The Red of the Rose | Taeyong

28 | The Last Study Session

Serin's voice echoed in the silence when she repeated herself, this time more assertively, 'The deal remains the same.'

Letting the file slip through her hands onto the couch, she turned to Taeyong, 'You are going to break up with her at the Annual Dance in two days.'

It took Taeyong a moment to recover from the most baffling sentence he had ever heard in his life. 'Didn't you read the file? Miah was not the one who made the posts.'

'I don't care if she made the post or not,' Serin yelled. 'I want this.'

The guys seemed stunned too but remained quiet.

'I don't,' Taeyong spoke silently then raised his head to meet Serin's eyes and said 'I don't want to break up with her. Not in front of anybody, not alone, not ever. I don't want to break up with Miah.'

'You are talking as if you have actually fallen for her,' Serin scoffed and for the first time she saw an audacious glimmer in Taeyong's eyes.

'I have. I love Miah.' The moment these words left Taeyong's mouth, the remainder of Serin's façade fell.

There were several emotions playing on her face right now and the only words she managed were, 'You can't possibly.'

Taeyong did not reply. He didn't have to reply. His eyes spoke volumes.

'What about us? You want me. We'll be together after this Taeyong,' Serin yelled, desperately.

'Us?' Taeyong scoffed. 'What 'us' are you talking about? It has always been you, Serin. And it is still just you. You want me now because you see me slipping away, not because you actually like me. No, you just want to keep me on the hook, keep everyone on the hook to have them fawn over you, to use them in whatever way you like and can't stand the idea of them loving someone else other than you.'

'So, you will go ahead and betray me? You won't break up with her at the dance?' Serin seemed unaffected by Taeyong's words.

Taeyong shook his head. 'What betrayal. You are not even listening. Miah did not make the posts and yet you are still concerned only about that stupid deal. I can't–' He rubbed his temples, smiling in disbelief.

Taking a breath to calm himself down, he spoke after a moment, 'I tried to justify your motives back then, but what now, huh? Miah did not do it. She did not make the posts about you, Serin.'

'Do you want to shift the dance to the next weekend. I can get that done. You can have another week with her,' Serin said, still barely listening to Taeyong's words.

Taeyong scoffed, shocked at what he was hearing. 'I can't believe I have been so blind to this ugliness till now and now all I can see is just that. It was never about the post, was it? You just wanted to bully someone and come on top. Did it make you feel powerful?

'Miah was innocent the entire time. THE ENTIRE TIME.' Tears formed at the corner of his eyes. 'And you bullied her. She screamed her truth to everyone, to you, but you refused to listen because it was never about that stupid post. IT WAS ALL ABOUT YOU. ALL YOU WANTED WAS TO BULLY SOMEONE!

'Pathetic. Ugly. YOU ARE SO UGLY, SERIN! This is the reason you still want to go ahead with the plan, isn't it? You can't lose to her,' he said emphasizing each word. 'But guess what? You have already lost. You can't win this time. That girl means everything to me. She is my entire world and I am so deeply in love with her that there is nothing you can do to separate us.'

If Taeyong had turned around, he would have seen Doyoung beaming at him.

'I am done with this. I am done with you. Stay away from us. I am warning you, Serin,' Taeyong said and without giving her a chance to reply, he dashed out the door, slamming it shut behind him, leaving in his wake a silence that choked Serin.