Bad Timing

Part 1

"I thought I could join you guys, hope you are ok with it?"

Saying "no" in this situation was hardly an option, but it took you a solid three seconds before stammering a "yea, of course". In life, when some things are not meant to be, the universe has a strange way of making sure to let you know with bad timing.

How did it get here?

Being the most friendly and outgoing person in class, it was all too natural for him to be the one organising class events. You probably should also add on the fact that Taehyung was immensely popular in school and any event he is part of would mean at least the attendance of half the girls in class. You wouldn't be considered on the shy end yourself, but it is safe to say you still lacked some confidence in major social settings - likely attributable to various past events.

When Taehyung came running up to your group of friends asking if all of you would like to go for the movie outing on Friday after lessons, there was a mini "village meeting" of sorts where your friends glanced around and asked each other "are you going? I'll go if you go..."

By some form of unwritten social formula, it was quickly decided that they were going together but then Joy, whom you are closest to, suddenly remembered that you don't do Friday afternoons and she casually said, "Y/N probably can't come since she has to go take care of her babies." The rest of your friends ended up giggling or looking at you with hope in their eyes that you may forgo those "babies" just for one afternoon. But this is the one thing you couldn't compromise. If you could have turned down project meetings, field trips and even Joy's birthday party for your "babies", what is a movie outing even?

You were looking around hoping someone will change the subject when you saw Taehyung's look of what you would say is a mix of mild confusion and slight amusement. To that, you quickly made a move to clarify, "what they mean is I have to go volunteer..." and for no apparent reason other than to end the conversation on a non-awkward note, you added, "you can come one of these days too, if you want to."

"OK, but what do you volunteer as? A baby-sitter of some sort?" The confusion was now on you because did he just say "OK" to an invitation to volunteer with barely any knowledge of what it is about?

"No no, I just volunteer at the dog shelter not too far from school. They are always short-handed and I have to go every Friday so I can't join the movie outing, I'm sorry.", you said while shooting a look of slight exasperation at Joy.

And in a tone that was a tad too high for his husky voice, Taehyung exclaimed "I didn't know there was a dog shelter near our school!", making at least half of your friends shrink one inch away from him as a result of the sudden outburst.

—

Where did you go wrong?

You thought he must have forgotten and that is the reason why you were staring at him with a lack of response when he asked one week later, "So I assume we are going to the dog shelter tomorrow? What time are we leaving? Do I need to bring anything along? Can I just go in my uniform or do we have to change out?" A moment of silence passed when he suddenly added, "oh yeah and please don't tell me I need to get my parents to sign anything."

Apart from collating the answers to his barrage of questions, the more trying exercise was to get over the fact that he is actually coming to volunteer with you.

—

Were you being presumptuous?

The walk to the dog shelter after class the next day was ... uncomfortable.

"Why is it that no one else comes along with you?", Taehyung asked, salvaging the both of you from the lack of conversation that is starting to feel a little suffocating for you.