It's you

Trust

"Handsome hyung-nim? Is that you?”

Taehyung bites his bottom lip, waiting for a response from the other side. Taehyung was amused when Jin answered him with a tease of missing him. But now that Taehyung referred him with that nickname which is followed by the silence, regrets start filling in.

Taehyung is just following his guts that he was calling the right person.

Alone in his office, Taehyung holds the receiver onto his right ear while his other hand grips the edge of the table.

This silence is too much for him. Is he wrong?

“Who is this?”

The other side finally responds. Taehyung somewhat trembles, readjusting his position in his seat. He realises he is acting too friendly to a man he met a month ago. He remembers Jin but he is not sure if Jin remembers him.

“It's me, Kim Taehyung.”

Another pause of silence breaks in.
It is slowly killing Taehyung's confidence.

“I-I'm the director of Amour cafe,” Taehyung finds the need to chuckle, hoping to relieve the tensed situation. “I thought- I mean, I'm just calling you to check-“

“Hold on,” Jin cuts in with a stern voice. “How did you get my number? It must be the manager, isn't it? From Sunho-nim, jinja?”

Baffled, Taehyung rubs the back of his neck, not understanding where the conversation is going.

“Is there something wrong?” the younger one wonders.

“Yah! What you are trying to do is wrong!”

Taehyung has his eye twitched for being yelled at. “I beg your pardon?”

“Yah! Stop acting like him! I know what you're trying to do!”

“I don't think I get what you're trying to say-"

“You're not Kim Taehyung!”

“W-what?”

“You might sound like him but he won't have stuttered! Yah, Taehyung-nim is too cool for you! Hajima!”

Taehyung stretches his eyes wide open. His face inevitably turns red and soon his lips curl up, breaking into a smile.

Aigoo... It is him. Taehyung is grinning from ear to ear. I have never met a hyung as feisty and shameless as him. Not forgetting to mention, he is yelling the same way he did to Kookie last time.

“Listen whoever you are! You're nothing like Taehyung-nim! And it is a grave offence for you to imitate him! I'll report you to the police! Yah! I'll punch you if I see you!”

Taehyung holds his smile, even though his cheek muscles hurt. He is amazed that Jin is protecting him against what he thinks is a prankster.

“Araso,” Taehyung answers him as he leans back on his chair. “You think I'm faking this.”

“Aigoo! Were you even listening to me?!”

“I can prove to you that I'm the real one.”

“Go ahead and try, Pabo!”

“Jinja?” Taehyung smirks when suddenly the line ends. “Yeoboseyo? Yah, he cut the line!”

Taehyung dials the number again and hisses listening to the beeping sounds.

“Aigoo, he blocked me!”

He puts down the receiver of his office phone, ruffling back his hair. His eyes flick to the screen where Jin's photo is maximised.

“There is no doubt,” Taehyung chuckles. “You are Doll-ssi. But you couldn't recognise me after a month gone. This is not something I can just ignore.”

Staring at the computer screen, Taehyung rubs his fingertip against Jin's cheek up to his beautiful eyes.

“Kim Seokjin.”

Taehyung smiles softly.

“Whether you're my hyung or not, I'm still coming after you.”

.....

Hoseok is stood speechless as he watches Jin shouting loudly at his phone.

“Go ahead and try, Pabo!” Jin yells and pulls his phone away from his ear.
When he starts punching his thumbs against the screen, Hoseok finds his own voice and slowly approaches his hyung.

“Who was it, Jin hyung?”

Jin flicks up his flustered face. “How the hell do I know?!”

“But you said Kim Taehyung's name.”

“It is some guy who pranked call me! Aigoo! He got some nerve! This is definitely Manager-nim's idea to make me quit!” Jin expresses his anger with his high pitched voice and slides his phone back at the pocket of his trousers. “I just blocked him!”

Hoseok nervously smiles. “But what if it is really him?”

Jin gives Hoseok the deadpanned face. “Why would he call me out of the blue?! He does not even know my name! And he suddenly got my number! That is unbelievable!”

“For the record, as the director of the cafe, he has access to all staff's personal details,” the dongsaeng comments. “He can have your number with your photo attached to it. You submitted your job application, right?”

“Yah hajima,” Jin slams the door of his locker and walks away.

Hoseok bats his eyes, feeling misplaced. He was trying to convince Jin of the possibility but it seems Jin refuses to believe it. Perhaps the call was unexpected and it caught Jin unguarded. Jin would have believed it if there was no animosity between him and the manager. Hoseok cannot actually deny that it can be a prank from the manager to offend Jin.

Stood behind the dishwasher, the college student watches the water flow from the tap and fills the plugged sink to create a pool of soaped solution. He slowly slips in the yellow gloves while his mind wanders about the phone call earlier.

The feeling of being betrayed makes his eyes sting.

His heart almost fell into believing it was Kim Taehyung. He was about to burst in tears knowing he heard Kim Taehyung's voice in his ears again. But that stutter gave way into doubt. Although the voice is similar, the way he speaks caused Jin to suspect this could just be a joke.

Playing with his feelings like that, Jin grits his teeth.

How embarrassing if he had accepted it was Taehyung and believed wholeheartedly.

The fact he was being led on by some stranger pretending to be Taehyung, Jin is totally pissed.

His ability to trust people now is wavering again.

Can he really see truth in people?

Even when Hoseok offered possibilities, Jin rejected without a second thought.

“Damn it,” Jin grits his teeth. “I haven't changed at all.”

Trusting or relying in people is impossible for him.

“Yah, Pink-ssi!” the manager bellows, coming in to turn off the tap. “Don't waste water, Pabo! Do you think water comes for free?!”

Jin does not look up and it pisses Sunho even more. “Yah, I'm talking to you!”

“I won't give up.”

Sunho raises a brow at the sudden confession from Jin. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Until I met Taehyung-nim, I won't give up!” Jin yells at Sunho who takes a step back. “Do whatever what you want! I won't fall for it! I have never trusted anyone so you might as well give up making me quit!”

Sunho smirks and leans towards Jin. “I don't know what you're talking about but your attitude is really asking me to punch you. Lucky you, I don't want to dirty my hands today.”

“I rather you hit me than you playing dirty behind my back!” Jin snaps.

“Araso. You better watch out on your way home, Pink-ssi.”

Jin widens his eyes as Sunho moves away and chuckles darkly.

“I always get what I want.”

The manager disappears to his office as Jin grips the edge of the sink tightly, holding back his anger. What he does not realise is Hoseok overheard everything. The younger lad halts sweeping the floor and stares into the small window where Jin hangs his head low. Hoseok pities him so badly that he sends a text to Jimin about it.

A beep rings and Hoseok receives a reply.

He smiles seeing the message.

‘How can anyone not trust you, Hope Hyung?! Have faith!’

Hoseok blows a breath. “Jinja, Chimchim can be too kind with his words.”