Brighter Days || Taekook

Part 31

Something is up, and Taehyung can't concentrate for days after Namjoon's confession. He's confused. He thinks that Namjoon is confused as well, because when he sat Taehyung down and admitted that the company stopped involving him in Taehyung's case, he looked genuinely worried. It's possible that Namjoon might just be a good actor, but Taehyung's known the rapper for almost a year now, and so far Namjoon has been terrible at acting. That means it's very likely that Namjoon is speaking the truth, and if that's the case then Taehyung is thoroughly confused.

What is he supposed to do now? Confront the boss or other people handling his case? Taehyung scoffs at that thought. As if they'd tell him anything. He's been playing this game for months now, just run along and let the grown-ups handle it. But the grown-ups have handled everything quite terribly so far, so maybe Taehyung should confront them for once.

Practice continues. November days move on, trickling one into another like the raindrops that fall from grey clouds often these days, creating a puddle of unremarkable time past. It gets dark early and Taehyung invests some of his pocket money in a big warm coat, the kind of coat he wished for so many times during his days on the streets. It's not exactly an expensive coat, and it's also not the warmest, but whenever Taehyung slips it on he feels content and gets reminded of just how much his life has changed in a matter of months. Hoseok tells him that he looks good in that coat and Taehyung just brushes it off with a quick thank you. When Jungkook tells him that he looks good in it, Taehyung blushes for two minutes straight, hoping that the younger boy chalks his rosy cheeks up to the cold air.

Sometimes Taehyung meets Jimin in the corridors, and it's still awkward. But they smile at each other now, say hi, ask about each others days, and then they move on. It's not the friendship that Taehyung first found in Jimin and his crinkling eyes and his encouraging smiles, but it's definitely a step into the right direction.

Yoongi and Namjoon, however, are still nagging him and that's not a step in the right direction. Taehyung refuses to tell Namjoon the secret the leader tries so desperately to find out. Sometimes he suspects that Yoongi will tell on him, but it seems as if the oldest rapper has his lips sealed shut. He still urges Taehyung to talk about it, but he keeps his promise of keeping quiet. It's a relieve honestly, because if Yoongi would tell anyone else, Taehyung's trust in him would be irreparably broken. It's all as chaotic and confusing and scary as it's always been, but actually Taehyung wouldn't want to have it any other way. How boring would his life be if none of his problems kept him on his toes? What would he do with all the spare hours he wouldn't spend on worrying about all of this? However, he'd still really love to know about what's going on with Mr. Kim and Namjoon's sudden exclusion from the planning and plotting. Something about it just seems so very wrong.

It's a Tuesday night and Taehyung can't sleep. He's been tossing and turning for over an hour now, eyes squeezed shut and muscles exhausted, but he stays awake regardless. Namjoon's snoring doesn't help with the situation either. When the clock above Jungkook's mattress signals 1 a.m., Taehyung gives up and climbs down the ladder of his bunk bed to sneak out. He puts on his shoes and shrugs on his warm jacket and is about to leave the flat when a voice behind him makes him jump.

"Where are you planning to go so late at night?"

It's Jin, hair tousled and tired-looking, yet still beautiful with his sleepy look and wrinkled clothes. Taehyung envies him. He wishes that he could look as good rolling straight out of bed. It's a new occurrence that Jin stays over more often than not, cooking for the band and driving Jungkook to school at morning. Taehyung thinks that maybe Jin's prolonged stays are a sign that their debut nears, but that's impossible. He knows their debut won't happen as long as his situation isn't sorted out, but it's still nice to have Jin around. He brings a different dynamic to their dorm, and for once the kitchen looks cleaner and doesn't smell of burnt food quite as much as it used to.