26th

2

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2 | FRENCH REVOLT

Jin should have never said yes.

Kim Taehyung was a man he just barely knew.

But there he was.

He said Y-E-S to a lunch invitation for reasons he could came up with. First, he was hungry --- and he was all for free food. Second, he did not own any goddamn car. He did not even dare to get a driver's license ever since he was at a legal age to drive. He could not afford one. He just commuted all the way from Seoul to Gangwon with some money he saved. Third, he trusted the man and was easy around him. Call it a gut feeling or whatever.

Jin sat on the passenger seat and made himself comfortable inside Taehyung's black Porsche. It smelled expensive and of old money, to be honest, and yet they were parked outside a small diner barely hanging there to make ends meet around the area. A huge contrast. An irony.

He was reading the book he brought with him, stashed safely inside his bag earlier in the day, while also waiting for Taehyung to come back with whatever he ordered from the menu. Oh, yeah. The two of them agreed to dine inside the car instead, by the way.

Jin's brows furrowed, stuck on a chapter with much difficulty. He fumbled for his phone and began to listen to an audio sample when Taehyung finally came out of the diner with two paper bags and a beverage holder in both hands. He put the book away and leaned to the driver's side, reaching for the handle and opening the door for him.

He found it arguably confusing - how casual, even - he was being.

Taehyung slid in his seat with a grateful smile, putting the paper bags on his lap and their drinks on the dashboard.

"Here's your Korean barbecue burger, pajeon and tuna kimbap, Mr. J." Taehyung gave Jin one of the paper bags. "I have extra tissues in the glove compartment."

Jin took his share from him, showing his gratefulness.

"Thank you for the meal!"

But maybe it was because he did not eat breakfast earlier in the morning, for Jin's stomach growled shamelessly in protest as soon as he took a whiff of the food at the same time, making Jin pause. Including Taehyung. Jin's cheeks heated.

"Um- I'm sorry- Excuse me-"

Taehyung suddenly burst out laughing --- definitely full out laughing with tears building up in the corners of his eyes.

"Oi!" Jin exclaimed, his blushes traveling all the way from his cheeks, ears and down to his neck in embarrassment. "You are laughing at me like I'm the only one whose empty stomach growls when hungry!"

Taehyung bit his lower lip, shoulders shaking as he tried to stop himself from laughing.

"I- I'm s-sorry!" He wiped the corner of his eyes, his laughter subsiding. "Oh, God. I needed that laugh."
Jin tilted his head, contemplating his words.

"You must be so lonely then," Jin muttered as he slowly opened the paper bag. Taehyung stilled in his seat, which did not go unnoticed by him. "Anyway, thank you again. Now, let us eat our lunches without laughing."

Taehyung turned as Jin stuck his tongue out at him.

"Ha. Very mature of you. Good thing you're cute," Taehyung scoffed lowly, taking out his own order of grilled beef burger from inside the paper bag.

Jin blushed ten shades more. He took his eyes off from Taehyung and nimbly pulled his burger out. He unwrapped it, eager to take the first bite as he picked up his almost forgotten how-to book once again. He continued to read from where he had left off as they sat there quietly, side by side, enjoying each other's food and company.

"So," Taehyung spoke after a while. "What's your name?"

Jin rolled his eyes.

"Nice try. I told you. I'm J."

"Just trying my luck," Taehyung acquiesced. "What are you reading? A basic course in French? Wait. You're studying French?"

Jin nodded his head as he played another audio sample on his phone, listening as he tried to learn the correct pronunciations of the foreign words.

"Been learning for a month now," he supplied.

"Why? You're going to France?" Taehyung prodded.

Jin snorted.

"When I get rich, yes." God knew he got no cash to pull out from his own pockets for a countryside trip, much less a travel abroad. "Right now, I'll just have to settle in learning their language."

"La France est un beau pays."

Jin whipped his head in Taehyung's direction, eyes wide in surprise. "You speak French."

"Oui. Juste assez pour parler et comprendre ce qu'ils disent."

"Goddammit," Jin swore as he pouted his lips, annoyed that he could not understand what Taehyung was saying. "What are you saying just now?"

"Jésus. Même quand tu fais la moue, tu es tellement magnifique. Tu as l'air si irréel. Ha. Même moi je te trouve attirant, et je ne suis même pas gay," Taehyung muttered, smiling so gorgeously at him.

For the love of God, Jin could not understand him at all. Could not understand what he was saying. But his heart still lurched at the sight of him. There seemed to be butterflies fluttering inside his belly.

"I still can't understand you," he pouted some more with his brows furrowed.

Probably in his moment of weakness, Taehyung suddenly reached his hand out to him and pinched Jin's cheek tenderly. He chuckled, "Vous êtes si mignon. Si tu étais une fille, je pourrais tomber amoureuse de toi."

"Yah!" Jin yelped in surprise as he pushed his hand away. "You don't get to speak in French and pinch my cheeks! What did you say?!"

"Nothing," Taehyung mused as he shook his head, grinning. "I just said you're doing great."

"You sure?" Jin's right brow raises, skeptical. "That's kinda long for just a 'You're doing great.'"

Taehyung chuckled to himself, ate his remaining piece of burger, and looked straight ahead as he chewed on his food.

Jin, "You're suspicious."

Taehyung, "Vous êtes beau. Si beau."

Jin paused.

That --- he definitely understood that.

He felt a French Revolt going on inside his heart.

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26th. © JT Starr, 2023.