Invisible Affection | Taejin

4. Dating? Yes or Yes?

"Why do you always do this to me? Do you know how late I went to bed?" Hoseok let out a tired groan as he lazily rummaged through the sheets, desperately searching for his earbuds. Meanwhile, his phone blared on speaker, adding to the chaos.

"Who needs sleep anyway? Rise and shine." Jin said as he unlocked his apartment door.

When he walked into the apartment, he noticed his shoes by the entrance were all lined up and arranged nicely, which meant his maid had come by for her weekly visit. He casually removed his shoes, giving them a dismissive kick to the side. Then, he slipped into his cozy house slippers and continued his journey into his apartment.

"Hey, Hoseok?" He shouted out, wondering why his best friend hadn't said anything on the other end of the line.

"Seokjin, I love you, but I love my sleep too."

"That's fine, but I didn't ask. What were you doing that kept you up late? And don't attempt to convince me that you were studying," Jin retorted, fully aware of what Hoseok was likely doing. As he waited for Hoseok's reply, Jin made his way to his bedroom and carefully selected his attire for the day from his wardrobe before heading into the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom, he hooked up his phone to a Bluetooth speaker and set it down while he undressed.

"I was actually studying. I have a test later today, and if I don't score at least a B+, I can already envision the disappointment and disapproval from my dad. In his eyes, it's as if anything less than an A makes me a criminal."

Jin's frustration bubbled as he thought about his parents' unexpected visit. "Parents can be so annoying," he grumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. "They traveled all this way just for dinner? It's like they have nothing better to do." Despite his irritation, he carefully prepared his bath, adjusting the water to the perfect temperature, striving for a moment of relaxation.

Hoseok, who was sitting up in his bed with a heavy expression, let out a sigh before speaking to Jin. "Jin, you're fortunate to have parents who prioritize spending time with you. My situation is quite different. My parents are in the same country, but I would be lucky to have dinner with them.

My father values his work more than his family. The only time he shows concern is when it comes to my grades. Just last month, I exceeded my allowance, and it went unnoticed. However, when I received a B on one of my exams, the reaction was as if I had committed a serious offense."

Jin settled into the warm, aromatic bath he had prepared, mumbling, "At least your parents are in the country. If anything happens, you can always go home to them."

"Are your parents ever moving back here? I think it's kind of cool that they left the house to you. We could all stay there if it was closer to the school."

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. We could get an apartment together. I'm already over this one."

"Next semester, let's do it."

"Why not now?"

"My mom would throw a fit if I told her I was moving out already. She paid double the asking price so that I could get the view I have now."

Jin expressed disbelief and rolled his eyes. "Why would she throw a fit for that? Tell her you are getting one with a better view. My parents wouldn't care if I was moving; as long as I liked where I was moving, that's all that would matter. They would have a moving crew outside and waiting."

"That's why I said you have the best parents."

"I don't agree, but at least they are not interfering with me moving when I want to. I guess I will ask Jimin if he wants to get an apartment together. His parents probably won't care if he breaks his current contract. I am not sure why we didn't do this before."