The Couple Challenge || Taehyung x Jennie

Chapter 7: Confrontations and Ferris Wheel

In Jennie's opinion, the Couple Challenge was progressing too rapidly in front of the country's giddy face and her own bewildered one. The challenges were getting sillier and daring (there was a need to emphasize this word). What started as simple interactions between her and Taehyung was quickly escalating into soft porn in the screen.

Cheeks pressed into Taehyung and hands softly pressed in his broad shoulders to support herself, Jennie tried so hard to ignore how her palms were quickly becoming slippery with sweat. She could smell the cologne that Taehyung loves to wear. She must not be able to identify its scent but she realized she would be remembering it for a very long time.

"Are you okay?" Taehyung's face tilted a little so his mouth was now in level with her left ear. Jennie forgo answering in lieu of imagining how much she was becoming fascinated with his lips for the past days.

"Remind me why I let myself do this again." Jennie gritted out when Taehyung's hands came to rest at her hips.

She might not be able to see Taehyung's face but she felt him grin against her own. "For your comeback? For my image?"

"Not enough reason."

"Well." Taehyung's tone turned mischievous. "I am very comfortable."

"Shut up. Don't let the whole world see just how perverted you are."

"Agree. Can't help them thinking I'm helpless when it comes to you." That, together with the warmth seeping through from Taehyung's hands to her skin despite the soft cotton cloth of her blouse prompted Jennie to extract herself from the man after sixteen minutes of doing nothing but sitting pressed together. Taehyung's eyes glinted in victory and a not so subtle hunger as he watched her flushed cheeks. "Which I am by the way."

"Shut up." Jennie covered her undignified reaction by dusting her skirts of invisible dirt. Parting from her previous uncomfortable position was enough to squash her disappointment over losing. The challenge was not even that hard, and all she needed to do was stay unbothered while she was basically splayed atop Taehyung. It shouldn't have been hard but it was an impossible feat especially when the other was so unfairly attractive and had unabashedly expressed attraction to her over the course of the three weeks.

Three weeks.

She stopped. It had already been three weeks since she started this challenge with Taehyung. They went from an awkward couple trying to start a conversation, to a confusing set of friends who know each other's secrets (Jennie's mess of a first love and Taehyung's secret lover, though the latter Taehyung did not know she knew) and finally to two people dancing around the dangerous thread of flirting.

It was not like Jennie did not find Taehyung attractive nor someone she sometimes fantasized about when her room were flooded in darkness. It was not like Jennie did not find herself staring at Taehyung and wishing she could touch him freely without thinking of repercussion or how lucky that girl she saw him with in the fire exit to be allowed that. However, that was all that and all that will ever be. A second round with an unrequited and forbidden love did not sound that enticing anymore after what happened with Jimin.

Idols like them could not have that for they chose this path. They chose their owners the moment they decided to step into the audition platform. Their fate was already written on contracts the moment they dream of fame and art.

"Are you okay?" Taehyung asked tenderly, his hand caressing her face. She searched his face and looked for hope.

"Of course."

"Okay. Want to eat dinner?"

"I have a practice at 7." Jennie answered regretfully.

"We can just order." Taehyung insisted. "I don't mind eating in my car."