Pleasing My Future | Taejin

Chapter Thirty

"I'm here."

Jin's chest expanded as he inhaled deeply, reacting to the text message that had just appeared on his phone screen. He then rose from his comfortable sofa, straightened his attire, and made his way towards the front door, preparing to open it.

As soon as he opened it and Namjoon approached, a smile spread across his face, although he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.

"You were on my mind a lot this week; I am glad you called." As Namjoon established eye contact with Jin, he didn't feel the need to hide the emotions he was experiencing from him.

Jin grinned and began to add, "I figured-," but his words were cut short as Namjoon's hand wrapped his waist and drew him into a kiss.

Jin's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze locked with Namjoon's. Just as he was about to retreat, a sudden clearing of someone's throat caught his attention. His eyes grew even wider, filled with a mix of shock and apprehension. He instinctively pushed Namjoon away in a swift motion, creating a physical distance between them as he separated himself from the situation.

With a deliberate and unhurried movement, Jin turned his head, his gaze meeting Taehyung's intense stare. Taehyung, positioned just a few feet away, locked eyes with Jin, their gazes connecting, and remained fixed on each other.

Jin, his heart pounding in his chest, anxiously shifted his gaze from Taehyung to meet Namjoon's bewildered stare. Swallowing anxiously, Jin inhaled shakily as he stammered, "Namjoon, I, umm, the reason why I called you here was to, umm, tell you that this, umm, between us, can't, umm, continue anymore."

It wasn't how Jin had planned to deliver the news to Namjoon, and now, with Taehyung unexpectedly showing up, he felt a knot of nerves tightening in his stomach. He had no idea what to do other than desperately trying to get Namjoon away from his home as quickly as possible.

Namjoon's eyes widened in disbelief as he locked his gaze on Jin, his brows furrowing with frustration. The weight of disappointment hung heavy in the air as he uttered, "You wasted my time?" The lack of surprise became evident in his demeanor, "I shouldn't even be surprised. For a second, though, I thought you possessed qualities that set you apart from others I've been with but should've expected with your age."

As Jin saw Namjoon go, he had an overwhelming sense of regret. He also felt remorse since Namjoon had been kind to him, and this was not the way in which he had planned to deliver the news to him.

Inaudible mutterings of a dialogue between Taehyung and Namjoon reached Jin's ears as Namjoon exited the building. Still, due to the disarray inside his head, he could not fully comprehend the specific words being communicated by the two.

Even after Jin realized Namjoon was no longer there, he hesitated to turn and face Taehyung. His heart was pounding in his chest, consumed by the overwhelming fear of the consequences that would surely follow after Taehyung had unexpectedly walked in on Namjoon kissing him.

His heart raced with anxiety as Taehyung suddenly appeared before him, his looming shadow intensifying Jin's uneasy feeling.

"Seokjin, you have one chance to explain what happened to me. I will not tolerate any words of dishonesty that come out of your mouth." With a firm tone, Taehyung's hand made its way to Jin's jaw, firmly grasping it as he guided Jin's face to meet his own.

Jin's throat constricted, a nervous gulp betraying the weight of fear that settled within him. His gaze locked with Taehyung's, intensifying the sense of dread in the air.

"Um, that was Namjoon...uh, we kind of had, like, a friends-with-benefits thing going on... Given the recent changes between us, I thought it would be right to invite him over and let him know that things between him and I would no longer be able to continue."