Love Maze

After Sooyeong got off at the school, she thanked both of the men for helping her.

"You sure you'll be fine alone?" Hoseok asked.

She nodded, trying to conceal her nervousness, "I'll text Taehyung my location. I'm sure he'll be here in a bit."

Once more, she shamelessly lied because in actual fact, she didn't have her smartphone with her because it was lying in that dump along with her heart.

"Alright, take care. Call if you need anything." Yoongi offered and she nodded, again.

Soon after she watched the vehicle drive off into the distance. With a soft sigh, she looked around and noticed a few cars drive by beneath the light of the street lamps but there was some light that resonated from the school building as well.

She slipped passed the boom gate, scurried up the steep hill then up the staircase toward Yeontan. Once there, she slowly settled down so she wouldn't scare him then she opened up a bottle of water that she got from Yoongi's vehicle because all of that crying left her dehydrated. She rinsed out the drinking bowl and topped it up with the fresh contents.

From his sleeping position, he awoke and licked at the water. At this she found herself smiling because of how cute and tiny he looked but the longer she stared at him the more her thoughts swirled.

"I feel like I should just hop into this box next to you, then maybe I could get adopted too and get away from all of this. Things are hard for me already yet they're still keep getting harder and I just don't know anymore. I don't want people to worry about me, you know."

She took a hold of Yeontan and leaned against the wall behind her. Although Taehyung urged her to play with Yeontan on Monday, she wasn't completely over her fear of dogs as yet but at this point she needed his comfort and warmth.

"You seem to like Taehyung a lot don't you little guy? You even got hurt for him." She cradled him as she looked at him. "Do you really think he's that precious?"

A soft bark left his mouth.

She hummed and gently scratched his fur, "I guess that's a yes."

She played with his paws- his paws clawed against her palms. It was a trick which Taehyung had shown her, "I also find him really precious but I don't understand why he'd post something like that because we've been through a lot together and he's always taken care of me. Everything felt genuine to me and all of those sticky notes..."

Yeontan continued to claw and she smiled.

"Maybe the Oppa's are right. It could all just be one big misunderstanding because I honestly can't see him using a girl just for sexual pleasure but what about that Instagram post..."

She brought Yeontan up to her eye level and she stared at him as his fore limbs flailed, cutely.

"Ahro was quick to tell me about his sexual desires then that post suddenly popped up..." she pouted. "What if Ahro was somehow behind it but how would she get into Taehyung's account in the first place?"

She thought for a second as Yeontan barked in the background.

"Maybe Dansae had his login details since they're friends." She scrunched up her nose but immediately dispelled of the thought because she didn't know Jimin's or Jungkook's and neither of them knew hers.

She gasped when Yeontan suddenly clawed at her chest but somehow she managed to calm him down then she sat up in realisation.

"Wait... that little turd, Dansae, does Information Technology as an extra!"

She quickly placed Yeontan in the box and swiftly stood upright.

"Dansae probably hacked his account and here I am being selfish and stupid." She felt like slapping herself for having veiled herself in such hatred toward Taehyung. "I should go look for him and apol-"

"Sooyeongie!"

Her body froze from the sudden call especially because she was alone all this while.

"Sooyeong ah!" The same deep, breathless voice called out to her and she bit on her lower lip because she knew exactly whose voice that was so much so that she could wager her own life on a guess.

"Taehyung..." she turned to face his direction.

"I'm sorry Sooyeong!" He yelled and his form came into view but Sooyeong felt all sorts of emotions twirl inside of her. "I didn't post that caption about you! I promise, it was Dansae! I would never do something like that to you!"

He was breathless so he stopped at the bottom of the staircase and Sooyeong noticed his dishevelled brown hair. Despite its state, it still made look him absolutely stunning.

"I've told you before Sooyeong... you mean a lot to me." He admitted with a wide smile and she soaked all of him in. "I can never hurt you."

He was dressed in a pair of black leathery jeans, a black t-shirt and a maroon blazer. Tucked in the grasp of his right hand was also a black gift bag. She began to ponder on the thought of how could he be into someone like her of all people, when there was so many girls out there with obviously more stability than her in terms of materialistic offerings and less emotional distress.

"Taehyung," she breathed. "All through the afternoon I doubted you. I had mixed feelings about you. I began to think you were a Playboy because of Ahro but I was so stupid for doing so." She felt her eyelashes get wet and Taehyung hung onto her every word. "I'm really sorry for all of this. Everything I do only hurts you more and I'm so sorry..."

She hiccupped.

"Soo, I should be apologising for everything that's happened. It's because of me that your senior year got messed up," his voice was delicate. "I'm really sorry for hurting you the way I did, even if I had no intention of doing it."

"Stop blaming yourself, please." She gave a sad smile, "But you're showing a lot of sincerity and courage right now and I appreciate that."

A shy smile enveloped his features, "You really think I have courage?"

She nodded, "You indirectly kissed a girl who isn't your girlfriend. You even asked her to sit on your hands, which could have gotten you kicked in the butt yet you still did it anyway and you even protected that girl on many occasions."

She chuckled lightly and he knew she referred to herself so he ascended up the staircase with a warm smile on his handsome face, one step at a time.

"Tae, you really taught me what love is, what it's like to be daring, to keep fighting, just to be myself and a lot more. All of those memories are precious to me so I thank you from the bottom of my heart for every one of them..." she bowed slightly.

He stopped just a few steps from her so he was at the same height as her and it was hard for her to miss that boxy smile of his which she grew to love so much. However, this day made her rethink that scenario Hoseok spoke about. The one about the red string of faith, she wasn't so sure if he was correct because she believed that she was a problematic magnet and she didn't want Taehyung to get hurt anymore.

"You don't need to thank me Soo ah~ because you taught me a lot of things as well. Things like how precious every second of one's life is, how precious the people you care about are, the real world and the people who live in it but most of all you showed me what kindness really is." He explained before he took her hand in his and made her hold onto the gift bag he carried.

She just stared at him, completely lost in his eyes.

"I always assumed everyone was kind and genuine but I realised the world doesn't work like that." He continued and she felt her heart thump. "And you've lost a lot of love recently but..." he raised the bag up to her chest level and he urged her to take a peek. "But I promise you, I'm here to love you seriously despite all of the hardships. Open it up, I got it specially made for you."

Her lips parted at his affectionate words as she stared at him but finally she felt shy from his strong gaze roaming her features so she looked down at the gift bag.

"You really didn't need to get me anything, Tae." She mumbled and pulled out something that was huge, soft and red.

She felt startled for a second at the colour but when she realised what it was she stared in awe as her fingers traced over the huge heart shaped plushie that looked exactly like Tata. The texture and look of it was soft and cuddly which made her overlook the colour but those lips of it caught her attention because they were plump and full just like Taehyung's.

She bit her bottom lip out of embarrassment as she recalled her absurd thoughts about kissing Taehyung but she dusted that cloud of fantasy away and decided to face reality.

"Taehyung... this is really sweet..." she smiled weakly and held back her tears. "But I can't accept this nor can I do this..."

"Why not?" he panicked. "Do you still not like the colour red? And what are you talking about? I don't understand."

"It's not about the colour... it's just that I can't be with you, Tae." Her eyes filled up with tears.

"Why can't you?" his voice was serious yet it held pain.

"Because of everything that's happening," she dropped Tata back into the gift bag. "I can't keep on hurting you like this with all the hardships and lies. Everything I do, the consequence is almost on you. We're both worlds apart and I've lost everything, Tae." She explained as he stared at her sudden outburst. "Then there's you. You're so handsome, smart, kind, charming, funny, the entire package! You know what people already think about us. It's clear that you've gotten many confessions and admirers who are much more prettier than I am, you'll only break their hearts, and we've seen that."

Taehyung stared at her with an incredulous expression. He couldn't believe the words she spat. When he said that her feelings were his, he meant it. None of the things he did was just for show.

"Sooyeong, when I'm with you I only feel happiness. I feel alive, and sharing the pain is what you do when you care about someone whether they're rich or lost it all. You're the only one who gets me, you're smart, kind and when I'm with you I can actually be myself." His words struck her heart and made it pound faster within its cage.

He slowly climbed up the last remaining stairs and he approached her form. She reacted to his movement by stepping backwards which ultimately led her to hitting her back against the school doors. The gift bag automatically let loose from her grasp and he stopped right in front of her

She was pinned against the wall and him. Her breath hitched in her throat and the blood filled her cheeks as he plastered his arms on either side of her which blocked any escape. Taehyung's body was now just inches away from her and he stared deeply into her eyes, "And for heaven's sake Sooyeong," his hot breath fanned against her skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand, "you're so damn beautiful."

The pace of her heart increased to new heights such that it threatened to burst out of her chest so she looked away, trying to calm herself down but alas it was all futile as Taehyung planned to take Jimin's advice- to make the first move.

"Don't look away." She felt one of his delicate hands make contact with her chin and he made her look up at him, "Sometimes lies will try and tear us apart. Hardships will try to deceive us but just focus on me then. In the darkness, just the two of us is enough. In all these lies, if we're together, even an endless maze is paradise." She bit the inside of her cheek as a hurricane of emotions stormed her causing her insides to burn boundlessly.

"And as for those girls, let them be heartbroken because this heart..." he took her hand in his and placed it over his chest. She felt his rapid heartbeat. "Only beats for you and no-one else."

Her gaze fell over their attached hands placed over his chest, "But Tae are-"

"Yah, Sooyeong." He whined, interjecting her. "Stop playing hard to get before I kick you in the butt."

She gasped and her facial features warped in surprise. Literally just a second ago he was so passionate with words but then he hit her with that line, more specifically her line. How extraordinary of him.

As she was about to comment on his statement, she noticed his head dip forward and suddenly his soft and warm lips crashed against hers. In an instant, paralysis and shock took over her body- she was caught completely unawares. She blinked for a few seconds before realising that Taehyung was actually kissing her and soon enough she kissed him back.

Their lips moved in sync as if they were tailor-made for each other. She felt his hands travel down to her waist and he pulled her closer toward his body. Her body relaxed at his touch and she slipped her arms over his shoulders as she melted into the passionate yet and downright amazing kiss.

Their lips stayed connected for a few minutes before they pulled away from each other for air. He stared down at her as he licked his lips and her cheeks flushed an even brighter shade of scarlet than Tata.

Those lips of his were heaven.

"You still want to play hard to get?" he cocked a brow and smirked. "Because I want to make you mine..."

She remembered his sticky note, and the way she panicked when she thought she would get kissed because of it.

And it actually happened.

She felt flustered because of this entire situation but she managed to choke out some words, "Y-You can't just kiss a girl unexpectedly like that..."

"You said I'm courageous," he leaned closer. "Or did you forget that already?"

She bit her lower lip and pulled him into another gentle kiss. Their lips brushed over each other's once again whilst her hands travelled through his soft locks and their bodies were pressed up much closer to each other than before.

That second kiss felt like overkill on her lips, in a good way though. She found herself loving every second of it, just like the first one. It was as if colossal amounts of pure bliss shot throughout her which felt as if it filled the voids of sadness within her.

Not long after, they detached from one another. Breathless and flustered, they stared into each other's eyes, "Do you really like me?" her voice was soft.

"Are you insane?" his voice was deep and he reset her baseball cap. "I was hit in the butt by Cupid a long time ago."

Shyly, she chuckled, "Then let me take you somewhere."

She quickly picked up the gift bag, intertwined his larger hand in hers and she pulled him down the staircase, whilst obviously being careful not to tumble over.

"Where are we going?"

A U T H O R ' S N O T E

YASSSS FINALLY THEY KISSED SKSKDSJJ 😭😭😭😭

Author, Lu 💜