[ double update since i missed a week's update <3 ]

[ CHAPTER 29 ]
ex's

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

WHAT irked taehyung more than anything was that he truly had no right to stay mad at the young raven-haired man. jeongguk wasn't entitled to reciprocate his feelings and he didn't have any power over him for that.

feelings came and feelings fled. and not one soul could ring a leash across its rose flushed body.

so dismissing the man's bemused texts and calls weren't right despite how many tears he shed or curses he spat. who was taehyung to demand the younger for heart-eyes and honey-slicked lips.

but what hurts, even more, was not jeongguk's little feelings harboured towards him but rather the reason for that. 'loud and annoying'. was he? did he utter his opinions a tad louder than he'd vouched for and unknowingly ticked off the ceo at his side? and did he quarrel with him to the point the man wished for nothing but his disappearance?

God, was he truly such a burden to heave around?

"what do you want tae?" a light voice seeps across his clouded thoughts and he's momentarily ripped from the hell of toxic-lathered words as he blinks down at his rose-haired friend.

to make matters worse, seokjin had rounded his litter of roped puppies the very next week for dinner at his restaurant after peering at the calendar and realising that they hadn't met up in nearly a month which was utterly horrific - although taehyung inwardly supposes that his profit's had been reaching an all-time low after the increasing drop of sighing customers from his bland puns -. and now, he sits opposite the man he'd cursed in his mind for days on end, ankles locked tight behind him to refrain an accidental touch.

"um," taehyung murmurs, thumbing the laminated sheets before him as his eyes skim across the menu, "i dunno..maybe-"

lips thinning, jimin slips his fingers into his own, squeezing lightly as he speaks, eyes flitting up to seokjin's awaiting notepad, "he'll have what i'm having."

"okay," seokjin quips, tucking his pen into his pocket, "but seriously guys, you're all so boring. can't you order anything but japchae?"

rolling his eyes, yoongi prods the eldest's ankle lightly with his foot before slumping back in his seat, eyes fluttering closed, "just shut up and go, cook, i'm starving."

"watch me spit in your coke min," he snaps back before spinning on his toes and striding into the kitchen with an offended huff.

giggling, jimin awaits for the group to submerge into their mindless chatter once again before turning his attention back to his ashen-haired friend, brows furrowed in concern.

"who do i gotta swing at ?" he hisses, prodding the younger's thigh lightly.

"huh?"

rolling his eyes, he frowns, "cut the bs, i can see that you're bummed out about something."

"it's nothing," taehyung sighs, gently removing his friend's palm from his thigh, "i'm just tired."

and that's partially true. he'd spent the nights prior in his bed, eyes swollen and chest pinched, self-worth dwindling down the drain. it's ridiculous, he doesn't even like jeongguk that much and yet here he is moping around like a heartbroken teenage girl after her first breakup. a teenage girl who'd just got told that her personality lacked any romantic interest.

although his friend visibly doesn't believe his reason, jimin purses his lips and peers carefully at his best friend, "maybe take a day off? i can talk to taeyong for you, you know he and yoongi went to college together-"

"no," he cuts off, frowning, "that's not right. i'm okay jimin, an early night in is what i need."

"okay." jimin says, expression pinched lightly, "but if you if need me i'm just a-"

"call away, i know." taehyung smiles, reaching forward to link their fingers together, "thank you chimchim."

"anytime taetae."

he'd lived a good share of his years without a romantic partner, what changed? he didn't need jeongguk nor his stupidly charming smiles. he was just fine on his own, and perhaps with a rose-haired mochi at his side.

"so what's up with the dating rumours jeon?" namjoon voices from the head of the table, arms folded and an eyebrow raised.

sighing, jeongguk visibly deflated as he slumps in his seat and presses an agitated finger to smooth the creases at his forehead, "it's nothing."

eyebrow's rising even further, to the point they tether dangerously at the brink of his hairline, the man frowns, "it doesn't seem like nothing. kim jiyeon huh?"

taehyung isn't as subtle as he liked to think he was as his eyes flick up to the youngest male, teeth pressed down at his lips. his exceptional skill for masking emotions does him well though, as jeongguk surveys him briefly before replying.

"she's just some girl my dad wants me to hook up with." he snorts, tossing his hair briefly, the action sending taehyung's heart into overdrive.

seokjin, who now stands with two plates of his finest cuisines frowns lightly as he sets the plates across the table, "another choi haneul?"

"shut up seokjin." jeongguk snarls, expression darkening at the very name.

taken aback at the disrespect, taehyung sucks at the inside of his lips as he waits for the eldest man to bombard the young ceo with a list of mannerisms, for seokjin to only purse his lips and silently fix the cutlery.

he supposed 'choi haneul' had or still played a rather prominent role in jeongguk's life and had visibly shattered whatever relationship the two had. the topic was a sensitive one for sure and prodding it would only result in an ever more fit from the already agitated ceo.

but jimin seems to not take note of this, or more likely not care, as he quirks a brow and leans across the table to hiss, "who's choi haneul? ex?"

"jimin." namjoon warns, eyebrows raised.

smiling, he shrugs, "okay so an ex, then why can't we talk about her? she's an ex, it's not like you like her anymore so what's the harm?"

the man's fist curls upon the table, whitened slabs of skin tight against prominent bone as his jaw sets, eyes hardening.

"okay," hoseok intervenes, eyes flitting between the pair, "that's enough park jimin, go sit your short ass-"

"no," jeongguk rasps and all the men are taken aback at how low his voice drops, rigid with harsh severity that has taehyung shrinking in his seat, "you're right, she's an ex and i fucking hate her guts."

a brief pause, one in which the group bites their breath and awaits the anticipated swing of a fist and distressed yells. but to their surprise, jimin merely smiles sickly and bats his lashes, "good. we wouldn't want anyone-"

but before the man is given the chance to end his sentence, taehyung's eyes flit towards the door where the bell tinkers shrilly mere seconds ago as the frost of the streets slip across the floorboards, a blood-red toe pressed at the doorstep.

"jeongukkie!"

~

[a/n]

clarification that 'choi haneul' is a purely fictional character! you're more than welcome to imagine her as a celebrity though!

this chapter was supposed to be out last week but i felt it too bland and i had to get another one out as well. so enjoy!

i love 'a brand new day' sm, zara's vocals are always so clean and she's such an amazing artist i'm exhilarated that bts and her got to collaborate to create magic. the way they incorporated the korean flute (correct if i'm wrong) into something so modern sounding is crazy, they're so talented.

i'm sorry i laughed too much at this. 😂💞