The Red of the Rose | Taeyong

07 | Reservations

Of the many cafeterias on campus, the one Doyoung led Miah to was the one with the best food and naturally the most crowded. It was almost impossible to find a table to sit at in this cafeteria, well at least for others. Since their first year, Taeyong and the guys had made a sort of an arrangement with the staff at the cafeteria to reserve a particular table for them at all times. Needless to say, people didn't like it one bit. When nobody else was able to come to a similar arrangement with the staff, a group of guys tried to take the reserved table by force one time. The entire college still remembers the fight at the cafeteria that day. That group of guys, or for that matter, no other person after that day, dared to sit at their reserved table.

Doyoung stopped abruptly at the entrance when he saw Miah not entering with him.

'Aren't you coming?' Doyoung gestured inside.

'I'll wait for my brother. He is supposed to meet me here. You go on,' Miah replied.

Doyoung recalled that Miah's brother was Mark. The guys had seen them together from the steps on Miah's first day in college.

Doyoung gave a slight nod to her and went inside. He walked at ease, as opposed to the many others who were frantically looking for a table, and pushed aside the reserved sign before sitting down.

Meanwhile, Mark told Miah on the phone that he'll be there in ten minutes and that he was waiting for Jungwoo and Haechan in front of their class. Peeking inside the cafeteria once more, she wondered if she should try and save a table for them. When she pulled herself back from the entrance, her shoulder bumped into someone's chest. In an instinct, she clutched the collar of the shirt of the person she bumped into.

'I–' Before Miah could complete her sentence, she looked up to see who it was. It was Taeyong again. Once was already more than enough. Bumping into him again on the same day, Miah was worried he might get the wrong idea. She immediately released her grip on his collar and straightened up.

While Miah was completely flustered by this, Taeyong stood there like nothing happened. Completely opposite to his stance earlier, Miah noticed a slight smirk on his face when he saw who was standing in front of him.

Taeyong had an air of arrogance surrounding him and loved the reaction he got. He leaned down to match Miah's height, with his hands clasped behind his back, and whispered close to her face, 'Do you like me that much?'

'No, I–' Miah was faltering.

'Aw? You don't like me?' Taeyong pursed his lips, still teasing Miah.

'No, that's not. I do. I mean–' Miah was beautifully getting entangled in this game.

'So, you do like me?' Taeyong moved even closer, crowding her.

'No, ugh!' Miah sensed that there was no way around this conversation.

Seeing Miah's frustrated expression, Taeyong finally decided to have some mercy and laughed, dissipating the tension he had just created. Behind him Johnny casually stood in the door column and Yuta rolled his eyes seeing Taeyong's antics.

Standing taller, Taeyong spoke courteously, 'I don't think I have introduced myself.'

'I know who you are,' Miah said firmly.

'Of course, you do. Everyone in the college knows who I am.' Taeyong was completely opposite to when him and Miah had bumped into each earlier. No more awkwardness, and if anything, Taeyong looked slightly intimidating. He continued, 'I am only officially introducing myself to you. I am Lee Taeyong.' One hand still behind his back, he extended the other towards Miah.

Miah easily slid her hand into his and shook it once before saying, 'I am Jang Miah.'

'A rose?' 1