AFTERTASTE. | J. JK

C

"We all have our own secrets, don't we?"

"Yeah, but, what do you mean with that?"

"Well, I mean that doesn't matter how much you might trust, care for someone, there will always be things you'll will always keep for yourself, things that maybe you aren't ready to share, and, probably you'll never be."

"So, you won't tell me why you've been drinking only orange juice because you aren't ready to share the reason with me? I mean I get it, you don't have to but I just thought it was funny—"

"Do you think I'm stupid, Yoongi?"

"What—? No. What is this all about, Steph, you got me confused."

"I know about it, Yoongi. Y/N told me, I know about it."

"Okay? I still don't understand it. What did she tell you?"

"Don't play the fool, please, it hurts me. You know what I'm talking about, it is exactly what you are thinking. And, it has been forever since I wanted to let you know because you seemed to think I didn't know what went on, but I do, at least, some parts of it. I won't talk about it, if you don't want to; I'm won't judge you either because, I don't know the background of your situation and, that seems unfair. But, I'll tell you this, you can despise me all you want, call me a hypocritical, call me naïve but, there is good inside of you, a lot more than you may think. It's unfortunate, this whole situation, however, I want you to know I still see you as a friend and, I care about you. 

You've been there for when I needed and, for that, I'm forever grateful."

*************************************************

"You sure it's here?" He twisted the key on the ignition, turning off the engine and unbuckling his belt. Baek stretched to the backseat of the car to catch the couple files he had brought along and reread the address given to them.

"Yeah, looks like it." He looked up at the tight street filled with two-floor apartment buildings, aged and dirty-white, a few untasteful graffities drawings along the way surrounded by , in the deep middle of the city outskirts. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this."

"You'll learn how to handle it, with time it somehow gets easier but, we can never predict someone's reaction in situations like these." Nam closed the door of the car – Baek's – and strode towards the small apartment building before them, rubbing numb hands against each other and, stuffing them inside his coat pockets. October was almost over and cold already resounded through his bones. "I have no joy in doing this either."

They went up the outdoor stairs and waited for a response after knocking the door two stiff times. The younger man couldn't stay quiet in his position in front of such a rude looking metal door, his body obliviously twisting from side to side, trying to lessen the cold that pierced right through his skin and froze the very tip of his nose. Nam only rolled his eyes, patiently, impatiently, waiting for someone to answer them until the point he was about to knock a second time but then, the door flew open and female figure came into view.

"What do you want?" The woman, probably a little older than Nam, sounded as tired as the eyebags under her eyes portrayed her to be. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly when they showed their batches but, she hadn't looked surprised or, perhaps, frightened in the ways the inspector had predicted when they asked if she was Choi Naeun. He had asked it if it was okay to go inside, a cold morning, he had added too and with an unwilling sigh, the woman, opened the door only enough for the two bodies to come inside once at a time.

Inside, it wasn't as cold but, Baek was sure that even with the broken heating, his car still felt warmer than this. 

28.10.25