Staegma ✧ taejin

11

[ READY TO MOVE TO LEVEL 2? ]

YES NO

"What? I didn't know this has levels. I thought I was only having a boyfriend."

Yoongi, who heard him, said, "You're taking it too seriously."

"You take your music seriously."

Seokjin heard Yoongi sigh.

It had been a few hours since Taehyung 'slept,' so Seokjin had decided to run a few errands while so. But it got boring after the job was finished so he decided to get back in the game.

He was planning to surprise a sleeping Taehyung, but instead, that question had been displayed on screen.

He clicked YES.

"So. . . I'm assuming you don't have plans of making dinner. Am I correct?"

"You're right, I don't. Don't burn the kitchen, Yoongi."

GAME LOADING

-

How pitiful!

"Watch your words, you arrogant rat!"

Seokjin had released the (very, very hardheaded) rigid arrow from the stupid bow, but it missed the target.

Again, for the seventh time that fourth round.

You can do better than that.

"What do I gain from this?" He asked, trying to pick up another arrow. But his virtual hand separated from him and fell on the floor.

"Fuck. My hand."

No swearing. Taehyung pouted.

"You don't look cute."

Taehyung straightened up and licked his lips. Sorry.

"Oh, don't be."

Really?

"Yeah." Seokjin dropped the virtual arrow. "Shit."

No swearing, Jin.

"I do it to express my frustration, Totoro."

I thought we were okay?

"What?" Seokjin gasped. "We are okay. What are you talking about?" He raised the bow and arrow, and released the arrow after a couple of seconds.

Miss.

Am I being too greedy by asking you to stop swearing?

"Yeah."

What's your logic?

"Dumbass logic. You?"

Common sense. Taehyung looked serious.

"If you have common sense, why are you wearing business attire in archery?" Then he whispered, "why did Jimin have to include this logic here."

It's just a simple game for us to have fun.

"I'm certainly not having fun." Seokjin grabbed the virtual arrow, but he kept on missing it. He tsked. "You?"

As long as you are having fun.

"We don't have a choice in this anyway."

Taehyung tilted his head. What do you mean? You're talking nonsense, Jin.

But Seokjin doesn't care. Taehyung's only a virtual character anyway. He tried to pick up another arrow but his virtual hand fell on the floor.

"Shit. My fucking hand."

Jin, don't swear.

"Your hand did not fucking fall down the fucking floor, so don't you tell me what to bloody say. My hand FELL, Taehyung," Seokjin complained dramatically.

I'm sorry, but I don't see your hand falling. And please stop swearing.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Seokjin tried to hit Taehyung with the arrow he finally picked up. "Fuck."

Hey!

So apparantly, the condition to move to the second level was to beat Taehyung in a game of archery. The latter was dressed in his button-up and slacks, nothing close to an archer's outfit.

Jin! It hurts.

"Why are you still alive?" Seokjin muttered. "Right. You're virtual."

Taehyung had no wounds or evident signs of blood staining his clothes, just a plain old "pained" face. Seokjin could care less. He had seen this drawing before.

Jin, are you offended?

This was a familiar expression.

I'm hurt. Please don't do that again.

Seokjin scoffed mockingly to provoke him.

Please. I'm physically hurt.

"Not mortally wounded?" Seokjin asked. "Are you even a mortal? I guess it depends if the game continues or not."

Taehyung seemed shocked at Seokjin's words.

"This is a new emotion. Can see that clearly."

Seokjin raised the bow and arrow in front of him, preparing, despite having no idea whatsoever about archery. He released the arrow and it missed.

He expected Taehyung to comment again, but he didn't.

For the following rounds, Taehyung had been quiet as he did his turn. Unsurprisingly for Seokjin, the virtual character had hit close to target (the target, once) every single time.

"That's just an insult to my lack of talent."

Taehyung remained focused on what he was doing, and his arrow hit the edge of the main target.

"Alright, then. Guess we'll be doing this for eternity."

He still didn't say anything.

"I won't win, anyway — what's the point?" Seokjin said, talking more to himself than to anybody at this point.

When Taehyung was done almost winning, he silently gave Seokjin the bow and arrow with a neutral expression on his face. Seokjin could tell Taehyung was somehow upset, and he was amazed once again on how realistic Taehyung is.

Anyway, Seokjin failed again. The arrow fell on the floor before it even reached the target.

But Taehyung still didn't say anything.

"Oh well."

Finally fed up, Seokjin walked straight to the target and pressed the tip of the arrow on the main target several times.

He stabbed the target but he couldn't care less. It's just a target, a small speck in the universe. Taehyung's other boyfriends — no, players — could make use of different targets.

Right?

Then the screen faded to black, and Taehyung was the last thing Seokjin saw before the two words in a ridiculously colossal font blinded Seokjin through his VR glasses.

[ JIN PASSED. ]

"Passed? You mean I didn't win?"

[ ARE YOU READY FOR LEVEL 2? ]