PAPER HEARTS

04

Minjun has never been attractive - at least, not in my eyes. He has had the typical many definitions of his looks, the sharp slope of his jawline, the feline curve of his eyelids that promised almost all his colleagues to swoon. Except, I never found any of his features distinctive. Minjun does take repletion in his looks, although I never remind myself to compliment him about them on any of the "dates" he takes me out on. Dates - for him they were out of sympathy, for me they were always pity parties.

He does notice my struggles and through the hardships, I face as someone who needs to be studying, studying, and studying, but that happens only when he's sober. Which is almost never because Minjun has this knack for pretending all lavishly and rich when he goes out with his colleagues.

"Hello," The boy smiles at me politely, it's awkward from first glance and I swallow at how his cheeks pop out and his eyes shrink into tiny slits beneath his very chubby eyelids, "I'm Taehyung, how can I be of help?"

I catch myself from smiling back.

This boy.

He has got an impressive amount of work going on all over his face. I look away when I come to understand my ogling stare. The newcomer shoots a quick glance toward Jimin and the others, waiting for a tiny introduction from someone because I am too drenched in my sea of thoughts to even say anything. I don't understand why, but his face just feels too familiar, too near in the past for me to get over.

Jimin is kind enough to break the silence, grinning, "She said she wants to join your gym." 

He nods his head toward me, "Name - undetected, species - i-d-f-k, but I told her she's allowed inside only if she's willing to go out with me -"

My skin crawls at his nasty attempt at making a joke. I look away, my jaw stiff and my hands clenching into fists. Thankfully enough, Yoongi is quick to invade the embarrassing silence that's about to follow.

"Ah, Tae! I think we'll get going to practice, okay?" He cries out, dragging a violently hyperactive Jimin along with him. 

Jeongguk mouths me a small 'sorry for him' before scuttling away with a toothy grin in place. His frontal teeth pop out, and I suck my cheeks in to prevent a smile from showing. I cross my arms over my chest, feeling a little insecure around these people and even less comfortable as Taehyung gazes at me for a couple of seconds.

"We are not working," He says finally, his smile rueful. His voice reverberates through my soul and the bass sounds unhealthy, "This isn't really a gym-gym kind of gym."

"Oh," my eyes widen a little. 

A slow beat drums throughout the room - it's some rock music and it floats through the thin walls of the building from upstairs. I guess that it's Yoongi's practice thing that is on full swing.

I hold up the papers he'd given me earlier, "But your friends gave me this."

Taehyung examines the sheets in my hands for a good few seconds, fingers almost brush against mine as he takes them from me. I don't let it happen, seeing that my boyfriend wouldn't be too proud of me being too much of a girl who's developing a stupid crush on someone other than himself. I grimace at that rule that binds me to him.

"To be honest," Taehyung chuckles, then looks up, "I didn't even know that these existed anymore. My uncle owns this place - it used to be up and about in the early 00s but he kinda found a new hobby by the lake. So it's just me now, I use it only for my practice sessions and such and my friends come here to hang out with me because it's a nice place ..."

He stops when I don't participate actively in his almost forceful attempt at getting me to talk to him.

"Am I talking too much?" He grins, massaging a hand over the nape and the back of his neck. I take a moment to notice the tiny beauty marks that span his face.