Broken Hearts

3

"Sarang?"

Taehyung noticed a girl sitting by the fountain from today's incident. A smile appeared on his face, and his body involuntarily began to walk towards her, ignoring Jimin and the other classmates. The girl turned to him with a surprised expression, but it quickly turned into a wide smile.

"Taehyung, what are you doing here?" she asked politely and stood in front of him.

"Meeting with classmates," he gestured behind him to a group of people who were enthusiastically chatting and laughing. She simply nodded and chuckled.

"That chatty girl is my best friend," she pointed her finger at Yuri, who was waving a placard.

"We'll be seeing each other more often, then," he looked into her eyes and gave a gentle smile. She nodded and didn't hide her charming smile. She made Taehyung smile even more. He didn't know how she did it, but he couldn't help but smile in her presence.

"Hey, you two! Come join us immediately!" Yuri shouted at them. She wasn't thrilled with the attention her best friend and classmate were giving each other. She did it for the sake of the group, so she expected everyone to be active and engaged.

Taehyung and Sarang laughed and rejoined the group. Sarang stuck close to him and didn't want to leave his side, whether during games or breaks. Taehyung didn't mind; he felt comfortable with her, which wasn't something he often felt in the presence of girls, except for Jennie. Sarang wasn't pushy and didn't demand his attention. She was simply herself, something many girls couldn't manage in his presence. They finished a few team-building games, and Jimin pulled Taehyung aside from the group.

"Don't forget, you have Jennie," Jimin grinned, and Taehyung rolled his eyes.

"I know. What are you trying to imply?"

"Nothing, nothing. Does Sarang know about her?"

"I've known her for a few days. Should I broadcast to everyone that I have a girlfriend?" He sounded a bit irritated. He hadn't done anything wrong; he had just been talking to Sarang. "Am I supposed to shoo everyone away from me now or what?"

"No, that's not what I meant. Forget it," Jimin shrugged.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound irritated," Taehyung apologized.

"It's okay. We've been through worse together," Jimin grinned and gave Taehyung a friendly hug, leading him back to the group.

---

Jennie got off the bus and briskly made her way to her father's house. She was carrying something sweet for him. Unexpectedly, she stopped when she saw an unfamiliar woman in front of her father's gate. They seemed to be chatting and flirting. Jennie stepped forward with a smile on her face to greet the unknown woman. Her father looked surprised when he saw Jennie; he didn't expect her here. The unknown woman was about to leave, and Jennie greeted her politely before heading inside. The woman appeared to be in her forties and was very attractive. Jennie hadn't seen her father with another woman in a very long time, which piqued her curiosity.

"Hello," Jennie greeted her with a cheerful voice and extended her hand. She bowed politely as the woman was leaving. "Who was that?" she asked with a mischievous smile. Had her father found a girlfriend?

"New neighbour. She just came to say hello," her father smiled and tried to hide his interest in the new neighbour.

"New neighbour? Really? Nothing more?" She teased him with a playful smile. Did her father have a crush on the new neighbour?

"Can I not make a new friend?" Her father evaded her teasing. He invited her inside, and they moved to the kitchen. He didn't answer her further prodding about the new neighbor and started asking about her school.

"How was the gathering with your classmates?" he asked, and she knew what he was getting at.

"Don't change the subject. I want to talk about you and that woman. What's her name? What does she do?"

He sighed and eventually gave in. "Fine, I'll tell you. She's a new neighbour. She moved here from Busan about a week ago. Her name is Dahyun, and she owns a fairly successful café in the city."

"Is she, by any chance, looking for part-time workers?" Jennie asked, and her father nodded.

"I can ask her."

"Tell her you know two very capable girls who are friendly and eager to learn new things and have a responsible attitude."

"Do you want me to lie?"

"I knew I shouldn't have brought those pastries."

They both laughed and continued their conversation. Jennie spent about an hour at home and then returned to her apartment, where Alice was waiting for her. She opened the door, and loud music was playing from Alice's room, not the usual style she listened to, but Jennie just shrugged it off. She didn't pay much attention to it.

"Alice? I'm home!" she called out into the space and took off her shoes. She had some groceries she'd bought on the way home, and she left them in the kitchen. From the bathroom, the sound of running water could be heard. Alice must be taking a shower. In her room, she spread out her purchases and began preparing dinner. When she was ready, she knocked on the bathroom door. The water had been turned off.

"Dinner is ready," she said softly, but she had no idea what would happen a few seconds later. The door swung open, and a guy she didn't know stood there with a bare chest, wrapped in a towel around his waist. Water droplets dripped from his dark hair. He looked at her with surprise, but a smile played on his lips.

"Ah!!!" Jennie screamed. Out of fear, she threw her phone into the space behind her and rushed into the kitchen. She grabbed a dirty frying pan she'd used earlier.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in our apartment?!" Her voice was frightened but firm. "Alice?!" she shouted into the room, trying to alert her roommate.

"Relax, I'm Alice's brother," the guy responded, amused, and extended his hand as if to shake hers. "I'm Zachary, Alice's older brother. She must have mentioned me to you." A smile danced on his face, and Jennie gave him a once-over. She had to admit he looked good, almost too good. He had a tanned, athletic body, and there was a mischievous spark in his eyes. She realized that she had been checking him out, and his smile grew wider. "So, what'll it be? A handshake or a hit with that frying pan?" he asked jokingly.

"I didn't know you'd be here," Jennie mumbled and shook his hand. "I'm Jennie, Alice's roommate." They shook hands, and Jennie's gaze wandered to his chest. She cleared her throat and looked away. Where on earth was Alice?! She thought to herself, feeling flustered. As soon as she thought that, the door swung open, and a cheerful Alice walked into the apartment. She was carrying a bag of groceries in her hands.

"Oh, you've probably already met my brother..." She glanced at both of them. Jennie glared at her and felt like strangling her. She couldn't have told her he was coming today?!"