Remnants of the Heart | Kim Taehyung

02: demande

ACT. 1 — SCENE 2.
SHE ASKS.

       THIS IS the third time Seojung sees her brother with bruised knuckles.

The first time was because of Jimin's own stupidity, and how he was convinced that he was in love with a girl in his class (he was eleven then).

The second time, he was seventeen, and a lot smarter than the boy from six years ago who tried to break a piece of wood into two just to impress his crush. It was the night after Seojung had come home from school with tear-stained cheeks and a kind of ache her chest that she didn't think was possible. Jimin only scoffed, told her that she shouldn't wear her heart on her sleeve and that she should have seen it coming. He offered her no shoulder to cry on. She was used to her brother's dismissive ways. But the day after, he came home way before she did with a letter in his hand, saying that he was suspended for initiating violence on school grounds.

(Seojung went to school the next day and snorted every time she saw the black eye of the asshole who broke her heart).

The third time, she comes home to her brother sitting still on the living room couch, eyes fuming with anger that she's afraid to approach him at first. She didn't expect him to be home, thinking that he had run to cool off after he disappeared from the school courtyard.

Jimin doesn't flinch when Seojung takes the empty spot next to him. Seojung is unsure of where to start, if she should meddle with whatever her brother and Taehyung have going on. It's none of her business, but Jimin has always looked out for her and gotten involved even if she didn't want him to, so it's only fair if she does the same.

"What was that? You caused quite a riot," she starts. There is a long pause, convinces her that Jimin's not going to spill any details. The urge to pry is there. Seojung has always been someone who enjoys a little drama and only if and because she's never in the middle of them. It's fascinating to the girl to hear such different stories of other people's lives.

"It's nothing." Her brother's voice is small.

"Are you sure? You would've beaten him to death if i didn't stop you."

Which is true. Jimin might've left the school with bruised knuckles, but Taehyung left the school with a cut lip, dry blood on his mouth, and a really ugly black eye.

"Stay away from him from now on," and with a more careful tone, he adds, "I know about your little crush, Seojung. I'm your brother."

Her cheeks fume.

"i don't have a crush on Taehyung."

She knows her brother. She knows how observant he can be without seeming like it, and Seojung has always been terrible at keeping a facade, so it's almost no use at defending herself.

Growing up with Jimin meant she grew up with Taehyung too. The two were inseparable from the start, and Seojung had always been there lingering in the back. She watched Taehyung grow up and learned things about him as if she was his friend too. And they are—friends, that is. Taehyung's always been kind to her. He helps her with schoolwork whenever it's withing his reach, treats her whenever they run into each other in town, is always there if she needs a favor. She knows kim Taehyung just as much as her brother did, and it's a bad thing.

She knows how big his heart is, but unfortunately, he goes around breaking everyone else's. You wouldn't think that someone like him would have the reputation he has now. She wonders if watching girls cry is something he relishes, and what's stupid is that she'll still melt at his smile if that's the case. He's dated, played, messed around with girls she can't count with her two hands. Taehyung really has no mercy, and Seojung doesn't know if he's aware of the things he does. But at the same time, his generosity and kindness only lure people in even more. And god—is he attractive.

Kim Taehyung is a lethal combination of personalities Seojung both loves and hates, and maybe that's exactly why she's fallen for the boy who always leaves a scar on hearts of the innocent.

So sue her for crushing on her brother's best friend.

"You do, Seojung." Jimin starts wrapping his knuckles with a white cloth. "I'm your brother and i pay attention even if you think i don't. I don't want to be the brother who tells you who to date and not to date, but he's been fucking my girlfriend of one year behind my back for weeks. You want to get with someone like that?"

Taehyung is a lot of things––adored, charming, caring––but being a homewrecker is not something she expected from him. Even if he jumped from girl to girl, he didn't date ones who already had boyfriends—until now. Seojung's just confused why it had to be Hwayoung, his best friend's girlfriend he decided to go after. She knows Taehyung is smarter than that. She feels the need to defend him, even if the facts are right in front of her. Taehyung's not exactly prince charming no matter how often she imagines him as one.

"That's fucked up," she says instead.

"Stay away from him," Jimin repeats. Seojung hesitates.

She doesn't understand—just because Taehyung has hurt Jimin, doesn't mean he's going to do the same to her, so she sees no reason why she should be avoiding the older boy when he hasn't wronged her in any way.

"He's graduated. I won't see him at school," is the closest thing to a promise Seojung can give to her brother.

"Good." Jimin throws the cloth to the coffee table and stands up. He leaves the room without another word, leaving Seojung on the couch, still with a jumble of unanswered questions in her mind.

Maybe she'll just have to ask Taehyung.