bikers & beaches | tk ✓

❧22

❧ The Right to be Wronged ❧

Breakfast was unsurprisingly tense, to say the very least. Taehyung felt some buzz in the air, a buzz that made him uncomfortable as he ate his couple slices of toast and drank the glass of mango juice— fresh fruits a courtesy of leftovers from the diner.

He couldn't really stomach much, which was why he kept his food light. Not having been able to sleep all night and being emotionally drained after the day before didn't help in the slightest.

Taehyung honestly felt miserable and the energy present at the dining table made him feel nauseous.

"Storm's coming in a few days from now." Hoseok said, cutting into the clatter of silverware. Taehyung nearly jumped at the human voice among metal clinks, but he sunk in his seat at the words. After reliving his worst nightmare all night, Taehyung didn't think he wanted to see rain hit the coast for a while. "Probably another sweeping in some time from now."

Great.

He looked up at Jimin, who sat adjacent to him. The guy was having a smoothie bowl, jaw still disgustingly bruised and it was clearly still painful for him to open and close his mouth to chew.

A foot tapped against his under the table and Taehyung jerked his head to see Hoseok staring at him.

What? He mouthed in confusion.

Tell them, Hoseok silently said back. Taehyung tensed at the request, though, because he knew that they had their suspicions. And Hoseok had told him last night itself that he wasn't going to be given much time before an explanation was needed.

No, he frowned in return, Hoseok sighed deeply and Taehyung rubbed his forehead. He couldn't do this. He didn't think he had any energy left inside him for that conversation.

He didn't think he had it in him yesterday either, but he had one hell of a conversation with Jeongguk.

Thinking about the biker hurt. Everything pinched his chest just wrong when Taehyung's thoughts brought forth his name. It was a pain that remained thick in his throat, a clump unmoving and impossible to rid. Gulped back to dull, but it remained obvious every time he thought about speaking.

So many things could— and should— have been said differently the night before, but he felt no guilt in being angry with the younger.

"Hey, Hyung," he finally said to Jin, an encouraging look sketching itself onto Hoseok's face— though, it was crushed just as quickly. "How was that call? Sounded important."

Hoseok sighed in defeat, returning to his meal.

"Oh, that?" Jin cocked his head, stabbing a peach slice with his fork and putting it in his mouth. "Went well. They want me to intern there again after I take my LSAT this fall. Hopefully, I can land a part time in that firm while I move on to law school."

"And how's studying for the LSAT?" Jimin's voice was slightly muffled through his swollen mouth.

"A literal hate crime on my braincells." Jin snorted, Taehyung cracking a small smile as Hoseok chuckled across from him. "It's nice working on it out here, though. More peaceful and I don't get to surf in my breaks back home."

Taehyung couldn't imagine Jin's stress. All he knew was that it was the equivalent of medical student's MCAT exam and he'd heard the worst of horror stories from that. It made him wonder if his struggle between his parents and art was even comparable to Jin's pressure when it felt like the worst of it was already over.

"Nothing like Legally Blonde, huh?" Hoseok shook his head with a grin.

"One could dream." Jin shrugged, more relaxed and Taehyung let out a small breath as the prior tension eased off from the casual talk. "You guys don't worry about, though. I hardly need another voice thinking about it besides the one in my head."