First of November

[5] paris in the rain

Unfocused.

        His vision was unfocused and a little blurry—which, by the way, wasn't a good thing while chopping onions—but he could still see whatever was in front of him. He had an internal battle with himself for a moment before putting the knife down and massaging his temples. Taehyung could feel the sudden appearance of turmoil in his head, and he wished Jeongguk or Jimin was here with him. Maybe Nayeon too, but he knew that wouldn't help him.

        He huffed.

        "You're tense," someone murmured in between his shoulder blades and immediately, the turmoil intensified.

        "Want me to take care of it for you?" And just as she asked this, he felt cold, rousing fingers latch on to his waist, moving down slowly to his hips.

        Taehyung bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes tightly.

        Wrong. So wrong.

        "Stop it."

        She didn't take her hands off of him though. He felt her bury her face on his back, and he swore a smile formed.

        "You're still tense. Why don't you cancel your plans with her?"

        "I can't. She's my girlfriend." And bitterly he adds, "Not you."

        She chuckled. "Then what am I to you?"

        Taehyung felt his heartbeat accelerate just as her grip on him tightened.

        Get away from me.

        "You still aren't over me, Taehyung. We both know that."

        "I will be. I'm almost there."

        And when he thought about it . . . he felt his heart ache like a dishcloth being twisted, or a dough being kneaded.

        "Now leave."

☂ ☂ ☂ ☂

It was a Saturday night when Nayeon arrived at Taehyung's apartment earlier than expected. She only brought necessary things for a sleepover and a ziplock of biscuits that a friend of hers baked a few hours earlier.

        "I hope it's still good," Nayeon murmured before she disappeared into his room.

        "Still is," Taehyung reassured after taking a bite from a cookie. He continued to mash some potatoes in a sauce pan. Since he was in charge of their dinner tonight, he had chosen to cook some foreign recipes that Seokjin recommended.

        Nayeon took her time searching for the indoor clothes she left the last time she went here and fluffed her hair slightly. Before she left the room to assist Taehyung, she paused to look at a few pictures in the room—ones he took in the past when he was still in college and ones when he had just graduated. He used to major in photography actually, and the coolest one she ever met too, so she wasn't at all surprised of how all the photos never looked lifeless or empty. Knowing him, every picture had unspoken stories.

        She exited the room and went back to the kitchen where Taehyung was. He felt a hand land on his lower back, his girlfriend taking a look at his work.

        "What's our food for today?"

        "Kimchi fried rice, baked chicken and mashed potatoes."

        "Wow. What a different take. . . . That sounds delicious actually."

        "Thank Jin-hyung for this though."