KIM TAEHYUNG | taehyung x irina

two

The wall clock in my office read 3pm. The most boring hour of the day. I sat down at my recliner, leaning my back against it, closing my eyes and waiting for something to happen. My thoughts were just beginning to wander back to her when two knocks came on my office door and in came my assistant, Cherie.

"There's a call for you, Mr. Kim." She meekly stated. "It's on line one."

"Thank you, Cherie. And didn't I tell you to just call me, Taehyung?" I smiled as I stood up, walking towards my table to get the phone. I nodded at my assistant and she immediately excused herself. "This is Taehyung speaking."

"Mr. Taehyung! Thank goodness, I finally reached you! I'm the coordinator of the gallery where your exhibits are going to be displayed." I hummed as he explained some unimportant things throughout our telephone conversation, "When are you going to send in your collection for the exhibit?"

"I'm still choosing which photos to include. I'm going to personally deliver them myself so don't worry." I told him, "I'll call you when I'm done with them."

I placed the receiver down and opened my computer, staring at the photos I gathered for the exhibit. It just feels all wrong. It lacks something but I don't know what. Frustrated, I decided to step out for a bit. I got my bag, threw in my phone and my laptop, planning to do some work at the cafe I frequented nearby. With my hands in my pocket, I headed out. The warm sun hitting my skin as I was on my way to the cafe. The weather wasn't that cold today, nor was it warm, just perfect for a walk.

I entered the place and immediately took notice of her. It must be fate by now. A smile grew on my face as I began to walk in her direction, but then I realized that she was with somebody else. A middle aged man, probably in his 50s, married. They were talking about something serious. I could tell just by the heavily burdened look on her face.

The man offered her a box that looked like something expensive and she refused it. Persistently, the man begged for her to stay and reconsider but she didn't want to take the gift. She was going to leave and I stepped back to hide from her but then a woman came rushing past me and towards the two them, "I knew it. You disgusting woman! Get away from my husband!"

The woman dragged her by her hair and she fell on the floor. What the fuck is happening? People were staring and talking but she just stayed there, frozen on the floor while this woman cursed at her and hit her head. The man was holding back his wife, getting beaten by her at the same time.

"You disgraceful girl! Why can't you look at me?" The woman said bewilderedly, as his husband pulled her back, "I knew you were seducing my husband! Don't try to deny it! You're meeting up with him secretly behind my back, you bitch! Do you know how much you ruined my family?"

The woman got loose from his husband's hold and went for her again, grabbing the vase nearest to her and raising her arms to throw it at her helpless figure. I broke into a run and reached her in time, pulling her against my chest. My back took the impact and tiny shards of glass scattered around, one of them grazed my face and created a cut.

Only when she saw the bleeding cut on my face did the woman finally calmed down. She gasped, unable to speak at the moment as I helped her to stand on her feet, her face buried in my chest, hiding her from their judgmental stares. The onlookers' whispers grew loud at the sight of my face.

"Apologize to her." I told the woman sternly.

"Why would I do that? She had an affair with my husband!" The woman countered.

"You don't even have proof to accuse her of anything." I said, her grip tightened on my forearm as she told me to stop.

"What more proof do you want? I saw her accepting gifts from my husband just now." She said, pointing her finger at the girl in holding my hand. "That woman took the money that was supposed to be my child's hospital fees."

"She didn't take anything." Was my defense, I held her close and glared at the pathetic man she so called as her husband, "Tell your wife what really happened. That you came onto her. She didn't want to accept anything but you insisted on it. Tell her that you're just a cheating bastard and that this girl has nothing to do with someone like you."

The man couldn't face his wife in shame and embarrassment. I turned my attention to the woman again and told her, "Apologize to her right now or we're going to sue you for defamation."

She nervously looked around and noticed the people who were watching the trouble she made. Then the woman grabbed her husband and dragged him out along with her. Soon, I escorted the silent girl out of there too, out of the eyes of those people who had nothing else better to do. There was a convenient store at the corner of the street so I took her there in the meantime.

I got myself some bandaids and antiseptics from a nearby pharmacy to clean my cut. My clothes were also wet as I sat down across her. She still wasn't talking and I let her keep her silence. She's entitled to it. I let her decide whether she wants to tell me the reason or not. Either way, I'm fine with not hearing an explanation. I just wished she would talk to me.

I checked the cut from the mirror that I bought, wincing slightly as I cleansed it with a wet tissue soaked in antiseptic solution. Her hand snatched the tissue from me and started to clean my cut for me instead, her fingers touching my face. I winced again when she put some ointment and then softly blew on it to lessen the stinging before placing a bandaid over it.

"Nobody told you to save me. I didn't want your help. Or did you want me to think of you as my savior or something? Did you want me to think you're cool?" She spoke coldly and straightforward to the point. I was worried because she didn't even shed tears after that. "Why did you put yourself before me? What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know. You tell me." I replied in a monotone.

"Don't ever do that again. You don't want to get involved with me and I don't want you to be." She said and sighed before she stood up, planning to leave. "My life is messed up as it is already."

I held her wrist and sat her back down again, "Stay."

She yanked her am back from my grip and then laughed in disbelief, "Oh, now I get it. Because you saved my already shredded reputation back there, I have to be grateful and obey whatever you say from now on."

"It's not like that. I just want you to stay." I gazed softly at the hard look on her face. "I'm not asking you for anything. I don't need to know. It's not my business but please, stay."

"For what?" She asked, her mood was still foul.

"Inspiration." I flashed her a weak smile, "All you have to do is sit there while I do my work."

I hid a smile all the while. She didn't talk but she stayed like I asked. We spent the whole afternoon inside a convenience store, cups of instant coffee decorated our table but she still looked pretty. I used to only feel this around Mara but now, there's this new feeling arising from my chest. I'm confused.

Can I like her? I wish I could just fall for her, maybe I am falling for her already.

When she wasn't looking, I held my camera up and took her picture without her consent. It was supposed to be just a single picture but I couldn't stop. I keep stealing more and more when she fell asleep, her arm cushioned her cheek. I leaned down and leveled my face with hers, watching her sleep. I took my camera again and aimed it at her serene face, capturing a masterpiece for my collection.

I smiled as I took the last picture from a different angle and mumbled under my breath, "Perfect."