An Ode to Maehwa | kth

Chapter 40: The Attempt of the Matchmaker

It was safe to say that you weren't ready to see Taehyung even after a couple of days.

To have cried like a stubborn child in front of him, having him go through trouble of cradling you until you had no more tears left to shed, was embarrassing, to say the least.

But there was a strange force that attracted you to his existence. During the assembly this morning, there were few moments you found yourself glancing at Taehyung, his serene side profile soothing you and unsettling you at the same time.

So you were utterly clueless as to whether you were to stare at his face, drink in the view as you will, or tip your head away, and run away when he's standing right in front of you.

"May I borrow her for an hour?"

His words widen your eyes. What could possibly Taehyung, who never dared to walk in at the Bureau of Astronomy under broad daylight, much less hold a conversation with Yoongi, want from you?

Yoongi plastered a professional and insincere smile, ringing out his most orderly voice that you weren't familiar with. "Of course, Your Highness."

Behind that fake smile, you could almost hear him mumble 'she's not much use anyway' in his mind.

"Do you mind?"

It was quite a surprise when Taehyung turned to ask you, bending down slightly to look into your eyes. What caught you off guard was how his usual crisp eyes rounded innocently, as though a child asking for a consent to go out and play to his mother.

"No, Your Highness." You managed to squeeze out those fragments of words through your dry throat and oh well, lame.

Receiving a nod from Taehyung as a reply, you followed him out as your eyes locked briefly with Yoongi's, coloured with what seemed like a doubt.

Dressed as a commoner, now quite a familiar act between you two, you walked down the streets. You knew Taehyung wasn't much of a talker, and since he carried you off from the bureau, he hadn't said much, not even the purpose.

You cough once, before initiating, "did Jungkook ask us to get jeonggwa again?"

"No? Do you want one?"

"I mean, it's tasty-"

"Sure," he replied briefly, heading to the shop.

Wait, no. That wasn't your intention. But the sound of delicious food had gotten the better of you before you could think of your reply, and that really was nothing but a reflex.

Rolling your eyes at yourself, you follow closely behind the man, unreadable than usual.

"Omo, omo!"

Hearing the familiar greeting, you smiled at ease. There was something about the Omo ahjumma that made you feel comfortable.

"Welcome, welcome Your Highness and beautiful young lady! We have the freshest jeonggwa today, take your time to choose as much as you like!"

She prompted cheerfully, but as soon as she said that she locked your arms, held you close and suggested, "won't you meet my son?"

"Eh?"

"He's back from his duty trip collecting fruits, and he's at home. He isn't as handsome as His Highness of course, but he's not so bad! He's not as rich or as noble as His Highness but he's a good-hearted man...so won't you just try-"

As the Omo ahjumma was busy match-making, your head was spinning with her incessant talking, a loud deliberate cough was heard from behind.

"Oh, Your Highness."

"Madame Mo, won't you let her do her shopping first?" Taehyung chided, his annoyance evident in the frown of his brows.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course! I'm sorry Y/n, we can talk about this later," she quickly released you and gestured towards the box of caramelised dried fruits, and you smiled in relief.

You headed as she wished, pleasing your eyes with crisply beautiful jewels of fruits. Although you were glad Omo ahjumma was having good thoughts about you, you really weren't interested in seeing someone—you didn't belong here anyway.

Taehyung and the lady stood a little away from you, watching you choose the delicacies carefully.

"My apologies, Your Highness. I always get worked up when it comes to my son," she chuckled, shaking her head in shame.

"You do not have to apologise...but, uh, maybe you shouldn't bring it up again," Taehyung said quickly, which gained a blink from the lady, inaudibly asking why.

"She kind of...has a lover in the palace...." Taehyung mumbled hastily, gulping down the awkwardness.

"Omo! Does she? Oh, how regrettable," Omo ahjumma sighed, disappointed to lose a candid for her son's spouse.

Taehyung didn't know what he was doing. As far as he knew, you didn't have someone. And there was nothing wrong with marrying the heir of a successful jeonggwa shop, heck, Jungkook might as well encourage so that he'd get a discount. It also wasn't his place to budge in the matter, at all.

But when the shopkeeper brought up the proposal of another man potentially marrying you, he found himself hating the idea. It ignited a frustration in him, and thus acting someone he usually wasn't.

What was he doing?

But everything seemed like a trivial matter when he saw you turn around, your face glowing in a smile, happy with delicacy choices you made. That softening on his lips was just automatic.

Sauntering further down the street, munching on a candied gourd—much to your surprise, it tasted finely good—you found the population growing.

"Is it good?" Taehyung asked.

"Yes. It tastes better when it's someone's treat," you grinned at the payer, who you were indebted to, because you clearly had left what little fortune you had at the palace.

You wondered why Taehyung was being nice to you. Taking you to the shop you suggested, himself not really having the purpose until he decided to buy something for his younger brother, paying for whatever you laid your hands on. Perhaps he felt sorry for you after all that crying session of the other night, which you still had no courage to bring up.

Taehyung took his right hand out. Without being prompted, you roll out a few candied fruits on his palm assuming with the gesture. Sharing is caring—he paid for it in the first place.

"No," he disapproved.

"Not enough?" you pout at his suggestion, but still attempt to pick out more for him, which you stop in the middle with another "no," from him.

He drops the pieces on his palm back to the bag you were holding, then grabbed your hand without a warning.

"Er...Taehyung?"

"There's a lot of people," he mumbled. "I don't want to go look for you again."

But last time it was his sleeve—and now he was holding your hand.

You've hugged. Twice. Those memories you'd rather erase—but still, it happened, and what is holding hands compared to the expanse you were leaning against while hugging?

Still, the warmth, the strength, and the secure feeling of how his big hand wrapped yours were all your mind could focus on, so vivid that you could almost note down every single detail in descriptive words. The beating of your heart was growing louder and faster, and you clenched your other fist on your chest, hoping to muffle the sound, not wanting the man responsible for the turbulence to hear it.