| mara's point of view

"Jimin made this whole thing up with me and Jungkook. He planned everything from the start. When I realized what we were doing was wrong, I was already dating you. I tried to put some sense in his head but he wouldn't listen to me." Taehyung stared right into my eyes and said it. "So I told him to leave me out of everything and now I'm here.. to protect you from him because I like you, Mara."

He likes me. ME. Does that make any sense?

"What? I don't understand.. and no, you shouldn't like me." I denied him. We were both so busy with ourselves that we forgot to watch over Bailey. "Bailey! No!"

I ran to where the tearing sound was coming from and caught the little monster gnawing on my school bag. I tried to catch him but the damage was already done. I took the precious pieces of paper in my hand and tried to connect each piece to the other but most were soaked in saliva, some were just too destroyed to be recognized.

"Mara I said I like you. Did you not hear what I said?" Taehyung stood over the mess, Bailey ran to him and he picked him up.

"Will you please just drop it for a second? Your dog ate my homework for christ's sake!" I was furious. It took me a whole day to solve those math problems and I suffered a great deal of headaches afterwards now they're all shredded and covered in mutt drool.

"What's that on your neck?" Taehyung squinted his eyes to the forming bruise.

"Nothing." I quickly clutched at my collar, hiding the bruised skin underneath. "It's because of my bag strap. I pulled on it too hard yesterday and it kind of twisted around my skin."

Taehyung pried my hands away from my neck and checked it for himself. He knew better than believing my lame excuse. Taehyung glared at the evident teeth marks on my skin, "Did Jungkook do this to you?"

"It's not a big deal. I allowed him to." I replied which was definitely a wrong move.

"You allowed him to?!" Taehyung cornered me, his eyes judging and angry, "What were you allowing him to do to you, huh? Do you even know what he has on his mind? They talk about sleeping with you all the time like pigs!"

"I know what I'm doing, Taehyung. You don't have to fucking patronize me!" I snapped back at him.

"No you don't. You think you know but you have no idea what's going on, Mara." Taehyung said.

"Then tell me!" I snapped at him, "Why is Jimin doing this? Why does he want to hurt me?"

He was speechless for a moment then he turned his back to me, "I can't. I'm sorry."

"I thought you said you will be honest with me? Why not start now, Taehyung?" I probed further, "Tell me what's Jimin up to?"

"I can't, Mara." He said, "Jimin is still my friend. He's important to me. You're important to me but that's something I would rather not cross."

Taehyung faced me again, looking at the distracting bruise on my neck then back at my face, "I promised to protect you and I will."

I let Taehyung and Bailey stay until late in the evening. They were great company compared to being alone. We ordered food for dinner and watched some movies afterward. Halfway through the ending of the movie, my mom called, saying that she'll be coming home later than she expected because of an uncooperative psych patient who was refusing to go back to his room. She said they were waiting for him to calm down a bit before they could sedate him.

I wish I could pack some syringes this weekend so I could just sedate them all during their sleep. That would make me feel safe in my own bed.

I feigned a tired voice and told her that I'll just finish doing my homework and then I'll go to bed. My mom trusted me so no questions were further asked and she knew I didn't have friends to invite over especially a boyfriend since she knew I hated boys. Ever since my dad left us, I have developed an urge to exterminate all males except for Yoongi, of course. He's a good soul.

I went to my room, leaving the fuckboy and his puppy downstairs with the movie. I opened my closet and took my suitcase out. I laid it on top of my bed and started throwing clothes in because I have no idea what we'll be doing in the weekend.

"Want me to help you with that?" Taehyung was leaning against my open door. "You're going with us this weekend, right?"

He smiled and walked towards me, looking at the pile of clothes on top of my suitcase. His eyes animatedly sparkled and he quickly pulled out the only sheer laced underwear I owned.

"I think this will look great on you." He smirked as he held my underwear in the air, eyeing the piece of cloth like a prize.

"That is not for you to decide." I snatched my underwear from him and returned it to my underwear drawer.

"You'll definitely need this." Taehyung pulled out my bikini from the pile. He flashed me a smile before he clapped his hands together, "Please bring it."

"Calm the fuck down, will you? I have a lot more of those and I intend to wear them all this weekend." I smirked at him, it's about time for me to play. I took the small piece of clothing from his hands and forced him to sit down, "Now be a good boy and stay still."

I thought it would work on him but it didn't. You can't simply tell this boy to sit down and be still. The boy needs to fucking touch everything he sees.

"What are these?" He held up my white bras.

"Those are my bras! Idiot!" I snatched them back and brought them safely to my drawer.

"You call those bras?" He snickered, "I bet those won't even get me turned on."

"Shut up." He laughed and went to find some other things to busy himself with.

"No. Just no." I stopped Taehyung when he was putting my teddy bear printed boxer shorts in my suitcase. "That is not cool."

"You should bring it. Trust me, it's for your own good." He gently placed four of them in my suitcase. I swatted his hand and took them out but he placed them back again.

"I'm not bringing those." I said and made it clear to him with a stern tone.

"If you won't bring them. I'll bring it and make you wear them," He suddenly ran in the hallway with Bailey right on his tail, hugging my underwear, "You don't understand." He yelled like a crazed man. "These will protect you from evil spirits!"

I ran after him, becoming a crazy person myself by yelling at him, "I'm giving you three seconds to put my teddy underwear safely on the floor. I'm serious Kim Taehyung."

He only grinned at me. "Catch me first."

I broke into a run and caught his sleeve, pulling on it hard then boom! I fell on my back, slowly getting crushed by Taehyung's weight. He was breathing hard and staring deep into my eyes. My cheeks were flushed red from all the unnecessary exercise he just made me go through.

Suddenly he was closing in on me. I shut my eyes close. This is it. I've seen it happening on movies, I told myself and soon enough his soft lips were dancing on mine. The moment was brief as he broke away too soon. I never said I didn't like him but this feels wrong. It is wrong.

Crap. These boys just mess me up every time. They need to be exterminated.

Taehyung got up and pulled me up from the floor. He was smiling at me and I couldn't look at him, let alone return his smile.

"It feels different." He said, touching his lips, his teeth biting down on his lower lip.

I tried to ignore what just happened, "What feels different?"

Taehyung caught my gaze and smiled again. "Kissing the girl I like."

*

The weekend came and miraculously I have persuaded my mom into letting me go to the villa, saying it was a new friend of mine that invited me. I practiced really hard and even cried on the spot so I'll be convincing and sure enough, my efforts had bore the fruits of my perseverance.

"Bye!" I waved goodbye to my Mom as she drove her car out of the drive way. Thank God she had work even on Saturday.

I ran upstairs and brought my luggage down with me. I didn't bring much just as Taehyung advised but to be sure, I brought extra of everything.

A honk came from outside and I was sure it was Jungkook. Supposedly, we're still together and he's still my boyfriend.

"Goodmorning." Jungkook was extremely jolly the minute he saw me.

Is jolly even an appropriate word for him? No, I don't think so. Maybe horny would suit him better.

He gave me a kiss on the cheek and I stepped back unconsciously, "Don't ever do that again." I warned.

"Can't help it. I just love girls with short hair." Jungkook smirked, teasing me.

"Oh great. At least now you don't fuck everything that's warm blooded." I rolled my eyes and got on his car.

The drive was a bit too long and it was kind of uncomfortable being alone with Jungkook for a long period of time. I don't really get him. Sometimes he'd be really easy to talk to then suddenly he would shut everyone out. He was difficult like that.

"Mind if I listen to some of your music?" I asked him, breaking the silence.

"Go ahead." He deadpanned, keeping his eyes on the road.

I found a CD that has nothing but a date written on it and tried it. A guitar started playing a soft melody and then Jungkook's voice perfectly overcame everything. He could sing.

The music stopped. Jungkook has pulled the CD out and I looked at him. "Not this." He said, his voice strained. "Pick something else."

"Why? You sing really good." I took back the cd from his tensed hand and played it again.

Jungkook's hand gripped tightly on the steering wheel as the music brought him back to that day. The day he sang the very same song to Sewon because it was her favorite song and she loved hearing his voice in that melody. He couldn't stop his eyes from tearing up, it opened up a part of his heart that he thought he had stitched up really well. He thought wrong. He thought he had forgotten everything. He thought hating her would be enough but he didn't realize that he was still holding onto a small part of her.

"Jungkook?" I watched a tear fall down from his cheek. Jungkook hurriedly swiped the tear off his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." His voice quivered.

"I don't think so." I didn't know why but I reached out to him, touching his tears. They were fragile and so was he.

The car jerked to a stop and we sat in silence for a minute before he grabbed onto my hand and pulled me into a hug.

"I don't think I can still be fine." He buried his eyes on my shoulder, his arms tightly holding onto me, "I'm not okay."

Unconsciously, I was getting involved and I pulled him closer. "You don't have to pretend anymore. Don't hide, Jungkook. It's okay to cry. It's not a weakness."

He pulled away and I knew by then that he was ready to face me, the real Jungkook.

"Mara." Jungkook called my name and I looked into his eyes. He didn't speak another word, just my name as he kissed me.