Ki-joo paced back and forth, her fingers furiously tapping against her phone screen as she anxiously waited for Jimin's response. Thanks to him, her entire work had been pushed aside for this ridiculous plan. The mere thought of trying to make Taeyung fall for her made her head spin.

Blonde: Relax, it's not that deep. Just play along this time, just this once.

Jimin replied after what felt like an eternity. She can practically see his short smirk playing on his lips despite his attempt to appear serious. Ki-joo clenched her jaw, glaring at the screen.

"This guy seriously has no serious bone in his body,' she thought to herself." She muttered underneath her breath.

Fuming, she quickly typed back:

Not that deep?! You want me to make Taehyung, that dumbass, fall for me just to cover your butt? I am sorry but not sorry for my language, but are you INSANE?

Blonde: It's not about actually making him fall for you, just... 

you know, keeping him distracted. It'll buy me some time.

"Boyfriend?"

Ki-joo nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around so fast that she almost dropped her phone, clutching it tightly to her chest.

"Taehyung! You scared me!" she half-yelled, her voice a mix of shock and irritation.

Taehyung blinked at her, momentarily taken aback by her dramatic reaction. "I wasn't even that close," he muttered, raising an eyebrow. "How long have you been hiding secrets on your phone?"

Ki-joo's heart was still racing, and she quickly shook her head. "I-I'm not hiding anything!"

Taehyung smirked, leaning slightly closer with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Then why are you acting so suspicious?"

Ki-joo swallowed, her grip tightening around her phone. Damn it.

He was too close now, the warmth of his presence wrapping around her like a trap. She gritted her teeth, feeling the heat creeping up her neck. She hated when Taehyung got nosy.

She also hated how, for some reason, she couldn't look away.

She stared.

His eyes bore into hers, waiting for an answer that she couldn't give. Ki-joo knew she had to come up with something fast before he figured out what's happening. She forced out a laugh, stepping back slightly, but Taehyung only tilted his head, watching her with even more curiosity.

"I-I'm not hiding anything!" she said, trying not to stammer between her words. "You're just being annoying as usual."

Taehyung chuckled, tilting his head slightly. "You always say that, yet you never seem to stop talking to me."

Ki-joo scoffed, avoiding his gaze, "That's because you never stop bothering me."

He hummed in amusement, his gaze dropping for a moment to her phone, still clutched tightly in her hand. "Then you wouldn't mind if I took a look?" he reached out, but Ki-joo was too quick, spinning away from him with a sharp glare...or he thought so.

"Back.Off."

Taehyung raised his eyebrow, tilting his head slightly, rubbing his hand back, though the smirk never left his lips. "Relax, I was just joking."

"No, you weren't," Ki-joo huffed, hugging her phone to her chest. "You are being nosy, and for what?" She asked, with that usual sharp tone.

Taehyung has gotten used to that tone, but today it's kind of different, and he can smell something isn't right with her. He shrugged as if he were trying to be normal, not letting himself be clouded by thoughts. "Maybe I'm just curious about who has you looking so flustered."

Ki-joo turned her head with another scoff as if brushing off the question while she internally cursed Jimin for putting her in this situation. She had two options left right now: either come up with the best excuse she could get right now or risk Taehyung digging deeper. And knowing him, he'd definitely dig deeper.

She exhaled sharply before blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

"Maybe I do have a boyfriend."

Taehyung's smirk flattered just for a second. His lips were neither curled into a smirk nor into a blank one but something in between a smirk and a blankness.

Ki-joo crossed her arms, tilting her head while poking her tongue to her inner cheek. She can see how easily Taehyung has fallen for that. She raised her eyebrows as she said, "Why? Are you jealous?"

Taehyung blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Jealous? Oh please. I just feel bad for the guy." Earning a dramatic gasp from Ki-joo.

"Wow. How rude," she said with a frown.

Taehyung grinned in satisfaction, "Just stating facts. Whoever he is, he's got his work cut out for him."

Ki-joo narrowed her eyes, pretending to think. "Oh, but he's actually really sweet to me. He even sends me cute texts." she held up her phone, waving it slightly. "Also not to mention he would even cry like a baby if I ignored him," she said with a smirk.

Taehyung scoffed."Uh-huh.Sure."

Ki-joo's smirk widen. "And if you must know, he's tall, handsome, and very, very charming."

Taehyung stared at her for a moment as his smirk totally faded into something more unreadable than it already. Then, with a casual shrug, he said, "Well, tell Mr. Perfect I said hi."

"Taehyung-nim, everything is set. Mr. Kim is ready for the shoot," said the assistant, interrupting their conversation. Taehyung nodded, turning his attention away from Ki-joo.

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Ki-joo let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, 'Thank god,' she thought before quickly pulling out her phone, but there was no message from Jimin. She huffed, biting her lips as she stared at the empty chat screen.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. Part of her wanted to unleash her frustration—Jimin, you absolute menace, do you have any idea what I just went through?!—but another part of her hesitated.

Of course, he must be busy with Taeyeon.

That thought alone made her scowl. Not because she was jealous...god, no... because he was the reason she had to spin this ridiculous story in the first place. And now, she knew she had to face the consequences for lying to Taehyung.

Ki-joo groaned, dropping her head back.

Fine, she'd deal with this on her own.

With a resigned sigh, she finally typed:

Ki-joo: You owe me so much, Park Jimin.

And hit send.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Buzz Buzz

Jimin's phone vibrated with a new message notification. He glanced down at the screen and saw Ki-joo's name pop up. He smirked as soon as he glanced at the text on the lockscreen . He knew he was in for it, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at her message.

His eye drifted to Taeyeon, who is so involved in writing. Her long black hair was draped over her shoulder, and the side curtain bangs were falling gently over her face as she tilted her head slightly in deep concentration. Jimin chuckled to himself, knowing that Taeyeon was completely unaware of the chatter happening on his phone.

He quickly typed out,

Jimin: Sure, sure, Ms. Han. Whatever you say.

Then with a satisfied grin, he set his phone aside and turned his gaze back to Taeyeon before getting back to the sketching process, but before he even moved the stylus across the tablet, his phone continuously vibrated , indicating an incoming call.

Jimin sighed, 'What now?' he instinctively assumed it was Ki-joo, probably ready to yell at him for making her deal with Taehyung.

But when he glanced at the screen, his brows furrowed.

Unknown caller.

He hesitated for a second before picking up, pressing the phone to his ear.

"hello?"

Silence.

Jimin pulled his phone away, checking if the call was still connected. Just as he was about to hang up, a voice finally came through, which is low and hesitant.

"Jimin-ah..."

His entire body stiffened.

That voice.

It was a voice he hadn't heard in a long time, except yesterday. The same voice, which reminded him the past had moved on. A voice that once meant everything to him.

His grip on the stylus tightened as he swallowed, his mind racing with many thoughts. He felt the gaze of Taeyeon on him from the corner of his eyes. He turned his head towards Taeyeon, forcing up a smile with a nod as if he was asking to excuse himself. And Taeyeon nodded back, but her eyes held a flicker of curiocity... and something else he couldn't quite place. Concern?

For the first time ever, Jimin couldn't understand Taeyeon's eyes. Maybe it was because he had never seen them look at him that way before. Or...maybe his emotions that are swirling inside him were clouding his thinking process. Either way, he didn't have time to dwell on it.

Jimin quickly stood up, his grip tightening around his phone as he made his way toward the hallway. And thanks to his work, which made him stay late because the hallway is so quiet without any buzz except the white lights that hummed softly above him.

After a little walk in the hallway, he finally stopped at the end of the corridor, making sure no one was around. He leaned against the cool wall as he finally pressed the phone to his ear.

"Jimin-ah..." the voice repeated, softer than beofre one. "Are you there?"

He exhaled sharply, "Why are you calling me, Jiyoo?" he asked directly, his voice came out colder than he intended.

There was a pause. Then, a hesitant sigh.

"I... I just wanted to know, how are you? I didn't even get a chance to greet you properly yesterday."

Jimin's dry laugh cut her sentence, shaking his head as he ran a hand down his face. "Seriously?" he muttered, "You didn't get the chance?" he added, his voice growing more impatient.

There was silence on the other end, but he didn't care. He had no patience left for someone who once walked away without a second thought, doubting not just his love but his dreams. He could almost picture her sitting uncomfortably on the other end.

"Jimin-ah, please... I-"

"Don't," he cut her off, his voice sharper than before. "Don't say my name like that. Not after everything."

The hallway felt even quieter now, the soft hum of the lights doing a little to put him in control, making him realize he is still in the office building and moreover Taeyeon is still in the company, so he needs to be careful with his emotions. And he knew he should hang up. End this before it could go further. But a part of him...one despised...was still wating. Waiting for what? An apology? An explanation?

"I know I hurt you," she finally said, her voice quieter now. "And I know I have no right to ask for anything. But seeing you again yesterday..." She trailed off, as if struggling to find the right words.

He clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the phone. "Seeing me again did what?" he asked, his tone laced with disbelief. "Made you realize you miss me? That you regret it?" he let out another dry chuckle. "You don't get to do this now."

"Jimin, please. I just—"

"I've moved on," he cut in firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "So do yourself a favor and don't call me again."

And with that, he ended the call, shoving his phone into his pocket before pressing his back against the wall, eyes closing for a brief moment.

He had done the right thing. Doesn't he?

So why did it still feel like his chest was so damn tight?

His hand moved to his chest, his fingers pressing against the spot where his heart seemed to beat painfully against his ribs. The anger had been there, sharp and biting. But there was something else too. Something softer, something he had buried so deep that he barely recognized it now.

Why does it hurt so much? He thought, pushing himself off the wall facing the glass window, staring out at shiny city lights that are twinkling in the distance. The cold, distant feeling he tried to maintain was slipping, and the emotions he thought he had buried were bubbling up again. Regret, pain, and fear he hadn't even recognized until now.

Fear of the past,

The fear that that which he thought he had moved on from might still be holding on to him.

Why am I letting this affect me?

Hadn't he moved on? Hadn't he fallen for Taeyeon? The woman he met in Tokyo, the one who had unknowingly become a part of him... the woman he dared to love even after realizing she was his best friend's sister?

Then why?

Why is he again feeling this way?

Hurt.Anger.Confusion.

The emotions churned inside him like an unstoppable storm, pulling and pushing him in between the past he thought he had left behind and the present, which he desperately wanted to hold on to.

_____________________________________________________________________________

He hadn't talked much after getting back to work after the call; neither Taeyeon asked him what took him so long nor Jimin offered an explanation. There was a silent understanding between them...one that should have made things easier, but instead, it made the silence heavier.

A week had been passed since Jimin had received the call from Jiyoo.Jimin hadn't said anything about this to Taeyeon. Reason? He is afraid.

Afraid of what it would mean. Afraid that if Taeyeon knew, she'd see him as weak or worse. The fear followed him like a shadow through his sketches, through meetings, through every moment he tried to focus on something...anything... but the moment his eyes fell on Taeyeon...

He felt it again.

The doubt. The hesitation.

what if she saw him differently after knowing about Jiyoo's call? What if she still thinks all he had said to her was a lie? These questions kept eating away at him from the inside, making it hard for him to concentrate on anything else.

But he knew he couldn't keep this from Taeyeon, and eventually, he had to tell her about it.

Because he had moved on. He knew that.

"What? Jiyoo called you?" namjoon's voice cut through his thoughts, snapping Jimin back to the present.

He blinked for a moment, realizing he was still sitting in his car that was parked in the company's parking lot. He is so consumed by his own thoughts that he hasn't even realized Namjoon is on the other end of the line, waiting for an answer.

Jimin let out a slow breath, gripping the steering wheel; his tongue moistened his dry lips before his lips parted away to speak, "Yeah," he said, his voice came out quieter than it had to be, "She called me last week."

Namjoon was silent for a moment and then let out a sigh. "And you are telling me this now?"

"I didn't think it was worth mentioning," Jimin muttered, the grip on the steering getting tighter. "I handled it."

Namjoon scoffed on the other end. "Handled it? If you had actually handled it, you wouldn't be sitting in your car, zoning out like this."

Jimin closed his eyes for a moment, pressing his forehead against the cool leather of the steering wheel. He hated how welll namjoon could read him.

"It just...messed with me for a bit," he admitted. "hearing her voice again, see her at ammusment park, after all this time."

"Of course, it did." namjoon's voice softened; he knows how much Jimin had loved her, and he understands that Jimin just got back the nostalgia of the bitter past, the love that Jimin thought she showed him, after all it was his first love. And he also knows he moved on, thanks to Taeyeon, but ...

yet some things can't be easily erased.

"You were in love with her once, Jimin. You don't just erase that overnight."

Jimin's jaw clenched. This is the reason why he hadn't told it to Namjoon or taehyung. They would see right through him. They would tell him the same thing...that it was okay to feel this way, that first love never truly fades, that memories can sneak up on you when you least expect them.

But Jimin didn't want to hear that.

He wanted to believe that he had completely moved on. That what he had with Taeyeon was real and untarnished by the past.

Yet, seeing Jiyoo at the amusement park, hearing her voice again...it cracked the seal that he built them by Taeyeon's love.

"I did move on," he muttered, sitting up straight, still gripping the wheel.

"I know," Namjoon said calmly. "But moving on doesn't mean erasing the past. It just meas you've learned to live with it."

No, but that's not what Jimin wanted to. He may have learned to live without the past but not live with it. He let out a shaky breath. "I don't want to live with it, hyung. I just want it gone."

Namjoon was silent for a moment before speaking up. "Then talk to Taeyeon."

"What?"

"You heard it, Jimin,"

"Hyung..." Jimin trailed off, shaking his head at Namjoon's suggestion; it was the least thing he had expected to hear. "It's not that simple."

"It is that simple," Namjoon said. "You're making it complicated because you are afraid."

Jimin opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. Because wasn't that the truth?

"I know how busy you and Taeyeon have been this past week," Namjoon continued, his voice is calmer than before. "But avoiding this conversation isn't going to make it go away."

"But what if...what if she thinks that I'm still holding on to the past? What if she thinks everything I told her was a lie?"

"She won't," Namjoon assured him. "Not if you're honest with her."

Jimin dragged a hand down his face, frustration pooling in his chest. It's not like he doesn't know she would understand, but still... The fear clouded his mind. The fear of seeing doubt in her eyes, the fear of seeing hurt in her eyes.

"I don't want to mess this up, hyung," he said, lowering his head.

Namjoon sighed. "Then don't. Be honest with her, Jimin. She deserves that much; it's not something to hide from her like you hid this relationship with Taehyung."

Jimin leaned back against the headrest, staring up at the car's celing. He knew Namjoon was right. Keeping this from Taeyeon wasn't protecting their relationship... Jiyoo just called him last week; what if she just showed up out of nowhere just like at the amusement park? That day might be coincidental, and also thanks to his best friend, if Taehyung weren't there to pull him back, he would have just been standing lost even if Taeyeon was by his side.

The perplexed face of Taeyeon that day flashed in front of him. Her eyes filled with many unasked questions that danced on her tongue. How her eyes followed him with concern filled them when he excused himself when he left the cabin. And even today, though she got a chance to ask him, he noticed how she resisted herself.

As he lost in thoughts, he saw Taeyeon walking into the parkinglot. He took a deep breath. It's time, he thought.

"Hyung, talk to you later," 

"What? Wait, Jimi-"

Jimin ended the call not even giving chnace for Namjoon complete his sentence. He quickly unbuckled the seat belt and stepped out of the car. The cold evening air hit him, but it did little to cool the heat building inside him.

Taeyeon POV:

Her mind is so full of unasked questions. What happened to Jimin? Who was that on the call? Why does he seem so distant again?

It has been a week since they properly comunitated. With the manhwa project, A Chance at Us, finally coming to an end, there was barely any time left for them. The only thing remaining was the publishing of the final chapters, which would be happening soon.

Despite the project wrapping up, their schedules remained pack. The upcoming manhwa project, the same one that had taken her to Tokyo a few weeks ago, had officially started. And once again, Jimin was the lead artist for it.

Yet, despite working on the same project, they hadn't talked much. Not like before. Not like Tokyo or after coming back from Tokyo.

An exhausted sigh escaped from her soft pink lips. Should I ask him what's going on with him?

No, he must be trying to avoid the rumors because of me.

Guilt settled in her chest. Ah... It's all because of me. If it weren't for me, he would have already been contacted by another manhaw company by now...

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. Jimin was an incredible artist...one of the best. The one who ignited her with the same dream as him. Yet just to save her from all the risk that Minji wanted to create, he chose to be a permanent artist at her company, tethering himself to a place that might not fully appreciate his talent.

"Taeyeon" 

Her head snapped up at the sound of Jimin's voice. His blond locks looked messy as if he had run his fingers through them too many times. His beautiful caramel eyes stared at her like a puppy waiting for her; there is also an uncertainty in his gaze, which she could not name.

He looked...tired.

Not just physically, but as if something had been weighing on him for days. The uncertainty, the hesitance she has never seen in him. Jimin was always composed, always in control. But now standing in front of her, he looked lost. What's bothering him so much? She thought.

"Are you okay?" Jimin asked softly as he reached out and gently took the strap of the handbag off her shoulder.

Taeyeon blinked, startled. She had been so caught up watching him, in trying to read what was behind his tired gaze, that she hadn't even noticed when he stepped closer.

"O-oh, I am fine," she said absentmindedly, which made Jimin chuckle. What's so funny?

"Looks like my baby is worked up this week?" He said, showing a pearly smile, that which is so different from the hesitation or fear that she had seen just a moment ago. "Mm...Should I make up for all the busyness that we had been?" He added, lowering his voice and his head to her eye level, as if he were trying to act as usual.

Taeyeon's breath hitched at the closenss. But it didn't stop her from thinking, Is he pushing himself just to make me believe he is okay?

Her lips parted to speak, but before the words came out, Jimin held her wrist gently and took her to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door for her with the same simle. "Sit," he said with the usual calmness but left no room for the protest.

Taeyeon blinked, caught off guard by his sudden actions. Before she could start a protest or stop him, he had already shut the door and rounded the car, sliding into the driver's seat.

Her fingers tightened on her lap. What is he up to?

She let out a sigh, realizing that there was no one around the parking lot to notice them. She turned her gaze to Jimin, whose eyes are so focused on the road in front; his grip on the steering wheel is so hard that his veins popped up, making her swallow hard before she quickly looked away. The silence between them felt heavier with each second passing by, just like the building and trees beside the road.

"Jimin," she finally called softly, not looking at him, but no response. Her brows furrowed as she turned her head to look at him. He wasn't acting like himself. The playful, teasing Jimin that would never stop taking a chance to make her blush, laugh, or sometimes even getting glares from her was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the man beside her seemed...new. Lost in his thoughts.

She glanced out the window again. They had passed their usual spots, the park, and the cafe they often stopped by. Where is he taking me?

"Jimin," she tried again, which made him snap out of the daze.

He blinked, quickly glancing at her and then returning his focus to the road. "Hmm?"

Her lips parted, hesitation creeping in. Are you okay?Is something bothering you? Those were the questions she wanted to ask, but for some reason, they wouldn't come out. Instead, she settled for the one lingering in the present.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Jimin sighed, his shoulders slightly slumping. "Somewhere we won't be interrupted."

Her heart skipped its beat at his words. Somewhere we won't be interrupted?

She knew; she already guessed he had something to say...something important. But weren't their usual places, like the park or cafe they often visited, good enough for that? They had always found privacy there. Then what did he mean by that?

After a few minutes of silence, the car turned into a driveway leading to a towering apartment bulding. Taeyeon furrows her brows as she takes in the sight. An apartment?

Her eyes widen in realization,Wait—is it his place?

He parked the car smoothly in the underground lot, turning off the engine before leaning back against the seat for a moment. His eyes remained fixed on the windshield, as if he were lost in thought.

"Can you tell Taehyung that you are staying at some friend's home tonight?" Jimin said without looking at her.

Taeyeon almost choked on her own saliva at his words. What? What does he mean? Her heart pounded in her chest as she turned to him to understand his request. She could see the seriousness in his eyes, causing a wave of confusion to wash over her.

"Iam serious"

"Huh?"

"Iam not joking Taeyeon," He said finally looking at her, his voice is quiter this time, almost as pleading as him. "I really want you to stay with me just for today, please."

"I..." Taeyeon opned her mouth but there is nothing came to protest, his eyes are just so pleasing as him that even making her hard to say no and also, there are many things to ask him which she has been holding up.

Maybe...this is my chance.

She took a slow breath before nodding.

"Okay, I will."

Jimin's shoulders seemed to relax at her answer."Let's go," he said getting out while she stayed in for a very little time, gripping her phone tightly. I hope Oppa will understand if I say It's about work... She tought, typing to convince herself as she took one last deep breath before following jimin.

But all of sudden she bumped into his back, "Ouch" She winced, rubbing her nose before looking up at Jimin who suddnely frozen in place 'This guy seriously has mood swings more than any woman on peroids have' she muttred under her breath, assuming he had stopped jut to make her bump into him.

But then she noticed something off. His body was rigid, his fist slightly clenched at his sides.

Being a curious bird, taeyeon stepped to the side to see his face and what she saw made her heart skip a beat. 

She had only seen this expression once before. At the ammusment park when he saw the mysterious woman. Taeyeon even holded the urge to ask who she was that day but now seeing the same look on his face...a mix of shock and something which looked like head already expected...made taeyeon felt chill crawl up her spine.

What...or who ...had he just seen?