𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙚 || 𝙏𝙖𝙚𝙝𝙮𝙪𝙣𝙜

Chapter 8: lie and secret

Taehyung pov :

I'm lying there, shifting around, trying to make myself fit. Seriously, why is there so little space? I stretch out my legs, but they bump into something soft and solid. I give it another go. What's snuggled up against my feets? I can't help but groan. Where did this wall come from on my bed? Did Jennie pull another one of her annoying pranks on me? I swear...

"Hey, Mr. Kim, you might want to quit kicking the couch arm. It won't vanish just because you kick it," she says. I spin around, and bam, I tumble right off the couch. My eyes pop open in shock. Oh, great. I dozed off in the office.

Ouch, that hurt, I grunt, sitting up on the floor and rubbing my elbow.

"Tsk tsk, Mr. Kim, always a bit on the clumsy side, huh?" Her voice is all dripping with sarcasm. I glance up, and there she is by the door, arms folded.

"I had no idea you kicked like a baby in your sleep," she teases, a smirk playing on her lips. Man, she's got this amused look that makes my face burn up.

She struts over and plops down on the couch edge. "You're probably still not gonna talk to me, right, Mr. Kim?" I bite my lip, trying to hold back a grin. First, I couldn't say a word, but now it's been over ten hours. I can talk, but then I remember how ticked off she gets when I go all silent treatment on her. It's kinda fun messing with Alice Kim when I get the chance. Never gonna miss that.

"Heh, fine then," she drawls, leaning in. "If you've finished up your work, I guess your quiet streak doesn't bother me. Actually makes things kinda peaceful."

She reaches over and grabs the laptop from the coffee table. Dread washes over me. Oh no, I haven't finished reviewing those files. She might just kick me outta here. So, what now? I wait, holding my breath, for anything, but whoa, she actually looks kinda satisfied. She's went through the laptop, checking stuff out with this thoughtful expression.

"Alright, Mr. Kim, I'll give you this one. You managed a task without any chaos. Not bad," she comments, and I'm all confused, eyebrows scrunched up.

She puts the laptop back and stands up, heading to her chair behind the desk. I haul myself up and slump back onto the couch, grabbing the laptop. I'm curious, okay? I open it up, and holy smokes, I'm blown away. There are reviews for ten files in there. But wait, I swear I only tackled seven. Where'd these extra three come from? I look it over a couple more times, just to be sure I'm not seeing things. And I'm not. They're real.

"Mr. Kim, it's time to head out, get up." I blinked, my gaze wandering across the room to see her grabbing her bag and making her way towards the door. I glanced at my wristwatch, confirming that, indeed, working hours had passed.

Maybe I don't remember finishing the work because I dozed off.

I trailed about five steps behind her as we exited the building. It was a bit past 7 pm, and outside was getting dark and a tad chilly. It was August, the rainy month.

She paused and turned to me, saying, "Wait here." Then she corrected herself, "Sorry, wait. Mr. Kim, you're coming along." Confusion knitted my brows, and I wanted to ask where, but then I remembered my "silent" strategy. She didn't wait for my agreement, and in under a minute, her car pulled up beside me.

The window rolled down as she spoke, "Hop in, Mr. Kim." I followed her directive.

During the ride, there wasn't much conversation for two reasons: first, she only talked when necessary, and second, I wasn't really planning to answer anyway.

After a solid thirty-minute ride, the car finally stopped at a distant spot on the city outskirts. Gazing out the window, I could see the area was quiet and deserted. She stepped out and shut the door, then moved around to my side.