Pose For Me | K.TH

27

AILA

It just seemed...too simple.

All he'd asked me to do was to come tonight, meet a designer and model some clothes that he'd made. That was all that he wanted me to do, to leave Taehyung alone and break off the marriage.

I'm sure there was a catch. But I still couldn't figure out what—

"Aila."

I look up. And Taehyung's looking at me from across the chessboard, his head tilted with curiosity.

"You seem distracted. Is something wrong?"

"No." I say, shaking my head as I quickly make my next move. But even then my voice sounds distant, and he sighs softly when he notices.

"You're thinking about something else. This has already been the fourth time." He points out, making me blush in embarrassment. "What are you thinking about? Is it a who?"

I hear a bit of annoyance in his quiet tone.

"Wait, what? No, it isn't a who—"

"We can play tomorrow." He says, ignoring my protests as he starts to clean up the pieces. His lip twists just the slightest angle. "It's getting late. And,"

"Your mind seems to be on something else. Whatever it is."

I grip his wrist as he puts away the last of the pieces. And he gives me such a catlike glance that it makes me laugh, even when I know that laughing should be the last thing I'm doing.

"You're laughing now."

"I'm sorry." I gasp, trying my best to hold down my laughter as he shakes my grip away. When he stands up, I quickly get to my feet and wrap my arms around his shoulders.

"Tae."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Sorry for not giving you attention." I say, smiling widely only because I know he can't see me with his head still facing the other way. "Won't do it again."

But then he turns around, and notices the smile on my face before I can swallow it back up.

He raises an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay!" I yelp when he starts to walk towards his bedroom. My bare feet tap against the smooth wooden floor as I trail him there, like a lost puppy.

Taehyung stops right before his door, one hand on the knob.

He turns back.

"Aila. I wasn't joking when I'm saying that you should go sleep. It's already nine in the evening and tomorrow isn't going to be an easy day."

Then he bends slightly, brushing his lips across my forehead.

"Go sleep. I was messing with you just now, but this time I am not."

My lips purse a little tighter. And my heart suddenly feels so much heavier when I realize that I'm lying to him. Soon, I'd leave to meet with the designer his father had been talking about.

Should I tell him?

But if I did.

He wouldn't let me go. And I'd have to watch the shadows under his eyes turn deeper from stress, have to watch him exhaust himself for something that was being forced on him.

But still, that didn't mean I felt good about it either.

"...okay."

His eyes flicker at my suddenly downcast voice. And he opens his lips as if he might say something, before closing them again.