LUNCHBOX FRIENDS | changlix

.17

felix scratched his head. that seemed like a name he should've known. "and that is...?"

shrugging, taehyung twisted his mouth into a frown. "just met him today in the boys' restroom," he nodded at the blue-and-white man stick figure painted on the bathroom sign. lee minho's campaign promised to abolish gendered toilets, so hopefully it'd soon change.

felix raised his eyebrows at that. what an interesting meeting. "you just came up to him and said hi?"

taehyung grimaced. "well, i did not meet meet him," he said. "i just had to use the restroom and found him there, all sherlock-y with a high collared coat and sunglasses, eavesdropping on jungkook! the bastard!"

well, that was a turn of events. just what felix needed: more competition for taehyung. the stakes were already too high, and the chances too low. taehyung couldn't afford more boys lining up for the subject of his dreams.

"but then i realized that he was actually taking notes about whatever jungkook's friend was babbling about," taehyung continued, oblivious to felix's inner judgments. taehyung furrowed his brows. "chan-something, the name of the guy. but still i wanted answers because, you know, jungkook's friends are my friends and i wouldn't let this shady guy just walk off like that. so i intercepted him."

oh, wow. and felix thought he was a secret agent.

"when he fled into the halls, i followed him." taehyung's face was solemn and determined. if he were to join the drama club, jeongin would finally have a worthy opponent. "soon, i had him cornered. just like you right now, felix. and, of course, i needed to be safe first. i asked him if he had any romantic interest in jungkook. do you know what the rascal said? he said he couldn't give one flying fuck about him! the audacity!"

felix smiled apologetically to the few people passing near them, all wide-eyed and looking at felix like he was a lamb set for sacrifice.

shielding felix from scaping, taehyung kept his monologue: "so i got really angry and shouted that i do. i give thousands of flying fucks about him! and he should learn his place!" taehyung's breaths became uneven, as though reliving the moment. "but then he looked at me weird and i got creeped out. he asked if i was close to jungkook, and i puffed my chest out and said yes. so... now i kind of have to grab info about this chan guy through jungkook."

felix blinked. the idiot! promising things he couldn't do... just like felix. "and what does that have to do with me?"

taehyung looked at him like felix was a kitten tripping over his paws. "isn't it obvious? i said that yes, i would spy on the love of my life, but i needed some old files of my father. seungmin said he could arrange it, so now it's on you to fulfill your promise."

felix blinked again. "what?"

"the deal," taehyung groaned. "make jungkook fall for me and i'll get some dirty info on this chan person."

he pondered over it. it was a fairly good deal, despite the plan's questionable morals. chan was a close friend of changbin's, and spying on him (even if via taehyung) felt wrong. but then, as he chewed on the idea, another grimmer, terrifying idea surged into the back of his mind: what if chan was the so-feared blackmailer? the statics didn't (usually) lie. if you have a stalker, it was most likely to be someone you know.

on another thought, that might just be what flipped felix's chances around!

but one detail bugged his mind. "wait," felix interrupted taehyung's unabridged glee. "how does he know police files? especially the ones about your dad?"

taehyung seemed to stop in his tracks. he scratched his head. "i don't know about that. maybe he's also the son of an officer? but still, i don't have much to work with. do you think he's scamming us?"

that was quite the possibility. but it was not like they were better off on their own.

"no. wait a minute, couldn't you just hack into your dad's computer?"

and taehyung looked at him like he was stupid, like he was implying that the idea had never crossed taehyung's mind. "my dad doesn't believe in technology," taehyung spat. "he thinks every website is trying to collect his data or something. the only way is through the dusty old paperwork locked in the police department. i can't access it. maybe seungmin can."

felix decided to give in. what was there to lose?

"ah, felix?"

he suppressed a groan. "what?"

taehyung's eyes merged into the ones of a kicked puppy, hesitant to say: "there might've been someone else that overheard us... by accident. he might have heard your name in the context of... matchmaking quests."

if taehyung wasn't the son of a cop, or at least not the son of a corrupt cop, felix would've killed him on the spot.

"also, he's expecting us."

"what? right now? where?"

"third floor," taehyung said. "room b, number 20."