Heartfelt Dislike

4

Seokjin resisted the urge to give in to the kiss, a desire that had silently simmered within him since the first moment he laid eyes on Taehyung. As the younger man pulls away, their faces still in close proximity, Jin can feel Taehyung's warm breath lingering on his face.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I did this," Taehyung confesses his voice hoarse, and Jin, registering his words, abruptly pushes him away.

"I can't believe you, you're a jerk Taehyung, fuck you," Jin storms out of the corridor into his apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

Meanwhile, Taehyung stands disheveled and confused. Why did he say those harsh words to seokjin earlier? Because seeing Jin kiss another man stirred a sickness within him, an unexpected surge of jealousy. He shouldn't feel this way; he's convinced he's straight. Yet, he gave into his impulses, kissing Jin without any intention of taking responsibility. Over the past week, he had been avoiding Seokjin precisely because of these urges to claim seokjin's lips.

As Taehyung reflects on the situation, he acknowledges that Jin had also been ignoring him for some unknown reason, which he was assuming that seokjin too felt the same until he saw seokjin kissing another man. Unexpectedly encountering Jin in the elevator today unleashed a whirlwind of thoughts and desires he had been trying to get rid of for a week. He had been patiently waiting for Seokjin to return, unsure of what he intended to do, but driven by an overwhelming need to be close to the older man.

The sudden shift in Taehyung's perception of Seokjin confuses him. The once considered loud, nitpicky, and boring neighbor now occupies his thoughts, making him yearn for closeness. Frustrated and confused, Taehyung pulls his own hair, emitting a frustrated growl before retreating back into his apartment, utterly clueless about what to do or what the future held for them.

A week later, when Taehyung spots Seokjin entering the building where they both work, he instinctively hides himself, unwilling to face the older yet. After he's sure the figure has disappeared, he goes on about his tasks, fervently hoping to avoid any unexpected encounters with Seokjin, since he's still confused because of the aftermath of their make out session a week ago and not yet prepared to address what happened between them.

Taking his seat at work, Jimin, his colleague and best friend's boyfriend, notices Taehyung's visibly troubled self. Concern laces Jimin's voice as he inquires, "What's up? Why do you look so pale?" Taehyung, attempting to downplay the feelings within, responds, "Nothing much, just saw Seokjin hyung around. Don't know what he's doing here,"

"Oh, didn't you mention he lost his job? The firm a floor above is hiring, probably for that," Jimin states with a knowing smile, pleased with his accurate judgment.

"If he gets the job, we might end up working in the same building. I've been contemplating leaving the apartment complex. Do I need to leave my job too?" Taehyung sighs, resting his head on the table in contemplation.

Jimin, feeling for his friend, responds, "You're acting as if he's the one who kissed you first. You should own up to it, Taehyung. It's clear you like him. You're just unsure of what to do with these new feelings. Go ahead and tell him unless you're ashamed of harboring such feelings. Just understand that it's not some illness that needs curing. Labels aside, humans are complicated, and who we fall in love with isn't entirely in our control."

Exhaustion evident in his expression, Taehyung gazes up at Jimin. "I don't think of it as an illness, never. I'm just not ready to accept this revelation. It's so sudden. Also, how is it that I've never found any other man besides Seokjin attractive? Does that make sense to you? Am I perhaps Seokjin-sexual?" Taehyung's honest curiosity prompts a laugh from Jimin.

"That could be a possibility too," Jimin chuckles. "Well, jokes aside, just go tell him. What's the worst that can happen?" Jimin advice lingers in his mind all day, urging Taehyung to confront the seokjin, or firstly himself regarding his newly emerged feelings and take a step toward acknowledging them infront of the older.