The Witness ➳ Taegyu

14. Again and Again

Date: May 5th

"What time is it?" Taehyun asked, sitting at his desk while Beomgyu sat beside him.

"I told you it's at two. We still have time."

Beomgyu stared at Taehyun's computer that he was typing away on but didn't pay attention. They were going to the graduation, and it was noon now, but the day felt off. Taehyun seemed to be more focused on his work and only told Beomgyu it was because of what happened on the first. But if it was about that, then why hadn't he been working like this for the past few days? Why now?

"Are you still gonna wear those disguises that Kami knows of to such a big event?" Rosé asked after hearing them talk about it. "What if her or one of her subordinates are there?"

Taehyun shrugged, making Beomgyu's eyes widened. It wasn't something that he thought of, but after Rosé mentioned it, it seemed like a big deal, and all Taehyun did was shrug? "Nothing will happen. They have no reason to believe Beomgyu will be there since his name was wiped off of the school's records. Besides, if anything happens, I'll obviously be there. When have I ever lost?"

"You came back to the station with a bloody face the other day, you cocky bitch."

"I still won! I got away!" He yelled after standing up, making her do the same. Beomgyu just watched in amusement, realizing he always found it funny to see the trio fight with each other because they always made up with each other at the most random of times.

The graduation went like normal, which relieved Beomgyu after what Rosé had said. As it was a college graduation, there were a lot of people, but they finally found Beomgyu's friends after a while of searching through the crowd. Taehyun really wanted to get back to the station to go through case files and figure out ways to bring Black Reaper down, but there was something standing in the way of that.

"You've been working nonstop! Let's just go to dinner to celebrate their graduation. Please," Beomgyu complained.

His friends were all planning on going to dinner and Beomgyu desperately wanted to go. There was no way Taehyun could protest a celebration for such an occasion, so he didn't understand why Beomgyu immediately started begging him. "Can we go back to the station afterwards?"

"Of course. I just want to go to dinner with them just this once."

And so, they did. Taehyun didn't really enjoy it that much, sitting quietly while Beomgyu talked with his friends, but he got a milkshake, and it made him happy. Besides, seeing Beomgyu happy was all he needed to be content. Protecting someone from The Black Reaper was enough to make him happy with himself, but being able to make him feel safe enough to carelessly be happy was something else.

"How's work going?" Kai randomly asked far into the dinner. "Has anything interesting happened?"

"Hm..." They all looked at him in anticipation. "I got into a shoot-out."

They all gasped now. "You said you don't use your gun," Yeonjun said. "What happened?"

"I was forced to. They ambushed us."

Beomgyu noticed that Taehyun had been a bit less cheery since he killed those people and the one in the warehouse, but seeing him talk about it upset Beomgyu. It upset Beomgyu because he knew that Taehyun was ashamed, and that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Here are you checks," the waitress said, handing each of them their individual checks.

"I'm paying for both of ours," Taehyun told her before trying to take Beomgyu's.

"I got it."

"You don't have money." He yanked it away from him and Beomgyu just sighed.

The total of Beomgyu's food was $14.25.