A few minutes later, Taehyun broke the silence, calling out, “Hey, Angel.”
“What?” Kai replied coldly, his voice echoing as he finished drawing the curtains and opened a window to let in some fresh air.
“Can I be your roommate, I'll live with you?”
Kai froze, his brain momentarily short-circuiting at the question. He turned to face Taehyun, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Absolutely not,” he said flatly.
Taehyun didn’t seem deterred by Kai’s cold tone. Instead, he took a step closer, his voice growing softer, more persuasive. “Think about it. We get along pretty well… well, sort of. And I’m tidy. You wouldn’t even know I was here. Anyway, I have to, I'm your bodyguard.”
Kai crossed his arms, still glaring at him. “You slept in my bed! You didn’t even fold the blanket when you woke up. How is that ‘tidy’? And anyway, you don't have to live with me to be my bodyguard. I don’t know, why dont you sleep outside or something?”
Taehyun chuckled. “OUTSIDE?! That's so mean. No way. But... Okay, you have a fair point, I'm not that tidy. But I’m serious, Angel. Rent’s expensive, and I can help with that. Plus, I cook, and I'm here to keep you safe, please.”
“I don’t need your help,” Kai replied icily, though he couldn’t deny the practicality of the offer. The idea of splitting rent and having someone who could cook was appealing, but he didn’t want to admit that. Especially not to Taehyun.
Taehyun grinned, sensing Kai’s hesitation. “Come on, you could use a good roommate. And hey, I make killer pancakes.”
Kai’s jaw tightened. “I’m not interested.”
“Really?” Taehyun said, his tone playful now. “Even after all that bonding we did last night?”
Kai stared at Taehyun, his resolve like steel. “I said no, Taehyun. I don’t care how good you think your pancakes are, I’m not interested.”
Taehyun didn’t back down, though. He leaned against the fridge, his playful smile never fading. “Are you sure? I mean, it would be fun. And you might actually start liking me… just a little bit.”
“Not in a million years,” Kai shot back, folding his arms across his chest. He was firm, unyielding. He wasn’t going to let Taehyun worm his way into his life any more than he already had.
But Taehyun just kept pushing, his grin widening as he spoke. “Well, if you’re so against it… I guess we could talk about what happened last night instead.”
Kai's eyes narrowed, his irritation barely contained. “We do not, I repeat, do not speak of last night.”
Taehyun’s smirk only grew wider, a mischievous glint lighting up his eyes. “Oh, so that’s your little weakness now?” He leaned in slightly, voice dripping with playful menace. Before Kai could fire back, Taehyun added, “I’m sure the others would be thrilled to know what went on last night. And what you said.”
Kai’s heart dropped. “Don’t you dare utter a word about it!” His voice was like ice, but Taehyun wasn’t deterred in the slightest.
“Oh, I think I will.” Taehyun grinned, and with a cheeky giggle, he bolted.
“Taehyun, no!” Kai shouted, but it was too late—Taehyun was already halfway across the apartment, dashing towards the bedroom. Kai’s panic fueled him, and he took off in pursuit, the tension snapping into chaos.
“Get back here, you menace!” Kai’s voice echoed down the hallway as he chased Taehyun, who was now clutching his phone like a lifeline, giggling uncontrollably as he ran.
They careened into the bedroom, Taehyun making a beeline for the bed. He leaped onto it, bouncing slightly as he quickly began tapping on his phone, pretending to send the most incriminating messages.
“No! Don’t you dare!” Kai practically threw himself onto the bed after him, grabbing for the phone, but Taehyun was faster. He dodged Kai’s first grab, laughing as he rolled to the other side of the bed, just out of reach.
Kai was losing patience fast. “GET OFF MY BED AND GIVE ME THAT PHONE!”
He lunged again, this time managing to get a hold of Taehyun’s wrist. They tumbled together in a chaotic mess of tangled limbs, the bed creaking under their combined weight. Taehyun’s laughter filled the room, infectious and bright, while Kai fought to wrestle the phone out of his grip.
They rolled across the bed, sheets getting twisted around them as Kai tried to pin Taehyun down. Taehyun, still laughing, struggled playfully against him, squirming as Kai finally managed to trap him beneath him, their faces inches apart.
For a moment, the room fell into a strange, quiet stillness. Kai’s heart raced, not just from the chase but from the sudden proximity. Taehyun’s laughter faded into a breathless pause, his wide eyes locking onto Kai’s.
The look in Taehyun’s eyes was something Kai hadn’t expected. His voice, which had been sharp with anger just seconds ago, softened, almost pleading. “You can be my roommate, just… don’t tell anyone about last night.”
The softness in Kai’s voice threw Taehyun off balance. His heart, already pounding from the chase, seemed to skip a beat as he stared up at Kai. There was something disarming about the way Kai’s expression had shifted, something almost vulnerable that tugged at Taehyun’s heartstrings.
“That’s more like it,” Taehyun teased, though his tone was gentler now. He slowly released his grip on the phone, setting it down beside them on the bed. “It’s yours now, hehehe.”
Kai let out a relieved sigh, the tension draining from his body as he eased up, the furious scowl melting away. Taehyun, who had been ready with another cheeky comment, suddenly found himself unable to speak.
Kai was smiling.
It wasn’t the cold, sarcastic smirk he usually wore, but a real, genuine smile, soft and fleeting. And it was stunning. Taehyun stared, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the rare sight, feeling a flutter in his chest that was both thrilling and confusing.
Before Taehyun could process the moment, Kai abruptly stood up, breaking the spell as he unpinned Taehyun from the bed. Taehyun sat up, still a little dazed, his thoughts swirling as Kai picked up the phone.
“Delete whatever you were going to type,” Kai ordered, his voice returning to its usual cool tone, “and… watch that behavior of yours.”
Taehyun nodded, his usual confidence momentarily shaken. He watched as Kai turned and left the room, the door closing behind him. The smile was gone, but something about the encounter lingered in the air, something warm that hadn’t been there before.
