ELVEN | K.TH

57

TAEHYUNG

This parasitic piece of shit.

"You're taking advantage of her."

Taking advantage of who? He murmurs, voice full of amusement. It makes me want to throw something— just the way he sounds so full of himself.

She let me.

"She never let you do anything."

I can see his smirk.

Why?

Am I making you angry?

I wanted to kill him so badly. Last night I'd seen the way he had looked at her— his arms around her. I hadn't been able to do a single thing.

"Angry?" I make a low noise. "Is that what you think? You might just be more pathetic than I initially thought. Don't you love her?"

There's a brief silence, confirming my guess.

"You love Rinei, and you're willing to take advantage of her like that."

His voice rises. I can tell I'm getting to him, one way or another.

How many times do I have to tell you that I never took advantage of her in any damn way?

"But you did," I growl. "Acting all innocent and unintentional when you were nothing but that."

He hisses.

So if I did?

I love her. You are too cruel, asking me to hold myself back when you know the way it feels.

I am already holding myself back enough.

My jaw flexes. But the moment I'm about to say something back, I hear a soft scuff of footsteps by the door. My eyes widen as I whip around at the sound of someone whispering my name.

"Tae?"

"Rinei." I say, stunned as she runs into my arms. She feels so small in my grasp, and I wish I could shut him up as he makes a bitter sound.

At least she holds you, first.

His presence fades. And I focus on her in front of me, my hands wrapping tightly around her waist. She laughs when I pull her into my chest.

"You're hugging me too tight." She mumbles, scrunching her nose. "Did you miss me a lot?"

"Yeah."

I hear her quiet giggle. The sound of it melts away all the frustration I'd been feeling, and I'm about to kiss her when she clasps the hem of my shirt.

"Tae."

"You know about V, right?"

...V.

"Yes," I whisper. And I can't help the slight edge in my voice as the shadows come back to my thoughts.

I know too much about him.

"Great!" She exclaims, laughing awkwardly. She's fidgeting, and my touch softens as I graze my hand down the locks of her sable hair.

Just listen to her. There was nothing she could say that would make me angry.

"I was just wondering," She says, and I watch her take a deep breath. "Since both of you know each other, and you guys are pretty much stuck with each other for the rest of your lives..."