I Get Off ||16+!!!||

Around Me

"What?"

"Finding half a worm in your apple."

The twins giggle uncontrollably, Mihi grinning as she takes a bite from her plate. I smile at the joke, shaking my head.

"Tae-Tae, why aren't you funny like Mihi-nuna?" Jeong-gyu questions, motioning his chopsticks towards the lady he references. "Does studying all the time make you dull?"

At his gibe, my mouth gapes open, everyone else around the table tittering quietly. I look to Mihi who has her mouth hidden behind her hand with her chopsticks, her face flushing pink as her eyes crinkle at the sides.

"Hey, why are you laughing like that?"  I ask, eyes wide as I take in her appearance. She's...

Beautiful.

Why must she be beautiful while mocking me with my siblings?

"W-what are you talking about?" She clears her throat, a quiet laugh clearing before she straightens herself in her seat, eyes moving from me to her plate and then back up, almost as a reset. "I'm not laughing about anything. Well, not since I cracked my own jokes. Do you need pointers? Obviously Jeong-gyu should assist you considering the way he made everyone else laugh."

I click my tongue, my cheeks heating up as I look away momentarily before looking back to Mihi and then Jeong-gyu, narrowing my eyes at them. "I'll remember this."

"Soooo dramatic." Eon-jin remarks, making me sigh as everyone laughs quietly again.

My brother and sister have betrayed me today, the opening line of my journal entry.

I should start a journal, right?

As if I don't write or document enough in my every day life.

Turning to focus my attention to Mihi, I narrow my eyes at my current enemy.

Sleeping with the enemy.

"You have to leave." I blurt out in my most serious voice.

"Taehyung, that's rude."

I ignore my mother's comment, Mihi seeming to ignore it as well as her lips lift and spread into a smile I've never seen before.

"You'll have to carry me out of here, sir."

"He won't do any of that. No legs or arms when he's the butt of a joke."

I sigh heavily and lean back in my seat, a smile breaking free at Eon-jin's comment. "You guys make it so hard to love you."

"Isn't that the truth." Mom sighs from the end of the table, seated next to dad with Mihi's father sitting across from her. "So Mihi, your dad was just telling us that you only applied to one college and you got accepted! That's so exciting and rather risky, isn't it?"

I watch as Mihi drinks from her glass, swiping a drop of water from her lip as she turns her attention to my mother. "High risk, high reward, no?" She grins, tilting her head slightly. "If I would've applied to multiple colleges, got accepted anywhere else — everywhere else would've felt second-rate to my top choice. I live for the competitive acceptance. A five percent acceptance rate? Thirteen point seven early acceptance? Sign me up. Those odds obviously worked in my favor."

Did— Harvard?

I lean forward slightly, my mouth suddenly dry.

She applied for Harvard? That's my top choice school as well. I know the odds are low, that was the whole reason I went ahead and applied to other colleges globally and more local.

I haven't heard back from Harvard yet. I'd only sent in my application a week ago, so I'd rather not stress about it too much as of now.

"I told her to not chance all of her eggs in one basket, but luckily it worked out in her favor." I cut my eyes away from Mihi and toward her father, him shaking his head slightly. "I'm glad she's making a path for herself though."

My parents continue talking with Mihi's father, my mind drifting over the previous conversations.

"Taehyung."

I snap my attention back towards my parents, my father looking at me expectantly. "Sir?"

"Will you see who is at the door?"

I nod, standing from my seat before turning out of the dining room, stopping in front of the door as a knock breaks the momentary silence of my thoughts.

I open the door to see my best friend, standing there in all his glory, and my thoughts instantly drift back to Yoongi's house. His lips on Mihi, his hands touching her as he tastes what isn't his.

And how she denied him what she has repeatedly given to me.

"Your mom said I could crash dinner any time. Can I join you guys tonight?"

____________
A/N: this is kinda just a filler, not happy with this update but it had to happen. It's a little later than I planned on updating, sorry :(

Since today was a free day, I took my girls to visit my grandmother and mom—and I got my toddler a puppy. I've been running back and forth taking care of the puppy and trying to train it, tending to M and her teething-pain nursing, and trying to update haha

Next chapter, things will begin to progress some more. Stay tuned ❤️

Thank you guys for reading my trash 🥰 I appreciate you all!

Love,
Shay

February 23, 2022