CHASING STARFISH

12

It took Taehyung a whole minute to look back at Irene. He felt her hand tremble as it landed on his face, but he had no excuse. He admitted he was wrong, but it was never his intention to hurt her in the first place. The first lie was unavoidable and necessary, and before he knew it, it just went on and on.

One lie after another, until it was too late to go back.

"Don't ever think of showing yourself to me ever again! You lied to me! You're just like him, maybe even worse. Words cut deeper than wounds, Tae. I hope you realize that. You could have just left me to die out there; it hurts just the same." Irene's words hurt more than the times she slapped and hit him.

Taehyung was left standing there when Irene closed the door. Her car had already left, but he couldn't move from where he was standing. He could only cry. It was the only thing he could do.

"Told you, man. You should have told her everything from the start," Junho said, patting his back as he guided him toward their van. Taehyung looked back at Hoseok, safely cuffed inside the police car, showing no remorse. He should have just killed him back then, but how? He couldn't even be angry anymore. He was scared that this day would come, and now that it had happened, he was even more terrified.

The drive back home was quiet. Junho never brought it up, he knew Taehyung already saw it coming. It was all clear from the start. Taehyung was just a normal secret service agent assigned to watch Irene after they found out about his sister's murder.

And he crossed the line.

Miss Wang asked him to stay away from Irene after his mission, so he pulled the whole dating Jennie act. He thought he could take it, thought he could stay away, but it was impossible. He knew when he boarded that train with her, it would be impossible to stay away. He had been in the military for 21 months, and the moment he got out, they let him spend an entire year watching only her.

If it was any other woman, it might have been easy. But she wasn't like any other girl; she was different. She was one in a million, she was trusting, and she wasn't that hard to love.

He may have lied to her so many times about his real identity, but he never once lied about his feelings. Everything he felt about her was real. It was all real, and now she hated him.

•°• ☆☆☆ •°•

Junho pulled over in front of Jimin's house. Taehyung didn't even realize they already arrived until Junho asked for his gun back.

"Make sure to drop by the office tomorrow. Miss Wang would like a word with you. Take care, man," Junho said before he drove off.

Taehyung dragged himself inside the house, still in full gear. Joy was probably baking brownies again this late; he could smell them burning from the outside. Maybe she was trying to calm herself since she was the most freaked out among them when they found out that Irene was missing.

"Oh, you're-what the f*ck? Are you hurt? Where's Irene?! Did you find her?" Joy exclaimed.

"She's home and safe. Where's Jimin?" he replied weakly, not even bothering to look her in the eye.

"In... his room," she answered, clearly surprised by the sudden depressing mood. She did not ask anything more.

Taehyung walked straight to Jimin's room. Jimin was reading some comics again while blasting loud music from his speakers.

He turned it off the minute he saw Taehyung walking in. Taehyung removed his vest, his uniform, and everything until he was left with his white shirt and boxers. He sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands, not saying anything.