Flower Boy [Kim Taehyung]

Part 8

She lay on her bed, not feeling compelled to head downstairs just yet.  Her pillow was lush against her head, the rough white canvas of her ceiling stared back at her, but it was the object on her nightstand that continuously pricked the corner of Rin's eye, daring her to look over.

            Refusing, Rin sat up and turned opposite from her nightstand, toward her window.  Her room faced the street, giving her view of the dreary sky outside.  Craning her neck an inch further allowed Rin to peek at a certain house across the street.

            His driveway was empty.  Still.

            Rin settled back down on her bed. Before she could stop herself, her eyes flicked over to her nightstand.

          The little note rested by her alarm clock, having been folded and unfolded so many times it nearly lied flat.  From her position, Rin just made out the neatly pen-written words: Happy birthday. 

            An odd flutter went through her stomach. Rin slid across her bed and grabbed the note, peering down at the words.  It was ridiculous, really.  Just a note with two words.  Yet Rin scrutinized it as if she was solving a cryptogram.

            Sighing, Rin slapped the note back on her nightstand and pushed herself off her bed.

            "How do people not believe in the Illuminati?" her father muttered to himself as Rin passed him in the living room. His empty plate of lasagna resigned on the TV tray next to him while he furiously typed away on his laptop.  "Can you believe this guy?" he said to Rin's mother.

            Her mother, who was leaning against the kitchen counter nibbling on her lasagna, nodded along.  Rin slumped down at the kitchen table and jabbed at her plate of lasagna, not missing how her mother's attention veered in her direction.

            "You know..." her mom started, and Rin paused her chewing. She looked up to find a certain spark had entered her mother's eyes. "Have you talked to that boy yet, Rin?"

            Ever since Taehyung's flowers had entered the trash, Rim's mother had been giving her subtle-to-blatant hints to talk to Taehyung.  She'd neither become guilty and apprehensive towards Taehyung as Rin had, nor amused by Taehyung as her father had, however, her mom had handed Rin thirty dollars that basically said without saying, "Pay him back, it's the least we can do."

Consequently, that had increased Rin's level of guilt tenfold.

            Rin scowled and plopped a giant bite of lasagna in her mouth. "I told you, he's not home.  His whole family went out of town for his uncle's-"

            "Nope," her dad called from the living room.  With his fork, he pointed behind him at the living room window.

            Her mom translated. "We just saw their car pull in.  He's home."

            Rin's bite of lasagna plunged down her throat.

            "H-he's what?" Rin coughed.

            Her mother shrugged. "See for yourself."

            Rin's chair screeched back. "But that's impossible, I just saw-"

            Her dad made a noise of surprise and ducked out of Rin's way.  She stared out the living room window and true enough, across the street was the Taehyung's garage door wide open, lights on, their Honda vehicle parked inside.

            Rin's appetite dropped from her stomach.

            "He's..." She pivoted towards the kitchen, then towards the stairs, her mom, the window, then back to the kitchen. Her parents watched, eyebrows raised.

            "We're not gettin' any younger here, Rin," her dad said.

            A noise sounded in Rin's throat, then she made a beeline for the stairs.  She slammed her bedroom door behind her. Rin's fingers tapped against her thighs, she took in the darkening sky outside before her legs moved for her.  She swapped her sweatpants for jeans, re-braided her hair, applied foundation over her face, and pulled on her jacket.  Even with the jacket Rin found herself shivering.

            She regarded her wide-eyed reflection one more time before twisting back around to look at the note on her nightstand.  Rin drew in a breath.

            "Good luck," her mom said nonchalantly when Rin approached the foyer. Her dad grunted in support.

            She threw a glance in their direction and, before Rin could give herself a chance to reconsider, thrust open front the door and stepped outside.  The door clicked shut, crisp air sharpened Rin's senses, shooting adrenaline down her legs. Knees wobbling, Rin tucked the loose strands of windblown hair out of her face and started down her porch.

            Silence whispered throughout the neighborhood.  A few leaves cart-wheeled around the street, tapping Rin's shoes for good luck as she crossed.  Her fingers were already chapped and trembling from the chilly evening, and her mouth was too dry- her mouth.

            Rin's pace faltered when she comprehended the taste of lasagna on her tongue.  God, she should have brushed her teeth!  And the thirty bucks!  Did she even have any money on her to pay Taehyung back?

            Rin turned to look helplessly back at her house.  No, she had already crossed the street and if she went back, Rin honestly wasn't sure if she'd be able to come back out.  A distant dog's bark jerked her back into action, and Rin swung back around, progressing up the pavement that led to Taehyung's porch.

            The porch light had been turned on, illuminating the "welcome" mat and their snow-white door.  Stomach quivering, Rin climbed the porch steps and halted within inches of the door.

            Her eyes settled on the doorbell.  Maybe she should've waited longer, Rin thought, outstretching her hand.  Maybe Taehyung's family was still unpacking from their trip or they were tired and didn't want to be bothered. But then they would leave the light off if they didn't want to be bothered, wouldn't they-?

            "Rin?" a voice said.

            Rin froze.  Her finger grazed the slippery smooth surface of the doorbell and the wind tickled her ears.  After what felt like an eon, her heartbeat restarted, and she turned around.

            Taehyung stood at the base of his porch. His hair was ruffled from the wind and his cheeks were flushed, as if he'd been pacing around the neighborhood.  He donned a simple jacket and jeans, and the porch light hit his eyes where Rin saw their color head-on: brown.

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