Jaehwa's POV

I sat across from him in the cafeteria with my eyes locked on the table in front of me. There was that awkward silence that hung in the air between us and neither of us wanted to look at each other. I flipped back my hair and tried to make an effort to confront him again.

"Hey-"

"Yes!" He jumped, eyes shaking with anxiety.

My eyes widened and I felt the colour rise to my cheeks from surprise. "What?"

He straightened up and blinked at me. "Huh?"

Again, we were plunged back into that awkward silence, this time with our hearts racing within our chests. I squeezed my cold hands together under the table and tried to make sense of the jumbled thoughts that were running through my head.

Why am I so embarrassed? Why should I be? I didn't do anything wrong, well- maybe it was better not to hug him, but I just-

I don't know.

I blinked hard and took a long deep breath to cool my head. "Listen, Taehyung-"

"No, can I talk first?"

I looked up in surprise to see his eyes piercing through mine with his face as red as a tomato. "Uh, yeah, go right ahead!"

He gave a small nod and leaned forward on the table. "I don't think you understood this the last time I asked you, but I-"

His voice faded out and I could see the colour draining out of his face. "I really like you."

I said nothing, there he goes again with the over exaggerated feelings.

"No really!" He tried again, resting his elbows on the table.

"Tae," I sounded tired. "Have you ever even been in love? Do you even know-"

"I don't." He said bluntly. "You're right, but that doesn't mean I can't fall in love now?"

"Well I can't." I said perhaps a little too harshly. "Not with you, not now."

He opened his mouth, but closed it quickly. His cheeks were flushed again and his eyes looked suddenly swollen from tears.

The rush of guilt that passed through me moved my arm up. Next thing I knew, my hand was on his cheek, wiping away the tears that fell down his face.

"Don't cry." I whispered. "You'll make me feel bad."

"Good." He smiled and grabbed me by the hand. I let out a yelp as he pulled me towards him from across the table and fall into his arms. He took my head into his chest and held me there.

Before I could gather myself, a voice managed to break us apart in surprise.

"Tae, get off her, do you still not understand the warning I gave you?"

It was Yoongi, the last person I wanted to see. I could feel my heart start to race and could feel the urge to run the other way but his eyes were inviting.

"Hey Jae. I wanted to talk to you." He placed a firm hand on my arm and pulled me away.

"I'm not done talking to her!" Taehyung bellowed out of nowhere.

Yoongi didn't care. He pulled me behind him and out of the cafeteria. His eyes were set dead forward and I could see him biting his lips nervously. Whatever he was about to say to me was obviously not in his comfort zone, and it somehow made me feel better.

I took a long breath and couldn't help but grin to myself as we walked up the stairs after him. He was nervous, just like me.

-----
Jungkook's POV

Taehyung wasn't at the vocal meeting. Jin didn't look very pleased, but I knew where he was. The cafeteria seemed like the only place that he goes now. He had been itching to go all day, and as soon as he was able to, he flew there without a care in the world.

"Jungkook, go get him won't you?" Jimin muttered awkwardly. "Jin looks like he's going to crack and tell PD nim."

"What?" I glared at him. "You want me to go find-"

The door to the room slammed open, and suddenly the person we've been so curious to find was rushing in angrily. Jin looked surprised as Taehyung sat himself in his usual spot and crossed his arms across the table in front of him.

"Kim Taehyung where have you been?" Jin sounded like a unpleased mother.

Taehyung didn't bother to reply him. He looked away and glared at me before planting his face into the table in exhaustion.

"Tae Tae, we have to practice." Jimin tugged at his arm and pulled him to his feet. When Taehyung lifted his head, I felt the blood rush from my face in shock.

"Have you been crying?" Jin asked without hesitation. "What happened?"

I had to stiffle my smirk. "Jaehwa probably."

"Jungkook!" Jimin snapped at me and I shrugged it off.

Jin on the other hand, ignored us completely. "This won't do, you can't sing like this."

I rolled my eyes at Jin's words. "Oh come on! He's fine! He's a man, he'll man up!"

The other two didn't listen to me. I stood there in disbelief as they loomed over Taehyung, comforting him with kind and unrealistic words. Taehyung was always able to wrap the other members around his fingers, and if not for the fact that it was about Jaehwa, I too would've been over there, comforting him.

Without getting the other's attention, I slipped out of the door and headed to find Jaehwa. She's gone too far this time. Not once have I seen Taehyung cry. Not ever, especially not over a girl. I slammed open the door to the stairwell and stomped down the stairs towards the cafeteria.

"Yoongi," Her voice rang through the halls and stopped me in my tracks. "Yoongi is that you?"

I let out a wavering breath and glanced down at the floor beneath me where Jaehwa was.

"Yoongi, I've been waiting here for almost 10 minutes, why did you only come back now?"

Did she think that I was Yoongi Hyung?

"I've been thinking." Her voice continued on. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

I heard her move slowly up the stairs and panic immobilized me completely.

"I know that this is wrong, and I completely understand if you don't feel the same way."

She was just a turn away now from seeing who I was. My grip on the hand railing hardened and sweat crept down my cheeks.

"I just, I think I feel something I shouldn't for you," She turned almost in slow motion, her hair flowing around her as she looked up at me with those bright brown eyes. "I like y-"

The small delicate smile that was on her face vanished as she registered who I was, yet somewhere in the back of my head, I wanted her to continue.

I wanted her to finish her sentence, I wanted her to do something a worker should never do. She would be fired, she would be banned from ever coming to the building.

Jaehwa could've been out of Taehyung's life, out of everyone's life at Big Hit.

Out of everyone's lives and into mine. Jaehwa could be confessing to me.

My heart skipped a beat. Say it, say you like me.

Notes

Oh Kookie <3

-O.F