The Red of the Rose | Taeyong

05 | Doyoung Disapproves

The evening sun was a dark orange on the far horizon, giving way to the blue of the night on the other side to engulf the sky. Taeyong stood, leaning over his hands, looking out of the tall window. Whatever colour his clothes were, they only appeared black against the light. This was his favourite time, when the day was finally coming to an end and the night can take over.

He was staring at nothing. This was only an escape from the heated discussion that had taken over their apartment in the last two hours after Serin had left. He heard a deep sigh behind him and knew it was Doyoung. He took a breath too, readying himself to hear Doyoung lecture him again.

'Have you lost your mind completely?' Doyoung's voice rung in the dark room. He paused. 'This is outrightly wrong and you know it too!'

Taeyong turned his head slightly.

'Listen, Doyoung is right.' It took Johnny a lot of effort speaking these words. 'But...'

Taeyong turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. 'But what?'

'But if you really want to go ahead with this deal then we can't say anything.' Johnny conceded. 'It's your life after all. But just think about it before you do anything.'

Doyoung looked at Johnny in disbelief. He was sure that Johnny would see reason and stop Taeyong from being a jerk.

Doyoung turned to Yuta, who had been quiet all this time. 'Aren't you going to say anything?'

Yuta was sitting on the desk, in front of a computer, looking up something. 'As much as you want me to care, I just don't give a fuck about any of this.'

'I think you are over reacting,' Jaehyun said to Doyoung and continued after seeing the appalled look on Doyoung's face. 'It's not like this Miah is so innocent. You are forgetting that she posted those words about Serin on the university forum. This is just payback.' Jaehyun smirked and turned to Taeyong. 'And Taeyong will get something in return as well.'

'Who are we to decide payback? And Serin has no proof that Miah did it!' Doyoung returned. 'We are going to blindly trust her?'

'Why would she lie?' Jaehyun raised his voice.

Doyoung went silent. He didn't have an answer to give to Jaehyun.

But after a while Doyoung added, more seriously, 'Serin is bad news.' He looked at Taeyong. 'I said it when you first brought her to the apartment and I am saying it again now.'

Taeyong, who was staring at the floor until now, looked up at Doyoung when he said those words.

Ignoring Doyoung completely, Jaehyun turned to Taeyong. 'How are you planning to do this?

For a moment, Doyoung saw a flicker of doubt in Taeyong's eyes but Taeyong averted his gaze. 'Don't you know who I am?' Taeyong replied to Jaehyun. 'One look will be enough.'

Yuta rolled his eyes and let out a small chuckle.

'I can't associate myself with this,' Doyoung spoke with finality. He picked up his bag from the desk and walked right past everyone to the front door. 'You are going to regret this.' Doyoung tried a final time before walking out the door and banging it shut behind him leaving an eerie silence in his wake.

'She doesn't seem like she talks to anyone,' Johnny was the first to speak in an attempt to ease some of the tension in the air.

It was completely dark outside now. Taeyong stepped to the side and drew the curtains on the window close. He looked over his shoulder. 'I am not just anyone, am I?'

~*~

The next day, Doyoung sat separately from the rest of them in class, on a chair a step above.