zero o'clock | tk

五

"Okay, Taehyung, just because you're cute, I'm hiring you," Jin teased, his lips curling into a smile. Yoongi immediately made a face, clearly unimpressed.

"Relax, Yoongs, you're cute too," Jin added with his smug face, earning an exaggerated eye roll from Yoongi.

Taehyung, who had been a mess of tears and frustration just an hour ago, suddenly lit up. All the stress from earlier seemed to melt away as he practically bounced over to Jin, wrapping him in a tight hug.

The blonde was now officially an employee at the local café, conveniently close to school and home. It was the perfect place to start earning some cash—cash he desperately needed after whatever happened to his phone.

"But Tae, you'll need to start tomorrow morning," Jin said as he led the younger boy toward the lockers where the café uniforms were kept. "It's Saturday, and it gets pretty busy, so be here at 9 a.m. sharp."

"I can give you your training right now since we're closing up, and tomorrow's going to be hectic," he added, handing Taehyung a uniform.

Taehyung nodded eagerly, grateful for the opportunity. He spent the next couple of hours training with Jin, learning the ropes until it was late, the café quiet and empty except for the two.

Yoongi had already taken off, mentioning something about family issues, leaving Taehyung to finish up his training alone.

"Alright, you should be all set, Tae," Jin said, smiling warmly as they wrapped up. Taehyung glanced at the clock on the wall, eyes widening when he saw it was already 10 p.m.

"Oh, it's late! My parents are probably freaking out right now. Thanks for everything, hyung, but I really have to go!" Taehyung bowed quickly before rushing out of the café.

Jin watched him leave, a bit concerned. "Aish, I should've offered to drop him off," he muttered, but it was too late. Taehyung was already gone.

The streets were dark, only dimly lit by the occasional streetlight as Taehyung hurried home. He knew this route like the back of his hand—the café wasn't far, but the thought of his parents worrying made him pick up his pace.

No calls, no texts, nothing from him all day. They must be worried sick.

Just as Taehyung reached the house and pushed the door open, the last thing he expected to see was his family gathered at the dining table. They weren't alone, a familiar face was seated across from his parents.

Jeon Jeongguk.

Taehyung's eyes widened in shock, but before he could process it, his mom rushed over to him. "Tae, baby, where were you? Why didn't you answer anyone's calls, huh? Your friend even came looking for you."

His gaze flicked nervously between his mom and Jeongguk, who was sitting there as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

"It was nothing, eomma. I was just helping a friend with a project, and my phone died," Taehyung lied, forcing a smile to cover his nerves.

His mom hummed, seemingly satisfied with his excuse. "Alright then, come eat dinner with us."

As he moved to sit down, Taehyung couldn't help but notice Jeongguk's intense gaze fixed on him, the raven-haired boy's expression unreadable as he sat across from Taehyung's father. The tension in the room was thick, making it hard for the blonde to even think about eating.

Just as Taehyung was about to take a bite of his rice, his dad's voice cut through the silence. "Why didn't you ever tell us about your friend Jeongguk here? He was really worried about you."

The comment made Taehyung choke on his food, coughing awkwardly as he tried to regain composure. "I didn't know we were friends until now..." he muttered, rolling his eyes and deliberately avoiding any eye contact with Jeongguk.

"Taehyung." His mom's voice carried a warning tone that instantly made him freeze. Without another word, he abruptly got up from the table, muttering, "I'm not hungry," before heading upstairs.

He barely made it to his room before slamming the door shut behind him. The moment he was inside, Taehyung flopped onto his bed, burying his face into the pillow. He let out a muffled whine of frustration, his body tense with all the emotions he had been bottling up throughout the day.

Not even five minutes had passed when the door creaked open, followed by the soft sound of footsteps approaching the bed.

"Where were you all day?" Of course, it was Jeongguk.

Taehyung sighed deeply, turning onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "Why are you here?"

"You didn't answer any of my calls, and you weren't at school. Are you stupid?" Jeongguk grabbed the chair from Taehyung's study table and sat down, turning it around so he could face his boyfriend, his eyes sharp with concern.

Taehyung rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. "Just fuck off, go home," he snapped, throwing a pillow straight at Jeongguk, who caught it effortlessly.

Instead of leaving, the ravenette stood up from his seat, grabbing Taehyung and making him sit on the bed before sitting down in front of him.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. Stop being mad at me now," Jeongguk pleaded, a small smile tugging at his lips as he tried to catch Taehyung's eyes, but the blonde kept stubbornly avoiding his gaze.

Taehyung sighed internally. It was already midnight, and with a new day came a new Jeongguk.

"Why'd you introduce yourself to my parents, especially as my friend?"

Jeongguk smirked, leaning in closer. "So they can know who's fucking their son in this house while they're sleeping," he teased, earning a smack on the arm from Taehyung.

"Did you tell them we're having a sleepover or something? Why did they let you in at this time?"

Jeongguk scoffed, "I've been here since school finished, waiting for you." Taehyung pursed his lips, absorbing that bit of information.

"I'm going to bed. I have to get up early tomorrow," Taehyung muttered, pulling the duvet over himself, trying to get warm.

"Why?" Jeongguk cocked an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. Despite that, he slid under the warm duvet, wrapping his arms around the blonde and spooning him.