Friends?

“Friends? Friends?” I spit out the word. “Does a friend leave you in a club with no way home? Does a friend use your apartment to hook up with random hookers? Does a friend call you to pick him up at a beach, halfway across Korea, and then call you as soon as you arrive to tell you that he’d hitched a ride? Does a friend ditch your mother’s funeral, because of some hangover? I don’t think I know of a friend like that.” I snarl and feel a spark of joy as his face twists with an emotion that I couldn’t figure out. “I’ve never been your friend. I’ve just been a tool.” I snap and spin around, stalking away. His hand latches onto my wrist and I’m spun around to face him. His lips crash into mine and after a second of shock, I slam my knee between his legs, making him step back, crouching over. Bringing my hand back, I slap him. “Kim Taehyung! Just because you can get all the girls you want, doesn’t mean you’ll have me. That pain you’re feeling? Multiply it by a billion and you’ll know the pain I’m feeling from losing my mom, and you. Do you understand that magnitude of that?” I turn and hurry away, knowing that tears were starting to form in my eyes.

“Yuki-chan~ your stage time is starting soon.” Mi-chan, the head waitress calls into our dressing room. “Wish me luck.” I throw the other girls a peace sign before finishing my make-up and hanging up my robe. Because my mother had died, and my father had left. I was the one left to make money to support me and my younger brother. Even if it meant taking this horrible job. I hadn’t needed much training, considering my body strength was pretty good, but my anger had been needed to be reeled in and bound. Stepping up to the stage, I catch the high five that Nina had given me and listen to the music, hearing the cheers of the men sitting at my feet. Reaching the pole, I spin around it, taking the chance to look at what kind of guys I’d gotten today. A group of ahjussis, a couple groups of guys my age and a few solos. Glimpsing someone familiar, I shake my head. It couldn’t be. I hadn’t seen him in six months, there was no way that I’d see him here. Plus, his hair was bleached, not the natural dark brown that I loved. Lifting myself up on the pole, I start my routine.

Stepping off the stage, I wink at Kani as she switches with me before going into the dressing room and pulling my robe on. I was always too tired to actually change after my shows, so I usually just rested for a while. The door bangs open and a few of the girls scream. My eyes lazily wander to the person standing there and widen as they recognize him. Taehyung. “Come out.” He stalks forward, and scoops me up from the chair, throwing me over his shoulder like a sack. “Ya, Kim Taehyung!” I yell as he carries me out of the club. The cold air stings my skin as I kick my legs, trying to make him let go. The air is forced out of my lungs as Taehyung drops me in the passenger seat of his car, buckling the seatbelt. He slams the door and pulls out of the parking spot with a screech. I keep my lips sealed as he drives and wince as he slams on the breaks, making the seatbelt restrain my body as it lurches forward. Taehyung slams his door and drags me out again. Looking around, I recognize where we were. His apartment. Instead of waiting for the elevator, he carries me up the three flights of stairs to his apartment and kicks the door open, throwing me on his bed. “T-taehy-“A fist slams into the mattress a few centimeters from my head and the words I’m about to say are lost to me as I stare up at his anger filled face. “Do you understand how much I have to restrain myself when I see you?” He snarls and I can’t find any words. “It’s damn hard, and not seeing you for half a year doesn’t mean it’s gotten easier. The moment I saw you up on the stage, doing a job that you swore you’d never do, I almost jumped up and grabbed you. I would’ve dragged you down if I hadn’t a bit of self-control.” He gets up and grasps my wrist, pulling me off of the bed and into the bathroom, forcing me to look at myself in the mirror. My makeup had smudged, my curled hair messy. My bathrobe had fallen open and my stage costume, a push up corset style bikini top and black leather boy shorts was displayed. That person in the mirror, she didn’t look anything like me. I quickly look away but Taehyung forces me to look back. “You see her? She’s a girl that refused help from anyone. That is what happens when a girl that loved too much, pushes everyone away. That’s what happens when she can’t trust, forgive, or ask.” “Taehyung, stop!” I nearly scream, feeling my legs turn to jelly and I start to fall to the floor. He catches me and carries me back to his bed. “I’m sorry, I pushed too hard.” He whispers, his face softening as tears fall from my eyes. “I’m just angry that you chose to work at that place instead of asking your friends for help. Instead of asking me for help, even though I was a complete ass.” He wipes at my cheeks and gets up, pulling the clothes that I’d left here the last time I’d stayed here from his closet. “Go wash up and take the bed. I’ll take the couch.” He hands me the bundle and I crawl off the bed and do as he says, taking a hot shower and removing the makeup. When I come out, instead of on the couch, Taehyung had fallen asleep sitting on the floor, leaning back on the foot of the bed. Shaking my head, I grab a blanket from his closet and cover him with it before getting into the bed, shifting the blankets so that my feet are at the headboard and my head is by Taehyung’s shoulder. Putting half of the pillow behind his head and half of it under mine, I fall asleep faster than I had in the whole year.

Three Weeks Later
“Taehyung!” I shout from the street. He hadn’t woken up yet, it was already past two and there was no way I was going up there. “Taehyung!” I call one more time and his window is opened, his tousled head sticking out. “What do you waaannttt?” “You’re going to be late for your sister’s birthday party!” He immediately withdraws into the window and I can just imagine him running around and pulling on his clothes in a hurry. Within ten minutes, he runs out of the building, his brown hair damp, and skids to a stop when he sees me standing outside my car. His mouth is slightly open and I stare at him, waiting for him to get in. “Kaja~.” I say and he immediately gets into the driver’s side. “Yaaa.” I complain but get in the passenger seat. “What, did you want to drive?” “Neh.” I pout and he laughs, starting the car. “You can drive us back.” His sister was turning nine and was the cutest thing ever. Her birthday party was being held at Lotte World, but I’m sure that instead of hanging with the older people, she’d want to stay with her friends. She’d let Taehyung invite his friends too, which included me and my twin brother. My brother’s girlfriend was coming, which meant that he’d be ditching us as soon as we get to the park. Taehyung parks and he calls his mom, wanting to know where they were. As soon as he gets it, we’re out of the car and into the park with the pre-paid tickets. Finding them, I brace myself for the hug that I knew his sister was going to give me and grit my teeth as she launches herself at me, her weight making me fall back into Taehyung. He quickly steadies me and his sister looks up at me. “Thanks for coming to my party, eonnie! Even though I’m sure oppa is going to steal you away, at least have some of my birthday cake before you go on the rides.” I nod and she pulls me into the building where her friends were waiting. Taehyung’s mom smiles, pinching my cheek a little. “In the time I haven’t seen you, you’ve become prettier!” I smile back and am forced to sit down. “Cake.” A plate of frosting covered vanilla cake is shoved in my face. Taking it, I hand her the birthday present that I’d gotten for her a couple of days ago. It was a necklace. Her smile widens and I choke down the cake. Taehyung does the same and we’re out of the building in a few minutes. “Want some water?” He asks, wanting to get the sweet taste out of his mouth. “Yeah.” I watch him go buy a bottle and he hands it to me after taking a gulp. Drinking the water, I can’t help but stare at the roller coaster above us that was zooming by. Taehyung follows my gaze and drops down next to me. “You’re kidding. You want to go on that?” I shrug and down the water until there’s none left. “Ya, I wanted some more!” He whines and this time I shrug. “So, what do you wanna do first?” “How about~, arcade games?” His eyebrows go up and I grab the sleeve of his shirt, pulling him after me. We enter the busy section filled with booths and I watch in fascination at all the kids that were playing around. “That one, how about that one?” I point at a game that uses a BB gun and you get different prizes from how close to the target you are. “Are you good at those?” Taehyung asks, staring at me. I knew he’d never seen me at an arcade, actually playing games. We’d come to one once in high school, but I’d let him do all the playing. “I’m alright.” I grin, knowing that he’d forgotten that my late-father, had been a detective. Paying the man at the booth, I pick up the gun and put the cartridge he’d handed me into it. Lining it up, I start with the closest target, bang! Farther, bang! Next one, bang! Last one, bang! The man clicks the line and the targets are brought forward for me. They were all dead center of the bullseye. “Wow agassi, you’re really good at this. Play one more time and you get either the wallet, or the earrings.” I look over at Taehyung and see his eyes on the wallet. It was his type, a black leather one with a chain that has a clip. “I’ll play one more time.” “Oh, decided to go for the pretty earrings?” I don’t answer, handing him the money and he gives me another cartridge. Immediately firing, I aim at the bullseyes and after a minute, he pulls the targets back. “Alright, you’ve won yourself a pair of earrings.” The guy smiles and I shake my head. “Could I have the wallet instead?” Nodding, he switches the prizes and as soon as I have it in my hands, I toss it at Taehyung and he catches it with surprise. “What-“”You wanted it, didn’t you?” He blinks and I’m already walking to the next booth. “Can you do this one?” I nod at the throwing game. It was one of the games that he was great at, the last time we’d gone to the arcade. “Definitely.” He forgets what he’d been about to say and I catch the wallet as he tosses it at me, focusing on knocking down all off the bottles. Picking up a baseball, Taehyung rears back and throws it. Knocking them all down, I cheer and he grins. The next two balls have the same outcome and we get a bag of cotton candy for the prize. Opening it, we walk around, dodging children and eating the sugar cloud. Finishing the bag, I find a table and Taehyung goes to get actual dinner for us. Sighing, I take my plaid shirt off, leaving myself in a tank top. It was summer and it’d already gotten really warm out. “Hey, you alone?” I look up at the two guys standing in front of me. Aish, boys. “No, my boyfriend’s getting the food, if you guys would so kindly leave me alone.” They blink and a tray is slammed on the table, making me jump. I look over at Taehyung. “Ah, jagi. What’d you get?” I look at the food and see a couple of cheeseburgers, fries and a drink. “Thank you.” I smile up at him and he leans down, kissing my cheek. “Of course.” The guys hurry off and I can’t help but feel my cheeks burning. Had he actually done that? Taehyung drops down in the seat across from me and grabs one of the cheeseburgers, opening it and starting to eat it. He glances at me and nods for me to start eating. Sticking my tongue out, I grab the other burger and eat it before starting on the fries. “Are you mad at me?” Taehyung asks, his mouth full. “For what?” I ask, drinking some of the cola he’d gotten. “Kissing your cheek.” Hesitating a second too long, I shake my head. “No, we were trying to get those guys to go away, its fine.” Taehyung snatches the fries from me before I can finish them. As we finish dinner my eyes are drawn to the candy apple stall. “Alasso, let’s go.” He sighs, pulling me to the stall. “Pick one.” I pick a bright red one and Taehyung hands the lady the money. Immediately starting to eat it, I finish it in seconds. “Let’s go walk around.” I grin and Taehyung starts laughing. “Your mouth is bright red!” “It is?” I ask, absentmindedly touching them. “How red?” I gasp, and Taehyung’s eyes are on my lips, but instead of playfulness, I see something serious go into his eyes. So fast I don’t have time to register it, Taehyung steps forward and kisses me. Sweetly, and then passionately. When I’m almost out of breath, he steps back and smiles. “About as red as your cheeks are now.” I can’t find the words to speak and Taehyung pulls me forward in his arms, hugging me. “So, I know that I’ve been an ass, and sometimes completely stupid, but I’ve known you since what, middle school? And I love you. I’ve loved you since I can remember and I want you to love me back. Will you be my girlfriend?” I force the words out because I know that if I take too long, he’ll think I’m turning him down. “O-of course.” His eyes widen and I lurch forward, dragging his head down so I can kiss him. “Of course, you dummy. Did you think I didn’t love you back, dealing with you for the last eight years?” I kiss him and he immediately responds, pulling me closer. Breaking away, I smile. “I really do love you, you know. You were just too oblivious to realize that. Even your sister realized it a while ago.” Taehyung hugs me tighter. “At least I know now, and I’m never letting you go.” The park lights turn on with a flick, on time with the setting sun and I watch the different colored lights swirl in his eyes. They were beautiful. As if he could hear my thoughts, Taehyung smiles. “You’re beautiful.”

Notes

So comments would be appreciated on if this is good or not. It's not really good enough to vote on, so it's fine if you guys don't. Thanks for reading!!!