Cruel Summer

02.

"Yoongi hyung!"

The black-haired lad immediately recognized the person calling his name. His face turned to look behind him, as his eyes wandered around looking for them. He was soon greeted by his brunette friend with a smile. Yoongi had stopped in his tracks, a small grin plastered on his face, followed by a small gesture of his hands waving at him.

"Hey, Taehyung."

"I saw you by the curb, so I decided to say hi."

Yoongi chuckled.

"What brings you here, if you don't mind me asking?"

Taehyung was startled by the question. He hadn't expected Yoongi to ask, especially since he hadn't told anyone about his efforts to fix his relationship with Yerin. Not to mention the fact that he had decided to get a part-time job this summer to save up money for the gifts he had been giving Yerin. He thought that it was better to just keep it to himself. It was to prevent further chaos—having to deal with Yerin's friends again was the last thing he'd want. He knew how much they hated him.

Especially Kim Namjoon.

Calling Namjoon a threat was an understatement. He was way more than that. You just can't tell because of his appearance and the way he acts in class. He appeared to be what you called the standard; the perfect student, perhaps. The type of student in your class that you'd approach if you needed help with the homework, but in order to build a friendship with him, it seemed as if you had to be as smart as he was.

His sudden friendship with Yerin was a mystery, but to everyone else it was just nothing, except for Taehyung. He was certain that Namjoon was probably just using her to get close to him.

And it's all because of Kim Taehyung's older brother, Kim Seokjin, the biggest heartbreaker, who just graduated a year ago. To his knowledge, Seokjin and Namjoon used to be good friends, but all changed when Namjoon caught feelings and confessed. Everything else is unknown, but Namjoon is still clearly upset and won't stop until he can speak with Seokjin again.

Taehyung knew what he had to do in order to avoid causing more issues in the already ruined relationship.

"Oh, I just came by a friend's house." He lied.

Yoongi nodded, not questioning him further, although he was curious to know why Taehyung was all dressed up more nicely than he usually was.

Both of them started walking without a certain destination in mind. Yoongi originally planned on heading back to the studio, but a short break with a friend wouldn't suffice. 

"Have you had lunch already?" asked Yoongi.

"No,"

"What do you want to eat? My treat."

"That wouldn't be necessary! I can pay for my own food and I'm not even that hungry yet."

"I insist."

Taehyung glanced at Yoongi, wanting to protest, but he looked serious about his offer. His stomach grumbled all of a sudden, making Yoongi laugh. 

"See?" Yoongi gave him a cheeky smile.

He gave up, a little embarrassed, and sighed, and pointed to the barbeque grill restaurant nearby. With a nod from his friend, they went on ahead.

The aroma of cooking meat instantly occupied their nose buds, licking their lips with hunger. A worker soon led them to a free table and turned on the grill that was placed in the center. With the both of them seated, the worker handed out their menu.

"Hello, I'm Shin, and I will be your waiter for today. May I ask what you'd like to drink?"

"I'd like a coke, please,"

"Just water for me."

Shin nodded with a smile while writing it down. "Are we ready to order or would you like me to come back as I go get your drink first?"

"We need a little bit more time to go through your menu." Yoongi said, and Shin told them to take their time and left to grab their beverages.

He then looked at Taehyung, "Go on, just order whatever you want." 

"Actually, hyung-"

"You didn't go to a friend's house, did you?" Yoongi smirked, his eyes still on the menu.

"That's not what I was about to say, but wow, you saw through me like that?"

"Well, I know more about you than you think." He winked, laughing at Taehyung's surprised face.

"What were you going to tell me before I interupted you?"

"The thing is that I've been trying to... you know, get Yerin to forgive me." said Taehyung, avoiding eye contact.

"Then?"

Yoongi waited for a response, but nothing came. Confused, he tried asking again, but as he turned his gaze to Taehyung, he was crying.

"Taehyung? Why are you crying all of a sudden?"

"It's just that... I feel like all I'm doing just for her is just meaningless. I don't think she appreciates it, or maybe it's because I just fucked up real bad this time." He sobbed.

"But you know what, hyung?"

"What?"

"I'm willing to lose myself if that's what it takes for her to forgive me."