1994.

19. ROMEO'S FAULTS

ROMEO'S
FAULTS

                             THE CAR RIDE was almost unbearably awkward. it was the morning after and the two felt awful. taehyung clenched the steering wheel in his tight fists, knuckles ivory and ringed with red; raesun sat with her knees to her chest, staring out the window instead of looking at the melanin boy beside her.

she shouldn't have kissed him, and she regretted it more than ever — all she could see was flashbacks of the race, seeing jeongguk's tears, and times before that where he'd look so beautiful under the sun's kiss. and what did she do? forgot him and kissed someone he hated.

"i don't regret what happened," taehyung said to fill the stuffy silence, "it was a mistake, but a mistake that we can learn from—"

"oh stop being so fucking optimistic for one second, and realise that what we did was more than just a mistake," she snapped. they met eyes in that moment, only for a short moment, before his stare returned to the quiet road.

he sighed, "what do you mean?"

"it was probably one of the most stupid decisions of my life, that's what i mean," she mumbled, toying with her jacket sleeves, "i... i was drunk. i was... well, i don't even know how to word how i felt, how i still feel."

taehyung snarled, "i see how it is. you kiss me—"

"hold the fuck on, you kissed me!" she screeched, glaring at him with a look that could scorch the heavens itself, "i didn't initiate anything!"

"jesus christ raesun, we both fucked up alright?" he shouted but never took his eyes of the city street, knowing his frustration shouldn't be taken out on the road, "we kissed, get the fuck over it."

"get the fuck over it?!" she shook her head whilst laughing; it was either laugh or sob her heart out, "i... i cheated on him! i... i..."

"oh please, he thinks your dead. he's most likely forgot your twisted relationship and fucked loads of girls in this past year," he knew it was cold and brutal for him to say it, that it'd tear her sour heart in two, but he was only saying his true thoughts.

raesun gasped, "he would never—"

"face the facts, your romeo's got more faults than you wish to accept," taehyung spat, "it's been almost a year since you've seen each other. don't you think it's almost pathetic how you still think he's going to be madly infatuated with you?"

she stared at him.

then turned to the road.

and stared some more.

maybe this was all for nothing. what would she do if she came all that way for absolutely nothing? if he had moved on to some other girl stupid enough to blindly follow him down his dark road?

this was heartbreak. and fuck did it hurt.

"when we get to hoseok," her voice was breaking but she kept it strong, trying not to show her weakness, "you can do your stupid favour for him, and i will find my friends. we won't have to see each other again because if we do, i might have to kill you myself."

taehyung's lip twitched but he probably knew better than to argue further, "that's fine with me."

"good," she nodded, "now fucking step on it."

— 雨 —