Taehyung turned around and locked eyes with Arang. "I don't understand your question," he replied, slightly confused. Her inquiry was strange and random. Why would she ask him something like that? Did she lie to him? Had the movie traumatized her? She seemed perfectly fine a few minutes ago. "I'm pretty sure you know who I am." He placed a hand on his chest. "I'm the ever so charmingly handsome Kim Taehyung."

Arang stood up and gave the package of peas back to him. She should have known that he wouldn't have been able to get what she was really asking him. "Never mind. Just forget about it. I should probably get going now before it gets even later." She walked over to the door, slid out of her slippers and put on her sandals.

Taehyung had his eyebrows kissing at the center of his forehead as he stared at the frozen bag of vegetables in his hand. What was that?

His head snapped in her direction when he heard the door open. What was with this girl? She was trying to leave on her own? Did she not learn her lesson after the incident on the bus? What if something else happened to her? She wouldn't be able to protect herself to the best of her abilities with that bruised wrist of hers. Throwing the package onto the table, Taehyung rushed over and joined her at the entrance of the apartment.

"What do you think you're doing?" He frowned.

Arang peered over her shoulder and spun around once she saw that he was right behind her. Why was he wearing that sort of expression? "I'm going home. What does it look like?" She answered nonchalantly.

Taehyung raked his fingers through his hair as he scoffed. "Do you know what time it is?" He didn't give her a chance to respond as he continued. "Too late for a girl like yourself to be walking home alone."

"It's not like this is the first time I've done something like this you know. I'm a grownup; I can take care of myself. I'm not a baby. You don't need to worry about me." She assured.

"Worry? I'm not worried about you; who said that I was worried about you." He disagreed a little too loudly even for his liking. "I just don't want to read about a homicide in tomorrow's newspaper. Besides, didn't you say that your parents were into chivalry? Wouldn't they want me to send you home? What would happen to me if they found out that I let their daughter leave on her own?"

"I can lie and say that you brought me. It's not a big deal." She countered. "You're overthinking it."

"I—" Taehyung's voice got jammed in the back of his throat. That's right, she wasn't a baby. This was Arang he was talking about here. She had a nasty right hook and a mouth that could cause any criminal to flee and think twice about messing with her again. There was no need for him to accompany her. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He resigned.

"And if by chance something awful does happen to you make sure you leave a message explicitly telling the world that it wasn't my fault."

Arang sucked her teeth but not in annoyance or anything like that. It kind of looked like she had actually found Taehyung's statement to be quite humorous for once. "Don't you know that the boyfriend or spouse is always the prime suspect? Add the fact that you were the last person to see me alive and you've just earned your one-way ticket to prison."

"Yah, does this face look like it belongs in a prison?" He sneered playfully.

She corked a brow. "Do you really want me to answer that?" Taehyung predicted that if he said yes, she would surely slap him with another insult. Therefore he shook his head to spare himself. "That's what I thought. Anyways, seeya around."

There was this unidentified feeling nagging at Taehyung and before Arang vacated, he grabbed the strap of her shoulder bag, holding her back. What did he want now? "Let me at least call a cab for you." He coughed as she craned her neck back to look at him again. "It'll make me feel better about letting you go alone. So if something does happen to you, I'll be able to tell the police that it was the taxi driver."

"You're worse than my mom," Arang stated in disbelief. Even she didn't fret over Arang's safety this much. "Fine. Do whatever you want. But if the taxi isn't here within the next ten minutes I'm leaving." Without skipping a beat, Taehyung yanked out his phone, searched up for cab services around the area and called the closest one he could find. He requested that they send a driver over right away and provided the dispatcher with the address.

"Does your conscience feel at ease now? Can I go?" 

"Yeah, hold on.  I'll go and wait with you." He didn't bother to hear whether or not Arang would accept his offer and did whatever he pleased. With his sneakers not on all the way, he prodded her out of the apartment, his hands resting on her shoulders. The two of them scuffled out to the elevator. When they came to a stop, Arang shrugged Taehyung off.

"What's wrong with you? I can wait by myself." She pointed out, not used to this side of him. Was he coming down with a fever or something? Because lately he has been acting peculiarly.

"You walked me out when I visited your house so it's only fair that I do the same." He reasoned in the shaft.

"I was forced to walk you out; you're doing this out of your own free will. Are you okay?"

"Stop asking so many questions. You're making my head hurt." He huffed.

They were standing outside for about seven minutes. Arang's mind was counting down the time when the taxi finally pulled up. She then climbed in and informed the driver of her address. Just before they departed, she rolled down the window. "You can go up now." She told Taehyung.

The boy folded his arms on the door and poked his head in. "I know. Seeya around, loser. Please take her home safely." He withdrew and tapped the hood of the car. The driver peeled away from the curb and Arang couldn't help but stare at Taehyung's figure shriveling up as the distance between the two of them lengthened. Since he was no longer in her line of sight, she straightened herself out. Her eyes fell to her wrist and she exhaled. Just who was Kim Taehyung?

Arang thought that she had him all figured out. She pegged him as the king of narcissism who cared about no one but himself. He was selfish, rude and not to mention highly inconsiderate, especially of those around him. Let's not forget to include stubborn and two-faced to the list. She was certain that he never did anything out of sincere kindness, only if it benefitted him.

If someone were to search arrogant on the internet, they would be flooded with photos of him. Arang couldn't stand a guy like Taehyung; there wasn't anything all that great about him either. In fact she hated everything about him. Whenever they crossed paths, he always found new ways to get under skin.

He was like that pesky, vexatious itch on your foot you wanted to scratch to make it go away even though you were aware that doing so would only be a temporary solution. Because once you did, it would just get itchier and even more irritating than before. Arang honestly believed that she had deciphered everything there was to know about Kim Taehyung.

But when he jumped in to save her from being pelted with eggs...

Arang's view of him started to waver a bit. It wasn't a lot but it was enough to have her doubting her original impression of him. He didn't have to do that. He claimed he intervened for the sake of his title as her boyfriend but nobody would have blamed him if he hadn't done such a thing. Then all of these other things happened, further baffling her.

He gave her his clothes and shared his food with her.

He walked her home in order to appease her parents.

He emailed her, insisting he'd fetch her from work when it was late even though there was no need for him to do so.

She wasn't definite on this one but she was going to go out on a limb here, it looked like he had gotten jealous and mad at her after she had told him that he didn't have a right to stick his nose into her business.

The way his face softened at the sight of her battered wrist and the concern laced in his voice as he turned away to get the first aid kit for her.

And ah, let's not omit his very lame excuse about her possibly getting murdered on her trip home so that he could hail a taxi for her.

Was there more to him than what was on the surface? Knowing Taehyung he would adamantly defend himself by saying that everything he did was because of their fake relationship. And if Arang wasn't so keen and observant she would have accepted his answer. Too bad for him she was someone who analyzed everything.

Nobody forced Taehyung to do anything despite what he might say. His actions were carried out by him and no one else.

Even the most stubborn bull won't budge from its place unless it has the will to do so on its own.

Did that mean somewhere, deep down, everything Taehyung did was because he secretly wanted to? 

Taehyung flopped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, his fingers interlocked underneath his head. Arang was completely insufferable. She was hotheaded, sarcastic and all things evil. She was made of vinegar, spice and everything ice. She was the queen of derision. Whenever he saw her his stomach usually wrenched in agony but recently, for some unexplainable reason, she was gradually starting to grow on him.

She wasn't like the other girls he has encountered.

She didn't fall head over heels in love with him.

It was the exact opposite.

She also didn't shower him with the empty compliments he had heard everywhere he went. She was different. She was just being herself.

Don't misunderstand the situation though. Taehyung was far from liking her.

Like really, really far.

As far as the United States was from South Korea, if not farther.

He could barely tolerate her snide remarks and fiery personality. At times she could be very difficult to handle and he swore one day he'd lose his sanity and go completely bonkers because of her. Taehyung always felt like there wasn't a woman out there, with the exclusion of his own mother of course, who would be able to keep up with him and his... unique personality.

However, all of that changed when he stumbled upon a girl by the name of So Arang. Although he didn't want to admit it, she had put him in his place on more than one occasion. She was witty, prideful and resilient. While he was with her, there was never a dull or tedious moment either. Sure they were squabbling about 99.9% of the time but it was always entertaining.

And as odd as it might sound, Taehyung couldn't imagine anyone else being his fake girlfriend but So Arang.

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author's note

» for those who don't know derision has to do with ridicules and mockery. but but but what is this i smell? you guessed it! more progress! if you really like this story feel free to comment and vote! i would appreciate it! did anyone pick up on the powerpuff girls reference? that show was my favorite! haha i also really like this song by megan lee, i think this will become the theme song for this story! hmm, what do you guys imagine as the the frozen frame for the end of this chapter? it's tricky for me!