Flower Boy [Kim Taehyung]

Part 6

Taehyung wasn't at school the next day.  Nor was he there Thursday.  Nor, from what Rin could conclude upon arriving to school that morning, Friday.

            It was, in short, an odd week for Rin because of the fact that she was so aware of Kim Taehyung's absence, and how much it was bothering her because she was aware.

        But anyone, Rin rationalized to herself, would've been laced up with frustration if they lived on Taehyung's street and was inevitably faced with thoughts of him every time they saw his house.  And based on Rin's observations over the past few days, at how dark and still Taehyung's house was, she could conclude that neither Taehyung nor his family was home.

         Maybe they'd left for a spontaneous family vacation or a family emergency, but for the first time in, well, ever, Rin was keeping full tabs on anything Taehyung-related.  She checked his driveway before and after school, she peered at every face she passed in the school halls, looked at his group of friends during lunch, eyed his empty AP Lit seat, but Taehyung still never showed up.

            In the back of her head, Rin knew it was creepy - she was practically stalking Taehyung without him being around - but of all the times she needed to talk to him...

           "It's ridiculous!" Rin burst out, shoving the exit doors open after school that Friday.

            Mina stepped out after her and nodded sympathetically.  "But he'll be back next week."

           "Where could he have even gone to skip school for three days?" Rin demanded.

           "He went downstate to visit family," Mina said, as if it was common sense. "Something to do with his uncle's-" She looked at Rin.  "Don't tell me you didn't know."

            "No!" Rin turned abruptly to her.  "Why- how'd- How did you figure that out? And why didn't you tell me?"

            "I asked his friends unlike you, miss 'I'll stare at them across the room and do nothing'," Mina said, waving her hands dramatically.  "You and confrontation... Based on how Taehyung-obsessed you've been over the week, I thought you figured it out some other way."

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