YOU, ME, & SHE • |KTH AU| •

twenty-one

I tiredly scrub at my face as Taehyung and I step into the lobby at home, emotionally drained from our overnight stay at the hotel.

That's when I see her - Jennie pacing back and forth by the row of potted plants, fury etched into her features.

As soon as she spots us, she freezes, gaze zeroing in on our disheveled clothes and messy hair. "Where have you two been?" She demands, voice shrill.

Taehyung takes a calm step forward. "Nini, just relax and let me explain what happened."

Jennie angrily shakes her head. "Do I look like an idiot to you? You didn't come home last night and now you waltz in here looking like you just rolled out of bed together!"

Actually, we did, I'm tempted to say. But I bite down my smirk and sweetly, innocently say, "We got caught in the storm."

Jennie pins me with a blistering glare. "You, you-"

Before she can launch her insult, Taehyung grabs her arm. "Jennie, please. Yelling isn't going to solve anything - can we just talk about this privately?"

For a moment, it seems like she might refuse. But then she wrenches her arm free and storms off without a backward glance, and Taehyung hurries after her.

I wait until he's out of sight and then I shadow him up the stairs.

Quiet as a mouse, I creep towards the ajar door of Jennie's room, straining my ears to listen the argument happening inside.

I can just make out Jennie's raised voice saying, "... I knew I should've gone with you! You shouldn't have stopped me!"

Peering through the narrow gap, I see Jennie pacing the length of the room like a caged animal, Taehyung trailing after her, talking in a calm voice.

"I stopped you because I didn't want Narae to become a third wheel. My goal was to try and cheer her up, and having you come with us and making her feel like a spare tool wouldn't have helped things. Also, it'd been a while since we'd last spend some quality, friendly time together. I told you all of this, Nini. I don't understand why you're acting up, why you're being so insecure."

"Where were you all night?" Jennie demands, stopping in front of him. "Explain, now."

Taehyung sighs. "So, at the festival, Narae had an upsetting encounter with an old friend. She broke down soon after, and that's when it started to rain hard, and she was too fragile for what would've been a very disorderly drive back here, so I checked us in at this hotel close by. Nothing happened there, I just... comforted her."

"Comforted her," Jennie scoffs. "How? With sex?!"

"Jennie," Taehyung says, tone filled with exasperation. "How can you even- do you really think I'd do that?"

"How can I not?" She shrieks, flailing her arms. "She has a pretty face, and the two of you just seem to grow closer by the minute. She's going to steal you from me-"

"No, no," Taehyung says gently, stepping closer and taking her hands. "Listen to me, Jennie Kim, nothing is going on between Narae and I. We're just friends. And I'm not an object that can just get "stolen". I'm a person with a free will; Nobody ever gets stolen, they choose to be unfaithful. I love you, and I could never cheat on you. Do you understand me, babe?"

She nods, and throws herself into his arms. "I don't want to lose you," She sniffles.

Rolling my eyes, I inch away from the door, and walk away.

Taehyung seems so sure that he can't be seduced away from Jennie, but I'm just as sure that I can do the same.

We'll see who's conviction will triumph...

_______________________________________

The Next Day

I smooth my dress and put on a cheerful smile as I wander into the cottage, hoping to play chess or something with Taehyung.

"Hey!" I say, walking up to him and sitting across the little table.

His shoulders visibly tense as he stares at me, unsmiling. "Hi." The word comes out flat, no trace of his usual warmth.

Um...?

I don't let my smile waver. "I, uh, just wanted to see how you were doing. Do you want to play something?"

"Actually, I was just on my way out," He says, standing up. "Excuse me." And with that, he brushes past without meeting my gaze.

What the hell??

I watch him go, my heart sinking. Just yesterday he was so tender with me, and now this?

I thought we were friends. How could he let Jennie turn him against me?

_______________________________________

It gets worse with the days that follow.
Taehyung stops talking to me completely, and each time I try and reach out to him, he makes an abrupt excuse and stalks off.

What wrecks is that while he continues to give me the cold shoulder, he seems to be getting more and more affectionate with Jennie. He hovers by her side all the fucking time, looking at her like she's the only one that exists and pampering her endlessly - giving her shoulder massages and shit.

It goes on and on until I decide I've had enough. It's time to do what I do best: scheming.

_______________________________________

After a long afternoon of watching Taehyung hand feeding Jennie grapes like she's on some fancy yacht in the Mediterranean or something, I decide to make my first move.

Not wanting any eavesdroppers, I first lock myself up in my room and then I pull out my phone from my pocket and dial Jimin's number.

"My caramel marshmallow," He says, by way of greeting. "How's your head been lately, baby girl?"

"Fine," I say, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Thanks for stopping by to check on me."

"Aww babe, I've been calling, haven't I? Plus, I was planning to come over today itself - I would've come sooner but things have just been crazy at work. Mm... you know what, I think tonight might work for a night out, just you and me. What do you say to a dinner date?"

Perfect.

"Let's do it," I say.

There's a long silence on the other end.

"Um, Jimin...? Are you still there?"

"Y-yeah..." He stammers. "Uh, what did just you say?"

I snort out a laugh. "I said, hell yeah, let's go on a date. Pick me up at seven?"

"Yeah, alright!" Jimin replies breathlessly. "It's a date. Dress to impress, baby,"

"You betcha," I drawl, my lips twisting into a smirk.

We exchange a few more playful words before hanging up, and I fall back onto the bed with a sigh, already looking forward to tonight.

A/N: What could Narae be up to? And what's wrong with Taehyung? 😕

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