SCENERY / Taejin

8. It's Gonna Be You

"Taehyung-ah."

"Taehyung-ah."

"Taehyung?"

I woke up to Namjoon-hyung's voice. I was squatting on the floor with my head on the sofa.
Jin-hyung was sitting up, a little further from me; his hair messy and puffed up, and he was rubbing his eyes.

"Why were you guys sleeping on the sofa?" our leader asked confused.

I looked over at Jin-hyung without answering. Still half-asleep, he blinked furiously before he spoke at me in his nasal morning voice,
"Tae-Tae? When did you come back? I don't even remember falling asleep last night.
Uh..Namjoon-ah, why are you dressed up so early for?"

"Manager hyung-nim called. We have an urgent request for a sound track. They asked me to come along with you and Taehyung. So, get ready quickly."

"Me and Taehyung? But why us only?" Hyung's voice sounded a bit more awake now.

"I don't know too much of the details," Namjoon-hyung replied scratching his head and motioned me to get up as he turned to leave from the spot.

I pulled myself up. My legs felt numb as I staggered and sat down on the sofa.

"But Tae-Tae..why are you on the floor?" Hyung's face was turned at me.

I met his eyes again.
And...then his lips.
My face felt hot immediately and I looked away hurriedly.

"I guess I was too tired to make it to my room."

That sounded dumb.

"Why? Did you drink last night?"

Hyung came closer and sniffed at me.

"But I can't smell any alcohol on you. Besides, you hate drinking," his nose was almost touching my cheeks. 

He was too close.
A bit too close for my own good.

I stood up abruptly.

"I bought all the things you asked for! It's all in the fridge. You heard what Namjoon-hyung just said. I'm gonna go wash up!" and I bolted.
________

The car ride to our studio which was only minutes away felt like hours. I couldn't bring myself up to look in hyung's direction.

Kiss.
I kissed hyung.
When he was asleep.
Without his knowledge.
Without his consent.
I couldn't wrap my head around the information. My eyes were strained and I had a headache from crying last night.

I was mentally scolding and fighting myself when Jin-hyung nudged at me.

"Are you not gonna tell me about your date?," he went all puppy eyed at me.

"No," I ignored his pleading face.

This got him all frisky. He started flapping his arms and nudging me harder and shoving his face at me to surrender to his curiosity. 

Why am I even in love with this idiot?

"It was okay," I didn't want to talk about it.

"...and..?"

"She was nice."

"...and..?"

"She was fun to talk to."

"... aannd...?"

"She was funny too."

"..aAannDD..??"

"Will you stop it?? I just see her as a possible good friend, ok? I don't want to date her. I don't like her like that. I won't ever like her like that. Ever! Not in a billion years! Is that what you wanted to hear? Geez, you're asking about a date I didn't even want to go to. Why are you so clueless when it's y.."
the words just flew out from me quicker than rice escaping from a hole in a gully sack.

Namjoon-hyung riding shotgun in the car turned around wide-eyed at me. Hyung was the smartest person I knew. If anyone was to figure anything out, it would be him. I gulped nervously.

Jin-hyung, on the other hand just stared at me in silence. After a good 3 minutes had passed, he said calmly,
"What a terrible first date you are. If I was the poor girl, my spirit would jump out of my body and travel all through Seoul city to bitch-slap you right now. "

Namjoon-hyung and I chuckled. Our eldest hyung always said the darndest things at all the right times.
________

We reached our studio laughing. We were asked to record a song to be the title track for the drama I was acting in. They had also asked for Jin-hyung to be a part of the duet.

The two of us were resting in the lounge with the song sheets.
I read the lyrics and I couldn't help chuckling again.

"This damn love
Just because of you alone
I can’t stop even if I get hurt
Even if I die, it's you."

I looked over at my partner.
He was trying to hum according to the sheets.

"Even if I die, it's you, hyung."

"Huh?" He looked up at me startled.

"It's in the song," I replied smiling.

He smirked sheepishly and went back to his humming.

It's gonna be alot harder to look away than I thought, hyung.
This damn love.