The first time Jennie met Taehyung was at her brother Jay's 21st birthday party. It was a simple gathering at their house with Jay's college friends in attendance.
Jennie participated in the party until 6 PM when Jay and his friends moved to the backyard for a drinking session. Not interested in joining them, Jennie returned to her room to rest.
Eventually, bored with watching a show on her laptop, she walked to her balcony and peeked outside to see if anyone was still there.
Jennie wasn't one to snoop, but her curiosity was piqued when she overheard them discussing their fraternity. She heard some confidential conversations she wasn't meant to, but she didn't care as she had no intention of gossiping about it.
The next time Jennie saw Taehyung was when her parents were out of town, and Jay brought him over, injured. He looked beaten up, with visible cuts, yet he still managed to laugh as Jay patched him up.
Jennie watched from the corner, hidden behind the living room wall, until Taehyung spotted her and winked with a smug smile. Surprised, Jennie shrugged it off and went upstairs. She was curious about his injuries but didn't want to pry.
A few weeks later, Taehyung appeared again, looking like he had been in another fight. This time, Jay wasn't with him, and Jennie was home alone.
"Hey, your brother told me to get treated here," Taehyung said after Jennie eyed him from head to toe.
Confused, Jennie replied, "Does this look like a hospital to you?"
"No," he answered, looking equally confused.
"Then no, sir. You won't get treated here," she said, starting to close the door. He stopped her with his hand on the door, grunting in pain from his bruises.
Sighing, Jennie let him in and sat him on the living room couch. She fetched the medical kit and patched him up, recalling how she'd seen her brother do it. Afterward, she cleaned up and put the kit back in its place.
"Where's my brother?" she asked, placing a glass of water and a painkiller on the coffee table for Taehyung.
"Thanks," he said, taking the glass. "Your brother went back to the frat to report."
"Frat?" she asked, confused.
"Yeah, you knew about that, right?" Taehyung nodded. "Three months ago, on your brother's birthday. I saw you snooping from your room," he chuckled.
Realizing he was referring to that night, Jennie apologized. He hummed in response and leaned back on the couch, looking tired. Jennie decided to leave him to rest and went to her room.
She wondered why she was so easily letting her guard down. Alone in the house with a possibly dangerous guy, she should be more cautious.
The next morning, Jennie smelled food from the kitchen. Remembering Taehyung's presence, she rushed downstairs, expecting her parents to have found him. Instead, she found Taehyung cooking.
"You can cook?" she asked, surprised by the food on the counter.
"Of course," he replied, smiling brightly. "Can you help bring these to the dining table? I still need to transfer these eggs."
Jennie chuckled, shaking her head, and did as he asked. The food smelled delicious, making her hungry. She enjoyed the meal and the conversation with Taehyung. Afterward, she washed the dishes while he took a shower.
When Taehyung was ready to leave, dressed in Jay's clothes, Jennie insisted on treating his wounds again, worried he'd get into trouble looking so beaten up at school.
