>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Seunghee lets go of Taehyung’s hand quickly. Her face is burning, she feels so ashamed. Not with Jeonghan beside her. Why is she doing this? Why did she unconsciously do it? Or was she really unconscious about it? She’s so mortified. She doesn’t have any courage to face Jeonghan after what she’s done.

She excuses herself voluntarily not looking at her boyfriend, “I’ll just go to the washroom. Excuse me.”

“What? It’s just started…” Jeonghan cannot even utter the next word because she has fled away from him, almost running.

“I’ll just check something okay?” Taehyung says to him also in a hurry to go.

“Wait, you guys,” but Taehyung has gone too to the same direction Seunghee has walked off to. He wonders why but brushes it off. They probably just both need to go at the same time. But he thinks twice otherwise. He stares at the two of them as they leave the crowd.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

They’re already a little far away from the crowd. They are inside the woods but they can still witness the on going fireworks.

“Seunghee talk to me!” Taehyung yells as he runs after the crying girl.

The ongoing fireworks seem to add flame to her blazing guilt and shame. Taehyung catches up to her and stands in front of her, obstructing her way to run forward.

“Seunghee, talk to me,” he tells her.

“There’s nothing for us to talk about,” she replies.

“There is. About us!”

She can’t believe he’s talking about ‘their’ relationship now.

“There’s no us Taehyung. It was just a mistake!”

“Then why did you run away?”

“I was just- I love Jeonghan. He’s the only one for me.”

“Yeah, he’s the only one for you, but why do I feel like you belong to me?”

She’s dumbfounded. She has let him feel as far as that? Just what is she unconsciously doing?

He holds both her arms and tells her, “You keep pushing me away but you let me feel like you want me to be close to you instead. Do you have any idea how I’ve distanced myself from you? But you know it right? You feel it too. We belong together.”

“We don’t. We can’t. I love him.”

Seunghee keeps saying these words as tears continuously fall down her eyes. Taehyung can’t bear to see her like this that he hugs her tightly without forcing her to admit to him anymore.

“It’s okay. I won’t ask you anymore. It’s okay.”

He pats her head gently as he try to calm her down. She silently weeps like that in his arms. Still involuntarily admitting to herself that she’s almost feeling the same for him. Almost. That’s what she thought.

But amongst the crowd, Jeonghan stands stoned at the scene he just witnessed. His world crumbles right then and there as he sees Taehyung embrace Seunghee, and she just lets him. What has he been keeping inside his house? Since when has this started? He’s full of questions but the apparent thing is, something is going on between them without a doubt. He wants to charge at them and beat the hell of out Taehyung but it will put Seunghee on the edge. So he decides to wait for the right time and place to settle everything. He decides to wait for Seunghee to confess everything to him.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Seunghee drops by Jeonghan’s apartment before lunchtime. She doesn’t see Taehyung around. Lucky for her. She can’t handle seeing him today, after the blunder she made last night.

“What do you want for lunch jagiya?” she’s acting a little different. She knows it herself and she knows Jeonghan will notice.

He only stares at her as she searches the kitchen for ingredients. She opens the fridge for food and even checks the cooking utensils. He stayed silent about the incident last night when they got home. Taehyung didn’t go with them. In fact he didn’t show up his face. But he doesn’t want to judge them yet. Seunghee is involved in this, he has to hear her side first.

“Do we have anything to talk about?” Jeonghan asks.

He’s trying to keep his cool. He’s trying to stay as calm as he can. He needs to hear it from her first and not from anybody else. It’s her before anyone else and he just have to make sure it’s just misunderstanding.

But Seunghee doesn’t have the courage to tell him yet. She’s feeling guilty. She’s unintentionally cheating on him. But she still loves him. She’s still the only person in the world she’s willing to spend her whole life with. That is never changing. She just needs time to clear things up with Taehyung. And he doesn’t need to know about him till she makes everything right.

“What about?” she answers, avoiding looking into his eyes.

“What took you so long last night?”

She stiffens at the question. She knows he’s pertaining to the incident at the amusement park.

“There were so many people in the restroom so it took me a while.”

“Didn’t you see Taehyung? He hasn’t come home since last night. He just sent me a message that he’ll be staying overnight at an old friend’s house he met last night.”

“I didn’t. Ah, so that’s why he’s not here today.”

It’s a relief for her that Taehyung decided on his own to stay away for the meantime. If he’s there, it will be very difficult for her to answer all these questions Jeonghan is poking at her.

Jeonghan watches her thoroughly. She’s unsteady and distressed. He can see there’s something wrong. But why isn’t she telling him? His anger is trying to win him over but he keeps it in. It won’t benefit both of them if he drowns in his insecurities and uncertainty now. He needs to hear it from her. Whatever she needs to tell him.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Seunghee’s phone rings. It’s an unknown number but she answers it anyways. She’s at the grocery store buying something. “Hello?”

– ‘This is Taehyung Seunghee.’ –

She pauses for a while before answering back, “What are you doing? Why are you calling me?”

– ‘We need to talk. I can’t show up infront of Jeonghan. I don’t want to get into a fight with him.’ –

“Then just leave me alone!” she strongly refutes and ends the call.

She feels aggravated. This is not happening. She’s basically cheating on him. It’s making her feel like the worst girlfriend in the world. Is fate testing her? But she’s sure of herself. She doesn’t need anyone else but Jeonghan.

Then her phone alerts. It’s a message from Taehyung.

– I just need to confirm everything. If I get to talk to you and prove myself it’s not right, I’ll stop. But if I prove myself right, I won’t agree in letting you go. –

She feels the pressure. Just what is he doing?! Is he really trying to make it worse?! Dammit Taehyung!  She screams inside. This is making her go crazy. She can’t let this go on. How can she hide this from Jeonghan? Or does she have to tell him now? She needs to escape from Taehyung. Fast.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

At home, both Jeonghan and Seunghee are distressed. For the first time today, Seunghee is playing the piano but her mind is far away. Jeonghan sits at the side watching her but he’s silent too. She’s thinking hard how to get out of the mess she’s in. She doesn’t want to hurt Jeonghan. She doesn’t want this issue to be the cause of something they both know will tarnish their relationship. She’s so scared right now, she doesn’t really know what to do. Then suddenly, he sits beside her and puts his arm around her. Next to that, he kisses her forehead too.

“Why don’t we sing something jagiya?” he says.

“Okay,” she obliges.

She plays the music and soon they sing the lyrics of the song.

Seunghee:
all for you ~
beol-sseo myeochilchae jeonhwahdo eom-neun neo
eolma humyeon naye saengiriran georaneunji
nun-chido eobshi shi-ganeun jakkuman heu-lleo-ga-go
nan mi-umboda keokjeongseureon mame
mu-chakjeong chaja-gan neoye kolmok eokwiieseo
saenggakji mothan useumyeo bangineun neoreul bwah-sseo

Jeonghan:
sashi-reun malya na manhi kominhaesseo
ne-ge amugeot-do haejul su eom-neunkeol
aju manhi mojarado kajin geot eop-seodo
ireon narado bada ju-llae

Together:
neoreul wiihaeseo neomaneul wiihaeseo

Jeonghan:
nan sesang modeun geol da ankyeo jujineun mothajiman

Seunghee:
nan neo-ye-geman ije yaksokhal-ke

Together:
ojing neoreul wiihan nae-ga twehl-ke
Is only for you just wanna be for you

Jeonghan:
neon geureohke chigeum moseub
keudaero nae gyeote isseumyeon dwaeh

Seunghee:
nan tashi taeyeonado

Together:
yeongwonhi neoman parabol-ke

It’s like they’re telling each other something. The song’s message is nice but why do they feel like it’s not? It’s like they’re on the verge of breaking down as they silently continue the song. It doesn’t feel right. It’s doesn’t feel right at all for both of them. But they continue on.

Seunghee:
(love nae cha-geun mamso-geul
oh love ne hyanggiro cha-eu-llae)

Jeonghan:
keu so-ge yeongwonhi kadhyeo beorin dedo
nan haengbok hal su it-dorok

Jeonghan:
neoreul wiihaeseo

Together:
neomaneul wiihaeseo

Jeonghan:
nan sesang modeun geol da ankyeo jujineun mothajiman

Seughee:
nan neo-ye-geman ije yaksokhal-ke

Together:
ojing neoreul wiihan nae-ga twehl-ke
Is only for you ~
oh oh Is all for you

At the end of the song, Jeonghan holds Seunghee’s hand and tells her, “No matter what happens between us, remember that I’ll always love you. Jagiya.”

She doesn’t understand but she doesn’t want to ask him about it. She’s scared what she’s hiding from him might slip off from her own mouth. She only nods and leans on his shoulders. She needs to end everything with Taehyung soon. And tell him there’s no place for him in her heart.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

For the following days, Taehyung sends Seunghee messages but she disregards it. She actually wants to talk to him in person and put an end to what he thinks is bonding them together. But he doesn’t show his face. He’s a coward to face his friend, but not scared of stealing his girl away. It’s contradicting.

Jeonghan on the other hand is still waiting for Seunghee to open up to him. But she doesn’t. He gets nothing. She doesn’t even mention Taehyung’s name. She avoids talking about him, which makes him even more suspicious. If nothing is really going on, she should’ve been vocal about it. She should’ve talked to him about that incident. And where is Taehyung really? He hasn’t contacted him since that night at the park. It’s perturbing. What is really going on with these two?

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Taehyung decides to knock on Seunghee’s door in the middle of the night. He can’t let this day pass without talking to her again. Jeonghan is sleeping peacefully in his apartment because of the day’s tiring work and Seunghee is just about to sleep when she hears her doorbell. Unwillingly, she bolts up her bed again.

“Who is it at this time of the night?” she complains but walks to the door anyways. “Don’t tell me it’s you jagiya.”

She opens it and just abruptly, she gets pushed back by the person who instantly comes in without even getting invited. It’s Taehyung.

“What’s wrong with you? What do you think you’re doing?” she yells at him.

He has pinned her to the wall with that serious look of his.

“Trying not to get caught? Jeonghan’s silently sleeping on his bed,” he tells her.

The door has closed and they are alone again together in her apartment. But this time, the tension is all over the place. She breaks away from him soon.

“What do you want Taehyung?” she stares sharply at him.

“We need to talk,” he replies.

“There’s nothing for us to talk about!” she walks away from him, pacing inside.

“Jeonghan needs to know about us.”

Seunghee turns around facing him agitated, “He doesn’t need to know about anything! I told you, there’s nothing between us. It was just a mistake. I didn’t mean to be close to you. I didn’t mean to do the things that happened. I don’t feel anything about you.”

“You do. You just don’t want to admit it.”

“I don’t. I don’t feel anything towards anyone aside from Jeonghan.”

“But you belong to me.”

“What made you think that? Don’t be so arrogant. You’re so full of yourself.”

“You can’t lie to me Seunghee.”

He’s staring into her eyes now and she’s getting mesmerized. No matter how she tries to avoid him, it always ends up like this and she doesn’t know why. But she’s not giving in. There’s only Jeonghan for her and someone like him shall never be a part of her dreams or reality.

“Get out Taehyung. Before I push you out myself.”

“Do you want him to know I’m inside your apartment? Alone with you?”

She’s almost losing her mind, this cheating thing is just getting blown-up and she might not be able to cover it up anymore, “Just get out already!”

“I’m staying here till you tell me what I’m supposed to hear.”

He pulls her near him, circling her back with his strong arms, his face inching away from hers. It’s bad. She shouldn’t have looked back into his eyes. Because the moment she does, she goes weak straightaway. It’s something she doesn’t expect. She only feels like this with Jeonghan. So why is she feeling so feeble when it comes to this guy? She can’t understand herself. She wants to reject this feeling but she can’t even hold herself enough.

“Get your hands off me!” she retorts.

But he is firm in holding her and just melting her with his endearing stare. Seunghee avoids his eyes with almost everything she’s got. She can’t be smitten by this guy even more than she has. She can’t let down Jeonghan more than she already has.

Seeing her reluctance to accept him, Taehyung chooses to go the hostile way. He has to prove himself right, and if he’s wrong, he’ll fully take it whole. He’ll step back and move away from her willingly. So he kisses her, with passion and longing.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

To be continued…

(16.10.26)