Hangang In The Autumn | Taekook

15. Vivid Mayhem

Waking up in a place where it felt so foreign to him that all Taehyung wanted was to run away as soon as he walked out of the room. A cold shower relieved the slight headache he was feeling, and the rush of emotions was sorted out when he changed to a new pair of jeans and a grey sweater neatly folded inside the wardrobe. He combed his hair with his fingers as he strolled through the hallway that led to the kitchen.

He glanced at the doors next to his room, one was Jooan's and the other room belonged to Jeongguk. His steps stuttered at the closed door, staring a little bit, he walked again.

The flashbacks of the morning, what happened just hours ago faded in front of his eyes, and the sorrow in the chocolate orbs of Jooan had him weak on his knees.

Taehyung had cleared his mind and the dizzy thoughts, deciding to move on forward with what he got. Because it felt hard to be stuck in a place like that where he doesn't believe he belongs. The hallway was silent, shady yet elegantly decorated with the chosen art pieces on the wall, fresh flowers on the antique pots on corners.

A smile plastered his lips when he found Jooan's crayon scribbling framed on the wall along with the other arts. They sure treat her like their princess. The thought made his heart fall into bliss.

The kitchen was glorious, with white walls, a luxurious countertop, aesthetic glass jars and other utensils, and a majestic stack of silver wares and indoor plants in the corners. It gave off an expensive vibe at the first sight and Taehyung felt so out of place.

Though he hoped to not see anyone in the kitchen, to his shock, he met with a short male cooking something, his back turned to Taehyung, humming a low tone while stirring the hot pot. His first instinct was to walk away and hide in the room. But he was thirsty, and the grumbling in his stomach was saying otherwise.

Before he could think straight, the man turned to pick vegetables from the basket, eyes landing on Taehyung's figure. They both stiffened the very instant, the younger didn't know if he should walk out or help himself with a glass of tea.

Yet he stood there, without making a move. Once the other took a good minute to scrutinize Taehyung from head to toe, he walked forward, mustering up the courage to face anything, because, damn, he was there.

After everything, both Namjoon and Jooan wanted him. Taehyung never wanted to be there, yet he was there, doing a little help, for the sake of the pleading eyes he witnessed before.

And that's what led him forward, he took a bottle of water from the refrigerator since a cup of tea felt luxurious. He decided to not give the other man a chance to say anything to hurt his equilibrium while creating any mess. He wished.

"Never thought you wouldn't have a little bit of shame to walk back to this house. You really are a filthy bi*ch, aren't you? Look at yourself, you..."

The words reached Taehyung's ears and he stilled on the spot, gripping the bottle in his hand as if it was the only thing to hold on to. He felt so drained out already, with all those words from the very start even now, Taehyung told himself that he didn't deserve it.

The high-pitched voice only triggered what Taehyung shut for some time, the roller coaster of emotions shaking him like another thunderstorm, drenching him from top to bottom. He wanted to hide, disappear and find a shelter, maybe. But not now.

"I didn't want it either. If I had a chance, I would never come here. But..."

Taehyung said, taking sharp inhales and keeping his eyes steady on the man. He opened the lid of the bottle, and gulped down the cold water, feeling an itch building up in his throat.