Heartfelt Dislike

6

Perhaps Taehyung has been preoccupied with other responsibilities, which is why he hasn't crossed paths with the younger one for almost two weeks now. Seokjin reassures himself with this explanation whenever he doesn't accidentally bump into Taehyung. Whether it's during lunch breaks, in the elevator, or at night, there's no sound of commotion from next door, there is no trace of him. Seokjin even tried staying up late in hopes of catching a glimpse of Taehyung but eventually fell asleep. He shouldn't be so worried, right? He has already distanced himself from Taehyung, yet he can't help but feel his absence. It's hard for Seokjin to admit that it actually pains him. Maybe all those times he pretended to avoid Taehyung, deep down, he was secretly hoping to see him.

Today is Sunday, marking the end of the second week without seeing Taehyung. In an attempt to break free from his anxious routine, Seokjin didn't refuse when Hoseok invited him out for drinks.

The bar is bustling with noise, making Seokjin uncomfortable. However, he chooses to ignore it, as he should. He waits in the corner for Hoseok to arrive, and about ten minutes later than their decided time, Hoseok walks in with two individuals by his side. One is Namjoon, and Seokjin recognizes the face of the other person, although he can't quite remember where he has seen them before.

" This is jimin," Hoseok calls out loudly, "we met at the cafeteria and became friends. He's the one who came up with this plan, and Namjoon decided to join in, too. I knew you wouldn't have joined if I had told you earlier," Hobi smiles at Jin, who seems a bit down but is trying his best to hide any signs of disinterest.

"It's okay, I'll go grab some drinks for us," Jin gets up, with Namjoon following him, "I'll help."

"How have you been?" Namjoon asks him, "You've been distant lately, no more waving from your desk or making funny faces to get my attention. Everything alright?"

Jin bursts into laughter louder than he intended, covering his mouth, "Sorry," he says, trying to hold back his laughter, "I've just been a bit out of it. And your employees have caught on to our friendship. They don't seem too thrilled about it, but they're handling it well. I think it's best if I stop to avoid making them uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about them. They know their boundaries. I hire people who align with my values," Namjoon smiles, "two bottles of liquor with ice at table seven," he orders the bartender. Seokjin turns around to see Namjoon smiling, "You're a good person, Namjoon. I'm sorry things didn't work out. I hope you find someone better,"

"I am pleased to see that we have moved past all of that and have become friends. May I ask, what is the cause behind your sadness?" He questions,

"I have noticed that Taehyung has been absent lately, and it feels as though he is avoiding me. Not because he wants to, but probably to make me more comfortable. I don't want him to continue skipping lunches because of me. It used to be his workplace before it became mine. I didn't know what to say to him and suddenly everything between us became so complicated. I miss seeing him," Seokjin's eyes droop low as he stared at his sweaty palms. Such places make him anxious. "If you have such strong feelings for him, Seokjin, why did you push him away? It is alright to pursue someone and be selfish. Don't fear your own emotions,"

"I am not afraid of my own feelings, but I don't trust his. He claims to like me now, but what if it is just a passing phase for him? What if he moves on from me and starts a family with someone else, forgetting all about me?" He sounds incredibly vulnerable, and he is certain of it. He just hopes that it isn't making Namjoon uncomfortable.

"Hey," Namjoon calls out to him, "You are thinking too far ahead into the future without even giving him a chance. Don't dwell on these thoughts to such an extent, Seokjin. Just live in the present, you silly person," he playfully pokes Jin's forehead. "Let us return now. They must be waiting for us," Jin grumbles as he stands up.

"Who is this Jimin person?" Jin asks as they walk back

" Taehyung's friend. I've seen Taehyung hanging out with him, and I don't think Hoseok is aware of it," Namjoon comments, not bothering to check Seokjin's expression to confirm if he's upset about this information. "Oh, now I remember where I saw him! He was with Taehyung at the cafeteria that day. He probably knows about me and dislikes me,"

"You are overthinking again, my friend," Namjoon chuckles. Within seconds, they return to their table. The drinks are already served. "Let's drink away the sadness," Namjoon offers Seokjin a glass, and he gladly accepts it.

Before long, Seokjin is drunk and struggling to comprehend what's happening. His vision is blurry, and his thoughts are hazy. He watches Jimin and Hoseok engage in a conversation that he can't understand at all. Meanwhile, Namjoon is busy on his phone. Did no one drink as much as him? Maybe he's just not as tolerant as the others. Drowsiness takes over, and Seokjin closes his eyes. The next time he opens them, he's in a car, surrounded by a familiar scent. The comfort of knowing he's next to Taehyung makes him fall asleep again, with a crazy smile on his face.

And for the third time that night, Jin wakes up to find himself sitting in front of his apartment, with some random person rummaging through his pockets for keys. He yanks himself away, practically screaming, "Hands off,"

" It's late, so keep it down!" Taehyung tries to sush Jin,

Taehyung isn't even fazed when Jin grabs a handful of his hair, acting all high and mighty. "Don't you dare boss me around," he hushes Taehyung with a finger, "my neighbor must be sleeping, so we're gonna wake him up together, got it? Make as much noise as possible, so he'll come out and see what's going on. Understand the plan?"

Taehyung's scalp is throbbing from Jin's death grip on his hair, but he reluctantly nods in agreement. "Fine, I'll knock on his door. I'll pretend I mistook it for mine," Jin drags Taehyung along by his hair to the neighboring door, fiddles with the keyhole, and then gives it a good knock.

If Taehyung's head wasn't in excruciating pain, he would burst into laughter. Jin starts banging on the door like a madman, declaring, "Alright, he's gotta be awake now. You need to kiss me now, so when he sees you kissing me, he'll freak out and kiss me instead."

Before Taehyung could intervene, the older man forcefully grabbed him by the hair and pulled him into a passionate kiss. As the kiss ended, tears streamed down Jin's face, and he sobbed, "He's avoiding me. It's been two weeks, and he doesn't want to see me anymore." With each passing second, Jin's cries grew louder and more desperate.

Taehyung sat there, feeling defeated, and gently stroked Jin's head, reassuring him, "It's okay, he's not worth your tears. You have me now." Whispering amidst his tears, Jin replied, "I don't need you, I need him. But I must admit, your kisses reminded me of his." Despite his sadness, Jin managed a sheepish smile, causing Taehyung to facepalm in disbelief. How could someone be so clueless?

Jin's crying continued for a while until it gradually turned into sniffles. Taehyung knew that the older would soon fall asleep again. Taking out the keys from his pocket, Taehyung carefully carried Jin back inside the apartment and laid him on the sofa. He removed Jin's clothes as much as he could and covered his body with a warm blanket. Before leaving, Taehyung placed hangover medicine on the table next to Jin, ensuring that he would wake up in time for work the next day.

The thought of Jin not waking up on time for work kept bothering Taehyung, so he took the time to set multiple alarms and placed a clock beside Jin, write a little note, ' i had been away on a little business trip, it was very hurried and last minute, next time i will surely inform you beforehand, I'm sorry, see you soon hyung. :) "

He wanted to make sure that Jin wouldn't oversleep and face any consequences of the drinking tomorrow. It was going to be fun to see Seokjin's reaction tomorrow. He was still a bit lost, but not as lost as he was at the start. So, he was definitely looking forward to seeing Seokjin the next day.

The following morning, Jin wakes up with a pounding headache, groaning as his throat feels parched. He looks around and spots the hangover medicine and a note. Initially, he smiles while reading the note and taking the medicine. But then comes the scream, the one Taehyung had been eagerly anticipating. While the younger one is laughing, Jin is melting into the couch with shame, letting out loud groans every now and then, squirming uncomfortably.