LET ME TAKE CARE OF YOU

CHAPTER 21: HUNG UP

TAEHYUNG'S POV
It's been awhile since I've seen Jennie. We've been keeping in contact though. I text her and call her whenever I can. Of course I'm the one that initiates it. I don't mind though. I'm just glad that she replies and picks up the phone too.

We've been on tour for a few weeks now and every place we stop at I typically try and get Jennie a souvenir that reminds me of her. Even though she said that she didn't want or need anything, I still felt like getting her stuff. Right now we're at the hotel room waiting and taking a rest before our concert tonight.

I've been really worried about Jennie lately. She didn't attend NYFW. I'm worried because she's not telling me the truth. I can feel that she's lying about something when she's explaining why she's not at NYFW. I just can't pin point what exactly she's lying about and why she is. I just want her to be honest with me and tell me the reason so that I can comfort her if she needs comforting. I don't want her to struggle on her own.

"Hyung! Hyung! Tae hyung!" I heard Jungkook yelling my name.

I walk out of my room and go to the main room. I see Jungkook and the other members staring at J-Hope's phone. They're watching something it looks like.

"I'm going to ask you this again Tae hyung, is Jennie noona and Mino dating?" Jungkook turns to me and asks me.

"No."

"Are you 100% sure?" Jimin asks me.

"Yes."

They all look at each other and they look like they're questioning my answer. What's going on now?

"Just show me what you need to show me," I said to them.

They show me Instagram. Specifically Mino's Instagram account. They played his IG story videos. It looks like he's shooting for a music video. It also looks like a solo music video and not his collaboration music with Bobby and Jennie. It doesn't look like a WINNER music video either.

We get to the final IG story post and it was a picture. It was a picture of a girl covering her eyes but she's smiling. I know that smile. Then I read the caption Mino used. It says, "My Jendeukkie". MY Jendeukkie? MY? What does he mean?

"Taehyung are you okay?" Namjoon hyung asks me.

I didn't reply.

I walked to my room and slammed the door closed. I was furious! Why is it every time I feel like I'm getting closer to Jennie, all of a sudden something comes up and I question my progress again.

I decided to call her.

JENNIE'S POV
I picked up the call.

"Yoboseyo?"

"Jennie, people think I'm probably crazy because I'm crazy for you," Taehyung oppa said to me over the phone.

"What are you on about now?"

"Does it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, I would feel some hurt towards your actions with other men?"

It's times like these where I can't help but roll my eyes at him. Why can't he just say what he means and stop asking rhetorical questions. Or basically questions not meant to be asked by him because he's not my boyfriend!

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't care? Didn't we have a conversation like this already? What exactly is bothering you now?"

"SONG MINO!!! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS WITH SONG MINO?! AND WHY IS HE CALLING YOU HIS JENDEUKKIE?!?! WHY?"

Taehyung oppa was half screaming at me at this point. It really shocked me because he's usually calm. I know he gets frustrated when I talk about Mino oppa but he's my best friend. Plus, I've already clarified with him last time that Mino oppa is a really good friend of mine and I would never want anything to break our friendship apart.

It does bother me that Kim Taehyung just screamed at me. It also kind of scared me because he sounds pretty serious right now.

"KIM JENNIE, ARE YOU GOING TO ANSWER ME OR WHAT?!" He continued.

"Kim Taehyung, why do you always act like a jealous boyfriend?" I asked him. I don't mean to not answer his questions, but I also need to remind him that it's not right for him to act like a jealous boyfriend because he's NOT my boyfriend.

"Jennie, we may not be officially together but I know you know how I feel. You know it bothers me when you're with Mino. You know it bothers me that you have to stay at the studio late at night with him. You know it bothers me when he tries to claim you. It bothers me Kim Jennie! So much! I know I have no right to feel this way because you're not my girlfriend, but the reality is that I still do anyway. I still feel this way. You know what sucks even more? The fact that I like you so much, and every time I feel like I'm getting closer to you something surprises me and instead he's the one getting even closer. You're so far away Jennie. I don't know what to do with myself. I don't know what to do with you. I like you so much that I can't just give up and let you go. I can't just give you to him. I don't know what to do."

I don't know what to say. It bothers me that he feels this way. Am I giving him false hope by replying to his messages and picking up the phone? I don't want him to continue to feel this way if it's just hurting him.

"Taehyung oppa, I'm sorry that you feel that way. You should know that I don't feel the same way as you. I have a dating ban and I have a future to think about. I still have a lot to do and a name to build. I don't want it to get ruined by dating rumors. So please, stop this. Also, Mino oppa is my best friend. He only did that for fun to prove to me that some of his idol friends will text him and ask about me. He was just trying to make some of his male idol friends jealous because they've shown interest in me by asking about me," I explained to him.

"So other idols are trying to date you too? Song Mino is protecting you from them?"

"Is that all you got from my statement?" I roll my eyes at his questions.

"What? You want me to acknowledge the fact that you're trying to shoo me away? It's not happening Kim Jennie. I'm here to stay and I'm here to prove to you that I'm determined to have you. I don't care if you have a dating ban. I understand that you have dreams to achieve, but I believe in BLACKPINK and I believe in you so I know you'll get to where you want to be. I know it. I feel it. It will happen. So don't try and tell me to stop feeling what I'm feeling. I'm not going to listen. I know how I feel and I know that I can make you feel the same way. I also know you're interested Jennie. If you weren't, you wouldn't have picked up my calls or replied to my messages. You're not the type to just let people in, and yet here I am. In your life. I'm already a part of your life and now I have to continue to be a part of it."

Now I really don't know what to tell him. He's so persistent that it almost feels like I'll never get rid of him. He'll always be there.

For some reason that thought is actually very comforting. Kim Taehyung isn't a bad guy, in fact he's a very good guy. He's very thoughtful and sometimes his random outbursts of jealousy makes me feel giddy.

I couldn't handle this feeling anymore. I also didn't know how to reply to him.

So I hung up.