You & Me

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

As the room was cast in a warm golden glow, Jennie's groggy eyes blinked open. She was immediately greeted by the pounding ache in her head. Her body felt heavy as if each movement required Herculean effort. With a groan, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, wobbling slightly as the hangover continued to make its presence known.

She stumbled her way to the bathroom, her movements slow and deliberate. The cold water from the shower was a shock to her senses, the splash on her body made her recall what they did, in his car, last night.

The image of her and Taehyung, their lips meeting and the way he responded to the kiss, played vividly in her mind.

She buried her face in her hands, feeling a mixture of confusion and anxiety. Her heart raced as she replayed that moment in her head, wondering if he had been as caught up in the moment as she was.

Walking through the school corridors, Jennie's steps felt heavier than usual. He consistently comes to her house first so they could go to school together. But at this point in time, she took a taxi.

"Your boyfriend didn't come with you today?" Mino greeted her with a teasing smirk.

"Shut up!" she grumpily responded and slid into her seat.

"Did you guys fight?" Mino asked, this time with a serious tone.

She crossed her arms and kept her gaze focused on the front, avoiding his curious glance. And he took that as a cue to keep his mouth shut.

While waiting for their professor to come, her attention wandered, preoccupied with a whirlwind of thoughts. Although it isn't clear to her memory, she could still remember his lips and tongue soothing her mouth.

He kissed her good. Not that she had anyone to compare to but she felt addicted to it. She wants it again. And she's ashamed that she's even craving for it to happen again.

"Did you have breakfast?"

Jennie's a whirlwind of thoughts, was suddenly silenced by an unexpected presence. A soft thud on her desk drew her attention, and her gaze fell upon a paper bag and a drink. Startled, she glanced up to find him standing there, a looming figure, casting a shadow over her.

He towered over her, a tall and enigmatic presence. As her eyes met him, they instantly locked onto his lips. But there, on those tempting lips, she noticed a small band-aid, an inconspicuous detail. And she knows damn well who caused it.

"Uh... yes.."

He'd etched the nuances of her deception into his memory, the flicker of her eyes and the movement of her lips, making him a master of knowing if she was being dishonest.

"I m-mean... no."

He sat on the empty seat on her left. But his eyes particularly bore on the man beside, on her left side.

"Why didn't you wait for me?"

His question was a lightning bolt, striking her. He didn't even bother to beat around the bush. He had shot it like an arrow, hungry for the answer, wanting to know it as soon as possible.

"Your class will start soon. Your building is quite far from here and you've to walk. You should go by now." She decided to just avoid answering.

"So you're avoiding me?" he said breathlessly.

Her gestures became as restrained as a caged bird, wings clipped by the weight of her unease. Her body language mirrored her restlessness. She avoided his eye contact.

"No... it's just that..." she struggled to come up with words. "I just don't want you to be late for your class."

Taehyung sighed and stood. "Then let's talk after class."

He eyed Mino beside her who was just looking at his phone, avoiding his gaze.

"And wait for me," he demanded before finally leaving.

Jennie sat on her desk as her last class for the day went on, her gaze fixed on the clock that seemed to tick away the seconds at an agonizingly fast pace. Back then she felt like the minutes dragged on like a lethargic tortoise, each tick of the second hand echoing in her ears, but now, she wants the time to go slower.

The professor's voice droned on, a distant hum in the background as Jennie's thoughts raced ahead.

When the bell's chime rang out, she deliberately made her every move slow. When she left the room, she instantly spotted him approaching. And it's not helping that the girls in her department are staring at him like there's a magnet drawing them toward him.

This was the exact reason why his engagement news made her upset. Even watching random girls having their eyes sparkling with excitement while checking him out irked her. How much more if he's taken away... and tied to some other woman other than her...

She walked ahead leaving him behind until they reached the parking lot.

"So that's why he keeps sneakily leaving the class even though the professor still didn't dismiss us! He's got a girlfriend." A group of guys chattered.

"Hey, Taehyung!" they called him in unison.

As his attention shifted towards them, she seized the moment to sit in the backseat. She usually sat on the shotgun seat... but now... she doesn't feel like taking the seat next to him.

"So you're really avoiding me, huh?" he said as he went into the driver's seat.

His gaze met hers in the rearview mirror. He sighed and started the engine. The world outside seemed to blur, but inside the car, their silence spoke volumes. Throughout the ride, neither of them uttered a word until they arrived at his condominium building.

"I'm gonna go home now! Why are we in your place instead?" She was too preoccupied with her thoughts to look at where they were heading, the last thing she knew was that he had already stepped out of the car.

He opened the backseat door, but she remained defiant, arms tightly crossed, unwilling to leave the car.

"Don't make this difficult for me. Let's talk in my place. I can't let you go without us resolving everything that's weighing up your mind."

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