𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙚 || 𝙏𝙖𝙚𝙝𝙮𝙪𝙣𝙜

Chapter 8: lie and secret

Lost in thoughts about why she had brought me here, I didn't notice her leaning towards my window.

"Mr. Kim, trust me. I didn't bring you here to kidnap or hurt you." My eyes showed surprise, and my heart raced as I realized how close she was. Her pale blue, icy eyes held a hint of danger, like she might not do it today, but could be a threat someday.

"Come on, you're safe." She stepped back and opened my door. As I started stepping out, she sighed. "Taehyung, even though I find you the most irritating and annoying person in the whole world, I don't mean to harm you." She took another step back. "For now," she mumbled, but I caught it.

Geez, she's quite the pissed and sassy assassin one.

I stepped out, the door closing with a solid thud. She shot me a scowl. "Follow me, it's about a ten-minute walk from here."

I trailed behind her along the road, the streetlights providing enough light to avoid tripping. The sound of my heavy breathing and her heels clicking were the only sounds around us. After a good ten-minute walk, she stopped in front of a place she was about to enter.

I looked up at the sign: Gang-gokichin Restaurant . written boldly.

"Let's head inside before they close. C'mon." Could it be my imagination, or did I hear a bit of excitement in her tone?

The inside felt cozy, the warm brown decor giving off a 90s vibe while still feeling homey. Most tables were occupied, but I didn't see any empty ones. A waiter walked over, a big grin on his face as he looked at Alice. She laughed and gave him a quick side hug.

"I can't believe you're here, kiddo," he said. Alice's laughter rang out, a sound that felt lighter than the situation. "I never forgot about this place, Ken. It's my second home, after all." They exchanged smiles, but I wasn't too thrilled about it. It seemed like she forgot I was even there. To get her attention, I cleared my throat quite loudly.

She turned to me. "Oh, and this is Kim Taehyung." The man raised an eyebrow, eyeing me suspiciously. I winced, not enjoying the scrutiny.

"Relax, Ken, don't give me that look. Taehyung is a friend and coworker." She playfully smacked his shoulder. "Okay, okay, I trust you. Now, go sit in your usual spot. I'll be back in a few minutes with your food." And with that, he vanished. "Mr. Kim, follow me."

Alice pov :

We wandered between the tables until we reached my usual spot. Sitting there, it wasn't exactly quiet, what with people all around us laughing and chatting away. Yet, despite the hubbub, Taehyung and I were the quiet ones.

Our eyes met, Taehyung's looking curious. I raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing, Mr. Kim. If you've got any questions, don't hesitate to ask," I said, throwing in, "I'm in a pretty good mood, so I'm giving you an open invitation. Anytime you're curious, fire away, and I'll give you an answer." A little grin sneaked onto my face, though I tried to hide it. It was pretty satisfying seeing his lips part slightly in anticipation. Gotcha. It's not always him who gets the upper hand in teasing. I've got my own tricks up my sleeve.

Earlier, when I spotted him catching some sleep, I felt a bit sorry for his condition. The funny thing is, I was the one who wrapped up the reviews for the remaining files, but he doesn't need to know that. Maybe I thought about bringing him here 'cause this joint serves up a variety of healthy eats that could do his throat some good. It was just a little thing, nothing major. But now, I'm wondering if it wasn't such a great idea. This little troublemaker's taken it as a joke, a way to annoy me. Tough luck for him, though – I'm already wise to his sneaky tactics.

I leaned back in my chair, keeping my focus locked on his face. I watched as he furrowed his brows and then ran his fingers through his hair, seeming all curious and on edge.