THE TRANSFER STUDENT

The Prom, Pt. 5

"Not gonna lie, Taehyung," Jisoo pursed her lips, trying hard not to laugh. "I was expecting something big, but your secret is really kind of... lame."

Taehyung who was smiling, furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"I knew it all along," Jisoo grinned. "I even kind of told Jieun."

"What?!" Taehyung shrieked, before realising that he was actually in a hotel lobby. "What?"

"But it didn't go in," Jisoo continued. "She brushed me off. Didn't believe me. Said you were definitely in love with Jennie. Yoojung said the same thing."

"What?!" Taehyung frowned. "I've long gotten over Jennie, I've literally been struggling with my crush on her all this while-" Taehyung paused to think. "But well, I guess it's a good thing she doesn't know."

"Why?" Jisoo frowned. "If you like a person, wouldn't you want her to know about it? I mean- that time when you liked Jennie, you literally followed her around all the time-"

"No, I didn't-" Taehyung scoffed. "Don't accuse me of something I didn't do-"

"Really, Taehyung?" Jisoo raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. I did follow her around... a little bit. But Jieun's case is different."

"Why?"

"Um..." Taehyung pursed his lips. "Because I don't plan on confessing my feelings to Jieun."

Jisoo frowned. "Huh?"

"Yeah, I don't," Taehyung laughed. "I plan to just keep my feelings to myself."

"Why though? If you like a person, why would you keep your feelings to yourself?"

"Because... I see the bigger picture." Taehyung said solemnly. "Jungkook likes her too, so... I don't want to get in their way."

"That's... a weird way of thinking," Jisoo frowned. "If you really like a person, why wouldn't you wanna go all the way for him- I mean, her?"

"Because some things matter more than my feelings," Taehyung sighed. "Jieun likes Jungkook, not me. So if I don't stand a chance, why ruin their happiness?"

"Well..."

"This may just be my own thinking but-" Taehyung said lightheartedly. "I think that really liking someone means that you'd want to do all you can to make her happy, even if it means sacrificing your happiness in the process."

Jisoo stared into space, obviously pondering hard on what Taehyung had just said.

"Yeah, so that's it," Taehyung laughed. "That's my secret. I'm just trying hard to get over her now, it'll probably take a while, like how it did with Jennie. And it'll probably hurt, a whole lot. But it's worth it, if it means I can see two of my best friends happy together."

Jisoo stared at Taehyung for a while, not uttering a word.

Taehyung smiled. "What?"

"Nothing," Jisoo bit her lower lip. "I just think... you're an amazing person."

Taehyung laughed. "Really?"

"To be able to think that way..." Jisoo's voice trailed off.

To be honest, she wished she could think that way, too. Her relationship with Seokjin was evidently hurting everyone - Seokjin, Byulyi... even herself. She knew that so many people was suffering from her selfishness... why couldn't she just let go?

"So..." Taehyung continued cautiously. "I told you my secret, what's yours?"

Jisoo felt embarrassed. Her story was embarrassing compared to his. He was talking all about self-sacrifice when it came to loving someone, but Jisoo couldn't do it. She was selfish. She wanted him so bad that she really was... putting her happiness over his.

Jisoo swallowed hard. "I really suck."

Taehyung frowned. "Why would you say that?"

"I don't love Seokjin at all," Jisoo realised all of a sudden. "The person I love most is myself. All this while, I have been making excuses for everything I've done, saying that it is all for Seokjin's sake..."

Taehyung watched her silently, not uttering a single word.

"But that's not true. All this while, I-" Jisoo's voice cracked. "I was only thinking about myself."