delicate | K.TH

7

AMIN

He's not in his office.

"Did you see Mr. Kim anywhere?" I ask, stopping the first person I meet. He shakes his head, and I breathe out in frustration.

Come on, Tae. Please.

The fifth person I ask tells me he'd gone towards the upper levels.

And the seventh tells me she'd seen him go up the stairs to the company rooftop.

The rooftop.

And the worry turns to terror.

What in the hell are you trying to pull, Kim Taehyung.

My face is paler than snow by the time I shove the door open to the roof, the highest point of the company. I'd ditched my heels by the base of the stairs, just because they were dragging me down.

And he really is there.

"Tae!"

My grip is rougher than I'd meant it when I turn him around.

I growl.

"What are you doing up here?"

But his eyes are fixed down.

"You're barefoot."

"I know. Do you understand how scared I was when I heard you were up here? What were you thinking?"

I press my palm harder into his chest.

"Answer."

He grips my wrist, forcing my hand from his body.

"Noona, calm down. Please."

Calm down.

"Calm down?" I repeat, my voice sounding strange to my own ears. "You're fucking unbelievable."

He flinches when I jerk my wrist from
his hand.

"I'm not doing this anymore. Not with you."

And I knew, that he knew. He knew how much of a trauma it had left me when he'd nearly died that day, fifteen years ago.

I was more afraid of anything happening to him than myself dying, and what was he doing?

Playing with me by coming up here?

"I'm done."

"No, you're not." He whispers, pulling me back. "You're not going anywhere."

And I just get ready to shake him away, when he doesn't let me.

This is the first time I feel his strength.

Taehyung forces me back into his chest, his hand pressing my head into his body.

And I can't do anything.

"You're not leaving me again." He breathes. "You're not done until I say so."