|| ENGRAVED RINGS || Kim Taehyung

Chapter 35

"What do you want?" Your lips tightened into a thin line.

"Why do you think I want something?" Jungkook replied. You already imagined the mischief in his confident face just by hearing the cheeky tone.

"I suppose you just didn't call me 7 a.m. on a Sunday just to say good morning."

"Pretty clever huh? Actually I wanted to invite you out for brunch."

"Right, taking hours to Busan to eat brunch with you is exactly how I'll spend my Sunday"

"I'm in Seoul." You frowned for a moment.

"What are you doing in Seoul with my mother's phone?"

"I'm gonna sell it and spend the money."

"Ya- YOU" your outburst fainted as fast as it flared with him cutting in.

"I'm on an errand for Eomma, she lends me her phone so I could call you if I get lost."

"Why don't you use your own?"

"I don't have one." A sensitive yet relatable matter, you remember how everyone in your class had smartphones while you still clutched to the brick of a phone that sometimes made you stand on the chair to hook some signal.

"Where are you?" You asked, grumpy as you always would towards him.

"Why are you asking?"

"So I could tell you the way, didn't you call me because you were lost?"

"Kind of," His tone shy, you heard light chuckle as if he was chuckling at getting caught by exposing himself without realising.

"So where are you?" Considering your mother's affection towards him you couldn't really turn an blind eye.

"I can see a convenience store,"

"Yeah, cause there is only one convenience store in Seoul," You said, sarcasm edging your friendly tone.

"I can see a food truck!"

"Do you even want me to help you or what -"

"A second" He said, cutting you off. Amidst the muffled noise of cars passing you heard him order a serving of deokbokki.

"I'm..Back..." He said unclearly, while munching the chewy thing.

"At least eomma doesn't have to worry about you dying of hunger" You sounded a little grumpy a little annoyed of having to wait for a person you didn't particularly felt excited to talk to.

"How would you pay?" You heard an unfamiliar voice say.

"Cash or card?"

There was a long pause.

"Aish, crappy start of the business." The voice said, followed by harsh curse words, which you simply let slip through your other ear. It seemed to be the owner being pissed of some customer not being able to pay. You just felt lucky you didn't have to witness that scene, the seller had a brusque voice, the tone started to turn violent.

You thought Jungkook could ask the seller the location of where he was, but hearing the angry tone you'd rather have him find another person to ask for direction. The brusque voice started to curse someone's three generations of ancestors, though it wasn't meant for you, you still felt offended hearing those improper words.

"Ya, get away from that vendor man, he sounds angry." You said concerned, you heard Jungkook choke.

"Yeah, she is pretty mad" Jungkook said, coughing between the words.

"You shouldn't support such a place, take your serving and eat it another place,"

"Can't," He said lazily making you slight annoyed on behalf of that poor guy being cursed at.

"Didn't you hear how he-..that woman despicably insulted a stranger, just because he couldn't pay? You are no different from that despicable woman when you support her business!"

"Cause she is mad at me" He said making your halt mouth wide open.

"I'm that customer that couldn't pay,"

"You-you are what?"

"I think I lost my wallet" Jungkooksaid calmly.

You sighed deep, blowing you bang with eyes shut.

"You are coming to pay right?" He said as if already expecting you to be willing to.

"Where in the world are you?" You said controlled.

Jungkook managed to ask the woman of the location without getting cursed at. Within a few minutes you washed up and got yourself dressed and headed out to pay his debt.

On your way out you found Taehyung laying flat on the sofa, he seemed to have fallen asleep. Before heading out you went back to cover him with a blanket just in case.

His arm hang from the sofa, so you placed it back on then tugged him with the blanket. Turning in the direction of the door you were ready to get out as a hand suddenly grabbed yours, making you pull your arm back in reflex. You instinctly turned back seeing Taehyung staring at you with half open eyes.

"You weren't sleeping?"

"Where are you going?" His voice hoarse.

"I.. Am meeting a friend" You said.

"Jimin?" He stated more than questioned.

"Why Jimin?" You said back.

"Because you are not seeing Hani,"

"What if I am?" You stubbornly replied.

"She has plans with me." Taehyung stated, caught you red handed. Forcing an animated smile you said "I have other friends beside Jimin and Hani,"

"Like who?" Curiosity raised his brow as a cheeky smirk played on his lips. It was annoying how confident he was, he sounded as if he knew everything about you, not that he wasn't right on this matter.

"Just someone," You said deflating.

Turning at the main door you issued your steps. Taehyung grinned to himself as he headed the other direction towards the kitchen. The smile still played on his lips as if he didn't believe your words. He heard from Hani that you didn't have other close friends, hence believed that you just told a lie to go out. He took the bottle of water out of the fridge and swallowed its contents in one go. He managed empty the whole bottle before a pair of arms wrapped around his waist and secured her arms as chains.

Looking over his shoulder Hani welcomed him with smiling eyes.

"Morning," He greeted her with a sheepish smile.

"Missed me?" Hani chirped, twirling around him so she was facing him up front, still with her arms wrapped around his torso.

"Not any more," He said returning her with a hug.

"What are the plans for today?" Taehyung pulled back and met her eyes with anticipation.

"Well, it's near Minji's birthday, so I need to pick him a present." Hani chanted.

"Shopping?" Hani answered with excited nods.

"I'm not going."

"Come on Tae..."

"It takes forever whenenver you are shopping,"

"I promise it won't this time."

For the nth' time Taehyung fell for an obvious lie.