windfall || k.th

10

"I did what?" Taehyung squints his eyes at Namjoon's words, his mind trying to process them in his drowsy state.

"You messed up." Namjoon shakes his head in disapproval, biting on his lower lip. "She looks really shaken up. You have to apologize to her."

"Enough nagging, Joon. He needs rest." Yoongi, who stands with his arms crossed, heaves a tired sigh. Namjoon shakes his head, "No. Taehyung, you already know what happens when you drink chocolate. I know you're tired, but you shouldn't give in to temptation. And plus, sweet drinks are bad for your health."

"Ah, hyung. My head hurts." Taehyung groans and Yoongi glares at him, "You deserve it, traumatizing the coffee stain girl like that."

Taehyung winces as he feels another pang headache. Suddenly, his memories come flooding back to him.

"I said I love you. Didn't you hear me? I said I love you!"

Then, he remembers the look on Hyunji's face. She wasn't happy like how she would be in his imagination. She didn't cry and hug him tightly as she did in his dreams.

She was terrified.

"Hyung, what did I do?" Taehyung whispers, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I hurt her again, didn't I?"

Yoongi and Namjoon look at each other, each with a look of uncertainty on their faces. They know what this is about. They know about her picture, about the necklace he never got to give her, still placed in its slightly worn-out box in his desk drawer. They've seen those multiple times. Yoongi gives Namjoon a look, and the latter turns to Taehyung.

"Taehyung-" He starts, but he is cut off by the younger's abrupt motion. He stood up and, ignoring the looks the males are giving him, walks out and leaves the building.

Taehyung doesn't know what to do or where he's going. He's a mess. He was yelling at her. She was struggling against him. He told her he loves her. She cried. She looked scared. She was afraid of him. She was shaking.

And he's the monster once again.

-

"Taetae, I need to tell you something," Hyunji muttered nervously, her fingers fidgeting. Taehyung, who was still munching on his store-bought onigiri, responds with his mouth full, "Yeah?"

Seeing Taehyung give her an urging but reassuring smile only gave her second thoughts. The line of thoughts in her head was stuck in her throat; she was afraid of hurting him. 

"Go on." Taehyung, his mouth now free of food, said with widened eyes. Hyunji's uneasy form had raised the curiosity in him. Hyunji felt uncomfortable, but he had to know. She can't, won't, allow him to wind up getting hurt. 

"Chae Eun is toying with you!"

As she had expected, Taehyung's face dropped. His cheerful expression turned almost immediately into a slight frown. "Hyunnie, that's not a very nice thing to say."

"Tae, I know you like her, but she's just using you. I've heard her! I heard her laugh about how foolish you are with her friends, how you're like a walking atm! Taehyung, listen to me just once, just this once! She's not who you think she is, she's-"

"Hyunji, I know you never liked her in the first place, but please don't talk about her like that." Taehyung's face was blank as he spoke, and Hyunji had never felt more desperate than at that moment. However, the corner of Taehyung's lips had unexpectedly lifted into a smirk just a few seconds later.

"You're not by any chance jealous of her, are you?" Taehyung was amused. Chae Eun was the sweetest person he had known, there's no way she's the kind of girl his best friend had just described to him. And Hyunji was never the type who'd trash talk other people just for the fun of it either. Unless, of course, it was because she had been sulking about him spending less time with her. 

"Tae, I'm being serious!" Hyunji groaned in what was supposed to be exasperation, but Taehyung had not failed to notice the blush creeping up her cheeks. 

"There's no need to be jealous, Hyunnie." He smiled and reached out to hold onto her shoulders, "There will always be a place for you in my heart." He said, and he meant every single word. 

"Taehyung, please!" Taehyung didn't expect her to push his hands away. The soft smile on his lips dropped. "You have to break up with her! You need to-"

"That's enough!" Now, anger is now bubbling up in him. Just what was her problem? 

"She's my girlfriend, Hyunji! Stop talking about her like you're talking about some foul creature! You know how I feel about her, stop trying to strip away my happiness!  Just stop being such a bitch altogether, will you?!" Taehyung didn't realize he was shouting until he saw tears in her eyes. He felt guilt rise in his chest. 

"Just... stop talking about her like that." He mutters, and without looking up at her again, he walks away. 

He didn't see her in school the next day.

-

"Hey, hey! Watch out!" Taehyung wakes up from his trance at a loud honk and a hand on his arm, yanking him away from the road as a car speeds by. Goosebumps rose on his skin as he realizes that he almost got killed. 

"Are you alright?" A male voice rings from his right. His savior is a well-dressed, raven-haired man slightly shorter than himself. The man's face is as pale as his own, he probably hasn't recovered from the shock himself.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." Taehyung blinks, and later says, "I'm sorry. You must've been surprised."

"Ah, yes, a little. Um, you should probably be more careful next time." Taehyung nods and thank him with a small smile. The man smiles back and was just about to walk away when Taehyung holds onto his shoulder to stop him, "You're not really thinking that I'm going to just let you walk away when you've just saved my life, are you?"

"Ah, it's not a big deal, anyone would've done it!" The man looks flustered and surprised at the same time. Taehyung pats him gently on his shoulder with a grin, "Let me treat you to coffee, at least."

"Oh, no sir, it's fine! You don't have to-"

"I insist." Taehyung cuts him off. "You know any cafes around here?"

"Uh, yes. There's one down the street." 

"Let's go then." Taehyung turns to walk to the café but stops when the male calls out to him again, saying that he needed to go get his car first. Taehyung gives him a small nod and says, "I'll be waiting there."

As he makes his way to the café, he tries not to let his earlier thoughts cloud his mind again. It was difficult, however, after what he had done earlier that day. That look on her face is going to haunt him forever.

The walk to the café was fairly short. The café stood out from the other stores because of its cozy look and atmosphere; it's the type of place you'd want to stay in for hours. Taehyung pushes the door and enters absent-mindedly, the ringing of doorbells sound above his head as he does so.

A barista rushes to counter before him, a wide smile on the male's face. "Hello, welcome to Coffee Lab! How can I help you?"

"An espresso, please."

"Alright. That'll be 3,000 Won." Taehyung hands him the money, and the barista thanks him. Before he could receive his change, however, a hand grabbed onto his arm and swung him around. And before he could register what happened, his face was met with a fist.