The Taste of Tears (VFany Fanfiction)

Chapter 9

Taehyung sat on a park bench. He should have been really happy since Tiffany was sitting beside him. The warm wind of the night gently touched his cheek. But why can’t he even fake a smile?

Tiffany noticed Taehyung’s silence. She was curious. Taehyung didn’t use to be gloomy like this.

“What are you thinking about?” Tiffany asked.

Taehyung looked at her. Tiffany’s beautiful face is unblemished. So this is the face of an angel? Taehyung silently smiled. “Do you have to work at that club? Don’t you want to quit?”

Tiffany looked away. She stared at the night sky. “Why?”

“That club isn’t a good place for you.”

Tiffany sighed, she glanced at Taehyung. “Can you stop working for your boss and have a better job?”

Taehyung was aghast hearing Tiffany’s question. He felt really sad.

“You can’t, can you?” Tiffany smiled painfully. She understood Taehyung just the way he understood her. She realized that they were just puppets in this big world. They were just two small boats that floated and sailed wherever the current took them.

   There was a long silence between the two. Tiffany knew there was something bothering Taehyung’s mind, and she was waiting for that man to outpour it to her.

Taehyung took a deep breath. Ready or not, he had to tell Tiffany. How he wished they were in another situation right now. After two or three glimpses, Taehyung finally opened his mouth.

“Jungkook is in XX Club right now.” He looked at Tiffany. “Jungkook took some men to collect your boss’ debt. And uh… they might try to scare everybody there….”

It took exactly three seconds for Tiffany to digest every word that came out of Taehyung’s lips.

“Wh-what…?” Tiffany looked so rattled. “Are they… are they gonna ruffle it the way you did the last time? Is that why you asked me not to go to the club tonight?” Tiffany’s voice rose in anger with each word she said. Tiffany glowered at Taehyung.

After a few seconds, Taehyung finally said, “yes…”

Tiffany was completely infuriated. “But Taeyeon is there! She’s working right now!” Tiffany sprang out of the bench.

Taehyung promptly held Tiffany’s hand. “I’m sorry… I-I can’t do anything about it.”

“Do you realize how selfish you are now?” Tiffany’s eyes are as cold as an ice. “You don’t want me to get hurt…, but do you think I will be happy if your friends hurt Taeyeon?”

“I don’t think Jungkook will hurt Taeyeon….”

“So why didn’t you let me work tonight? You didn’t want me to get hurt, right?” Tiffany scorned. She let go off Taehyung’s hand. “I gotta go to see Taeyeon!”
“Fany-ah, wait!”

……………………………………………….

Tiffany would never forget the scene she saw that night. She gasped when she found Taeyeon sitting on the ground outside the club like a damaged puppet. Her head leaned against the wall. The flashing of colorful neon lights obscured her face. Tiffany almost felt like she was having a heart attack.

“Taeyeon!” She rushed to kneel before her. “Are you all right? Did they… did they hurt you?” Tiffany lifted Taeyeon’s face. She bit her lips when she saw bruises all over her best friend’s pretty face and her ripped clothes. Her lips bled. “Who did this to you, Tae?” Tiffany could feel tears were running down her cheeks.

“They destroyed everything….” Taeyeon looked as if she was mumbling. Then her eyes moved to meet Tiffany’s eyes. Those eyes seemed to lose half of their glow. They seemed to be completely opaque.

“Mianhae, Taeyeon-ah, mianhae jongmal…. I shouldn’t have let you work alone….” Tiffany burst into tears.

“Taeyeon-ssi….” Taehyung panted. He arrived five minutes later. “Did they…, did my friends hurt you?” Taehyung stood there like a broken statue. He gulped, but his throat was as dry as a dead leaf.

“What do you care?” Taeyeon glanced at him. Taehyung felt as if someone had just stabbed him with a knife. Even with the obscurity of the shadow around them, he could still see clearly that Taeyeon wasn’t alright. She had blood on her lips and her clothes were torn. Taehyung knew one of his friends had hurt this woman severely. He hoped it wasn’t Jungkook.

“I’m really sorry….” Taehyung look at the ground. He was too ashamed to even look at those women. He clenched his hands tightly.

“No need to be sorry, it’s useless.” Taeyeon stared at Taehyung. Her voice sounded so bland as if she was talking to herself. “Your friends just did what they had been told, right?”

“I… I….” Taehyung gulped for so many times. It felt as if he had just swallowed a toad.

“Taehyung-ssi, I don’t know whether you’re a bad guy or a good guy, but we both know that you’ll only bring troubles to Tiffany.” Taeyeon got up. She ignored the pain all over her body. Tiffany instantly slid her hands behind Taeyeon’s back to support her.

“Taeyeon-ah… It’s nothing like that.” Tiffany didn’t understand why Taeyeon’s words were so painful to her ears.

“Fany-ah…, let’s go home.” Taeyeon tottered leaving the empty XX club front yard.

“Wait…,” Tiffany stopped, “there’s something I want to say to Taehyung…..”

Tiffany turned her head where Taehyung was standing, but her gaze avoided him.

“I can’t see you anymore, Taehyung-ssi. Please don’t come to me ever again.” Her heart felt so cold as if she was standing in the middle of winter.

“Fany-ah!” Taehyung was perturbed.

“I thought we could be friends… But I was wrong. We’re standing on two opposite lanes that will never come across.”

“You don’t mean what you’re saying, right?” Taehyung shook his head.

“I hope you’ll lead a better life, Kim Taehyung-ssi….”

Tiffany held onto Taeyeon’s arms. The night was so cold and dark, so was her heart. “Taeyeon-ah, let’s go home.”[]