Strings

10| Taehyung

Taehyung felt nervous for some reason, but it wasn't because of the day -- even though Jimin worried that it was. Asking Jungkook to go to the café with him left Tae shaking and breathless. He went inside and picked a table near the stage. Scanning the small establishment he saw that the girl was in her booth right across from him, absently sipping an ice cold lemonade whose glass was covered in condensation. He hadn't seen Jungkook yet, he shrugged internally.

"Hello." He called out.

The girl started, her soft ash blonde hair tumbled over her shoulder as she turned to meet his gaze. Pretty dark eyes regarded him with curiosity at the abrupt acknowledgement.

With a nod and a smile he greeted her a second time. "Hi there. I'm Kim Taehyung."

"Hello, I know your name." She replied in a small voice, but she smiled back.

"Are you by yourself today?" He wondered, in a completely innocent way of course.

"Um, yes."

"Would you like to sit here until my friend arrives?"

She nodded absently and joined him. Momentarily, her face was one of shock, as if unsure she'd just agreed. He grinned trying to put her at ease.

"I'm Yeri." She told him.

"Do you like the piano Yeri?"

"Oh, yes. I- I think it's beautiful!" She confided.

"Do you come here often?" Tae asked, already aware of the answer.

Her cheeks burned. "All the time, actually."

"I feel I'm interrogating you, Yeri, do you have questions for me?" He prompted.

"Um, do you play?"

"Not the piano, I play the violin." He explained.

"I think the violin's wonderful too." She assured him sincerely.

"Hello Taehyung. Sorry I'm late." Jungkook apologized, seeming to materialize out of the silence.

"Hi Jungkook, I don't mind." He grinned, turning to Yeri. "This is my friend Jungkook. Yeri, why don't you stay?"

She looked pale, staring at Jungkook who smiled awkwardly and pulled a chair over to the table. Yeri's mouth moved, but no sound came out.

"Hi." Jungkook said again.

"Uh, I don't w -want to i -interrupt." She managed.

"We're just talking about music. You're here all the time, you're an honorary member of the team." Tae reassured her.

Yeri flushed and ducked her head as Jungkook's head tilted to the side slightly. "You are?"

"W-what?" She stuttered.

"You're here all the time?" He prompted.

Yeri only nodded.

"Huh... So, Taehyung, the list?"

Taehyung uttered a quiet "Oh" and pulled the folded list from his pocket and pushed it across the table. Jungkook read down the list, muttering to himself under his breath.

"Oh!" Tae repeated. "Let's play a game! Yeri and I have to guess which songs you know!"

He needed something to focus on aside from the quiet that settled between their small talk. That quiet threatened to consume him and drag him down into remembering exactly why today was usually so awful. It would make his whole mood change.

"Okay," Jungkook agreed. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he slid the paper to Yeri. The girl shrugged, seeming to finally relax. She gingerly picked it up and scanned the list, her top lip caught between her teeth as she read.

"Pen?" She asked. "I'll put a check by the ones I think you know."

"Here." Jungkook fished one out of his backpack and pressed it into her outstretched fingers.

She looked up briefly, but Jungkook was focused on the list. Something about the gesture burned in Tae's chest, but he put it down to stress. He could feel his phone weighing heavily in his pocket, at undetermined intervals it would vibrate quietly. Tae just ignored it.

Yeri coughed and started going down the list, randomly leaving checks. Biting her lip, she passed the list to Tae. He examined her checks considering both the style of music Jungkook liked and the little he knew of the man's personality. He added a few circles of his own and put x's beside the checks he disagreed with. Nodding once, he handed it back to Jungkook.

"Huh, you really do come here often, Yeri." He observed, smiling shyly.

She shrugged in return, "I'm always in the corner booth."

He glanced at the booth once before reading down the list, scribbling over some of the marks.

"Yeri has the most correct..." He announced , "but I actually..." He stood, a thoughtful pout on his lips.

He settled himself at the piano and tinkered at the keys. Soon, the song Tae suspected him of knowing filled the restaurant. Grinning, Jungkook nodded at the microphone. Tae grinned back.

"I'll be right back Yeri, excuse me."

The pair performed the whole song, effortlessly blending the sound of his voice with the sound of Jungkook's focused playing. Tae's eyes took in Yeri, focusing solely on Jungkook and he felt another pang in his chest.

Today actually was really getting to him and, despite having initiated the entire meeting, Tae just wanted to leave. He wanted to walk for miles and miles until he was hopelessly, untraceably lost and his feet fell off from exhaustion. He wanted to sit in the blistering sunlight until heat was all he felt and all he could remember. He snapped out of his daze with a jolt and followed Jungkook back to their seats beside Yeri.

"That was really good you guys!" Yeri gushed. " I really didn't think you knew that one, though. "

Despite the cute pout, Yeri's eyes sparkled as they followed Jungkook's movements who was blushing slightly as he uttered a thank you.

Having nothing to add, Taehyung sat motionless, drowning in the thoughts behind his gentle smile. He didn't want to think about today. He really didn't. He wanted to forget. But his damn phone repeated its insistent vibrating for the umpteenth time. He slid the device from his pocket and shut it down. Tae put it away with an inaudible sigh. He would apologize to Jiminie later.

Due to a risen silence, Taehyung jumped on the opportunity to occupy his thoughts with a trivial topic and took it upon himself to guide the conversation.

"Yeri? Do you go to school for anything?"

"I take Contemporary Dance at Bangtan University of the Arts." She admitted.

Jungkook coughed, "R-really?"

"Yes," She assured him easily.

"What a coincidence," Tae voiced Jungkook's thoughts. "We both study Music Composition there."

"No way! I've never seen either of you around campus!" Yeri's eyes were wide with disbelief , and maybe something else.

"Well, I just moved here from Incheon. Jungkook is just reclusive. A hermit really."

"I am not!" Jungkook gasped defensively.

"Well what would you call it?"

"Socially inept." He clarified, but he was smiling.

I'm going to cut it off here because everything's abt to get terribly dramatical and angsty and I wanted to end on a light note. I have like 1,100 words this chapter as well so that's more than usual, I usually just stop around 1000.

Thank you guys for reading this! Vote and comment!!! I love hearing from you!!

Also my one shots book reached 1k and I wanna say thanks to anyone who reads that one two uwu! Also I wanna do a special chapter so suggestions and requests are very welcome! comment it or just pm me, I'd appreciate the help!❤❤❤❤