Bulletproof girl scouts

Sorry, not sorry

Nara's POV

"...and anyways, it couldn't possibly beat a stork when it comes to stamina"

"A stork? What's that got to do with a stork?"

"Honestly, have you seen its legs? If it can stand gracefully on one feeble twig while holding a basket with a ten pound baby in its beak then it can just as easily pick up a pterodactyl and hurl it over to the Himalayas"

I laughed, "you actually believe that storks deliver babies?"

"I lost that innocence when learning about the life cycle in highschool, but", he rolled his head to the side to look up at me, "don't you believe in santa?"

I pursed my lips to hold back a smile. Taehyung can be such a child sometimes. Puppy eyes full of expectation that made it harder for me to give my honest reply.
"Uhm...", god help me, what do I say?

He must have sensed my reluctance for his eyes widened in astonishment. "You don't?"
He let out a breath like he didn't believe what he was hearing then turned his head away to stare at the ceiling with a blank expression. Why do I feel like I just broke his heart?

"It's not like that, Taehyung-ah..."

He hummed in response, closing his eyes. Now I just feel bad. Is it such a crime to not believe in Santa Claus?

I shifted, trying to cross my legs but hissed when a shock of pain shot up my spine. I bit my lip, slowing down my actions. Taehyung was watching me.
"You really should lie down", he said for the third time today.

The staff had arranged a mattress for the two of us to rest while the others learned the new choreo. Because he slipped and fell the day before and my injury only seemed to worsen with time. It wasn't this bad yesterday and I was advised by the company's physiotherapist to lay in bed all day long. Laying in bed for twelve hours straight with nothing to do and no one else at home would be pure torture and bless my guardian angel for the international radio interview that requested me this morning. Debby was totally against it but I pursuaded her to let me come by using my 'mochi' charms. The interview was arranged for in my own studio and was over by eleven am but I stayed back with the excuse of how I wasn't feeling well enough for a ride back to the dorm.
I smiled at Tae, shaking my head again. The problem with lying down was that there was one mattress and his oh-so-tall and happy-go-lucky self was sprawled out on most of the surface area. I could always tell him to move, or to get off but held back because the child-like innocence of not knowing the meaning of personal space was adorable.
I'd rather he grin goofily than give me space and then feel bad of the awkwardness it would create between us.

A phone vibrates on the table next to me and I point it out to J-hope when he looks our way. He nods, instantly coming over (because he learnt the choreo in less than ten minutes two hours ago). Turns out it was actually his cell and he smiled when looking at the caller ID.
"Dae Jieun-ah..."

My attention perks at the name and I look at Hobi who's taking off his shoes while holding the phone pressed between his ear and shoulder.

"Me? I'm at practice......bwo? Nara?", he looks at me and I panic, mouthing the word 'no' over and over again, "actually she's.....", I cross my arms to form an 'x', sending him a pleading look, "...busy, I think. Wae? I see......yeah, she tends to do that. You should try calling in the evening", he stares at me while talking, sliding to sit on the table. "...IPhone or not, it's probably lying dead in some forgotten part of the building"

I pout, looking elsewhere until he finishes the call. He swings his feet and I notice something.

"Now, what was that about?"