Promise | J.JK

• twenty six •

AVERY

"They want Yoongi out of the company."

Jungkook sat there, reading the letter again and again, then he appeared to be thinking about something. He looked at his watch, then looked at me.

"Hyejin, I have several meetings in a few hours, but I'll ask Jin to go with me. You take care of your tasks today, and don't forget about your driving class this afternoon." He picked up his phone and car keys, then left the office. I just shrugged and went back to my desk only to see Marzia waiting for me.

"Your interns are here." She said. I sighed and prepared myself for today.

~•••~

"And this, is the pantry. This is where you get food everyday. You can still eat out if you want, but if you wanna save, you can eat here." I explained, while they were turning their heads and whispering to each other. "You can scan your IDs, then you get to choose a meal from the screen over there, and claim it by falling in line as our cooks prepare your meals for you."

They all smiled widely and asked me if they could try, and since it's already almost lunch time, I let them try so they can eat. They immediately gathered around the scanner, and started ordering their meals. So far, I've introduced them to the staff, and roamed them around the building. They've asked me questions earlier, but nothing is actually hard with assisting them. Just as I was standing, looking at them, my phone received a text.

tae: can you come down?

I excused myself from my interns and immediately went to the lobby. There, I saw Taehyung, standing with his hands in his pockets. I waved at him from a distance, which he recognized with a small smile and a shrug.

He asked me out for lunch, which is the perfect time. I thought about Yoongi, but he's probably busy. Jungkook's on his errands with Jin, so basically I'm free. Taehyung walked with me to a nearby restaurant, silently.

"Are you okay?" I finally asked, breaking the silence between us.

"I'm sorry." He responded. "I shouldn't have shut you out."

I remembered that night where we found him crying in his kitchen floor, holding a broken bottle of wine. I remembered how he held on to me, tightly, and poured his tears out. How he fell asleep in my lap, as soon as he stopped crying. To shut me out, that's completely normal. I wasn't expecting to see him in that state, and I feel like I don't have the right to, in the first place. 

"Tae," I looked at him in the eye. I can tell he's still not doing good. "I should be the one apologizing. We... I mean I... invaded your privacy. I shouldn't have seen you like that. I shouldn't have-"

"My mom..." He interrupted. He fiddled with his fingers while looking down at his hands. "I saw her that day."

"...and?" I don't want to force him to talk. I don't have his trust. But I feel like he wants to tell me everything. He wants to spill his worries to me. And if he does, I'm ready to lend my ears.

I know what it feels like to be someone who keeps everything to yourself. That someone who has so many questions left unanswered, emotions that are not understood, and unwanted thoughts. You want to tell someone what you're thinking, but you're scared that they might not understand. That they might feel like you're passing your burdens on to them, that you might appear weak.