just ➳ j. jungkook

十二

「just a friend」

___

jungkook stood up quickly and turned his head.

"i have to go," he whispered, avoiding her gaze.

"why?" areum followed after him.

"i have a date with my girlfriend," jungkook emphasized the last word.

"but kookie-" she grasped onto his arm.

"don't call me that," he spat angrily. "let go."

"no," she crossed her arms stubbornly. "not until you tell me what's wrong."

"what's wrong?" jungkook laughed dryly, sarcasm dripping venomously in his voice. "why don't you tell me?"

she looked back at him questioningly.

"don't look at me like you've done nothing wrong, areum!" he yelled.

she flinched. jungkook rarely ever got upset at her.

"you," he jabbed a finger at her. "you are what's wrong."

"what do you mean?"

jungkook's voice rose even louder. "stop acting like you still love me because i know it's all a lie! stop making me love you! go back to your new boyfriend."

he grabbed his jacket from the sofa and wordlessly headed towards the door. jungkook was already halfway out of her house when he bitterly muttered, "after all, i'm just a friend, right?"

___

"so how's it going with jungkook?" taehyung teased.

areum giggled. "okay, i guess."

"i think he's totally in to you," taehyung wiggled his eyebrows.

"really?"

"he literally won't stop talking about you," taehyung shook his head. "so are you guys a thing yet?"

"nope," areum replied, popping the 'p'.

"pshh. stop lying," taehyung laughed. "i see the way he looks at you."

"he's just a friend," she rolled his eyes, but her heart raced inside. "for now."

"go get him, areum," taehyung winked.

"how do you know he likes me?" she asked.

"he looks at you with that gaze. that's the kind of look you give only to someone you love," taehyung replied wisely.

"what do you know about love?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"i know that i look at you the same way," taehyung mumbled softly.

"what did you say?" she asked.

"nothing," taehyung coughed.

"tell me, tae!" she whined, punching him lightly on the arm.

jungkook stood silently by the door, listening sadly, and pocketing a new secret.

___

taehyung stared at his phone, fingers frozen over the keyboard, hesitating. the bright blue letters that spelled "send" teased him, daring him to press down.

and then his thumb found the backspace arrow.

coward.

the word mocked taehyung, as it had many times before, reminding him that areum wasn't his any longer. it reminded taehyung that the moment he let her slip from his grasp, he would never be with her again. taehyung had lost his chance, so he had no right to tell areum the words that she had once wanted to hear from him.

now, all taehyung could do was watch silently from the sidelines, observing the relationship of his best friend and the girl he still loved, the regret of not telling her the truth tearing apart his heart.

to: areummie ♛

i love you |

i love y|

i lo|

i|

|

___

aww tae :'(