♡ ˎˊ˗ TAEHYUNG'S THIRD WEEK (not) working with Jeongguk starts a little like this.

kth
Good morning, Eunchae. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if we could meet up. There are things I wish to discuss with you if you have time for me.

vichae
Oh yeah sure thing
I've been a little busy working from home, but I can give you the address if that's okay :D

The idea has been sitting in the back of his head, at the bottom of his heart, dragging it down, ever since their encounter at J Entertainment. What didn't help it one bit, was the message he received on Instagram a few days after that.

vichae
Hello, Taehyung! Jeongguk and I were gonna go grab a coffee and he suggested I invite you to join us :)

He refused kindly, pointing out that he wouldn't want to be a bother on their date, but it was all in vain because, not minutes later, he received a voice message from her, explaining how he wouldn't be a bother at all, how Jeongguk would love to have him there and how he would under no circumstances feel like a third wheel. Saying no didn't feel like an option. Bringing Yoongi along didn't, either, because Yoongi simply explained it the way Jeongguk had a few days prior, claiming friendships are friendships and business is business.

It was probably somewhere near the top of the nonexistent list of Taehyung's strangest days out. The two waited for him outside Choi Fashion and greeted him with quick embraces and smiles. The walk to the car involved a lot of touching, too, with Eunchae in between the two of them, arms linked as she talked on and on about her plans for the day. She just seemed so bright, so human, so different from the person Taehyung had met at Rêveuse, who had seemed guarded, analysing his every word.

"We come here all the time, they always leave this booth for us," she said as she offered Taehyung the menu, not bothering to look at it herself. "Just order anything, it's on the house."

A girl came up to them, freckled cheeks burning and eyes anywhere but on Jeongguk, who kept shifting next to Taehyung. She asked for a picture, yet Eunchae declined politely and Taehyung realised how crowded the place was. There was a security guard in charge of preventing too many people from approaching them.

They talked. Eunchae did, mostly. Sometimes, she paid attention to Taehyung only, ignoring the way Jeongguk played with her hands, bored next to him. Other times, she and Jeongguk had silent conversations of their own, all eyes and eyebrows and lips and Taehyung wanted to disappear. His leg was bouncing all throughout the day and he successfully earned himself a few nudges in the ribs and flicks to the back of the head from Jeongguk. At one point, Jeongguk deemed it necessary to shift his weight on Taehyung by throwing a leg over his, preventing it from moving, and all he did in response to Taehyung's glare was smile.

"Get yourself together," he gritted out as soon as Eunchae was out of earshot, having excused herself to use the bathroom. "You're on edge. She'll notice."

Taehyung shook his head. "This is wrong. All of this, you're not---"

"We had a deal." Jeongguk interrupted, reaching out to move Taehyung's fringe out of his face. "You keep your pretty mouth shut, I pretend I'm able to stand you. That involves her, too. She has to believe it. You're ruining it."

He pushed Jeongguk's hand off. "Jeongguk---"

"We had a deal, sweetheart." Taehyung felt his cheeks burn. "If you can't do this, there'll be consequences. Don't miss the opportunity just 'cause you can't act a little. We all have to. And don't pretend it's your moral compass, it didn't stop you before. It's a little late for that." He smiled. "Now, give me your prettiest smile and throw an arm around me, yeah?"

Taehyung blinked. "Huh?"

"She's watching." When Jeongguk leaned closer, Taehyung forced his own lips into a smile and wrapped an arm around Jeongguk as casually as possible, noticing freckled cheeks behind the flash of a camera over the rim of his coffee cup. "She's been following me for months. Tailing my car, asking for pictures. Doesn't know I remember her. I saw her in my neighbourhood the other day."

Taehyung inhaled a gasp of air and forced his expression to remain soft, carefree, despite the frown that threatened to tug at his brows. He laughed to sell it better. "Have you told anyone about this?"

"Of course. Can't always get rid of them. This one's pretty influential."

He parted his mouth to ask more, a question of, 'Are you okay?' lingering somewhere on the tip of his tongue, but Eunchae slid back into the booth with a smile, asking about their plans for the collection, and the conversation was officially over.

Throughout the entire day, Jeongguk kept touching him. Honestly, Taehyung thought he simply abused the opportunity that presented itself to him by getting what he wanted, a hand always on Taehyung's knee or an arm over his frame, but Taehyung didn't necessarily mind it enough to push him off. Instead, he reciprocated just to tease him, occasionally playing with his earrings. It was oddly comforting, their little lie being the realest thing around them.

He had been wrong about Eunchae, he realised right then. Just like it had been with Namjoon and Jimin, with Yoongi and Jeongguk, he had made another mistake and assumed she'd be a bitch. All she had been was wary, wary of someone new, someone with potential who could either help her or harm her, until she could be sure Taehyung was harmless. She's made her decision too early, he thought as he examined the way Jeongguk was looking at her, eyes void of the affection Taehyung once thought he could see. There was a warmth to them, a soft spark that seemed to come alive with her, oddly familiar, but not enough.

The day ended with her taking a bunch of photos of him and Jeongguk huddled close together, of their food and the sunset, before she ended it with a selfie or two and posted it all on her Instagram (sixteen slides --- two separate posts --- and four story updates), captioning them with lines from Jeongguk's latest song. Jeongguk then suggested they drive Taehyung home, to which he protested, but it was pointless. Eunchae was into it and he realised that, when she was into something, there was no changing her mind (which is why breaking her heart was going to be even more difficult). She even insisted Taehyung take the passenger seat this time, next to Jeongguk, so he could be in charge of the music.

Ever since that day, Eunchae has kept in touch, mostly via text, sometimes by commenting on his posts or liking one from two years ago. Every time Seokjin walks in on him texting her, it's either option A ("Ew, since when are you straight?"), B ("Wait until they tell you they 'saw you across the room and they really dig your vibe'."), or C ("She's gonna hate you when she finds out you lied, you know that, right?") and Taehyung isn't sure which one he hates the most.

It's odd. The way feelings change and opinions change and the things you were once confident about now suddenly don't matter. He encouraged Jeongguk to sign the contract with so much certainty, prepared for one hell of a ride, for messing with the man's head, making him feel like shit for what he'd done while gaining guaranteed fame out of working with him. Now, it's all about doing the opposite, about making it right.

Also, if there is a deal and someone doesn't hold up their end fully (read: doesn't participate at all, even though he promised to), the other side isn't obligated to be the bigger person.

And Taehyung's never been the bigger person.

That's why he's decided to tell Eunchae the truth, no matter how Jeongguk reacts. It's the right thing. He promised he wouldn't, he promised he'd keep Jeongguk's secret, but this isn't something he can endure. Especially when Eunchae is suddenly constantly around him, texting, reaching out. He's befriended her so quickly. If he didn't know her, it would be easier to keep his mouth shut, but now, it feels like betrayal.

Taehyung knows no one here is a saint, yet he can't help but constantly recall the lesson he's learnt on first impressions --- he was so determined to show Eunchae how ready he was for the industry, how much he should be respected, all because he simply assumed she'd want to use him somehow. Meanwhile, the man he let his guard down with, whom he allowed to see the glimpses of the real him, he turned out to be the one trying to get something from him.

Regardless of her behaviour and personality, which he now knows he can't account for, but hopes he is right about, she's Jeongguk's fiancée and she deserves to know. And Taehyung, his business or not, will do his best to ease her into it:

"Jeongguk's cheating on you."

That is, indeed, not what easing her into it is supposed to be like.

Taehyung blinks up at her, drink in his hand, and wishes he could sink into her crisp white sofa. His fingers tremble around the glass as he waits for her reaction, for anything.

She's just sitting in her armchair, her silky bathrobe covered in cat fur, hand frozen against Daegu's fluffy head --- that is one ugly old cat --- eyes on Taehyung. She laughs. "Excuse me?"

"I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to come to you," he says, sitting up straight. "I should have come as soon as I found out, before doing anything stupid and---"

"Taehyung." She shakes her head. "How can you be sure?"

He takes in a breath, sharp and through his nose. "Jeongguk's been keeping things from you. He's not... who you think he is. He's seeing other people, he's been seeing them for quite some time." His eyes drop to his palms, to the soft lines and rough blisters, and he can't meet her gaze. Not now when she's too silent. "I don't think I should say anything else, but it would be good to talk to him... Goodness, I should have said something. It wasn't my secret to tell --- it still isn't, but I can't just watch you live a lie. You're getting married. I had to do something."

A soft sound forces his eyes up to her finally. She's looking away from him, somewhere in the distance, through the glass, as she moves Daegu over (he grumpily sinks into the decorative pillows) and stands up, arms crossed over her chest. The sound her slippers make against the floor echoes in his heavy head with every step she takes to the window, then back. Over and over. The steps grow slower, yet his heart is still racing.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, he begs. I won't know how to comfort you if you cry.

She comes to a stop right in front of him and he has no choice. He lifts his head, focuses on the expression on her face, the purse of her red lips, the pinch of her eyebrows. Her nails tap against her arm soundlessly. "Thank you."

He blinks. "What?"

"Thank you for letting me know," she says and takes a step back to let him pass. There's no trace of a smile on the face he's so used to seeing so bright and alive. He wonders if he's lost her forever. "It's getting pretty late. I think it's time for you to go."

And with nothing left to say except another apology, he does.

♡ ˎˊ˗ THE NEXT MORNING, every article Taehyung runs into contains the news of Jeongguk and Eunchae's break-up.

Articles. Instagram posts. YouTube videos. All of them explaining the timeline, the dynamic and the downfall of their relationship as though they knew them personally, knew enough about them to guess and accuse.

The story, apparently, starts with a clip and a message. Eunchae's announcement is on her Instagram and Twitter, simple, but firm. They've decided to break off the engagement with a mutual understanding. They still respect each other and will definitely stay friends. Jeongguk is talented, smart and kind, and he deserves to be given his space without being swarmed by questions and accusations because he's truly made her feel cared for and appreciated very deeply.

It's a sweet little statement, a bit too specific unlike other celebrity confessions and apologies, unlike Jeongguk's explanation, which is --- as expected --- generic, to say the least.

Snippets of Jeongguk's latest Instagram live are all over Taehyung's feed. The live lasted around six minutes, but the bits and pieces Taehyung can see are clips of Jeongguk explaining the situation. "Eunchae is a wonderful person. She's still a very important part of my life, since we've decided to remain friends, so I hope you guys will respect her and treat her with the same understanding you always have for me."

Taehyung finds the entire stream after that, watches it from start to finish and tries to search Jeongguk's face for any kind of regret. Anything to show he's aware of what he's lost, anything that isn't learned by heart, practiced to perfection and recorded in a matter of minutes. Yet, he isn't sure it's there. Jeongguk looks tired. In the video, it's late --- he must've gone live last night --- and he has no make-up on. He's sitting up in bed, glasses on, accentuating the dark circles around his eyes and a certain glossiness to them that Taehyung notices for the very first time. When he rubs his eyes and tries to conceal a yawn, there's a pale band of skin around his ring finger, vacant. That's where he wore that one ring that looked just like hers.

The reaction of the fans to the news is as expected. There are some supporters, understanding of their idol having a personal life (woah!) and needing to make difficult decisions. There are some who make jokes, some who start with theories and controversies that both make and don't make any sense and Taehyung's had enough.

babykookiee: i was really rooting for them :(((
such a shame we're losing our it couple

jjkjjkjjkjjjjk: ladies step aside it's my chance

taebae95: they were cute but tk ftw :D
   goldxnjxon replying to taebae95: Wtf don't make it weird!!!! Not everyone needs to be gay, he's not like that!

jaykay4ever: i knew it wouldn't last, there's literally nothing on her anywhere except the business stuff. no friends, no boyfriends, it's sus asf. she's shady. can't believe they lasted this long...

At work, Taehyung takes a minute to send Victoire another apology and she simply likes the message. His phone buzzes again and he hopes it's her, saying it's fine, but it's not.

JAYKAYY
can't make it today sry

Taehyung contemplates replying, but leaves the message as is because Mr Choi walks in, all moody and weird and his free time is over. It's back to supervising a very intense photoshoot with a stubborn model he absolutely can't stand right now, to picking out materials and sketching, then sketching some more.

The second he's in the car and ready to head home, Taehyung makes sure to call Yoongi and explain the situation as vaguely as possible. "I said something I wasn't supposed to say. I made a promise to stay quiet, but I couldn't. Now there are consequences because of what I said."

"Shit, um... First of all, calm down." Calm down? He's calm, he's completely calm. What is Yoongi even saying? "Don't worry. You didn't say anything to the public, right? I mean, you didn't go online? The contract says you are not to speak of what you've witnessed, but if..."

The contract. Right. The fucking contract. Taehyung should have called Seokjin.

It's not about it. Not about the public or the truth or the contract. It's about trust. About the small development between him and someone he just lied to. He broke his promise, ruined any chance of progress in order to do the right thing.

Who is Jeon Jeongguk? Does his infidelity and lack of understanding for others overpower his incredible passion and unmistakable kindness he shows to everyone? Is Taehyung to trust this spark in his warm eyes that pulls him closer, makes him want to tease it, to bring it to life in every way there is? Is he worth the turmoil in Taehyung's chest?

"Taehyung, are you there?"

"Yes, um..." Taehyung rests his head back, thankful for the tinted windows. He doesn't want to be seen contemplating life in his car in front of his company. "I'm still here."

"Alright, so, I haven't heard from Kim Namjoon, so it probably means it's still all good. If no one contacts us, they probably don't see it as a disturbance of any kind. Has Jeongguk reached out yet?"

Taehyung sighs. "We were supposed to go out again today. He cancelled it, that's all."

"Let me know if anything changes, okay?" Yoongi's voice softens. "And breathe, okay? I'm sure you did what you thought was right."

"I'm not---" The call ends before he can lie.

He scoffs, reaching up to push the hair out of his face. He drops the phone into the passenger seat and buries his face in his palms. In and out. In and out. He can do this. He can breathe. All people do it, it can't be that hard, can it?

Fuck, why is he fucking hyperventilating? It's not fair. It's not fair how he thought he finally got closer to someone he considered so important and saw it all come crashing down before his very eyes. How he had to stoop so low and force that same someone into an agreement that he himself knew he couldn't fulfill. How he tried to do the right thing and only made so many people hurt.

Made himself hurt.

As soon as he enters the apartment, Seokjin's there with gentle eyes and a sad little smile. Taehyung wraps his arms around his big brother and bursts into tears.

♡ ˎˊ˗ HOSEOK CATCHES A cold and that means Taehyung has no reason to sit through his ramblings this week.

He also has no reason to be standing in front of the company building with Seokjin right now, but he is.

"Why are we here, again?" Seokjin questions softly.

He's not entirely sure. All he knows is, he hasn't heard from Jeongguk ever since that short text he received the other day. He seems to have disappeared altogether. Taehyung's tried reaching out by calling Namjoon and Jimin, but neither of them have been very cooperative and he finds himself utterly helpless.

Because Jeongguk might be a cheating, bipolar little shit, but if he's going through hell right now, Taehyung made it happen and he can't but feel responsible. That's all it is.

"My charger," Taehyung explains. "I left my laptop charger in Hoseok's office."

It's not entirely a lie. He did leave it there by accident last week, but he doesn't really need it. He has another one. It doesn't work as well and needs to be kept in place by an elastic band, but he doesn't have to get this one now.

His flatmate snorts, running a hand through his hair. "Right. You're lucky I'm willing to sacrifice my afternoon doing this. Might run into Mr Handsome again."

Taehyung cringes, but doesn't reply as he takes off his mask and steps through the door. He makes sure to keep his cool, shoulders square and chin up, step firm. He looks good and he knows it. He needs to make it seem like he feels good, too.

"Taehyung?"

He pauses, hearing Seokjin's breath hitch. "Quick, Tae, how do I look?"

Seokjin, of course, looks good in his beige chinos and a crisp white shirt. With his hair tousled and fluffy, it looks effortless, though Taehyung's aware of how they were supposed to get here an hour ago.

"Mr Kim," he says in greeting as Namjoon stops in front of the two of them.

He searches Namjoon's face. The man's eyes are gentle, no trace of any anger in them. He wonders if he knows. If he knows that Taehyung lied to them all. That he revealed the secret he was supposed to keep. That the contract has gone to shit.

"We weren't expecting you today," Namjoon says before offering Seokjin a friendly bow. "Hello."

Seokjin nods back. "Hello, handsome."

His voice sounds oddly deep and Taehyung clears his throat, averting his attention back to Namjoon. "How is he?"

Namjoon sighs. "He's managing. Are you here to see him?"

Taehyung's eyes widen. "No, no, I'm... I left something back in Hoseok's office."

"In Hoseok's office?" There's a subtle furrow to Namjoon's eyebrows.

"Yes, I'm here just to pick it up." Guilt creeps up on him like a bitch. "But I do hope Jeongguk's doing okay. I'm really sorry about his relationship."

"You know how he is," Namjoon answers. "He'll be alright. Serves him right for making this mess in the first place."

Taehyung wants to agree, but there's a harshness to Namjoon's tone he isn't sure he likes. Instead, he turns to Seokjin. "Shall we, hyung?"

Seokjin chuckles. "Oh, you shall alright." He's not even looking at Taehyung. "I think I'll wait here."

And with that, Taehyung leaves them to it, whatever it even is. He steps into the elevator, nodding politely at the two girls already inside, and punches in the number for Hoseok's floor. The girls keep giggling, whispering words that sound dangerously like Jeongguk and engagement. As soon as the elevator stops, he leaves the two behind, his feet carrying him to the office without hesitation.

The hesitation, however, comes anyway, in the form of music. There's a bass rumbling in his chest, a sharp beat, laced with the soft voice that he'd recognise anywhere. The door next to Hoseok's is halfway open, spilling light and sound into the quiet hallway and Taehyung, the idiot he is, steps closer.

Jeongguk is in the stuffy practice room and Taehyung's breath gets stuck in his throat at the sight.

A grey sweater sticks to his chest in dark, sweaty splotches. His messy hair is tied up, sleeves rolled up to show off his tattoos. That's not what catches Taehyung's attention.

Here, mirrors caging him in and music surrounding him, Jeongguk is in control.

It's the way Jeongguk's body moves. He's seen it, way too many times, through the screen of his phone or laptop, but in person, he can't believe this man is real. Sharp, clean moves, sneakers squeaking against the floor. Hushed curses muttered to himself, audible whenever the song melts into silence. Clenched jaw and sweat dripping down his neck, he focuses on every move, from the strong roll of his hips to the fluttering of his fingertips.

The spell breaks when the song ends and Taehyung blinks himself out of this odd, fuzzy mental state to see Jeongguk shake his hair out of the ponytail and run his hands through it, tugging at the strands. His jaw is still tense, but he gasps for air and leans his forehead against the mirror, fogging it up. Taehyung only brings himself to step back when Jeongguk slams his palm against the glass with a pained grunt.

Heart climbing up to his throat, Taehyung stumbles towards Hoseok's office, not bothering to wonder why the fuck the door is unlocked. He enters and slams the door shut behind himself, attempting to get a grip, but the images of Jeongguk are all he can see. The focus, the control, the way it all shattered when the façade fell and he lost himself in his anger.

He's not doing well. Taehyung made it happen.

With a sigh, he steps towards the desk, attempting to spot the charger somewhere. He's pretty sure it's supposed to be around here somewhere, but when he doesn't find it on the desk, he hesitantly opens the top drawer. Papers, pens, more papers. Same with the other two drawers.

"Where could he have put it..." he trails off, looking around the room. There's a door with a bathroom sign on it (these businessmen and their personal bathrooms, god...) and another one with no particular indicator of what it is exactly. He thinks about the times he zoned out looking at it as Hoseok spoke and his curiosity gets the best of him.

The door is, of course, unlocked and he pushes it open to reveal a spacious room; there's a desk in the middle, multiple monitors on it, next to things he's seen in Jeongguk's behind-the-scenes videos, including mixers and mics and four different sets of headphones. Three different guitars hang on the wall, all beautiful and shiny, above a drum kit and a keyboard and many more instruments Taehyung isn't sure he can even name. The recording booth looks familiar, too, for he's seen so many clips of Jeongguk behind that same mic stand, recording Taehyung's favourite songs.

The office isn't Hoseok's.

"Can I help you, Kim?"

Taehyung forces his expression into something casual and turns around. Jeongguk stands by the couch, hands behind his back, eyebrows raised. His hair is tied once again, a little lower this time, a little more loosely.

"I'm not sure," he confesses.

Jeongguk tilts his head to the side. "Mind telling me what you're doing in my office? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you were just spying on me earlier."

"I was curious," Taehyung says, stepping closer. Not letting his smile waver proves itself to be a difficult task because Jeongguk's dark eyes are void of their soft warmth, the stare intense and merciless. Does he know? "You were quite impressive."

"I know. That's not what I'm asking you, though. What are you doing here?"

Taehyung shakes his head. "I was looking for my---"

"For this?" Jeongguk moves his hands from behind his back, revealing a charger in his left one. Taehyung moves forward, smile widening, heart a little lighter with relief because he can finally get out of here.

"Yes! Yes, thank you, Jeongguk. You're a lifesaver." He reaches out towards the charger, only for Jeongguk to pull his hand away, behind his back once more. They're chest to chest now and Jeongguk smells so distinctly of vanilla and soap and sweat. "Give it back. I have to go."

"You're not going anywhere."

There are many different circumstances under which Taehyung sometimes likes being bossed around, but this is definitely not one of them. He gapes at Jeongguk's neutral expression before letting out a laugh because how dare he assume that he has any control over Taehyung? "Excuse me?"

"I said, you're not going anywhere." Jeongguk cocks his head. "Sit."

Taehyung takes a few seconds to just stare. Jeongguk's eyes don't stray away from his, not even for a second, as one of his eyebrows slowly rises in challenge. He's waiting. Letting out the tiniest of scoffs, Taehyung backs off, slumping down onto the couch.

"Whatever this is, it's not your smartest idea, I must say," he says and traces a finger over the soft blue fabric of the nearest pillow. "You and I are both aware of the consequences you faced the last time you've tried to cross me."

"Right," Jeongguk agrees simply, the legs of his chair screeching against the floor as he positions it in front of Taehyung, backwards, so he's straddling it. "Speaking of, you know you can ask me, right?"

Taehyung's jaw goes slack. "Ask you what? You're the one who won't let me leave. I'm starting to think you're the one with questions." He does not appreciate the way his teeth grind together or the thudding in his chest that can't mean anything good. His instincts have always been way better at this --- 'this' being life --- than he himself is, and he trusts the earthquake beneath his ribs that something is wrong.

"Come on," Jeongguk drawls out. "I know you wanna ask. It's written all over your face, Kim." Taehyung can't help but keep staring, feeling a crease form on his forehead from all the frowning he's done today. Chuckling, Jeongguk leans forward, elbows propped up on the backrest. "Here, I'll help you start: Jeongguk, is the engagement---?"

"I don't want to ask you about your engagement," Taehyung blurts out. Jeongguk's wearing the same smirk, insistent --- ever too quick to defend himself, Taehyung's just outed himself. "It's a private matter."

He regrets it as soon as he says it. Jeongguk's reaction matches it because he laughs, the sound loud and painfully clear. Taehyung can feel himself blush.

"Private matter, my ass. You don't give a fuck about that. We both know it, 'cause that's the reason we're here in the first place." He pauses, poking at Taehyung's arm. "You don't wanna talk, since you feel bad. You told her, after all."

Taehyung freezes in his seat, eyes fixated on the extremely intriguing painting decorating the wall. It's abstract, but the details almost look like tiny vines, but there are also flowers and beautiful---

"Kim."

"Yes, right. It's true." He inhales sharply. The sinking feeling won't cease, heavy and cold, bitter on his tongue. When he meets Jeongguk's eyes, Jeongguk's already standing. "I told her."

His eyes follow Jeongguk as he steps closer. His knees knock against Taehyung's when he finally sits down right next to him, a little bit on top of him with his thigh slung over Taehyung's, and leans forward. Tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, Taehyung digs his nails into his own palms and forces himself not to back off, not this time.

"Now, why," Jeongguk breathes out, breath warm against Taehyung's face as he throws his arm over the couch, behind Taehyung's head, "would you do that?"

Taehyung swallows, averting his gaze from Jeongguk's pretty mouth to stare at his eyes, round and expectant, almost curious. "Because you don't deserve her."

There's that laugh again, fanning over Taehyung's lips. "What?"

"You heard me. You're an arrogant, ignorant, irresponsible idiot. You take everything for granted because you have people who clean up after you, who solve your problems for you." He pauses to take a breath. "You don't think about the people you hurt. The people you truly hurt. They're not collateral damage, Jeongguk. They deserve better than you."

He's not sure whom he's talking about. Not really. Because all different kinds of love lead to the same kind of suffering when someone is hurting.

Once again, there's a shift in the way Jeongguk looks at him and Taehyung wishes he understood it, wishes he could pinpoint at least one single emotion in those shiny irises that have suddenly softened. He wishes it didn't bother him this much.

"Mind if I make a phone call, Kim?" Jeongguk's voice is quiet.

Taehyung shrugs. "Not at all."

He expects Jeongguk to stand up, leave the room. It's only logical when someone's around. Yet, Jeongguk leans back, arm still draped over the back of the couch, and sighs before grabbing his phone from somewhere beside him.

"That's a cute dog," Taehyung blurts out, staring at the lockscreen. Jeongguk turns his head to look at him, eyes round and nose round and pouty lips just so fucking round, as well, before they spread into a grin and he brings the phone closer. He swipes to unlock it --- no password--- and the homescreen is a photo of the same dog, but smaller, younger, wrapped in a pair of familiar arms.

"That's Bam. He's my family."

Taehyung has about nine seconds to dwell on that piece of information that has his stomach twisting with a new kind of tension, before Jeongguk gets to his list of contacts and there, among his favourites, sits a familiar name that he taps with his finger.

He doesn't even get to shake his head before a voice comes through the speaker. "What now?"

"Hi, baby," Jeongguk greets, phone near his smiling lips.

Eunchae's scoff sounds crackly over the phone. "God, stop making me cringe. Who are you showing me off to?"

Taehyung can do nothing but stare at Jeongguk as he meets his eyes, eyebrows raised and lips pulled into a smirk. "Your favourite menace."

"Oh, don't call him that! Be nice." Her voice is suddenly softer. "Taehyung, chéri, how are you doing?"

Taehyung blinks as Jeongguk bursts into muffled laughter and hides his face. His hair tickles Taehyung's shoulder. "Uh, I'm... I'm fine, Eunchae, thank you." He clears his throat. "I---"

"Listen, Tae, I'm sorry I was all weird the other day. I couldn't risk it and tell you anything. I didn't know if Jeongguk would want me to. It was the safest option."

"Tell me what?"

"The truth. I hope you're not angry with me."

He feels Jeongguk's eyes on him. "Oh, he's not. He's... processing," Jeongguk says. "Listen, I'll text you later. I should probably explain to him what's going on."

"Oh, okay! I'll talk to you later."

"Sure. Bye, baby."

"Jeongguk, for fuck's sake---"

Jeongguk hangs up with a snort and tosses his phone to the side before turning back to Taehyung, his features gentle with amusement. "You with me, Kim?"

Taehyung nods dumbly. "I guess so."

He stares down at the fingers in his lap. The buzzing in his ears has nothing to do with real life, he assumes. It might be in his head, the fuzzy confusion enveloping him and his thumping heart, waiting for the fog to clear out.

And the fog does. "I didn't do it."

Taehyung's face is warm. There's a lump in his throat. "Do what?"

"Cheat on her." Taehyung looks up and Jeongguk's looking back at him already. Here and now, Jeongguk's eyes are sincere. "I would never actually hurt her."

"But I saw you---"

"I know."

"And she's---"

"She is."

"But---"

"Kim. Come on, put two and two together." There's a small smile on Jeongguk's face. "It was a stunt."

Taehyung scoffs. "It doesn't make any sense. Why would you want me to keep it from her, then? Why would you get so annoyed whenever I brought her up? And why does she look at you as if she's in love with you?"

"Just so fucking impatient." Jeongguk tsks and twists his body to face Taehyung, legs now curled beneath him. He takes a deep breath, prepared to speak, and tugs at the sparkly black tie keeping his hair in place, securing it around his tattooed wrist. Taehyung watches as sweaty strands of chocolate brown fall over his collarbones. "I needed you to be careful. This is a big deal, Kim. That's why I made you hide it from her, too. She wouldn't mind it, but since you both knew and kept it from each other, chances were you'd keep it from the public, too. And you did."

"I don't understand any of this," Taehyung confesses and Jeongguk laughs. It's a bright, funny little sound.

"She and I had a contract. An arrangement. To date, to get married. There was nothing about seeing other people." He avoids Taehyung's gaze and shrugs. "So I did. Turns out, she wasn't happy about it. Said it was too risky. So I promised I wouldn't. I kinda lied."

"But she seems in love with you, Jeongguk. Wasn't she jealous?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, just worried I would fuck up and cause drama. She likes to keep me in check, like everybody else. And she's not in love with me. She's my best friend. She loves me and I love her, but not the way you think."

Taehyung waits as the pieces sink into place, forming a picture for him to see. All the irregularities, all the imperfections, every detail that was poking out, ruining the picture, it's all come together now --- their pet names, their private little conversations, their soft touches and gentle eyes, full of affection Taehyung mistook for romantic feelings. The special booth always left for them at their favourite restaurant, available for paparazzi and fans alike. The nonchalance with which the engagement had been announced in the first place. It was meant to be seen.

Jeongguk was in a fake relationship. A relationship with someone he lied to. Letting Taehyung speak would ruin it. Letting Taehyung speak did ruin it. Jeongguk isn't in pain. He doesn't miss his ex he cheated on, he's pissed his plan's been ruined.

"And you broke her trust by sleeping around behind her back?"

Jeongguk laughs. "Jesus, Kim, is that really all you could come up with after all of this? I'm not even surprised."

"You shouldn't be." He shrugs. "So you did? And she broke up with you?"

"I did, yeah. She played it cool with you 'cause she didn't wanna expose me right away to you. She wasn't sure if I wanted to end it, so she waited to call me and hear my opinion and then dump me." He grins. "We all sign contracts we can't fullfil all the way. You know that, too."

Taehyung nods. "I do." He sighs. "So... you were going to get married? Isn't that too big of a commitment? Why would you force yourself into a marriage that wasn't real?"

Hurt. He sees it so clearly in the way Jeongguk's gaze falters, his lips fall. Slouched shoulders, he glances down at his own lap, fingers digging into his palms. Taehyung can only stare and say nothing because this man feels. Taehyung saw him as emotionless, when in reality, his anger, his hurt, they've been emotions all along, just as valid as any others.

He almost apologises, but Jeongguk breaks the silence in a low, gentle voice, a sad little smile forming on his face. Taehyung thinks it's pretty. "Some of us can't be choosers, Kim."

"What are you saying? I'm still just so confused."

"What about?"

Taehyung sighs. "Why did you even get together in the first place? Why would you marry her? You're famous, she's famous, you don't need any more attention. Why would you fake a relationship just to break it off so easily?"

Jeongguk purses his lips, quiet for a few seconds, thinking. Then, he speaks, "I wanted to be taken seriously."

"Taken seriously?" Taehyung repeats. "By whom?"

"Everyone." Jeongguk says, before he stands up with a sudden burst of energy and the atmosphere shifts. "God, you should've seen the look on your face when you accused me!" He grins, cracks his neck and stretches his arms above his head. Taehyung is guilty of glancing down, eyes settling on a sliver of tanned skin between the hem of Jeongguk's sweaty shirt and the waistband of his boxers. He blinks himself out of whatever the fuck that just was and meets Jeongguk's eyes. If Jeongguk notices it, he doesn't say it. "You were all serious and judgy and ready to fucking murder me."

Taehyung tilts his head. "Why didn't you tell me right away?"

Jeongguk's smug smirk is the last thing he sees before he turns away and goes over to the desk. "Didn't wanna," he quips. "It was fun watching you all sure of yourself. It always brings out something in you."

With that, he leaves his phone on the table and heads over to the bathroom. Taehyung scoffs. "What's that supposed to mean? Explain."

"Nah, I don't think I will, Kim." He stops right at the door, turning around to toss Taehyung an amused look.

"I don't think that's fair."

Jeongguk just shrugs before his hands grab the hem of his shirt and pull it up, revealing a toned stomach that Taehyung immediately averts his eyes from, heat crawling up his neck. "I'm gonna go shower. If you wanna continue this conversation, you can come along."

Immediately, Taehyung stands up, scrambling from the abandoned laptop charger on the sofa, face flushed. "I think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer."

Thanks for the offer? Thanks for the offer?

What the fuck?

"Some other time, then," Jeongguk concludes before offering a mock salute and slipping behind the door.

Taehyung concludes that one, Jeongguk sings in the shower, and two, the thudding of his heart doesn't cease until he's back home, focused on work. Even then, he hums along to the song that he already has memorised.

a/n:
this is your cue to act surprised 2.0

y'all guessed it!! eunchae knew! still, the betrayal was real because even though there are no actual feelings involved, she and jk had a deal and he didn't keep his promise to her. i promised no love triangle and i, unlike jk, keep my promises :D

we brought back daegu!! woohoo
iykyk ;)

thoughts?? this chapter was a little all over the place but this was the only way to portray this mess lmaoo. we're getting some more soft taekook moments, moments of actual conversation and not just bickering. there will be more of both pretty soon because things are only getting started. jk still doesn't trust tae fully, especially now that he went behind his back to tell chae, but it'll all clear up eventually

and tae was hurting a lot this chapter omg. he was feeling so much regret i feel bad for doing this to him sjkksjdkjsj... still, it was valid. he didn't know jk couldn't care less oop-

i'm sorry for not updating often! school is messing with my writing schedule and vice versa, so it's tough lol. here's a 6.5k words long chapter to make up for it tho!! thank you for reading<3

p.s. taekook went live on insta today and my life has purpose again, just saying