𝗢𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝗺 || 𝗧𝗮𝗲𝗸𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘂•

03

Is all of this just a coincidence? I really hope I never run into her brother again. I can’t deal with him recognizing me when Soohin eventually announces our relationship publicly.

I’m at home now, and I didn’t even get a chance to talk to Soohin today. Should I message her again? No, she might think I’m being annoying. I’ve already sent her six messages. But what if she’s in some kind of trouble? Ugh, Kim Taehyung, why are you so negative?

Maybe I should just go to bed.

The night passes faster than I expect. When I wake up, I realize I’ve been sleeping in a terrible posture, and my arm feels worse now. Should I ask for a day off? Hell no, they’ll probably fire me. I already took four days off last month when I was sick there’s no way I can ask for more time.

Soon I start getting ready, but it takes me longer than usual with the bandage on my arm. I check my phone, half-expecting a message from Soohin, but there’s nothing. She’s probably busy. I shouldn’t bother her, she’ll reach out when she has time.

As I enter the office building, I spot Soohin talking with one of her female colleagues. She doesn’t seem to notice me. I make my way to my seat, but as I look back, I see her leaving with her colleague. What’s going on? Is she avoiding me on purpose? I decide I’ll talk to her during lunch.

"Mr. Kim, are you alright? What happened to your arm?" Lina, one of my juniors, asks with concern.

"Yeah, I’m fine. It was just a small accident," I reply, trying to brush it off.

"Thank God you're okay. I thought it was something serious."

"No, nothing serious. Thanks for asking," I say with a reassuring smile. She nods and heads back to her desk.

When noon finally comes, I spot Soohin again and immediately start following her. She’s on her way to the cafeteria. As I catch up, I gently grasp her hand, and she pauses for a moment.

"Tae? Do you need something?" she asks, her voice soft and almost as if nothing happened.

"Why are you ignoring me?" I ask, frustration building up. "Did I accidentally do something wrong?" I reach for her hand, but she pulls away, offering me a forced smile.

"People are looking at us, Taehyung!"

"Do you really think I care?" I snap, my patience running thin. "Soohin, you haven’t responded to my messages. I’ve been trying to talk to you since yesterday morning."

"Let’s talk later. I don’t feel like talking right now."

Before I can say anything else, she turns and walks away. Fine. If she doesn’t want to talk to me, I won’t bother her. As I leave the building, I spot her walking out with a few of her friends. The way she moves, the distance between us... it feels like she’s done with me.

I let out a long, shaky breath. A couple of beers should help clear my mind, or at least numb the confusion swirling inside me.

As I settle onto a barstool, the sharp, stinging scent of alcohol hits my nose. I hate this place, the noise, the chaos, the pounding music, but it's the only way to drown out everything else. I thought just a few drinks would help, but before I know it, I've lost track of how many I've downed.

The world around me starts to blur, and my head feels heavy. I try to focus, but it's hard to keep my eyes open. Then, a strange feeling creeps up my spine..... someone’s approaching. I turn slightly, squinting through the haze of the crowd.

That face... it’s familiar. But my brain can’t process it fast enough. Who is it?...

Just as my vision starts to swim, a voice cuts through the fog, icy and sharp.

"You are still clueless."

Then, everything goes dark.