Heartfelt Dislike

7

After having a meltdown on the couch, Jin finally mustered the energy to get ready for the day. Once he was all set, he rushed out the door, too late for breakfast. But right in front of his doorstep, there was a flower delivery waiting for him. The note read, "Good morning, got you some sandwich, I am sure you'll be running late today." Jin decided to put the flowers back inside and grabbed the sandwich to eat on the way.

He knew it was from Taehyung, and he couldn't ignore the fact that he had kissed Taehyung again last night. How did he end up in this situation with Taehyung? Only Hoseok could provide an answer to that, so when Jin got to his desk, he immediately pinched Hoseok and demanded, "Explain how I ended up next to Taehyung last night, Jung Hoseok,"

Hoseok winced at the pinch but then grinned mischievously at the mention of Taehyung. "Oh well, Jimin's boyfriend was out of town, so he called Taehyung to pick him up last night. Taehyung, being his best friend, came to the rescue. I swear to God, I had no idea about this. When Taehyung saw you there too, he offered to drive you back. Namjoon and I were drunk, too, by the way. So, spill the tea, how did it go?"

"You shouldn't have let me go with him," Jin exclaimed, "you were practically attached to him. It wasn't us who sent you with him. What really happened?" Hoseok teased, "Oh, nothing much. I just made a fool of myself in front of him. He probably thinks I'm insane."

"What's the big deal? He already knows you're crazy," Hoseok tried to hold back his laughter, mindful of their surroundings in the office. Jin playfully smacked Hoseok's back, "I can't believe you. We're not best friends anymore."

Hobi pretended to look sad and leaned in for a hug, "Are you okay?" Jin melted into the embrace, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm glad we've become closer since leaving that old job."

"Yeah, you win some, you lose some," Jin could sense Hoseok's smile as they pulled away. His gaze landed on a hickey on his best friend's neck, "Who's the culprit behind this?" Jin gasped, "You were alone with Namjoon. When did you -"

"Oh my God, did you two...?" Seokjin trailed off in shock.

Hoseok's beaming expression turned somber, "He woke up and mentioned he wants to keep things casual."

Jin responds, "That guy? I can't believe it." Hoseok then adds, "It's not his fault, it was a drunken mistake. And honestly, I'm not his type, so I won't push it."

"Do you have feelings for him?" Jin's voice softens as he asks. "Yes, but it's not that serious," he replies. Just then, Namjoon approaches them, "Hey, crazy headache," he greets them. Seokjin pointedly ignores his boss and heads back to his seat. "I just told him about us, cut him some slack," Namjoon chuckles and nods.

After working on the proposal for hours, Hoseok comes over, "Hey, it's lunchtime, want to join?" Jin declines, still upset about the previous day. "No, I still have work to finish," he says, focusing on the screen. "Jimin is on his way, I'll go down with him."

"How did you two even become friends? It's so random," Seokjin mutters, typing away. When Jimin arrives, Hoseok jumps, startling Seokjin. Jimin greets them playfully, "Hi, Jin, hey hobi." He then hands Jin a sandwich and snacks, saying, "Taehyung sent this for you." Jin looks up in surprise, heart racing at the mention of the name, "Why?" he asks. "He wants you to eat. He knows you'll skip lunch," Jimin explains.

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept this," he responds, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Well then, I guess I'll be going to have lunch with Hobi. You can take these back to him yourself, alright?" Jimin waves at him, signaling for them to leave together.

Jin's lips part, realizing that this whole situation feels like a setup. He picks up the snacks and tosses them into the trash, feeling an immediate pang of guilt. Tears start to well up in his eyes as he regrets impulsively wasting food. As he returns to his desk, he notices Namjoon standing there, looking concerned.

"If you're not too mad at me, can we go check out this art gallery for our next exhibition?" Namjoon asks, trying to make amends.

Jin discreetly wipes away his tears and nods, mustering up a smile. "Let's go," he says, unaware that Taehyung is watching from outside. Taehyung's heart breaks as he realizes how much Seokjin has become an important person to him in such a short time. Seeing Namjoon's arms wrapped around Seokjin, Taehyung retreats and heads back to his office, where he breaks down and sobs to Jimin.

"Taehyung, it's clear that you have strong feelings for him. Just go and tell him how you feel. Court him in a traditional way. It might be a bit challenging at first, but things will eventually work out. He have heard and seen you mess around with other girls, so it won't be easy to convince him. Stop crying now, Jungkook always finds it amusing when I tell him about your behavior around Seokjin," Jimin advises, trying to comfort his friend.

Jimin gently tousles the younger's hair, coaxing him to stand up. "Come on, get up," he urges.

"He was out with Namjoon, holding him close," Taehyung complains,

Exhibit A: Jimin clarifying that they're just friends, being playful. Exhibit B: Jimin feeds the jealousy coercing Taehyung seeks solace in front of Jin.

"Do you want Namjoon to steal your heart away? Go ahead, take Seokjin back, Taehyung. Don't let it slip away. Tell him how you feel," Jimin encourages with a soft smile. Taehyung looks up, seeking reassurance. "Will you be there for me if he breaks my heart?" he asks.

"Firstly, don't give up so easily. Trust yourself. Secondly, Jungkook and I will always be here for you. This is all part of life," Jimin reassures.

Taehyung is torn between acting on his friend's advice and the fear of losing Jin. Eventually, he decides to wait for Jin to return to his desk. But as the clock strikes eleven, Jin is still nowhere to be seen. Disheartened, Taehyung heads back home, assuming Jin went back home instead.

Passing by Jin's apartment, Taehyung hesitates before knocking on the door. Jin answers, still in his work attire, only to be joined by Namjoon, shirtless. Confused, Taehyung realizes it's not the right time and excuses himself.

Seokjin's face pales as he stammers an apology, realizing the misunderstanding, "Hey, Tae," he follows him outside, "it's not what you think. I accidentally spilled water on his shirt, so I offered him a change," he explains, his voice trembling.

Taehyung avoids eye contact, "You don't owe me an explanation, hyung. It's your decision, right? Even if you wanted to be with him or kiss me the day before,"

"Damn it," Jin mutters, regretting following Taehyung to clarify, why did he even bother, "My choice? You have plenty of options, Taehyung, not me. I'm not the one bringing different girls home,"

Taehyung's gaze sharpens as he glares at Seokjin, "When was the last time I brought a girl home? Can't you see that I'm drawn to you and have been trying to respect my feelings for you, hyung? It's like you're using my past against me," Tears stream down his face, "My heart shattered seeing Namjoon in there," his voice quivers as more tears fall.

Jin is taken aback. It's the first time he's seen Taehyung cry, and he's struggling to hold back a laugh. The sight of Taehyung crying makes him want to chuckle, but he clears his throat, "Stop crying, nothing happened between us. And you're right. I don't know why I'm justifying myself to you,"

Taehyung embraces Jin, and Namjoon emerges from behind, "I'll head out now. The shirt is dry. Thank you, see you tomorrow, goodnight," he addresses Seokjin's back, where Taehyung is glaring daggers,
"Of course, drive safely," Jin wants to bid farewell, but Taehyung's grip is too strong, "He's gone, you can let go now," Jin tries to break free, but Taehyung shakes his head,

Why do you have to be like this, Tae? I'm so confused by your sudden change. How can you just start liking me out of the blue and sticking to me like this?" Taehyung's hold weakens, "If you want me to back off, just tell me. I don't want to make you feel uneasy. But the truth is, I don't even know when I started falling for you. And now that I have, I can't just push these feelings aside and move on, forgetting about the best thing that has ever happened to me," Seokjin's mouth slightly opens, his gaze fixed on the younger man's face. Taehyung seizes the moment to steal a kiss.