Idol Next Door

10

"Hey, this is actually good," Dahyun eyes widened in amusement upon tasting the food.

They were at Taehyung's kitchen. She was sitting on the kitchen isle while he was facing the stove, cooking.

"I told you. Potato pancakes are delicious," Taehyung said proudly, flipping the finished potato pancake and placed it on a plate. He then scooped a spoonful of pancake batter from a bowl and popped it onto the pan.

"Where did you get the recipe?" Dahyun asked.

"Just somewhere on the internet," he replied, turning to face her. "I still have the link to the website, should I send it to you?"

"Yes, please," she answered and Taehyung nodded, grabbing his phone from the countertop.

Dahyun took a potato pancake using her chopsticks and shoved the whole thing into her mouth, causing her cheeks to puff out.

"You are a crazy woman, you know that?" Taehyung smiled wryly, looking at Dahyun who's messily eating.

Dahyun nodded as if saying, 'I know', while she slowly chewed, savoring the food in her mouth.

"It's sent," he told her, setting his phone aside then turned to face the stove again, checking the progress of his pancake.

The dinner that particular night led the way to a flourishing friendship between the two idols. Since then, it has become a norm for them to hang out at each other's place whenever they're both free or have a day off.

Many things have changed for Taehyung since. No more regular trips to the coffee shop as he already found someone who made better hot chocolate. No more kimchi and ramen because Dahyun would often invite her for meals and Taehyung would give an honest judgment, helping her improve with her cooking.

Because of those simple meetings, Taehyung had a new reason to look forward to free days more. It wasn't just because of the delicious and free meals, he also liked her company. Perhaps it was because of Dahyun's vibrant personality. She was a girl who exuded great positivity and optimism. It was contagious, just like her smile.

And they've gotten more comfortable with each other as they spent more time together. Living alone wasn't too bad, after all. Especially, if you have a neighbor as kind and generous as Kim Dahyun.

•  •  •

"Why aren't you eating?" Jimin asked Taehyung who was just playing with his phone while the rest of the members were having breakfast.

"I already ate at Dahyun's place--" Taehyung's eyes went round and he pursed his lips upon realizing the words that accidentally slipped out of his mouth.

Oh, damn.

He bit his lip, looking away but his members' full attention was now on him. Jimin and Hoseok smirked, Jin squinted his eyes, and Namjoon and Suga gave him a skeptical look. Jungkook just continued stuffing food in his mouth, while he looked at Taehyung blankly.

He had not told his members that he and Dahyun had become close over time. Not because he was keeping it a secret, but because he just didn't feel the need to tell them. Having a new friend isn't that of a big deal for him, considering that he's such a sociable person.