Heart&Seoul || jjk/kth/bts

Chapter 5: Check your front pockets

"I was just going to the restroom, you're the one who approached me in the hallway." I'm stating the obvious, but it's the best way to tease the living shit out of people.

"You're still not going back to class." Okay, I should've expected a reverse UNO card.

"I'm getting hungry, is there someplace we can grab a bite?" Worst excuse ever, but a half-truth nonetheless.

"Sure, follow me." I swear I feel the urge to wipe that smug grin off his face, whether it be with a punch or an intense makeout session. I'm rooting for the second option.

Instead of leading me through the maze of Sungkyunkwan University, he walks back into the classroom to grab our belongings. Although we're allowed to come and go whenever we please, I feel like we're still getting side-eyed stares from other students as we sneak out with our backpacks in hand. There's less than half an hour left till the end of the lecture, our plan isn't very rebellious, no need to judge us so openly.

As soon as we're outside, I put into words what has been running on my mind ever since I went to the restroom: "You were going to skip class all along, weren't you."

"Weren't you?"

I remain silent. I know it's wrong, I'm supposed to study, get good grades, be a perfect student, show that I earned my seat in that class. But I can still do all of that even with a little distraction from time to time. I like to think it's healthy to escape the routine every once in a while. And this guy is giving me the chance I was looking for. In the end, exchange years are for growing as a person, making new experiences, fully immersed in the life of the country you're in. Right?

"I'm Taehyung, by the way" he finally introduces himself.

"Bridget. Nice to meet you" I don't stretch my hand out for him to shake, it's clear we're already way past that. "Where are we going?" I then add, realising I have no idea where we're headed.

"To the school cafeteria." He says it like it's evident. That know-it-all tone only adds up to his attitude, and the idea of being alone with him fills my head up with unchaste thoughts.

"I was thinking somewhere less crowded." Can I ever keep my hormones to rest? Apparently not.

Taehyung snorts. "What, the bad girl doesn't like being seen skipping her courses?" There really was no need to touch the right buttons this way. All this confidence he exudes has been turning me on far too much to bear, and what's worse is, he knows. I choose to ignore the shiver currently running down my spine to roll my eyes at him instead.

With an iced coffee in our hands, we sit down at a table and begin talking. I find out he's two years older than me, has been living on his own for a few months, and even has an adorable dog named Yeontan who needs to be looked after because of his fragile health. As he shows me pictures of him, he turns into a whole different person. For a mere second, all his bad boy façade drops and I see a sweet side to him.

This conversation over an iced coffee gives me the impression that Taehyung is a nice guy, much softer than his attitude wants me to believe. He tells me he's half American - hence the fluency in English: his dad is from the U.S., but decided to move to South Korea after marrying Taehyung's mother, who is Korean by birth. He has way too many hobbies and claims he sucks at all of them. His academic record, however, is that of a brilliant student, which more or less already ensures him a bright future, even though he's not sure what job he's looking for.

If I hadn't encouraged him to talk, he wouldn't have said much about his life. He seems rather reserved on the matter, yet tends to bloom the moment we mention topics he's passionate about. I am genuinely curious to hear his story and open up about my own life, too. Have I known him for two seconds? Yes. Am I an over-sharer on pretty much any occasion, though? Also, yes. Once I sense that the other person is willing to listen to me, I talk non-stop.