.

"I'm really sorry about everything."