This is wrong. This is not right.
This is what Taehyung tells himself as he tugs a jean jacket over his shoulders and a snapback over his head. He promised to meet her at their local Starbucks fifteen minutes from now, but Taehyung isn't so sure he can do this.
He forces his legs to take him outside, into his car, where he stares blankly out the window. It takes seven minutes to get to Starbucks, and he's got ten minutes before their meeting.
"You can do this, Tae." he tells himself aloud. "It's not a date. Treat her as a friend, and don't hurt her."
Part of him already knows he's going to hurt her, just by suggesting they meet up, but the other part of him wants to get to know her so he can make sure Freya is okay. It's so wrong, and even thinking about his rationale for doing this makes Taehyung hate himself all the more.
He has two minutes to spare when he steps inside the cafe, the warm aroma of coffee and sugar engulfing him. He's here first, and he takes a seat near the window, waiting anxiously for Irene to arrive.
"Hey." he hears, and he looks up from his phone to find Irene smiling down at him. She's wearing a yellow summer dress with sandals, accentuating her tan skin tone and her long hair. She's beautiful, but Taehyung's heart doesn't speed like it does in Freya's presence.
"Hi." he replies, nudging his head ever so slightly encouraging her to sit.
"Hope I haven't kept you waiting too long. I was stuck in class."
"It's fine. I just got here."
"So."
He looks at her. "So."
She looks so different in this state; sober, for one. And serious, unlike her giggly self last night.
"You already know how I feel, Taehyung." she says finally, so softly as if it was only an afterthought. "I know you didn't even notice me until last night, but we've actually had three classes together before."
At her words, Taehyung feels a fresh pang of guilt.
"Irene, I'm really sorry."
She smiles, but her expression is pained. "No. I guess it was my fault. I never went out of my way to make myself known to you anyway."
He wants to reach out and take her hand, as if it'll make her feel any better, but he decides against it. He's here to be friends.
When he doesn't speak, she continues. "Until last night. I didn't even realize we spoke last night until I woke this morning and all those memories of last night flooded back into my head. I wanted to hide in a hole after I realized what a fool I make out of myself in front of you. I didn't even know Freya had your number until I saw her texting you before class."
"I didn't know she had my number either. I guess my friend gave it to her."
"She likes you, you know." Irene says, a sad smile on her face. "She was smiling all through lecture when she really hasn't been smiling much these days."
Taehyung opens his mouth to ask Irene why?, but stops short. He tugs on his bottom lip instead, wondering how to go about with their conversation.
"Your boy likes Freya, doesn't he?" Irene says.
Taehyung blinks. "Who?"
She rolls her eyes, almost seeming annoyed. "Jeon Jungkook. Based on what I hear from Freya, anyway. He likes her, doesn't he? He and Freya chat a lot, and they walk to class together at times, but." Irene looks at him. "But she doesn't like him that way."
Taehyung expels a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "He does like her. More than I'd originally thought he did."
Irene laughs, a bitter laugh that tastes a lot like the black coffee in his hand. "Fuck. Everyone likes Freya, and here I am, the sidekick playing cupid."
"No, Irene, it's not like that." Taehyung says. "Listen, I'd love to go out with you again. Just - just as friends."
"Maybe, if Freya texts you again, you can go on a coffee date with her instead." she replies with a bittersweet smile.
Irene leaves fifteen minutes later, but not before asking for Taehyung's number and giving his hand a long, genuine squeeze that's a subtle gesture for thank you.
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can u believe i jsut realized i forgot to insert this WHOLE chapter until like three months later
lmao im an idiot
