But I Still Want You {Taekook}

5. Taehyung

After the party, Taehyung moped for a grand total of three days before Jimin cornered him in the living room of their apartment, while Taehyung was listlessly eating chips and watching a documentary about koalas on TV.

His friend sat on the couch next to him and confiscated his bag of chips, to Taehyung's utter dismay. "Ok," Jimin groaned, "I wasn't going to say anything, but this is getting pathetic, Taehyung."

"My chips!" Taehyung groaned, making grabby hands at the bag. "Give me my chips! I need my chips!"

"I'll give them back to you if you tell me what happened at the party and why you've been reenacting Night of the Living Dead ever since."

Taehyung pouted. "I'm not. I'm just watching TV. What's wrong with that?"

"You called in sick and didn't go to work", Jimin shook his head. "You love your job. You never, ever call sick. I'm concerned."

That was true; Taehyung did love his job. He was a salesman in a Gucci fashion store in Gangnam and usually loved going there and advising the rich patrons on which tie would go better with which shirt.

Sometimes, when his manager and his director were feeling magnanimous, he even got to bring some articles of the brand home, which explained why his walk-in closet was full to the brim with luxury clothing.

But today, even Gucci couldn't take his mind off Jeon Jeongguk.

"I'm okay," he replied sulkily. Then, he added, "I mean. Not really. But I will be, in time." He hoped, at least.

"Won't you tell me what happened?" Jimin asked, gently nudging his arms. "I'll give you your chips back."

The truth was that Taehyung didn't need the chips. He needed to speak to Jeongguk. But since there was little to no chance that would ever happen, he had to make do with what he had. (Plus, the store was out of salted caramel Haagen-Dazs ice cream and that was a damn shame.)

"I could help with whatever it is," Jimin suggested eagerly.

Taehyung couldn't help laughing. "Yeah, no. You really can't." Then he sighed and looked up at his friend, who was watching him curiously. "This isn't a pretty story."

"It's okay, Taehyung, I..."

"No, I mean... really. I don't want you to judge me."

Jimin opened his mouth, looking shocked. "I would never!"

"Yeah, you say that now." It didn't really matter, anyway. Whatever insults Jimin would throw at him after he told him, Taehyung deserved it. Had probably thrown more insults, worst insults, at himself over the course of the past seven years. "It's simple, really. I knew Jeongguk before. We used to date."

Jimin's eyes widened comically. "I don't know what I was expecting," he said slowly, "but not that. Though, in retrospect, it makes sense the way you both avoided each other from the very beginning. I take it the relationship ended badly?"

"You could say that, yeah," Taehyung huffed bitterly.

"What happened?"

Taehyung closed his eyes. "Seven years ago..."

xXxXx

2013

Kim Taehyung is in his last year of high school. He is loud, extravagant, boisterous, and finally feels like he's found a place to belong after three hellish years of junior high school.

For the first time, he has friends who don't mind that he's a bit of an alien, who don't make fun of his hobbies, who laugh at his jokes, and who find him cute instead of weird. For the first time, he is one of the cool kids, and God does it feel good not to be on the side of the scapegoats. Everyone in the school admires them, envies them, and Taehyung bathes in the newfound attention.