Is There Somewhere || KTH ✔

[3] - h o t e l r o o m

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hotel room – dec '20

You were dancing alone.
Your hands were wrapping on nothing but the cold air.
You said you imagine it was her in your arms.

And I thought to myself,
"Am I wrong to imagine
it is me who's supposed to be there instead?"

lee aeri

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"Don't flatter yourself, Taehyung. She's hanging out with all of us not just you." Jungkook rolled his eyes at the dancing Taehyung.

"And I'm the one who's invited her. So..." Jimin sneak in a remark.

Taehyung groaned like a little kid, "Can't you guys let me be happy?" he said as he swayed to the rhythm of the music. Ae-Ri was sitting on the bed, with her journal on her lap and a pen on her right hand. She smiled as she wrote the last sentence on the page, despite it was heartbreaking to think of the impossible question, she couldn't help but wonder if she could really be with Taehyung if she has the chance to.

"Close that book and dance with me, Ae-Ri." Ae-Ri's vision on her book was blocked by a hand, she trailed the hand, to see it was Jungkook who was offering her a dance. It wasn't the boxy smile that she hoped for but it was the bunny smile instead. His smile was wide to the fact that his eyes curved into a crooked crescent moon.

She chuckled and took his hands. "I would love to." She felt herself being pulled up, swiftly positioned in between his arms. He gently wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her closer. Another hand intertwined with one another. He lead her through the dance, gracefully sway her from side to side. The song was beautiful and slow tempo, fit with the person who choose the song; Taehyung knows his ballads. Ae-Ri close her eyes and trust Jungkook with the steps, she was feeling peaceful in his arms but it wasn't feeling quite right for her.

Jungkook leaned in for a whisper, "You're still not giving up on Taehyung?" he asked with the slowest tone of voice he could produce, not wanting Taehyung to hear their conversation.

Ae-Ri kept her eyes shut and rest her head on his chest, "One day, I guess..."

Jungkook sighed, "You'll get your heart broken if you keep on doing this."

"I won't..." she denied as she pulled her head away; connecting their gazes,

"...because it's already broken." She smiled, but her eyes were far from joy.

Jungkook's heart dropped upon seeing his childhood friend's smile. All of his heart strings felt like it was ripped away from how agonizing her eyes were despite her true nature was masked by such beautiful smile. He knew that she was always like this. Lying to herself. Saying that everything is okay no matter how broken she was. Would always laugh and goof around when only god knows how much pain she was really in. Would always smile even if her whole body was trembling; tears falling effortlessly; desperately holding back her whimpers.

Jungkook gripped her hand, "Ae-Ri—"

"Excuse me, I'm cutting in."

Jungkook couldn't finish as Taehyung cuts in both in their conversation and their dance. He loosen his grip as Taehyung slid his arms around Ae-Ri's waist. She placed her left hand on his shoulders while her right hand wrapped perfectly with Taehyung's. Painfully, Jungkook watched her as she giggled on how silly Taehyung was leading the dance. Even if Jungkook wasn't the one in love, but somehow he could feel how hurt Ae-Ri truly was.

"Taehyung! Stop, at this rate I'll step on your foot!" she laughed as Taehyung clumsily spun Ae-Ri in circle, around the hotel room.

"Okay, okay. Here, put your feet on top of mine." Taehyung pulled her in, even closer than Jungkook did. She followed his instructions; gently and carefully placed both of her feet on top of Taehyung's. Only the sounds of their laughter and the music was resonating. Jungkook sat on the bed; he couldn't help to admire the sight in front of him. Jimin didn't waste anytime and started pull out his phone to record the silly 'couple'.

Taehyung took small steps on the dance, some people might have thought that they are a pair of penguins waddling around. Ae-Ri couldn't help but to land her head on his chest. The rhythm of the music couldn't beat the beautiful sounds of Taehyung's heart pounding. It wasn't beating as hard as hers. Perhaps that was one of the signs; that Taehyung would never fall for her. Ae-Ri clutched on his arms like it was the stairway railings. How she wished that she was the one he imagined to spend the rest of his life with. How she wished the time to suspend and just stay in that prolonged moment.