Afterglow | K.TH

Not Fake

RIEUL

Everything stops.

The sound of Jungkook's low sobbing, all the worrying that I'm doing— just everything.

And Taehyung knocks again, voice deeper. It's colder than at V, but has none of the sweetness. It's just him, but with a slight edge of warmth.

Not fake.

"Jungkook." He says, his hand tapping on the cloth. And then he stops talking, because I've crashed into his side.

"What are you doing?" I yelp, panicking left and right. Taehyung looks up at me from the ground as I tighten my hand around his shoulder, watching me not know what to do next.

"You can't just do that!"  I whisper, my mind racing. "He doesn't even know you're here! He's going to panic—"

The crinkling sound of the tent zipper opening snaps my head towards Jungkook's direction.

His head pokes out from the entrance, doe eyes wide and shocked as it drifts down to see Taehyung under me.

He gasps.

"Kim Taehyung. I-I mean, painter-nim." He whispers, scrambling out of the insides of the tent. He nearly trip on the way, and I quickly climb off of Taehyung.

I don't know what to think.

"Why, um, why are you here?" He says, blinking as Taehyung sits back up with a smile ghosting on his lips. Then I look at him with stunned eyes as he taps the floor with his fingers.

"Well, Jungkook-ssi." He says, and I swallow back a curse at him when he moves his hand to my shoulder.

"Your sister told me I could stay here for the night."

What?!

When did I say that?

But then Jungkook's expression changes into an happy, excited smile, and the denial that had come all the way up my throat sinks back down.

Taehyung grins darkly at me.

"You seem to like cars very much." He says, turning his gaze away from me and to Jungkook. He points at the models all lined up on top of shelves.

"Can you tell me a little about them?"

_________________________

I come out seething from the kitchen, holding a warm mug of brewed tea in my fingers for Jungkook.

He's talking so happily with Taehyung— had opened up to him in a heartbeat when it would've usually taken me more than hours.

No. I tell myself, shaking my head as I walk towards the two sitting on the floor. It's okay. Jungkook won't choose him instead of you. He was probably just surprised and all when he heard Taehyung.

"This is my favorite one out of all of them!" I hear, and look up to see Jungkook fixing something on Taehyung's open palm.

My mouth drops open.

He didn't even let me touch that toy.

"But you can have it if you want." Jungkook says lightly, and I'm still staring in shock when Taehyung looks at me with an innocent smile.