"Taehyung..."

"Shush. I know what I'm doing. I think."

Holding the cell phone with the ongoing video call in one hand, he looked at the fax machine he stood in front of. His grand plan had been to go to work in Lia's place; video calling her the entire time so she still felt like she was there while getting some rest. When Lia had called Mr. Kim to ask if that was okay, he had allowed it right off. She figured it was because he was interested in meeting yet another one of the weekly boys.

Shifting to sit up a bit in the bed, she looked at Taehyung's focused face; his tongue sticking out of the corner of his lips as he pressed yet another button on the fax machine in front of him. Even though she couldn't see the machine, she could hear the error tone screeching out like an opera singer.

"Taehyung, turn the phone around so I can see the controls please."

"Alright, alright," said Taehyung with a sigh as he did as she asked.

As he waited for Lia to study the controls on the fax machine through the phone screen, he felt like he was being stared at. Turning his head in the direction that he thought the staring was coming from, he noticed there were two women who were huddled together in such a way it was as if they were trying to vanish from view. Both of their faces turned bright red when he looked their way.

"Can I help you?" asked Taehyung, shocking them even further.

"No...no...we're fine."

"If you're waiting for the fax machine, I'm almost done," said Taehyung.

Lia could hear Taehyung talking to someone as her camera still faced the machine. Surely Taehyung had to realize that they were staring at him because they liked him and thought he was hot.

"Taehyung, I figured it out," said Lia, causing Taehyung to turn back around and flip the phone over so she could see his face again.

She instructed him on how to use it and he followed her steps to the letter. When he was done with the fax machine and was walking back to her workstation, Lia decided to see if Taehyung really was that clueless about the situation that had just happened.

"Taehyung, were you talking to someone while you were at the fax machine?"

"Yes. There were two women standing nearby," said Taehyung as he took a seat at Lia's desk. He put the phone down so she had an angle of the underside of his face; his face bent down as he wrote out something.

"You do realize they weren't waiting for the fax machine, right? You realize they were looking at you while you work because they think you're cute?"

Taehyung's writing froze as he moved to pick up the phone again; a smirk on his face.

"Someone sounds jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

"You like me, don't you?"

"Taehyung, we're not kids. Stop antagonizing me."

"I'm right because you're blushing."

"I'm sick."

"You're so totally blushing and it's not from sickness," he said as a huge boxy grin came upon his face. "Well, just so you know..."

Taehyung shifted the phone a bit to hold up the paper he'd been writing on that clearly said 'I love you' on it. Lia slouched down lower in the bed, trying to hide her blushing face under her sheets. That only caused Taehyung to laugh.

"Mr. Kim?"

Lifting his head, Taehyung looked up to see that Jin's father was looking at him. He flushed as his laughing died out, quickly flipping the 'I love you' paper over.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Yes sir," said Taehyung as he looked at Lia on the phone, quickly saying goodbye before standing up and slipping the phone into his pocket.

He followed along behind Mr. Kim as if he were heading towards the principal's office. He entered and stood off to the side, scanning his eyes around the room as Mr. Kim shut the door.

"Please have a seat," said Mr. Kim as Taehyung nodded his head, taking a seat in front of the desk.

"So you're Kim Taehyung," said Mr. Kim as Taehyung nodded. "You were kind to step in for Lia today."

"Well she is under the weather. We watch out for her like she watches out for us."

"You all have a special relationship and I'm thankful for it. If it wasn't for Lia, I might not have known about Jin being alive. It's odd to think that - in a way - you're him."

"It's just as odd for us too," said Taehyung; the awkwardness in the air between the two of them growing.

"I was going to fill Lia in on a development I discovered, but maybe you can deliver that news for me since she might be too sick to take a call."

Taehyung felt his blood freeze when he heard that. Something inside him wanted to call Lia on the phone in his pocket and dial her in, but he didn't. Instead he sat there and listened as Mr. Kim illuminated him with the truth about what had happened to the seven of them.

- - -

Lia was beyond frustrated. She heard Mr. Kim's voice on the other end of the call with Taehyung and had understood why he had had to hang up, but she had expected him to call her back as soon as he was able to. However, several hours had gone by and he hadn't called. Her shift had even ended an hour ago and she hadn't heard boo from him.

She stood in the bathroom, opting to slip into sweatpants and a t-shirt because she didn't feel well enough to get ready. Lia didn't have any set plan in mind, but had it in her mind that she needed to go out and look for him. Just as she was finishing tying her hair up into a messy bun, she heard Yeontan going nuts at the door as a knock sounded out.

Lia felt her emotions go all over the place as she walked out of the bathroom and over to the door, opening it. Taehyung stepped in with the disguise on; Lia slamming the door behind him before balling her hands into fists.

She knew she was upset, but didn't realize just how angry being left in the dark made her.

"Why didn't you call me back?" she asked. "What did you and Mr. Kim talk about?"

Taehyung tugged the disguise away and looked absentmindedly down at Yeontan as he jumped at his legs. Lia could tell that his usually flirty demeanor had been dampened by something.

"Taehyung," she said, quickly letting her anger defuse like air from a balloon. The last time she had seen him this way was after she asked him to play detective for a day, "What's going on? Talk to me."

"Mr. Kim told me about how one of us was deathly ill," started Taehyung, "And that we had gone to see a doctor for an experimental surgery."

"He mentioned the deathly ill part to me. He didn't mention the surgery. Maybe we can go to this doctor and he can fix things?"

"If we fix things, the one who was deathly ill will die," said Taehyung bluntly.

"Surely it's not what you think," said Lia, but the look in Taehyung's haunted eyes didn't disappear at her words. "Well, we at least have to try to reach out to the doctor...right? We can't say that will happen without talking to him."

"Mr. Kim already talked to the doctor, Lia," said Taehyung. "He has arranged a meet-up for us."

"Well, then, lets try to find the bright side, alright? Maybe when the doctor sees you guys, he will figure out some sort of way to reverse things after all without killing anyone."

Her anger was completely gone now as she moved to slip a hand into his; lacing their fingers together before giving his hand a tight squeeze.

"Can we not talk about it anymore?" asked Taehyung. "Can I please just focus on taking care of you?"

Lia smiled softly, nodding her head. She knew that this was all weighing him down and didn't like anything that dampened his spirit. Taehyung spent the rest of the evening taking care of her and they didn't talk about it again. Lia laid in bed as Taehyung served her soup, made sure she had something good to watch, and cuddled her. As Taehyung laid with his back up against the headboard as the night wore on, Lia was sleeping on her side; her head in his lap. A soft song fell from his lips as his fingers slipped through her hair time and time again.

"Lia..." he whispered, testing to see if she was passed out completely or not.

Not hearing a peep from her, Taehyung took a deep breath. The hurt that he had swallowed earlier that evening resurfaced in his eyes as his fingers continued slipping through her hair.

He hadn't been completely forthcoming earlier when he had told her about the conversation with Mr. Kim. It had been to protect her. At least, that was what he told himself. A tear or two rolled down his face.

"Lia, I love you. I want you Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, baby every night. Heck, I want you every day, but Jungkook loves you too. I hate him for meeting you first and in turn falling for you first. I wish it had been me, but it wasn't. That can't be changed. I know that we're both not making things easy on you, and I'm sorry. I'll make the decision easier though. I'll step aside because I love you."

That wasn't entirely the only reason that Taehyung was opting to step back from her and not be an obstacle between her and Jungkook. With his emotions all tangled up, he laid his head back so that it rested against the headboard, his mind taking him back to Mr. Kim's office and to the conversation they had had.

"You all cared about him so much that you were willing to share your life with him so he could live," said Mr. Kim, "It is admirable."

"So that doctor...he made it so we all lived literally as one?"

"Yes. He did. He was brilliant - but due to all your sacrifices - Jeon Jungkook got to live."

- - -

AN: Why do you think Taehyung is stepping out of the way of Lia's relationship with Jungkook? Do you think it is the right choice?

I'm curious to hear what you all think! I was going to spell it all out initially, but it would have ruined the end of the chapter. Also, where's the fun in that? 😂