Rivals or Enemies ?

44. Taehyung.

The date ended earlier than I anticipated, but it was fantastic. Time flew by, and as I headed home, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy. Jimin made everything so enjoyable; the day will forever be etched in my heart. Surprisingly, the apprehension I had about my brother vanished when I was with Jimin. It was like a scene out of a movie—pure happiness that I hadn't felt in a long time. Life had been a whirlwind lately, one thing after another, and I'd forgotten how to truly enjoy it. But today, I made up for lost time.

"Thank you so much for today, Jimin. I had a lot of fun." I smiled at Jimin, as he parked the car in front of my house. He smiled softly and spoke "I did too Hye-in-ah, thanks to you too" 

I quickly bent towards him and placed a kiss on his lips. He held my cheeks and dug in, and soon we pulled out and laughed. My face was flushed with red color. "well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye and take care!" I said and got out of the car. "Bye Hye-in, Love you" He said and drove off. I smiled to myself and went inside the house. The lights were off, making it dark inside the house. I quickly pulled my phone out and checked the time. 10:27, it read. 

No one is usually asleep at this time, Strange. I walked further and was about to go to my room when I saw a figure, sitting in the dining room. 

I furrowed my brow and made my way over to the figure in the room, calling out their name softly. The person sat on a stool, sipping from a glass of clear liquid—I presumed it was soju. "Oppa?" I whispered, stepping closer. They raised their head, confirming my suspicion—it was Taehyung. As our eyes met, I couldn't help but notice the redness that clouded his eyes, as though tears had been streaming down for an eternity. Concern washed over me as I approached him, worried about what might be troubling him. 

"Oppa?? what happened?" I quickly rushed to his side, eager to understand why he was in such distress. As I stood beside him, he immediately embraced me, tears streaming down his face. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around him, offering comfort in the only way I knew how. "Shh, it's okay. You can tell me what happened," I whispered softly, urging her to share him pain.

He didn't speak up and continued crying for what felt like hours. Witnessing him in such a distressed state left me deeply bewildered.

"H-Hye..." He spoke up. I quickly bent down and cupped his cheeks. "yes yes" 

"I-It's mom and dad..."He sobbed and looked at me. My worried gaze met his sorrowful, bloodshot eyes, and a pang of concern struck me even harder. 

"huh? did they say something? what happened Tae, tell me!" I again asked, as this was starting to worry me even more. 

"I've been asked to go to America for business studies, but I don't want that. They're threatening me using your name, if I refuse," he confessed, his voice trembling with fear and uncertainty. "I don't want to become a CEO or pursue business."; "I have my o-own dreams..." He cried, even harder. 

"what!?" I spoke shocked. "Tae, they can't control me, and they definitely can't order you around! Let them know that you'll do what you want, not what they're telling you to do! It's so unfair, Gosh!" I sighed in frustration. It's always our parents trying to control our lives. Is this why they pampered Taehyung, so they could use him in the future? It's just not right. He doesn't deserve this.

"But Hye, what if they end up hurting you?" he said, concern evident in his voice as he quickly hugged me, clearly worried about the entire situation. I believe he's just a bit intoxicated. I don't think they would actually harm me. The worst they might do is insist I move overseas to live with them. I won't comply. That's final. It's my decision, and during their last visit, I made it clear that I won't be someone they can control.