Mr. Rude vs Mr. Nice (0.2)

37: The Turning point

The next morning, Jisoo woke up with a heaviness in her chest. She had tossed and turned all night, replaying her confrontation with Irene and her last conversation with Taehyung in her mind. Determined not to let her emotions dictate her day, she got ready for school, putting on a brave face.

As she entered the school grounds, Jisoo noticed the usual buzz of students milling around, but her heart wasn't in it. She spotted Taehyung leaning against the wall, talking to Jinyoung. Jisoo's stomach twisted at the sight. Jinyoung was laughing, clearly enjoying their conversation, while Taehyung appeared distant, his expression unreadable.

Taking a deep breath, Jisoo steeled herself and approached them. "Hey, Taehyung," she said, her voice steady despite the butterflies in her stomach.

Taehyung turned his head slightly, acknowledging her presence without a hint of warmth. "Hey," he replied, his tone clipped.

Jinyoung glanced between them, sensing the tension. "I was just telling Taehyung about the upcoming concert. You should come with us, Jisoo! It'll be fun!"

Jisoo smiled at Jinyoung, grateful for the distraction. "That sounds great! I'd love to go."

"See? It'll be a good time." Jinyoung grinned, but Taehyung's eyes remained focused elsewhere, as if he were mentally somewhere far away.

"Yeah, I'll think about it," Taehyung said, his disinterest palpable. Jisoo felt a sting at his dismissal but refused to let it show.

"Taehyung, can we talk later?" Jisoo asked, her heart racing. She needed to understand what was going on between them.

He hesitated, glancing at Jinyoung before finally nodding. "Fine."

As classes went on, Jisoo found it hard to concentrate. All she could think about was the conversation she had to have with Taehyung. She wanted to break through the wall he had put up, to understand the turmoil behind his eyes.

When lunch rolled around, Jisoo and her friends made their way to the cafeteria. Jinyoung sat beside her while Taehyung remained a few seats away, his gaze fixed on his phone. Jisoo's heart sank at the distance between them.

Suddenly, Irene appeared, her presence commanding attention as she sauntered over to their table. A smirk played on her lips as she caught sight of Taehyung. "Hey, everyone. Mind if I join you?" she asked, her voice dripping with sweetness that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Jisoo's instinct was to protest, but Jinyoung spoke up first. "Actually, we were just-"

"Oh, come on, Jinyoung. It's just lunch," Irene interrupted, sliding into the seat beside Taehyung. She leaned in closer, her laughter ringing out as she spoke to him, completely disregarding Jisoo's presence.

Jisoo's heart raced with frustration. She couldn't let Irene's antics get to her, but seeing Taehyung respond to her made it difficult. Jisoo turned to Jinyoung, who was watching the scene unfold with a frown.

"Should we do something?" Jinyoung whispered, concern etched on his face.

"No," Jisoo said, shaking her head. "I need to handle this myself."

After what felt like an eternity, lunch ended, and Jisoo felt a surge of determination. She needed to confront Taehyung, to find out why he was pushing her away. As students filtered out of the cafeteria, she caught him by the arm, pulling him aside.

"Taehyung, we need to talk," Jisoo insisted, her heart pounding.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and glanced around as if searching for an escape. "Can we do this later? I'm not in the mood."