The Devil's touch

Twenty three

The day was still dark and neither boy wanted to separate as they held hands and walked far away from the others to a more quiet place where they could discuss and lay their hearts bare for each other.

They had left a handful of people in a shocked state because their public kiss but they didn't care. They walked for a while till they came to a sit at a bench overlooking the field

It was quiet for a while until Taehyung spoke first.

"What happens now"

Jimin bit his lips. "I don't know...."

Taehyung frowned. "What do you mean you don't know"

Jimin chuckled and grabbed his hand. "Tae...I really want to be with you but there are too many obstacles"

Taehyung was silent for a while then he said " I have a lot of questions to ask you..."

Jimin took a deep breath to prepare himself. He didn't know a day like this would come. He had only thought of doing something good for Taehyung but he hadn't anticipated that it would bring them closer. Closer than he had ever imagined.

He nodded. "Ask me then. I'll answer everything"

Taehyung swallowed hard before he started. "How long have you had feelings for me?"

Jimin smiled softly. "Five years.... since the day you first sang to me on that rooftop"

Taehyung held his breath and Jimin laughed. "I wasn't in love with you from the beginning. I was envious, jealous even of you back then but love came to me like serendipity. It was so sudden, so unexpected. I didn't know how it just happened. I didn't know why it happened but one day, I found that you looked more handsome than usual. I found that I wanted to be with you a lot more. I found that I wanted to cherish and protect you"

Taehyung asked "Then why did you hide the fact that you were the one who kissed me three years ago"

Jimin's face contorted. He looked anguished by the question but he continued. "It was because...you had changed. You weren't the Taehyung that I knew anymore. You had become different and we weren't as close as before. I always had to struggle so hard to get close to you. You drifted apart from me and it really hurt so I wasn't sure you would accept me, especially the kind of love I was offering you...the love of a man"

"I was afraid of getting rejected. That day I came to the hospital to see you, I felt very emotional. I had purposely avoided coming to see you because I wasn't prepared to see you in that state. I finally found you sitting alone under the apple tree. I wanted to tell you who I was but then a stupid thought came to me and I remembered one of those cheesy scenes in movies where the hero kisses the protagonist who is unaware because they are blindfolded"

"I was overwhelmed by my feelings. You looked so handsome sitting there alone. I couldn't help it. I felt I wouldn't get another chance. I know it's stupid but we were much younger and filled with raging hormones"

"So after I kissed you, I panicked. When I saw Jiyeon coming towards us, I made a run for it"

His eyes grew red. "But then one day, you told me you liked someone. When I asked you who it was, you said it was Jiyeon because she had kissed you during your most darkest day. The time when you were blind"

"It hurt a lot because the person who kissed you wasn't Jiyeon. That person was me but I didn't think I had any right to reveal that. You didn't like me"

Taehyung sighed. "But I didn't like Jiyeon. While dating her, I didn't have any feelings for her even though I thought she was the one who kissed me that day....I loved the one who kissed me. I loved you...."