IKIGAI l KIM TAEHYUNG

Chapter 23: Hera

I stared at all four of them with curiosity as they hurried out of the room.

"Guess it's just you and me now." Jungkook breathed.
He won't admit it but I knew he liked my company. I liked being with him too. He was a good friend and I was slowly beginning to care for him.

"I guess." I sighed.

"So, how are you holding up in this luxurious hospital suite?" He asked mockingly as he looked around.
"Oh, you know, just living the dream with this delightful hospital food and the constant soundtrack of beeping machines. It's a real five-star experience, Jungkook. If I punch you hard enough, you might even get to try all this." I replied with the same mocking tone.

He ignored my comment and suddenly his face lit up with an idea.
"You know, I just thought of the best pick-up line ever." He seemed excited.
"Do I even want to hear it?" I groaned.

"Hey, baby, wanna check my vital signs? They go crazy every time I see you. Smooth as a surgeon, my friend." He said proudly.
Okay, the line wasn't that bad.

"You know, whatever our souls are made of... "  I began to say and he smiled at me.
"... Yours and mine are opposite." I finished and he huffed.

I crossed my arms and sat up as I saw Taehyung enter the room. I eyed him suspiciously because I knew there was something he wasn't telling me.

"I will agree to work with you on one condition." He spoke and Jungkook got up.
"What is it?" He asked.

"My people and your organization will be in the same building while we try to catch the killer. I need leverage, after all." He spoke but all I heard was that he and I would be in the same building.

"Done." Both Jungkook and I exclaimed at the same time and glared at each other again.

"I have to inform our leader. I'll be back in a few minutes. In the meantime, you both try to keep your hands to yourself." He made a disgusted face and left.

Taehyung took a seat beside me and studied my face for a moment.

"So... what exactly happened back at the restaurant?" He asked.
"It was like a sharp pain shooting through my head." He didn't need to know the truth that I was some delusional girl. He looked at me like he knew I was lying.

"Well, maybe if you didn't stress yourself out so much, you wouldn't be in this situation." He said trying to be nonchalant but I could sense his worry.

"Oh, so now you're blaming me for my own pain? How thoughtful, Taehyung." I joked.
"Just stating the obvious. It's not like I enjoy taking care of you." He said with a smirk covering his face.

God, that smirk. It made me want to do unspeakable things to him.

"Right, because you're just a saint who loves to spend his time in a hospital room with someone he supposedly doesn't enjoy taking care of." I fired back.
"Look, it's not like I have anything better to do. I'm just here because... well, it's the right thing to do." He said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

So I was getting through him.

"Is that really the only reason?" I asked, my voice lowering.
"Maybe not." He looked into my eyes and couldn't help but smile softly.

"Hera, I need you to promise me something. No matter what happens, don't be alone for more than 15 minutes. It's dangerous." He said seriously.

But I had never been more confused.

"Just... just promise me, okay?" He asked with desperation, taking my hand and I quickly nodded.
"I promise, Taehyung."

Jungkook came back and his eyes straight went to our joined hands. Taehyung pulled his hand back quickly and I mentally whined at the loss of contact.

"Have you heard about the latest medical breakthrough? They found a cure for lovesickness!" Jungkook mocked him.

"Uh, can we keep it down? The pain is still there, you know." I groaned. The pain actually faded away an hour ago but oh well.
"I wish I could make it better for you." Taehyung said gently.

"Oh please. Love might make you delusional, but it doesn't grant you superpowers." Jungkook shot back at him again.
I knew he was trying to get a reaction out of Taehyung, to know about his real feelings. Jungkook wanted the tea too, after all.

"I can already see the commercials now: Tired of migraines? Try Love-a-MigraineTM, guaranteed to make your headache worse!" Jungkook continued but Taehyung kept his spirit.

"Wanna hear a joke? Why don't scientists trust atoms?" I could see that Jungkook was trying to distract me from my 'pain'.
"Why?" I said, going along with it.
"Because they make up everything." He chuckled and I smiled.

It was nice to see his carefree side for once.

"Yeah, keep them coming Jungkook. Like the headaches." Taehyung muttered
"'C'mon. You two are going to work together. Atleast learn to tolerate each other."

"Nah. I have a severe case of Jungkook-phobia." He burst into laughter after hearing his own joke and Jungkook couldn't help but smile too.

These two were all that mattered to me right now.

"You will be free to go in an hour." Taehyung told me.
Great. So another hour with these two crack heads. Doesn't sound so bad.

"The building is being prepared for our guests. You all can move in tomorrow." Jungkook informed Taehyung.

The vibe of the room got awkward as we all ran out of things to say. Jungkook cleared his throat and muttered something about a snack and escaped the awkwardness.

"I think... I think I'll take a nap. Could one of you wake me when I get discharged?" I pretended to yawn.
"Oh, yeah sure. Sleep well." He said as he turned off the lights and sat on the sofa.

"You should go take some rest too. You have been running here and there since the morning." I whispered.
I saw an outline of a smile in the dark before I heard his deep voice whisper, "As long as you're okay, Hera."

He will be the death of me, I swear.

I slowly drifted off to sleep, listening to his soft breathing.

~~~~

i will probably introduce the villain in 2-3 chapters but i'm warning you i'm not a great writer and the villain would probably be the worst villain you ever read💀
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