Believe

Chapter 11: A Lot Different

"You make me feel things I didn't believe in anymore." —bekas_notepad

**

LEANING on the door frame, Taehyung watched Jisoo's back, who was cooking while humming lightly, with his arms crossed over his chest. The smell was so salivating that he could feel his stomach grumble in hunger. He stared at her back for a minute and sighed.

"Don't you have a life on your own?" he suddenly said which made her jump a little and hold her chest. He raised his brow at her.

"Do you really just go around and sleep in a house alone with a guy you barely know?" he added in a harsh tone.

"Hm?" she adjusted the fire in the stove before facing him, "It's not like I can leave you yesterday and I didn't actually plan to stay the night over."

"You care too much," he said coldly before standing on his feet.

"Sorry..." her voice trailed off and looked at him apologetically, "I won't be at peace with you alone after seeing your condition yesterday."

He smiled bitterly and dragged the chair to sit down, "I don't need your pity."

Jisoo was baffled. She didn't answer right away and turned the stove off first. She put her hands on her waist while furrowing brows at him, "Pity? What do you mean?"

Taehyung glared at her, "That you think I'm fucking pathetic and you do this out of pity because you're stupid."

"I don't pity you," she said calmly while going near him. It made him itch on his seat and moved on his position.

"I'm worried. That's different," Jisoo put her one hand on the table. She leaned to him, taking him by surprise as he backed away from her, almost falling from his chair. His eyes were wide and he could hear his chest thumping hard again.

Pity and worry. Until that very moment, he wasn't aware that they are not the same. All he ever received was pity... None of those made him feel better. If anything, it just made him feel worse.

Miserable. Rueful. Worthless— he felt more degraded than what he already feels about himself.

But during that split second... Her soft voice and gentle eyes showed him the fragile difference between pity and worry.

"I'm worried because you might harm yourself again and I'm worried because I care for you," she explained before standing properly. She gave him a smile.

Jisoo stared at him and tilted her head, "Too much to absorb?"

For the first time in so long, he actually felt special in a good way. No feeling of being treated like he is any less.

He cleared his throat and looked away, "Don't your parents search for you? You didn't go home. Or your friends?" he asked, trying to change the topic.

"Not really," she laughed nervously and checked her phone.

"After you fell asleep, I kinda gave a white lie to my friend who knew I was here. Hoseok. I told him I went home, he'd go berserk if he knew I entered your house," she smiled sheepishly and scratched her head.

"You're gripping on me tightly so I couldn't move much. I just transferred you to bed with all my might," Jisoo flexed her arms jokingly.

"I watched you but I guess I kinda fell asleep soon, too," she added and shrugged.

"Again, you could've left," he reasoned in an odd tone, "That Hoseok boyfriend of yours would get mad, anyway."

Jisoo guffawed as if he just told her something very funny, "It's boy space friend. He's my buddy! Since middle school!" she shook her head and walked back to the kitchen counter.