Paper Hearts

10

Taehyung sat in the cafeteria, munching on a chocolate wafer and waiting for his friend, who seemed to have forgotten all about the whole meeting. Taehyung had been waiting for quite some time, and just when he thought he should be home, studying or completing his homework, Baekhyun yelled his name, jogging towards him.

When the boy reached him, he was panting and his hair stuck to his face, dripping with sweat. "I'm so sorry, I got caught up."

Taehyung just looked at him. "Let's go to my place? I can shower and you can study till I wash up."

"Sounds-" Taehyung was cut off.

"Sounds like total bullshit." Jungkook stood leaning on one of the pillars nearby, examining his veiny arms. He put his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and walked up to the older boys. "Why would he go to your place?"

"Why is that any of your business?" Taehyung retorted.

"It just is." Jungkook walked in front of Taehyung, facing Baekhyun. "Leave him alone," he said to him.

Taehyung walked beside Baekhyun and looked at Jungkook incredulously. "No. You leave me alone. What is your problem?" His voice was unusually high pitched and he felt quite unsettled when he realised what effect Jungkook had on him. Somehow, he managed to bring out the worst in Taehyung, with the limited number of interactions they had. What do you think would happen if you actually hung out with him? He thought. You'd end up stabbing yourself repeatedly, that's what.

"What do you mean?" Jungkook said nonchalantly.

Baekhyun's phone rang, interrupting the conversation. He excused himself and walked away from the two, talking in a hushed tone. Jungkook looked at him with distaste and then back at Taehyung. "Why do you even hang out with him?"

"Jungkook," Taehyung said. "Leave me alone."

"Whatever," Jungkook said and grabbed Taehyung's wrist. He pulled the older outside the building, ignoring his protests. "Get in," he said, pointing at the car. "I have something to show you."

"Are you crazy?" Taehyung yelled. "Quit pushing me around!"

"Oh, shut up." Jungkook pushed the older into the car gently and shut the door. "I promise you'll like it."

The drive was quick. Taehyung tried his best not to do anything stupid. You don't want to go to jail for first degree murder, Kim Taehyung, he thought.

Jungkook, on the other hand, was giddy with excitement. As he pulled over in his driveway, Taehyung looked at him with a scowl. "Why are we here?"

Jungkook ignored him, pulling him by his wrist and leading him into the house. "Stay here," Jungkook told the older and walked to a chest of drawers in the hallway which led to the dining room. He fished out a key and motioned the older to follow him.

The brown haired boy followed him up the stairs and stopped behind him in front of a wall. He observed the younger skeptically as the boy ran his palm over the wall. "You feeling it up or something?" Taehyung mocked, surprised by his own speech. Jeon Jungkook really does bring out the worst in me.

Jungkook ignored the older again, running his palm over the wall till he felt a vertical crease along it. He gave it a gentle push, and the wall moved in. A part of the wall had been made into the rotating door and nobody would realise it was there until they were told so.

Behind the wall was a door, which Jungkook unlocked with the key he had picked out earlier. "Okay," the younger said, taking a deep breath and looking at Taehyung with a grin. "I hope you'll like it."