~back to soo yeong's point of view~

i fumble my way down the street in pure distraught. after seeing taehyung's message i literally drowned myself in my own tears for the entire afternoon before finally deciding to get some air.

what he did to me cut me as deep as soekjin oppa's knives to the meat he often cuts. i guess the saying, what am i chopped liver? comes into effect now- i'm being overlooked just like my dad did when he met the dragon lady.

i frown.

i made so much of memories with taehyung in such a short span of time but it's nothing but all a waste now. it's going to be so painful to think about and it'll hurt even more when i see him at school.

i sigh as i sloggishly make my way up a few stairs but not without tripping first. i accidentally step on the parts of my dress which is slightly dragging onto the ground and i stumble until my shoulder comes into contact with some glass.

i look up to find that i've arrived at a store but not just any store rather at the café station. my breath hitches as i realise i've unconsciously brought myself here, the one place i shouldn't be because i don't want to be around people right now especially the ones i know.

before i could turn to leave i notice hoseok and yoongi oppa looking straight at me almost as if they're trying to figure out who i am so i quickly pull on the front of the cap which i'm using, lowering it over my face hoping that they don't recognize me.

when i turn to take my first step down the stairs i unfortunately hear hosoek oppa's voice ring throughout the calm atmosphere, slicing the once silence filled air.

"soo yeong ah~!" he yells and i hear movement from inside the café.

i briefly shut my eyes in guilt before taking fast steps down the stairs hoping to evade them but with hosoek being the most energetic person on earth he somehow manages to catch up to me- literally jumping the stairs and stopping right infront of me.

"aigoo, where are you going?" his happy voice cuts my ears and i keep my gaze steadfast on the ground, suddenly finding the pavement interesting.

i cuss under my breath and shut my eyes in regret when the memories of that night strike me- that night with me, the cold pavement and taehyung's hands.

"i hate him..." i mumble softly but i break on the inside when i say those words.

"hate who?" yoongi oppa's voice is suddenly heard. "and i know hoseok ah~ emits bright rays and all but what's with the baseball cap?" i feel a light touch on my shoulder.

i flinch slightly upon contact but i choose to ignore both their presence and just stand there frozen, contemplating on whether i should share my troubles with them or not because i don't want to be a burden to them, anymore.

"soo yeong?" hosoek oppa's voice travels through the air. "we can see something's wrong. if you're not going to tell us what put you in this state, how can we help you?" his voice sounds sincere and sweet, as it usually does.

i bite my lip, feeling hesitant about spilling my troubles but finally a single word slips through my lips, "oppa..." i break into a soft sob and i hug yoongi oppa tightly.

i hear him gasp lightly at my unexpected gesture but nonetheless he snakes his arms around me and holds me tight, "soo yeong ah~, everything will be alright, whatever it is." he tries to comfort me while caressing my back.

"oppa," i repeat, "you were right when you said the term oh man is used to express disappointment because men are in fact disappointing." i mumble angrily into his jacket and hoseok oppa peeps down to my level, turning my cap around so he can see my face.

"you've been crying soo yeong ah~?" hosoek frowns. "your make-up's all messed up. did something happen with tae?" i nod slowly as he wipes my face with the sleeve of his jacket and i sniffle.

"aish, child... i only used those words to get out of that cupcake dilemma... don't take it seriously." he pats the top of my head and gives me a soft gummy smile that somehow warms my heart just alittle. "and what did that boy do to you? i'll kill him, roll him up into a pizza and then i'll eat him."

"aish, hyung. you don't need to use so tragic methods." hoseok whines, hitting yoongi on the shoulder. "what did he do, maybe we can talk it out? don't be afraid."

"h-he..." i look down at yoongi's sleeve. "he sent me a text and told me..." i bite my lip, feeling the pain shoot through me all over again. "not to show up for our date..."

"what?!" hoseok yells in shock. "he said that through a text message!"

"did he give a reason?" yoongi inquires rather calmly.

i nod, "there's someone else." a tear rolls down my cheek and i bite my lip.

"that is utter nonesense soo yeong!" yoongi yells startling me and i feel his back muscles constrict. i look up at him and hoseok does the same. "stob your unnecessary crying, taehyung would never do that."

"bu-"

"after all you two went through, do you think all that effort he put was for nothing?" yoongi's words hits me like truck. i didn't expect him to burst out like that. "if you really think there's someone else then you're a pabo soo yeong." he scolds.

"aish, hyung. why so harsh?" hoseok interferes, looking at yoongi oppa with a serious expression now. "this is like her first heartbreak."

"the truth's always harsh hoseok ah~! and she's not heartbroken!" yoongi oppa bites back.

"then how would you explain this?" hoseok shoots. "but what i also don't understand is why he'd do this especially after this morning..."

"exactly, we are not going sweep it under the carpet just like that because we both know this is a big misunderstanding." yoongi retorts looking down at me while hoseok nods his head in agreement.

i frown, "can we just forget about taehyung and let me work a shift instead so you two can go out for the spri-"

"no!" they both counter and i pull away from yoongi's embrace but he doesn't let me rather he only releases his hold just alittle.

"we are not going anywhere until we come to a plausible solution..." yoongi informs. "also, i think it's time you know the truth about the cupcakes."

"oh neh, i've be been waiting for the day it's finally revealed." hoseok chirps happily and i furrow my brows at him.

"i'm not the one that sent you those cupcakes..." yoongi explains calmly. "it was taehyung. he bought them specially for you." he looks down at me maybe expecting a reaction from me but he gets nothing.

"it probably was just for show." i say dryly and hoseok suddenly tugs on my ear. "ow! what are you doing? stob it!"

"don't disrespect yoongi ah~. he just told you something important and your reaction is no different from being dead."

"that's what i am feeling on the inside... dead." i mutter but suddenly yoongi starts shaking me, almost as if he's trying to stir up the old-happy me.

"childd!" he literally drawls the d. "you need to get your act together, taehyung didn't break your heart and you know how i know this?" he asks and i shake my head from side to side.

i watch yoongi tilt his head toward hoseok and he nods in return. "taehyung stopped by this morning." hoseok states with a small smile. "he even said that he's looking forward to this night with you."

i stare at him with a puzzled expression.

"he came in like seven in the morning and got you hot chocolate further more he said he even bought different types of food just for you." yoongi adds to hoseok's words with a neutral expression on his face. "now you tell me which boy would spend a ton of money on a girl he doesn't like and that early in the morning?"

i sigh deeply and purse my lips, "taehyung's insane, you said it yourself oppa..."

"i recall saying that you're both insane and share a single braincell... don't you remember?" yoongi oppa snorts and i nod slowly. "and it's clear as day that you're both like each other."

"you're making me have mixed feelings oppa's and it hurts." i groan as i shut my eyes.

"love hurts soo yeong ah~" hoseok states matter of factly. "it's quite obvious that you two have the red string of fate but... right now, you need a little push in the right direction." he smiles warmly.

"what do you mean?"

"you're going to tell us the place where you're supposed to meet tae and we're going to take you there." hoseok declares while looking at yoongi for confirmation.

"no-"

"no protesting soo yeong ah~!" yoongi pipes up. "hoseok's right, you both need to talk and find out what really happened. i'm sure taehyung would be trying to meet you also."

i frown, looking away from the two young men feeling confused and hurt about this entire situation.

what do i do?

"this is a state of emergency so we need to close up shop!" hoseok announces before quickly running into the café.

from outside, on the pavement i watch hoseok kindly speak the two couples seated inside the warm shop and shortly after both couples get up and exit the café, leaving it deserted. thereafter, he quickly switches off the lights and locks up the café.

"won't you two get into trouble for this?" i look at yoongi oppa in uncertainty.

"like hoseok ah~ said, it's a state of emergency." he says, smirking softly and hoseok arrives beside us with a bright smile i wish i could wear. "now where were you two meeting up?"

"oly-" i bite my lip, "by lu, that's where."

"lu?" hoseok oppa looks puzzled. "what's a lu?"

i lied to the oppa's because i'm not sure if i'm ready to face taehyung just yet. i need time to reflect on everything they've just told me and lu is my salvation whenever i need answers about taehyung. it may sound weird but you'll only understand what i am mean if you've spent time with lu. he clears my mind and allows me to think rationally again.

"he's the little kitty which taehyung saved some time back." i smile, remembering the ginger feline. "and he's at the school entrance."

"alright soo-nderella!" hoseok announces and yoongi and i raise an eyebrow at the name he's just articulated.

"really hoseok ah~? soo-nderella?" yoongi chuckles as he ushers me toward his vehicle which is parked just outside the café.

"neh!" hoseok says as we hop in the backseat and yoongi revs up the engine. "we are her fairy god mothe- father's rather and we're here to make sure she gets her happy ending."

i smile softly at the kindness that these two men just showed me and i'll forever be grateful for everything they've done for me but the fact that i lied to them and they don't suspect a thing makes my tummy churn a whole lot.

am i doing the right thing?

a/n: astro's new album, all light, is definitely worth the listen. i especially love 1 in a million! sdkdkdjsj.

and just a life update, i went to register to vote today because i'm eligible now and the officials said i look ten lmaoooooo people usually think i'm twelve but ten's a whole new level 😂.

anyway, i was totally confused while writing this chapter, idk don't ask but i hope it's ok. please vote and comment if you liked it!

also, thank you for 2k reads and i have something special planned for you guys after i complete sticky notes! it's nothing big but please look forward to it!

~author-nim💜