Moonlight | Kim Taehyung

38: Taehyung

Luna ends up going back home with her mum and so I get back to work at the counter. Anthony looks at me with an amused expression with his eyebrows raised.

"Wow..." he says as he observes me. "Nothing this interesting or intense has ever happened at the cafe."

I shrug nonchalantly as I start brewing a cup of latte for a lady sitting by the window, "Well, this happens to me all the time... ever since Haneul's passing and ever since I met Luna."

"By the way, everyone is staring at you right now," Anthony adds before taking a slice of cake to a couple sitting at a booth.

I look up and notice that Anthony is right as many customers are indeed gaping at me, probably astonished by what just happened between Luna, her mum and I. I suppose it's true that nothing as extraordinary or entertaining as our interaction with one another has ever happened at the cafe.

When the bell caused by the opening of the cafe's door rings, everyone snaps back to reality and carries on with their own business. I look up to see Aurora and Jimin walk towards me. Jimin waves at me enthusiastically as Aurora timidly walks behind him. He rests his elbows on the counter and rests his chin on his hands.

"Hey," he says. "I'm going to have an espresso and she'll have a caramel macchiato."

I nod and turn to brew the coffee when they make their way to a booth to take a seat. I'm confused as to why they're here at a time like this. Doesn't Aurora need to go to school? Is she skipping school like Luna is?

Once their drinks are ready, I bring them over to Jimin and Aurora who are quietly chatting amongst themselves. They're both smiling as they talk, which I assume is because Jimin had managed to calm her down and make her think about something less stressing then what happened the other day.

"Taehyung..." Aurora looks up at me and says softly. "Look... I... I'm sorry... I hope we can move on from what happened... and I hope you can forgive me. It's just... it's just that I couldn't control my emotions and I couldn't control my feelings I have for you... but after talking to Jimin, I kind of understand things better... I understand that I can never be with you. But, I hope we can still be friends. I don't need you to be anything more than that."

I nod as she says that. I do want to forgive her and I do want to continue being friends with her, but it's not that easy. After all, she hurt Luna. She messed with Luna's heart and her emotions. The words she said to Luna affected her more than she imagined. So her saying sorry to me doesn't really make up for what happened.

She looks at me with sad, guilty eyes as she awaits for my response. I glance at Jimin who's giving me an encouraging smile, as if persuading me to forgive Aurora. Maybe I should forgive her, I mean she stood by my side and comforted me on the day of Haneul's funeral and she was the one who helped me get back to my apartment when I got drunk with Jungkook and Jimin. On top of that, even though it was just an accident, I was the one who kissed her, and that unintentional kiss was the catalyst for her feelings towards me. So I suppose it was kinda my fault that she likes me as more than a friend.

After a minute of contemplation, I sigh and eventually say, "Okay... I forgive you. But, I'm not the only one you have to apologise to. I can only fully forgive you and see you as a friend only if you apologise to Luna and she forgives you. It's her that you hurt the most and caused stress to anyways, not me."

"Of course I want to apologise to her and gain her forgiveness... but I don't how to," she replies with a sigh and hangs her head down low as she plays with the edge of the coffee cup. "I know that I hurt her and she's feeling extremely upset and furious at me. Even I'm frustrated with myself. I don't how I managed to say such hurtful words to her... I hate myself for the horrible things I've said to her, and I feel as if I deserve to lose her as a friend. She's too kind and too nice for me. I don't deserve to have someone like her as a friend."

"Aurora..." Jimin begins to say and holds onto her hand. "Maybe you feel as if you don't deserve her as a friend, but she needs you. She needs a female friend to gossip and talk to. Someone besides Taehyung or Jungkook and I."

Aurora nods her head slowly and a small smiles spread onto her face, "You're right... she does need a friend and I would love to have her back as a friend... she doesn't deserve to be lonely at school or to be hated by Min Hera who doesn't even fully know her... though I guess I don't fully know her either... she has been there for me when I was struggling with the situation between my biological and adoptive parents... but I was never there for her when she suffered..."

"That can change," I say. "Apologise to her and talk to her, and eventually you two can be friends again. Support her and be there for her, and she'll learn to trust you and she'll open up to you."

Aurora seems to have gained back some confidence and enthusiasm as she sits up straight and looks up at me to say, "Thank you, Taehyung. I'll talk to her when I see her at school tomorrow."

That makes me think back to why Aurora isn't at school right now, so I ask her why and she replies, "Oh... umm... I just wasn't feeling well enough to be at school... and I... I umm... I'm afraid of seeing Luna. I don't know what to do if I see her..."

"Well, she didn't go to school today either," I say. "She was here a few minutes before you guys came actually."

"Oh?" Aurora replies in astonishment. "Luckily we didn't come earlier then..."

Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder and I hear a cough. I turn to see Anthony looking at me with a slight frown on his face and I feel my cheeks flush in embarrassment as I scurry back to the counter and get back to work.

"Did you forgot you're supposed to be working right now? You've been distracted by your friends quite a few times already today," Anthony says and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Sorry..." I reply and quickly attend to the customers who are entering the cafe. "I'll work for a couple of hours longer to make up for it then."

"That would be helpful, but it's okay," Anthony says. "I know it's been a rough week for you, so I forgive you."

"Thanks, Anthony," I reply and he pats my shoulder, then starts brewing some coffee for the elderly couple sitting by the window.

---

About an hour later, it's time for my lunch break, so I join Jimin and Aurora for lunch at a small restaurant nearby.

They seem to be getting along well with each other as they sit beside each other and Jimin has an arm wrapped around her shoulders. I raise my eyebrows at Jimin and he just winks at me when I take a seat opposite them.

"You two seem to be cosying up to each other quite quickly," I say as I observe them.

"It's nothing like that..." she defends even though I know she's lying as her face begins to redden and she bites onto her lower lip whilst glancing up at Jimin.

Jimin chuckles and shrugs, "Well, we've spent the entire morning together, so its only natural that we're getting comfortable with each other. And I'm not against being more than friends with her..."

Jimin winks once again, this time at Aurora, which makes her blush and squirm in her seat nervously, "I...umm... I... I wouldn't mind either..."

"Oh?" Jimin seems surprised by her answer and he looks up at me to see my reaction, then turns back to face Aurora. "You're quick to catch feelings."

Aurora shrugs and grins as she replies, "I just like following my heart."

I smile at them, feeling happy that she and Jimin are wanting to start something with each other, since that means Aurora is willing to move on from her feelings for me.