5 Minutes More 》 KTH ✓ (Book Two)

Temporary

It was my fault that, that night Taehyung really lost everything.

Be careful what you manifest.

Irene and I had found out about Jennie being in the hospital after hearing nurses talk about the tragic coincidence.

Irene felt anger, perhaps at the realization that 'Jennie' had become more real. She came up with a plan to wedge herself between the two, knowing how manipulative she could be.

I had felt guilty up until the point that Taehyung revealed he still remembered Irene and not his own wife.

Did he really like Irene after all? I had thought. Was he secretly relishing at the fact he had Irene and Jennie?

That's when I decided that if I was going to pursue Jennie, that would be the perfect time while Taehyung could do nothing about it.

Slowly, Irene and I had drifted the two lovers apart. I temporarily became Jennie's friend while she had to swallow the fact that she couldn't be enough to fill the void in Taehyung's heart.

Yes, things were supposed to only be temporary, but before I knew it an entire year had passed.

Irene and I had become closer as she would use my shoulder to rest on as she would rant about the obstacles she faced while trying to obtain Taehyung's heart.

I really enjoyed it.

After she had learned I had befriended Jennie, she was happy but also irritated. She was happy that she assumed Jennie would eventually forget about Taehyung and he'd have no chance but to be with her. On the other hand, I could tell she was irritated at the fact that I may have feelings for Jennie. It bothered her because it was her.

My plan was working smoothly.

Except as the year passed, I found myself growing comfortable by Jennie's side. I knew she was becoming comfortable too. I told her to come work at our job, but it wasn't just to keep her closer to me.

I wanted to see if she still cared about Taehyung since not one time had his name come out of her mouth while we were together. Seeing her reaction to him was important to me because I started to feel guilty.

The day she got lost and found her way back to Taehyung answered everything for me. She still loved him.

My response was to be protective and lead her away from him. I didn't want him to have her.

I was forced to face the consequences that night.

When I walked out the room for a glass of water, I ran into Taehyung in the kitchen, not realizing he had stayed the night.

He was out of it, more than usual. As he shook the pill bottle down his throat it hit me that I had been slowly watching his mental health decline to this very moment.

It's all my fault.

I ran over to him quickly, tackling him over and shoving a finger down his throat, making sure he threw it all back up.

"What are you doing?! What are you doing, you idiot?! What about her? What about Jennie?"

The words that came out of my mouth shocked me. I had finally came to terms that Taehyung needed Jennie. She also needed Taehyung. I didn't matter.

I never mattered.

Taehyung doesn't remember that night, but for me it will forever be engraved into my mind.

I tried to get him to understand his feelings for her, but he was difficult. He said he didn't care to listen that he didn't care about her. I see now that he really just didn't care anymore in general. It was obvious by the way he would walk around like a zombie, voice quiet and monotonous, a stutter developing.

I had to reawaken him. I decided to counter one disease with another.

I tried to spark jealousy within him to get him to want to fight again for her.

It was working.

It was sadly working.

I was tempted to sabatoge it again, but decided I needed to let things be.

I forged an email from Irene's desk telling him she wasn't going on the trip and left him with his two tickets for the trip. Luckily, the trip never came up in conversation.

I didn't want to play dirty anymore. I just needed this guilt to go away.

Whatever happened during the trip would determine what was meant to be.

If they get back together then they get back together...

All this was temporary.

My feelings were temporary.

Hearing my phone go off in the distance, I realize that I have left it in the kitchen again.

I remind myself to purchase a smart watch because the number of times I lose my phone in the house was unhealthy.

As I get up, I see Irene by my phone.

I snatch it away from her and check my notifications.

Jennie.

"Rawr. No need to act like I'm doing something bad on it." Irene rolls her eyes, swirling the wine in her glass.

"I never said you were."

"Good. I was just playing that game again. I wish it was available for ios."

With a wave of her fingers, she shuffles out of the kitchen.

I look down to read the message.

My eyes widen and my heart beats fast against my chest.

She's decided.

"Sungjae," Irene calls me from the doorway of her room, hand still holding her wine glass. "Do you really like her?"

I stare at Irene, my former love, with a small smile, replying,

"Yes."

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Author's note;;

Wow. That was a long chapter. Sorry for the wait, I had an idea earlier for a quick chapter but then my mind told me this chapter had to happen first. Its 4:00am so I'll edit it tomorrow. Hopefully, everything makes sense and you all understand Sungjae better.