Heartfelt Dislike

5

As Seokjin caught sight of Taehyung's presence exiting the room, he sank wearily onto the couch, a heavy sigh escaping him. "I was too harsh," he scolded himself, grappling with the regret that weighed on his mind. Grunting, he reached for his phone, dialing Hoseok's number with a sense of urgency. "Can we talk?" Jin implored, seeking comfort in his friend's advice.

Upon hearing a casual "hmm" from the other end, Jin proceeded to tell what exactly happened. "Remember what I told you about what happened between me and Taehyung a week ago?" he asks. As he recounted it, Jin found himself nervously biting his lip. "Today, he came to confess that he likes me but is confused," he admitted, a hint of vulnerability in his voice.

Hoseok, on the receiving end, questioned, "And what did you tell him?" Jin hesitated briefly before confessing, "I told him I'm not going to help a teenager figure out his sexuality." The line fell into a thoughtful silence as Hoseok absorbed the weight of his friend's words.

"Seokjin, honey, I love you, alright? But that was wrong of you," Hoseok's voice carried a mix of concern and reproach. "There are nicer ways to reject. I understand you're upset, but i am sure it took a lot of courage for him to be transparent with you."

Jin, defensive yet aware he is in the wrong, tried to rationalize his actions. "How can he suddenly start having these feelings? Our conversations weren't that long. Whatever he said didn't make sense," he argued, sighing out loud.

Hoseok countered, "He's new to this, Seokjin. It's not hard to understand that he started developing feelings for you. Hasn't it been obvious you both have always had that kind of relationship?" The truth resonated in Hoseok's words, enforcing Jin to reconsider the dynamics of his relationship with Taehyung.

Jin grappled with the internal confusion, a persistent desire to disagree at the same time battling with the realization that he was undeniably in the wrong. "What should I do now?" he murmured, the weight of uncertainty heavy in his voice.

Hoseok offered his advice, "If you want anything with Taehyung, then go fix this. If not, stay true to your words. Don't overthink. But, this is what i think, you should follow your heart," he suggested, Jin nodded, understanding what he meant

Jin reflects briefly, questioning himself what does his heart wants – to apologize and seek comfort from Taehyung. However, the thought seems overly idealistic to him, and uncertainty clouds whether Taehyung is ready for that step. Instead of confessing, Jin opts to curl up in bed that night, shedding tears fueled by loneliness and how rough life has been. Anticipating Taehyung to find solace elsewhere, like he told him to, he cries even more when the night remains quiet, consumed by the thought of unintentionally hurting Taehyung. Well, not exactly unintentionally.

The next morning brings a surprising job offer for Jin, arriving sooner than expected after the recent interview he gave at namjoon's firm. Perplexed and considering backing out, he contemplates two valid reasons that dropping out might be a good idea– avoiding Namjoon and Taehyung. Aware of Namjoon's influence in securing the job, in the back of his head, he knows that too will become a challenge for him in the future.

The next day, Jin waits until he's certain Taehyung has left for work before setting out for his inaugural day at his new job at 27. Upon arriving, he exhales a silent thanks to providence for avoiding any encounter with Taehyung and acknowledges the warm welcome from his fellow employees. The work proves to be an easy task, as it's similar to what he's accustomed to, and he swiftly grasps the do's and don'ts. Interestingly, Hoseok is slated to join the team in a few days, leaving Jin to manage on his own right now.

At lunchtime, Jin finally takes a break from his desk, glancing over to spot Namjoon in his office, engrossed in some task with furrowed brows. The memory of a shared kiss with Taehyung floods Jin's thoughts, causing his face to fall into his palm as he releases an audible sigh. A loud grumble from his stomach brings him back to the present, making him realize he skipped breakfast out of concern for bumping into Taehyung. Gathering his wallet, he steps out, heading to the cafeteria.

Upon entering the expansive cafeteria, Jin becomes aware that it serves as a common space shared by three different companies within the building. It's rather late in the lunch hour, but he's already paid for his meal. Settling down alone, he notices that the absence of any invitations from colleagues, they can't be blamed. Anyone observing jin would discern the palpable misery etched across his face as he quietly contemplates his current state.

Seokjin was savoring the kimchi, the only dish he found palatable on the menu. Back at his old job, the cafeteria food had been a saving grace amidst other negatives. People-watching was a favorite pastime of Seokjin's, as he observed each face with precision. Suddenly, a familiar face entered the room, causing Seokjin to hiccup and hastily leave his meal behind. Taehyung had already spotted him and watched as Seokjin abandoned his food. Anger simmered in Taehyung as he questioned why Seokjin was avoiding him, believing it should be the other way around.

"I'll be right back, Jimin. Order my usual," Taehyung instructed before trailing after Seokjin and catching up to him. "What's going on? Why are you avoiding me?" Taehyung grasped Seokjin's arm to halt him. Seokjin refused to face him, shutting his eyes tightly. It was only when Taehyung tugged on his arm that Seokjin finally spoke. "I'm avoiding you because I hurt you," he confessed.

"No, you didn't hurt me. You were clear and assertive in your actions. Don't worry about it. Go back and finish your meal. I'm sorry for making things awkward between us. I should be the one apologizing," Taehyung's grip on Seokjin's arm relaxed. "Stop pretending to care," Seokjin nearly shouted as he pulled away from Taehyung.

The onlookers watched as Taehyung quickly took Seokjin's hand and led them to a more secluded area. "I truly care about you. It's not an act. Ever since I saw you cry in front of me for the first time, I have genuinely cared. I don't want you to suffer or feel uncomfortable around me. Let's leave the past behind us. We used to be neighbors, so let's maintain that relationship,"

Jin chuckled, "I see right through you. This is too easy for you, isn't it? You kiss me, confess your feelings, all while hoping I will accept your explanation after hearing about you being with other girls almost every night for the past few years, and now," Jin paused briefly, "you expect me to forget all of that,"

"What's gotten into you? Why are you acting like this? Everything that happened was based on my own emotions. Why do you seem so hurt?" Taehyung stopped, looking into Seokjin's eyes for answers. "Do you have feelings for me?" His gaze lingered on Jin's face. The older lowers his head, "You're right, let's move on from this, okay? I'll try to act normal," Tears threatened to fall from Seokjin's eyes, but he blinked them away, avoiding any embarrassment.

"Hyung, please hear me out. I didn't lie about my feelings. They are genuine. If you give me some time, I will figure things out, and hopefully, we can create something beautiful together. What do you think?" He attempts to hold Jin's hand, but he is pushed away. "Don't. I won't wait for you to possibly choose me, and what if you don't? I'm sorry, but I can't trust you. I don't know you well enough, Taehyung,"

He watches as Seokjin walks away, realizing he has lost his appetite, too. He never realized that Seokjin had feelings for him. Since the cafeteria had a small snack shop, he grabbed a few snacks and left them on Seokjin's desk while older is in the restroom. At least he won't go hungry. Later, he joins Jimin and asks, "What's the matter?"

"It was Seokjin hyung," Taehyung appears sad, and Jimin has never seen him so down. "What happened, Taehyung?"

"I had no idea he had feelings for me. How was I supposed to know? But if I had known, I would have acted differently and not brought all those girls home. It's my fault," he blames himself. Jimin holds his friend's hand and reassures him, "Hey, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known. He was the one developing feelings for you, not the other way around. It wasn't intentional, Taehyung. You were just living your life. If he doesn't want to be around you, don't force it. Give him time and space. until then, you can figure out your own feelings. If it's meant to be, it'll all fall in place eventually,"

"But I can't stop thinking about him. I feel like I'm going insane. I didn't know I was capable of loving someone, especially a man. When did I even fall in love with hyung? It's so unlike me," Taehyung confesses to Jimin.

"Maybe it's a part of your personal growth," Jimin tries to lighten the mood. "I don't think so. I'm just so confused," Taehyung sighs, gazing at his hands that were intertwined with Seokjin's a little while ago. Even right now, all he wanted to do was kiss the older, perhaps he really is going insane.