i love you too [sequel] ➝ taejoy/vjoy

二十一

veinteuno
+

what, did i perhaps puke on her?! taehyung was panicking. work was already done and most of his coworkers have gone home. he had been wracking his brain for any memories from the last friday for straight five hours. ever since lunch, when jennie revealed to him that he might have done something that night, he has been constantly distracted and unable to get his work done properly.

shaking the thought away, he grabbed his belongings and left his desk, heading to the elevator. he got off in the basement parking where his car was, as usual, parked. he was driving home when he spotted a familiar figure walking on the side of the road. after a few moments of contemplating, taehyung parked his car to the side and opened the window on the passenger seat. he peered out and watched as park sooyoung passed by.

"joy!" he called out.

hearing her name, joy looked towards the source and paused as her eyes landed on him. she could only stare at him with wide eyes, unsure what to say.

"are you going home?" taehyung asked warily.

joy slightly nodded in response.

"are you taking the train?"

"yes, why?"

"i'll drive you home."

joy raised her eyebrows. "ah no, it's okay. i don't want to impose."

"no, i insist." taehyung replied. "besides, we live right next door. i'm going the same way as you are so it's really nothing."

joy took a couple of seconds to think before finally nodding. taehyung smiled and unlock his car doors for joy to get in. once taehyung made sure joy was settled, he joined in with the traffic to head back to their apartment complex. feeling the silence become heavy, taehyung fumbled for the radio and turned it on at a low volume. 

"y'know, it's a wonder how many coincidences have been happening since you came back." taehyung began. "first, we end up living right next door. now, even our workplace is beside each other."

"hm." joy simply hummed. taehyung gulped, feeling the awkwardness creep in.

"by the way, don't you have a car?" he queried. "why are you taking the train?"

joy glanced at him for a second before facing forward again and said, "eunwoo borrowed it."

taehyung raised an eyebrow. "i see."

"it's because his car is in the shop," she continued. "and he really needed a car today so i let him borrow mine."

he slightly nodded his head, his lips formed in a straight line.

"since when..." taehyung started hesitantly. "since when were you two together?"

this time, when joy looked at him, she did not look away. her eyes searched his face and began to admire his side profile. his eyelashes were still long, like she remembered. and his hazel eyes glistened from the sun. the tiny mole on the tip of his nose was still charming. and his lips─

heat rushed to her cheeks and now she really couldn't help but look away. she took a deep breath to calm down before saying,

"we're not dating."

taehyung's breath stopped for a moment, "you're not?"

joy nodded, "eunwoo lied. he was joking. we're just friends."

"b-but why...?"

"i don't know." joy replied. "who knows what's going on in his head."

"so you're not dating anyone?" he asked.

"no."

just because of that two letters in that single word, taehyung couldn't help smiling for the rest of the ride ─ and perhaps, even in his sleep.