Brighter Days || Taekook

Part 47

Taehyung blinks at him owlishly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please," Jimin scoffs, "everyone knows-"

He stops mid-sentence as his eyes dart to the entrance door, and Taehyung follows his gaze, immediately recognizing the teenage girl that enters from the countless hours he had spent online, stalking her on social media and finding any and all articles on her on the internet.

She's pretty, that much Taehyung had already admitted to himself when he looked her up online, but the aura she carries around her makes her stand out among the crowd. Her eyes roam the tables and when she finally spots Jimin, a smile takes over her face that rounds her cheeks and crinkles her eyes: genuine happiness.

She waves as she makes her way over, navigating through the maze of tables in a flowery blouse and blue skinny jeans, and Taehyung feels as if all of a sudden he's stuck in a Korean drama. He only notices belatedly that Jimin has gotten up from his seat and spares Taehyung one sheepish glance, entire face bright red, before he leans in to greet her with a small peck on the lips.

Oh. Taehyung hadn't expected that. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had registered that Jimin had admitted to having been intimate with Eun-Ji – something that he honestly has a hard time wrapping his mind around because that's not how he wants to think of Jimin or any of his friends at all –, but hearing about it and seeing it are two entirely different things, especially if he wasn't prepared for it at all. In hindsight that was stupid of him though. Jimin and Eun-Ji are a couple as far as the public is concerned, no matter to what degree the relationship is real, so how else are they supposed to greet?

"You must be Taehyung," Eun-Ji says as she turns to him and bows. She has a silvery voice that fits her friendly complexion. Taehyung nods his head politely as he watches Jimin pull out a chair for her.

"I'll get you something to drink. Iced Coffee?"

"Please," Eun-Ji answers, and Jimin squeezes her shoulder as he passes by to get to the counter. They both watch him leave for a second, before the girl turns to him with a genuinely open smile.

"I've heard so much about you already. It's so nice to finally meet you in person. Jimin never really introduces me to his friends with his job and all and I get that, but I still love to know the kind of people he hangs out with in his free time."

She sounds truthful, and just for a second Taehyung falters before he composes himself. Jungkook had said that Eun-Ji is a nice person, but Taehyung had not anticipated for her to be so charming. On the pictures online, there had always been a resemblance between her and her father, especially around the eyes, but in real life Taehyung can't see any of it. If he looks into them, all he sees is kindness.

"I've heard a lot about you as well!" Taehyung answers and he know that he's said the right thing when she amps up that smile even more.

"Really? I know that he's very secretive about me with the company and all. It's nice to hear that this isn't the case with friends outside."

She looks back over to where Jimin is waiting for her drink, and Taehyung realizes that all three of them are screwed. He hadn't been sure what to expect from meeting this girl, but sincere emotions towards Jimin hadn't been it. Up until this point, Eun-Ji had been fake, the second villain in the play. Taehyung had liked to imagine her as daddy's spoiled girl. He wishes he had been right.

"I guess it can't be helped if he wants to become an idol."

Eun-Ji nods, and after a few more seconds of looking at Jimin with a longing that makes Taehyung's stomach twist in discomfort, she turns back to him and tugs a strand of black hair behind her ears.