afterglow

chapter three

It's the first 1:03 am of the year, and everyone has already gone wild. Taehyung was sitting quietly on the wooden kitchen table, drinking his millionth beer for the night and watching as everyone was trashing his parents' beach house, with loud music over laughter and off-key singing. Some were just dancing, playing drinking games, or just plain drinking while conversing. They're crazy and too loud, but just enough to balance his calm and quiet.

But even with the chaos, Taehyung can only set his eyes for the one who's currently making him insane.

Wheein was right there, sitting on the couch, a bottle of beer in hand, intently listening to whatever Jimin was saying to her. Across from each other, smiling and nodding in between words, they looked like they're having the most interesting story ever told. They must be really close, he thought. For her to fully put her focus on him, drinking beer while not breaking eye contact, she must really like him. And it's making Taehyung crazy, because from afar, he could witness how this girl can only set her eyes on someone, and it's not him.

It's a waste of time to give her all of this attention when she's already focused on someone else. Taehyung couldn't even work up the courage to greet her. He's just fooling himself. But he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Even that small smile not directed to him was so stunning it's making his resolve weak.

He must have been eyeing Wheein for some time now that he summoned her to look at him. For a second, she forgot about the guy in front of her and gave him the attention he never knew he's craving. She smiled at him, and it's the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.

Taehyung suddenly got nervous and didn't know what to do or how to act in return, so he just nodded at her and refocused on his hands where his beer was. He's feeling so pathetic. How else would Wheein like him back if he'd continue acting such a loser? He told himself to go ahead and smile at her. It couldn't be that hard. He's flirted with girls before, some even led to more. Wheein was just another one.

He lifted up his head and saw Wheein making her way toward him, and his heart has never been this wild. For the first time in a long time, he froze in front of a girl.

"Hi," Wheein said as she sat on the stool to his right. She put her beer on the table and propped her head with her hand. Her bare legs were crossed and dangling under the table. It almost looked like she's flirting with him.

Taehyung just nodded at her and then proceeded to down all of his drinks, masking his feelings with fake bravery and alcohol. He slammed the bottle a little bit louder on the table.

"You've been watching me the whole night," she said with her sweet angelic voice, still smiling at him.

He cleared his throat and focused on his hands, not saying anything. Just when the girl who has been the center of his attention the whole day was finally right beside him, he suddenly decided it's a good time to freeze.

"It's okay, I don't mind." Cheerfully, bewitchingly.

He looked back at her, and only then that Taehyung realized that time could really stop. He's so mesmerized, he could stare at the twinkle in her eyes forever. Or the gleam of her skin and every inch of her. That long, black hair that could go way down her simple black shirt. Everything about her no matter how casual looked so magnificent to him. She's only shining in front of him, he couldn't even think of anything better to do than watch her sparkle forever.

He's so hypnotized he didn't know what to say.

Wheein was looking at him with eyelashes fluttering and rose coloring up her cheeks, like she had so many interesting things to tell him. He's not sure if it's because she's too drunk or she's just this really warm person he's not so used to be with. "Did we ever talk before?" She asked.