Solace

Chapter 2

As Taehyung sits in front of his laptop, he thinks about the man he met two weeks prior. Ever since he visited the police department, he has not stopped thinking about the man covered in blood. His heart aches as he remembers the man's emotionless eyes that had tears streaming from them.

"I hope he has someone who cherishes him. He seemed so alone." Taehyung sighs as he leans back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling. "Ugh! I am exhausted!" He groans, running his hands over his face beneath his glasses.

When he looks at his screen, he groans again and shuts his laptop. With a yawn, he stands up from his chair and grabs his carton of cigarettes. Dragging his slippered feet, he trudges to his balcony and opens the glass door.

"Oof. It's windy." He grumbles, placing a cigarette between his lips. "Chilly." He shivers, lighting his cigarette. "What lovely weather." He peacefully hums, blowing smoke from his lips.

As the November wind whips through his brown hair, Taehyung looks up at the cloudy night sky. "Can't see any stars." He mumbles, closing his eyes as he takes another deep breath of his cigarette. "But it's not bad." He smiles and watches as his smoke swirls into the sky.

"Smoking again?" The voice of his neighbor brings a frown to his face.

"What's it to you?" Taehyung asks as he looks at his smiling neighbor.

"It'll kill you." The man smiles and leans against the railing of his balcony.

"For your information, a lot of things will kill me." Taehyung frowns before placing his cigarette between his lips. "At least I enjoy this one." He mutters, breathing in the smoke. 

"When are you going to tell me your name?" Taehyung's neighbor asks as he subtly, not so subtly, flexes his muscles while leaning on the railing.

"Don't plan on telling you." Taehyung calmly mutters.

"Why not? Playing hard to get?" The man grins as his eyes run over Taehyung's lithe body.

"Nope. Not playing." Taehyung sighs and stamps out his cigarette. "Listen. I really just want peace and quiet. I want to enjoy my balcony without you constantly talking. I want to enjoy a cigarette without people telling me that it will kill me as if I don't already know." With a final glare, Taehyung enters his apartment and closes his balcony door.

I really am a nice person, but people seem to be testing my patience. He sighs and slides down the glass door, sitting on the floor. "Am I really that agitated because I can't get him out of my mind? Wow. Kim Taehyung. You've got it bad for the deadly handsome stranger." He sighs again.

After a few minutes, Taehyung stands up and goes to the kitchen to grab an energy drink. As he holds the energy drink, he stares at it and wonders if he should drink it or go to bed. If I can't sleep, I'll drink it and do some more work. He places the drink back in his refrigerator; its only contents are soju and energy drinks.

As Taehyung lies in his bed, the stranger's teary, emotionless eyes flash through his mind again. Taehyung groans and curls up, trying his best to forget the beautiful stranger. His eyes stare at the clock, showing that it is already four in the morning. Just sleep. He sighs and closes his eyes.

After having finally fallen asleep, Taehyung is rudely awakened by his doorbell ringing. He groans in annoyance and buries his face in his pillow. "Why?" He groans and sits up when the person does not stop. "I really am a nice person. Why am I so agitated? Am I that worried about him?"

"Jeez. You look like shit." Jimin comments when Taehyung finally opens the door.

"Why didn't you just come in?" Taehyung mumbles as he walks to his couch.