make it right.

iv.

2 Days Later:

The day was for a visit to the warehouse where the collaboration products were to be manufactured. Taehyung threw a plaid shirt over his fitted black tee and taupe jeans as he descended the stairs to see Jisoo sending the twins off to school.

She was clad in a full-sleeved burgundy turtleneck, tucked into high-waisted black pants. She had black pointed heels, hair in a ponytail held up by a clutch. A silver necklace with a phi locket hung round her neck.

Lord, Taehyung thought, How to look away from her? He was pretty sure his eyes had widened  and he probably was gawking at her as he thought.

What he didn't know was that Jisoo had given a full length look, taking in the whole sight while he himself was busy gazing. When her eyes finally met his he startled and gulped before signaling to head out the door.

Jisoo was equally surprised by his reaction, like he had been caught staring. Something puny and weak tingled at the bottom of her stomach, giddying her but she extinguished it quick(or so she thought).

As she saw his figure walking towards the car, a small want popped in her mind. Before she could even process and refuse it, she found her body acting on it.

"Do you like me or something?", she yelled out, loud and crisp. Taehyung paused.

Taehyung felt all his organs freeze and his Adams apple choke but her calmly turned around, pretended to be pulling out the earphone he hadn't put in yet, and responded with a 'huh'.

Jisoo casually said, "No, it's nothing.", and walked ahead to the car, seating herself. Jisoo swore never to think about this incident ever again. It was too many questions, implications and explanations. Taehyung from the back gaped, bewildered at her nonchalance. After he got into the car and switched his playlist on shuffle, he nearly gasped out loud when 'Yes or Yes' by Twice began to play.

He looked at his own reflection in the side view mirror, face all flushed. Looking to his left, he locked eyes with Yeonjun for an uncomfortable second after which they broke away. Yet he didn't miss the almost well concealed smirk on the lad's face. Yeonjun definitely heard her too.

In his earphones, next up came 'Yeah Yeah Yeah' by P!nkpnk.

That was when he decided to sue Spotify.

Absent mindedly, Taehyung thought about the shards of glass he noticed in the trashcan today, As he hurried off to dispose of a tissue, he saw several of them, lying in the dustbin.

Bloodied.

It twisted at his insides to think someone was hurt so bad. He couldn't help but wonder how it happened. Taehyung wanted to ask which of the maids it was, but it slipped his mind earlier.

Jisoo took a deep breath as she saw the same lane, after years. Something pricked in her throat, but she managed her composure. The car stopped and they got off. Jisoo did her best to focus her eyes down on the road, on her bag slung on her shoulder, but never above that. Not glancing around everywhere while laughing like that day, when she had noticed a pair of eyes from behind a slightly ajar gate, but forgotten it amidst their chatter.

Her left hand began to rattle, she glided it up and down her thigh in search of a pocket but the darned pants didn't have one.

Her breaths turned ragged, the same feeling took over her. Her heartbeat felt like an aeroplane with a failed engine: swerving in all directions, no hope of a safe landing, bound to crash.

Someone's going to grab me away, I know.

Taehyung, from his peripheral glancing, didn't fail to notice this. In a swift move, he caught her hand in his and resumed walking along.

The warmth spread from her palm to every cell of her body.

There was the safe landing.

Jisoo could breathe now, with an anchor for herself. But as the place neared, not the warehouse but the one she dreaded, every neuron in her body screamed for help, to run away.

They're gonna take me, she told herself.

The hammering in Jisoo's chest became painful now. Her hand clasped around Taehyung's tighter now. He was so immersed in the surroundings, he didn't seem to notice it. Or at least he pretended not to.

But his thumb started to soothing rub across the back of her hand.

Just like how she had been ripped away from Yuju that day, just like that.

She did not want to go. She could just say no and no one would force her. But was it not too late now? The thought of exposing her scared, non-stoic side to Taehyung irritated her. Embarrassing? No. But overwhelming, definitely. Jisoo told herself firmly to shut up and focused on the way ahead. At the gate of the warehouse, their hands automatically disconnected, but the feeling remained.

She felt much better at the warehouse, engrossed in work. Asking the workers if safety and hygiene procedures were being followed, checking the place herself, she felt occupied. Three hours passed in a blur.

Yeonjun offered to bring the car to the gate and went ahead, the other two decided to still walk a little further. But as Taehyung walked ahead, Jisoo froze. He turned back to her. She had her hand outstretched.

"Can I hold your hand again?", her eyes were fixated on his palm. Jisoo's tone was straight and flat, with one demand that made Taehyung's inside smile. Taehyung didn't know how to react; when his mind didn't know how to respond, how would his face do that? But his does eyes naturally softened and he reached out with his hand as she grabbed it so habitually, like it was their everyday thing.

As they walked to the car, Taehyung focused on keeping his eyes away from their joined hands and Jisoo was grateful to have this source of comfort. As soon as they reached home, Jisoo hurried away to her room, as if she was embarrassed to even look at him.

Later in solitude, Taehyung thought over the day and grinned subconsciously at the thought of him being the one Jisoo took comfort in. His posture straightened when a more relevant question came to mind.

What exactly was she so frightened of?

published: 12/08/23

1036 words

~sid.