Heartfelt Dislike

3

The following morning, Jin is roused from his slumber by the persistent chime of his doorbell. Groggily, he stumbles to answer it, announcing, "Coming." As the door swings open, Hoseok stands there, wearing a gloomy smile. "I'm sorry," he confesses, returning Jin's forgotten belongings. Chuckling, Jin reassures him, "It's alright, come inside; let's have breakfast."

"No, Seokjin, I apologize because it's my fault. I anonymously emailed the chairman, not realizing it would implicate you. I've resigned after admitting it to the boss. I'm sorry," Hoseok mumbles, avoiding eye contact. "Well, nothing can be done now. You had good intentions, but corporate life doesn't always unfold as we expect," Jin acknowledges.

Nodding, Hoseok begins to take his leave, expressing his hope for Jin's understanding. However, Jin interrupts with a hug, saying, "Hey, it's okay. Come inside; let's whip up some breakfast." Hesitant but agreeing, Hoseok steps into the room.

"Do you remember the friend I mentioned, the one who wanted to set you up for a date? Well, he owns a business and has extended a recruitment offer. We'll have to go through the formal process for them to evaluate our capabilities," Hoseok reveals.

"Well, I don't have a problem. In fact, I prefer following a proper process without any rigging. And about the date, is it still set on?" Jin inquires, hoping to divert his thoughts from recent challenges. "Yes, it is. I was assuming you'd cancel. Do you want to go? I'll give you his number; he's Kim Namjoon," Hoseok offers, jotting down the contact details and leaving them on the fridge. "Thank you."

While Jin prepares French toasts, Hoseok notices the absence of Jin's neighbor and asks, "Is your neighbor not home?" Caught off guard, Jin coughs, "He is home, I guess."

Curiosity piqued, Hoseok joins Jin in the kitchen and asks, "What's wrong?" Jin opens up about recent interactions with Taehyung. "He's been kind, obviously I wouldn't take that any other way, but yesterday I noticed him staring at my lips and being a little intimate. Then, later that night, I heard the bed creaking 'eee eee eee' again." It's clear that Jin is troubled by the situation.

Hoseok nods empathetically, "Don't think too much. Maybe the moment that meant so much to you meant nothing to him. He's not gay, is he? So let's just say you're way too pretty to look at. Sometimes, I get mesmerized. It'll be healthy if you move on. Think about Namjoon only now. He's one hell of a man. You'll forget about Taehyung."

Jin remained skeptical, his sentiments suggesting that Taehyung was the type to stay with him through thick and thin, earning his lasting respect. "I hope you're right," he responded to Hoseok's reassurance.

As the weekend approached, Jin prepared for his date, feeling a bit rusty since it had been a while. Uncertain about what to wear, he sought Hobi's advice via a call. Unfortunately, Hobi's suggestions were not very helpful. Opting for a dinner date at a fancy restaurant, Jin settled on a white shirt paired with black suit pants that hung loosely on him. Completing the look with his favorite watch, he left his apartment, hoping to avoid any encounters with Taehyung, who had become a source of tension in the past few days.

Oddly, it seemed Taehyung might be avoiding him as well, or perhaps they had returned to their previous routine of mutual avoidance. Jin breathed a sigh of relief upon not spotting Taehyung outside, hastening towards the elevator. However, luck was not entirely on his side, as Taehyung was inside the elevator. "Hi," the younger greeted, but Jin intentionally ignored the remark, offering only a polite smile.

"I haven't seen you around. Are you going somewhere?" Taehyung inquired, observing Jin all dressed up. The air hung with unspoken tension. It was obvious there was elephant in the elevator.

Jin restrains himself from uttering anything offensive and simply replies, "Yeah." He watches as Taehyung exits the elevator, and Jin takes in a deep breath, the warm and comforting scent lingering in the air—something he hadn't anticipated encountering before his date. Realizing that seeing Taehyung might not have been the best idea, he pushes those thoughts aside, focusing on what lies ahead.