A Deal with My Frenemy

016

She chuckled sarcastically, "Everything that I don't like."

"It'll be okay, like the old times."

"Would you keep me company?"

"I promise. As my payback for saving me earlier," Taehyung told her.

"I'm going to kill you once you leave my side," Dahyun tried to threaten him and he just smiled, nodding.

"And what if you're the one who leaves me?"

Dahyun rolled her eyes, "You'll be fine even if I leave you."

"Because I've been doing it for years."

"That's the problem, it has been years since the last time I went on one."

"And the last time went well, didn't it?"

Because you were there. Dahyun wanted to say but instead, she nodded.

"Are you okay, now?" Taehyung asked.

Dahyun nodded with a sigh.

"Then, can we go back? I'm hungry," he touched his stomach.

Dahyun chortled and nodded once again. Taehyung mirrored her smile and both of them walked back to their family dinner.

"Yah. Look at that. It looks like Pikachu," Dahyun exclaimed while pointing at the starry sky.

"Oh. It does," Taehyung chuckled, "And that looks like Charmander."

"Let's play," Dahyun beamed as her gaze was fixed on the sky.

Taehyung looked at her as she continued enumerating figures that she can form with the stars.

She's smiling.

When was the last time we were like this?

Ah. That's right. In middle school.

Taehyung felt a pang in his heart with the same thought occupying his mind. He remembered Namjoon's comment on their long-forgotten closeness: "That's a waste."

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"I didn't know that you can actually look this beautiful," Taehyung whispered to Dahyun.

"Shut up," she uttered back through gritted teeth as she forced a smile.

Taehyung chuckled because Dahyun was too annoyed that she failed to notice that his compliment was genuine. Dahyun was wearing a dress in her favorite color, blue. She wore heels that added to her height. Her curled hair fell perfectly on her milky white skin and her arms were linked with his as he guided her on the dinner table.

This evil girl can actually look this innocent.

The formal introductions started before the dinner begun. One thing why Dahyun didn't like the Choi's banquet was because all the guests were their parents' business partners and the so-caled socialite dinner would automatically become a business meeting.

"So, Dahyun. You are graduating this year. Where do you plan to study?" Mr. Choi asked her.

Here it goes.

"In an art school, sir," Dahyun replied in the most polite way she can.

Mr. Choi coughed on his drink. Dahyun's and Taehyung's fathers exchanged gazes with the 'I know where this is going' look.

"But you are good at language and math, right?" Mrs. Choi added with her fake smile, "You'll do well if you take business."

Taehyung saw how Dahyun's mouth twitched, and he knew that their parents saw it too.

"Our plan to open a branch in Turkey is going well," Soo Ae tried to direct the conversation.

Dahyun sighed in relief and time went on with them being as quiet as they could because they wouldn't want to engage in a conversation with any of the people around.

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"So you're here," Taehyung stated as he sat beside Dahyun on a bench.

"I'm tired," she sighed.

"I know," Taehyung replied, as their eyes found the sky once more.

"Why are we even here? All they talk about is business."

"You already know why."

Dahyun scoffed, "Because we are the sole heirs of our parents' companies. Nice."

Taehyung glanced at her, "You'll have to deal with business, sooner or later."

"No way. I'll just marry a businessman," Dahyun replied.

But Jimin likes art, just like you do.

"Let's ditch this. The dinner's over, anyways," Taehyung tried to avoid talking about Dahyun's future marriage plans.

Dahyun chuckled but then she looked down on her barefeet as she said, "But my feet already hurt. Damn those heels."

Taehyung laughed so hard, "This is why Kim Dahyun doesn't fit the girly image."

"Thank you," Dahyun rolled her eyes.

Taehyung then bent in front of her, "Hop on."

"No way," Dahyun said, and Taehyung then glared at her before standing up.

"Fine then," Taehyung replied before turning to walk away but then, he felt arms around his shoulder and a weight was added on his back.

"Yah!" he complained as Dahyun laughed.

"Go on! Pony!" Dahyun exclaimed as she positioned her legs on his waist to support her weight.

Taehyung groaned as he held her legs in place so that he can give her a piggy-back ride.

"When did you get this heavy?! Just what are you eating in America?!" Taehyung teased her but then, Dahyun pulled his hair as a reply.

"Take that back!" Dahyun stated as she kept pulling Taehyung' hair.

"I was kidding!" Taehyung whined.

Taehyung can see the red marks on her feet brought by the heels. As they walked towards the parking lot, there was only silence.

"Hey," Taehyung broke the awkward atmosphere.

"Hmmm?" Dahyun answered as her head rested on his shoulder.

"Let's return."

"I don't want to go back to that no-fun so-called party."

"No. Let's go back," Taehyung then swallowed the lump on his throat, "Let's go back to the old times. Let's return to the way we used to be."

Taehyung waited for her to talk but only silence engulfed them as he continued to walk.

"Are you already sleeping?" Taehyung asked.

It took a while before Dahyun finally whispered back, "Can we?"

"I don't know. But everything's up to us," Taehyung mimicked her.

"I think we could try," Dahyun replied which made Taehyung's mouth turn into a smile.

"I'll give it a chance as a payback for carrying me," she added, "But first, you have to carry me all the way home."

That night, Taehyung slept with his back hurting.

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AN: Here's an update as a present! Merry Christmas everyone!