Invisible Affection | Taejin

31. You don't care about us

"I think we should break up."

Taehyung must have read that message a hundred times since he woke up to find it. He was unsure how to react and whether Seokjin was serious or just responding emotionally to the message he had sent the previous night, where he mentioned not wanting to get engaged.

After taking a moment to rub his eyes and clear his mind, Taehyung propped himself up, still feeling drained from the night out with his brother, which only further clouded his thoughts.

Eventually, after mustering the courage, he called Seokjin's number, but as expected, his call went straight to voicemail.

Throwing off his covers, he climbed out of bed but hesitated. He stood there and let out a quiet groan as he reflected on his relationship with Seokjin. He realized that, at times, Seokjin unnecessarily complicated things for them, and it was frustrating because he truly loved Seokjin and wanted things to work out.

*****

Taehyung entered the code for Jin's apartment, and as the door unlocked, he walked inside. After taking off his shoes and putting on some indoor slippers, he noticed the apartment was quiet. However, he was aware that Jin was home, as he could track his location on his phone, something they had mutually agreed to share a few months ago.

Though he rarely checked it, he knew Jin often used the location-sharing feature, especially concerning him. After carrying the grocery bags he planned to use to prepare a meal for Jin, he placed them in the kitchen and stored them in the fridge before heading to Jin's room to see if he was there.

When he arrived at the bedroom door and found it locked, he received the confirmation he expected and knocked on the door. "Seokjin," Taehyung called out after lightly tapping several times and waiting by the entrance.

When there was no reply, and he didn't sense any movement on the other side, he knocked again but was once again met with silence. With a sigh, he took his phone from his pocket and messaged Jin to let him know he would be in the kitchen making something to eat and that Jin could join him when he was ready.

Taehyung understood that Jin would eventually come around but likely intended to continue ignoring him until he felt like engaging. He hoped to improve this aspect of their relationship; while they seemed to make progress at times, there were moments like this when Seokjin reverted to the things they had discussed and promised he would work on changing them.

Attempting not to focus too much on the situation, Taehyung returned to the kitchen and started preparing the meal he had planned for Jin. He realized that cooking was one of his strengths and something Seokjin enjoyed whenever he did it, so he tried his hardest to nurture their relationship.

While he didn't feel that they were at the point of considering engagement and similar commitments, he could definitely envision that happening in the future once he achieved more stability.

At the moment, he was still a struggling university student, grappling with many uncertainties about his future, making it difficult to take a step toward a lifelong commitment to Seokjin, especially when he couldn't provide for them. He hoped to have a conversation with Jin about this so that he would understand his perspective and thought process.

He didn't want Jin to doubt their relationship, but at the same time, he didn't want to give him the impression that they were at a stage to think about engagement, as he knew they still had much to work on as a couple.

******

Taehyung was at the point of plating the food when Seokjin eventually stumbled into the kitchen. Jin's face looked extremely puffy, particularly under his eyes, which were a deep shade of red, hinting at a restless night filled with tears or distress. His usually neat hair was a disheveled mess, sticking out in various directions, which raised immediate concern for Taehyung.