Unique Friend

~20~

~20~

Taehyung doesn't come home that night, or the next day. He doesn't text, call or try to contact her in any way, and this makes Karina even more angry and frustrated. Only now she is angry at herself for overreacting and assuming the worst, and frustrated because she doesn't know what to do next. In the past, with her ex, Derek, she has experienced rage, accusations and manipulation. With Taehyung she received quiet patience, logical explanations and space to think. Karina doesn't quite know how to deal with this.

She can think of nothing but Taehyung and her time with him. His sweet smile, silly playfulness and quiet caring. She had never been around anyone before who had made her feel so valued, worthy, special. Even in their lovemaking he had cherished her and sought out her pleasure before his own. Karina would be stupid to pass up a relationship with someone like that. Sure he had hidden some things from her, but he had very justifiable reasons for doing so, and had said he had planned on explaining it all to her. She really had jumped to awful conclusions and shut him out, rather than trust him.

She is the asshole here. Karina is able to admit that to herself, but now what? Will Taehyung listen to her apologies? Will he even want to see her again? She spends the entire day moping in the apartment, working the situation, unanswerable questions and scenarios round and round in her mind until she exhausts herself and falls asleep on the couch.

The next day dawns with Karina having an actual headache and she is in a foul mood when she drags herself into the Black Swan for her shift, her brow drawn in a heavy frown. She throws herself into work, spending every minute between customers either scrubbing the immaculate seating area, or organizing the stockroom, doing anything she can to avoid talking with Namjoon, or having a moment to think. She is extremely thankful she and Marlie rarely have the same shifts.

Of course, Namjoon notices her demeanor.

"Karina, stop!" he finally bursts out after she starts mopping the spotless floor for the third time that day. "I don't know exactly what happened, and I am not getting involved, but for goodness sake will one of you please be the adult and take the first step! Just go and talk to him!"

Karina stands frozen, blinking at him. Namjoon is always the epitome of calm, cool, collected. She could not recall seeing such an outburst from him in the almost three years she had been working for him.

Seeing her stunned expression, Namjoon deflates. "Sorry. It's just that Taehyung has been crashing at my place, and is even more miserable and mopy than you are. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but I do know that I have never seen either of you as happy as when you were together, or as intolerable as you are now that you're apart. So please, go talk to him?"

"I don't know if he even will talk to me, Namjoon. And I don't want to get you involved, but why didn't either of you tell me about BTS?" she demands, the frown returning as she sloshes the mop back into the bucket.

Namjoon blanches at first, then sighs in resignation. "It was Marlie, wasn't it?" When Karina nods, he continues as he sits on one of the stools at the counter, gesturing for her to take the one beside him. "Marlie is the kid sister to a friend of mine, who both know my history in Korea. I only hired her as a favor to him, and she was supposed to keep things to herself, and she was ok for a while. Until Kim Taehyung showed up." he gives a chuckle and a shake of his head. "I swear, I have never seen a guy pull in more attention than that kid. Or trouble, for that matter. Anyway, I am sorry Karina. I don't know how much you've been told, and I can't say too much, since it involves promised privacy for all seven members." he pauses to give her a sincere smile of apology. "We all made vows to leave the past in the past; we all wanted a clean slate, a fresh start in our lives. I was even hesitant when Taehyung approached me about moving here, but he was sounding so down, I was worried he might be depressed again." He pauses his story when Karina gives a small gasp of concern, nodding in confirmation. "Yes, he has struggled with this before. We may be separated now as a working group, but we have remained in contact and will always be family, so I wasn't going to turn him down."

Karina is touched by the obvious bond of love and friendship between the guys. She remains quiet as she absorbs what Namjoon has revealed to her.

"And I just thought it could work out for the both of you, as roommates, if he stayed there. He would still feel independent and not like I was taking care of him, and you are always so practical, I thought it would be a good influence on him," Namjoon chuckles. "I honestly never thought you two would end up together. You've always been so focused on college and work, I figured a relationship was the last thing on your mind."

"It was," Karina blurts. "Until Kim Taehyung," she continues in a small voice.

Namjoon outright laughs at this, "Girl, you have no idea...." When she gives him a curious glance, he waves her off. "Nevermind. Just go talk to that boy, please? He will never listen to me."

"But, I'm working. And, I don't know where you live." she protests.

Namjoon waves off her protests once again, "I own this place, remember? If I say you can go, you can go. And I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Taehyung is at the apartment right now. He needed clothes, and he missed his bed so he was going there to sleep today while you are here," he finishes, taking from her the mop handle she is still clutching as if it were a lifeline.

Karina frowns in nervous indecision.

"You both deserve to be happy, Karina," Namjoon says gently.

And suddenly she realizes he is right. She had been through hell with Derek, and had worked very hard to earn her place in college, her independence, and worked hard to heal the scars from past traumas. She deserves to be happy, and Taehyung makes her happy. Simple.

"Thank you, Namjoon," she suddenly jumps up from her seat, tackling her surprised boss in an uncharacteristic hug before hurrying out the door.