Can't Believe It [An BTS×ATEEZ×Reader FANFICTION] (Completed)✔

12: The Explosion

[A/N: A song that resonates painful memories and unwanted nostalgia in your mind and heart is the perfect song for this chapter. I know I shouldn't say this, but Enjoy 😑]

I keep rewinding his last sentence in my head in a frozen position.

And it's final.

..........

Being the daughter of Jang Hyeseop, the richest man in the Korean Peninsula; everyone around me thought that I was an arrogant, rich spoilt brat without even knowing me.

But I was completely the opposite. I did good with studies and wanted to live freely. But my dad never let me have that.

He always had bodyguards stalled outside my nursery, elementary school and even high school for my safety. But I always felt suffocated. I could not breathe freely.

On my 20th birthday, my dad told me to wish whatever I wanted.

I wished for an independent life without him.

We had an awfully long and disgusting quarrel about it and I left my home.

I was finally free.

But now my dad is trying to cage me again by forcing me into a marriage I never said yes to.

I was just frozen at a spot with no movement. Suddenly I felt a warm body hugging me from the back. I gained my consciousness and noticed that it was Hongjoong. He then asked,

"Are you okay, noona?"

Though being younger than me, he is also taller. I just nodded a no as I turned around and he held me in a proper hug. My face was now buried in his chest, a little close to the crook of his neck. He gently caressed my head and said,

"Don't worry, noona. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore."

At that time, I felt a friendly warmth in my heart, which I had only received rarely in my life. Because he now knew my secret and didn't even complaint about it for once.

Time skip...

The event had ended. Me and Hongjoong bid every guest adieu. Even Wooyoung and Yeosang did. But then I noticed something.

BTS still haven't left.

I'm sure that they are waiting for the guests to leave to pay easily for the event.

As we bid the final guest, I went back to the counter and started to pay up for the event.

I noticed lots of lazy footsteps coming closer to me, but I didn't look up. I had already told Hongjoong to take care of it if he could.

As I don't look up to see anything, I could hear Hongjoong's voice say,

"Excuse me, sir. But where are you going?"

I then heard Seokjin's voice say,

"To the counter, of course. We need to pay for the event."

Then Hongjoong said,

"You don't have to pay for it. It's already been paid for."

Then RM and Seokjin said together in a stunned tone,

"Who paid for it?"

I just could not tolerate his presence anymore, rather hear his voice. So, I took the matters in my own hands and spoke,

"I paid for it."

As I said that, though I hadn't even looked up from the counter, I could feel all the eyes on me. I heard Taehyung asking me,

"Taerim-ah, why did you have to do this?"

I just replied,

"I did it for you. Because I never did that much for you as a friend, so..."

I trailed off. I again heard Seokjin's voice and it was filled with anger.

"Thank you for doing this. But we can't just have a free party. If you could please give us your bank account details, then we would wire the money to you."

I mentally snapped. But I somehow kept a calm composure on my voice and face. But I could still feel my anger reflecting in my voice.

"I don't need your money. I did this for my best friend by my own choice. Now, if you could, please leave this place. It's getting late and if you stay any longer, the paparazzies outside will take pictures and blow up rumors about me like freshly cooked popcorn and I will also lose my job and peace here. So, please leave."

As I said the last sentence, I pointed my hand towards the gate. Throughout the things that I said, I was looking at Seokjin in anger and disgust.

I could see that every member of BTS were shocked by my reaction. Specifically Seokjin. He looked as if he had seen the walking dead. Taehyung just came closer to the counter and spoke in a stunned tone,

"Taerim-ah, what's wrong?"

He had anxiety and worry plastered on his face. I looked at him with teary eyes and said in a low voice,

"Please leave and take them with you."

I did not want to talk anymore. I just kept looking at the register computer as I swiped my card to do the payment.

I heard footsteps becoming slowly faint. I heard the glass door open and the loud commotion of fangirls and clicks of cameras from afar. Then I heard some cars speed away from the sidewalk. Then I looked up from the counter to see that the crowd and reporters had started to leave. Then I saw the bodyguards leave.

As soon as I knew that the only people in the café now were me and Hongjoong, I lost control on my legs and fell by my knees on the ground.

Hongjoong was standing in front of the counter, but he ran to me as I fell on the ground. When I felt his presence close to me, I felt safe. This was a different type of safe for me.

Because even if I grew up surrounded by trained, professional bodyguards almost all my life, I never felt this safe in my entire life.

[A/N: Okay, so another part of Taerim's life has unfolded in front of your eyes.

She is very vulnerable to her father's sentences. She is also very sensitive to her surroundings. I basically wrote this part of the story on basis of a girl who has finally sufficed with freedom after being trapped for almost all her life. It's also similar to Yeosang's side of story in the ZERO: FEVER PT. 1 FILM DAIRY.

But the way Hongjoong made her feel safe was a friendly type of comfort. As Taerim had very few close people in her life.

Okay. So, keep on reading for the net chapter for some possible closure. 

S]