"shit.." i mutter.
this was going so well. of course someone has to ruin it, don't they?
instead of being visibly disgusted, taehyung takes my wrist and starts pulling me towards the door.
"let's go talk. not here though." he says and i nod in response, nervous to what was going to unfold.
we reach the special place quicker than i wanted and i still hadn't prepared a valid excuse in my head. instead, i prepare to lose the second friendship in the last week.
"so.." he says, looking at me expectantly.
i cut him off quickly.
"first things first; i had nothing to do with what happened to misoo. i don't know what else you've heard or why misoo told those girls and probably everyone else that, but i swear to god i had no idea what happened."
i sigh before continuing. it's inevitable he'd find out one day, right?
"i'm just going to be honest with you. you would probably figure it out one day so i don't want to lie and ruin it, but i really hope this doesn't change your view on me because i've enjoyed being with you recently so much. but one part of what the girls said is true, and that is that my parents and family are involved in crimes and own a gang or illegal organisation, as they like to call it. i would also like to clarify that i have no part in it whatsoever. i despise what they do immensely and have expressed this to them many times. the only thing i have remotely in common to them is this tattoo."
i lift my sleeve and show him the recently inked rose.
i look at him, searching for signs of anything. he looks back at me, and surprisingly his eyes give me the same look as before i told him.
he sighs a deeper sigh than i did.
"y/n. it's been a short time right? but even so, i've started to feel so comfortable around you and honestly i love it. i love the feeling i get around you, you make me feel at home when i don't have one. and i don't want to ruin that either."
i frown at his last sentence.
"i also have two things to tell you. well, technically three; this could also be regarded as a goodbye based on the way you react to what i tell you."
he looks down and then up, avoiding looking at me completely.
"i know you didn't have anything to do with what happened to misoo and i know what she's been telling anyone is false. i know that because i had a big part in her accident."
i frown even bigger. there's no way, right?
he looks at me with pleading eyes.
"please listen to what i have to say," he says quietly as he puts his hand on my wrist, specifically the tattooed part, "my parents too own an illegal organisation, as you called it. and it just so happens that misoos uncle was in the way of my dad. so, to target him, my dad got someone to mess with the wires in his brakes on his car. unfortunately, it was misoo who next drove it and got into the accident. i know i should've said something, and normally i would've because i hate what they do too. but with how misoo had treated you lately i did nothing. and i'm sorry for doing that."
i look at him and scan his face. his eyes are full of regret, and his grip on my wrist tightens as if he's scared of letting go.
"and the worst part is?"
he pulls up his sleeve, the one with the plaster. he gently pulls it off, wincing in pain.
my heart drops. he too has a tattoo, but not just any tattoo; the mark of the rival gang to mine.
