Wick | 민윤기

Forty-two

14 December 2009

It wasn't like Victoria had feelings for Taehyung, but his presence calmed her. He was just so laid-back and friendly. When she was with him, the bad things didn't seem so bad anymore. She could forget about her family troubles, her complicated feelings for Hoseok, and the drama surrounding Seokjin. It all melted away in the early-winter sun that burned down on them as they walked across the street with haste.

Taehyung had insisted on showing her around his part of town. It was mostly industrial, but he took her to the small town that surrounded City Hall. The sun was warm, but the wind was chilling. It was a nice give-and-take but Victoria felt herself becoming overwhelmingly heated in her school jacket. It probably had less to do with the weather and more to do with the kind boy at her side who eagerly held the door to a cafe open for her.

"Thanks, Tae," she mumbled with a small smile and ducked inside. The atmosphere of the small coffee shop was somewhat homey despite the dirty streets outside littered with trash and desperate people looking for a quick buck. The walls were wood, cedar by the scent of the place, and had many pictures of groups of customers and the owner's family hung up. Fairy lights were strung where the top of the wall met the ceiling, adding to the charm.

Victoria was busy taking in the scene, but Taehyung was already greeting the owners with smiles and hugs. She watched in wonder. It was crazy how quickly he made friends. When she thought about it, he did have such a kind and friendly disposition that she couldn't imagine anyone disliking him. It was a stark contrast from the hostile boy she had met on the steps of his trailer home.

Taehyung turned and waved her over, placing one arm around her shoulders as he presented her to the old couple who owned the shop. "This is Victoria. She goes to KIS."

The wife reached out to squeeze Victoria's hand. "Oh my, what a lovely young lady. Is she your girlfriend, Taehyung?"

Her husband nudged her with a small laugh. "She can be number fifty-seven."

The two burst out in laughter at the comment, but Victoria felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She certainly didn't see Taehyung as the player type. Of course. Men. Beside her, Taehyung only gave a small but awkward laugh before excusing them and leading her to a table. By now, Victoria had pulled away from his touch, a bit disappointed.

"They, um," he began, sensing her withdrawn nature following the conversation. "They don't really know what they're talking about."

Victoria toyed with a few sugar packets from the container on their table, keeping her eyes trained on the paper. "What do you mean?"

"I guess it's true that I've had a lot of girlfriends." Taehyung sat back in his chair after the confession, eyeing her with uncertainty. "But they weren't serious—I've never even had my first kiss, noona, I swear!"

She tilted her head, finally meeting his worried gaze. "Then why did you have so many if you didn't even like them enough to kiss them?"

"Well." He paused to sigh. "I can't say no, I guess? They would confess to me and I would just go with it. And then another girl would do the same and I couldn't say no so the other girl would get mad at me and break up with me..."

A smile tugged at Victoria's lips and she had to cover her mouth as she laughed. Taehyung's expression fell further as he watched her. "Is it really that pathetic..?"

"No!" The exclamation came out louder than she intended, but Victoria didn't care. She just didn't want him to think she thought that. "It's not pathetic—that's not why I'm laughing." She reached across the table to hold both of his hands. "You're just adorable, that's all."