RINEI
People.
It feels like forever since I'd last seen them.
The First Spring Celebration was held at the marketplace every year. It was something Jungkook and I'd always went to— every year. For all the colorful lights and the sweets that we could eat.
This year is no exception.
My wide eyes reflect the bright gleam of red and orange lights, strung across the booths in layers of string. Even though it's past midnight, so many people are still here. They fill up every corner, all the way down the straight main path through the entire marketplace.
It's been so long.
I feel him watching me.
"We need to get you something." I say, unclasping my cloak and putting it around his shoulders instead.
When he tries to take it off, I stop him.
"Stop that. Do you realize just how much attention you're going to draw if you roam around with your face out like that?"
Annoyance crosses his face.
"That's not my problem."
"It's going to be both our problems if you don't listen to me." I say, fixing the hood over his head and ignoring his narrowed gaze. "And I want to enjoy this too, okay?"
Even with the cloak, he already stood out too much. His tall, slender figure sticks out like a sore thumb in the crowd.
He makes a low sound.
When I finally make sure he's going to keep the cloak on, I rush ahead from the excitement. I'm calling over my shoulder, voice raised.
"We're going to first go get some sweet rice cakes, alright? You have no idea how good those—"
I have a bad feeling.
And when I turn around, I only confirm it.
Taehyung's already in a standoff with some guy.
A lump forms in my throat when I see the man yelling, waving his hands straight at Taehyung's face. And Taehyung stares at him, his entire body still. He towers over the man by at least four inches, and he almost looks like the reaper under that hood.
The moment I see his right arm tense, I leap for him.
"Whoa, whoa. What's going on here?" I say, forcing out a laugh the same time I grab both his hands and wrap his arms around my neck. Then I tilt my head, with a cute, innocent smile.
"Is there a problem here?"
On the inside I'm trying not to panic.
I have no idea what he would've done to this man if I hadn't seen him in time.
The man steps back, scowling. He crosses his arms in front of himself, jerking his head up towards the elf I was going to give a proper telling-off after this.
"This your man?"
"If he is," He spits to the side. "Get a different one, miss. Accidentally bumped into him and completely cursed me out. Said I was some disgusting, useless human that deserved to die."
My mouth drops open.
Never mind.
I was going to kill him after this.
And I feel Taehyung smiling darkly behind me as I bow my head multiple times. My cheeks are flushed in embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, sir. He's just— He hasn't been out in a really long time, so his social skills are not the best. I promise I'll set him straight. I'm sorry again."
The man throws a glance at the cloaked elf behind me before huffing and turning away.
And when he goes, I raise my stiffened body back up.
My expectations of a perfect, romantic time at the festival was already long gone. My interests in trying to seduce this childish idiot— far gone.
And it only gets farther, when I hear a hushed, coy laugh brush against the curve of my ear.
"Why so angry, love?"
"All I did was talk. He's the one that took the truth personally."
I whip around. His hood hangs over his eyes, but I can see his lips stretched in a smile. That stupid, stupid smile again.
"Do you find this funny?"
Now I realize.
He only likes getting a rise out of me. That was like his entire damn purpose. I was never going to affect him in any single romantic way— he'd just make fun of me through the whole process.
"Because it's not." I hiss, scrunching my lips together. "It really isn't. I asked you to just behave, didn't I? That means not picking fights— that means don't hurt anyone!"
His voice softens.
"I didn't hurt anyone."
"But you were about to, weren't you?" I say angrily. "I saw you. Don't lie. You had that look in your eyes, the same one you had right before you hurt Arlen. Right before you went for Jimin."
My eyes harden. "If I didn't stop you, that poor man would've been dead. Humans are a thousand times more fragile than elves. I know you know this."
His mouth curls.
"I don't care."
"Me neither." I growl back.
"I don't care anymore. I had so many things I wanted to do with you today, but now I don't want to. I don't want to be anywhere near you."
I can't believe I'm saying this to Taehyung's face.
But this isn't him.
This isn't my sweet, precious elf.
And as I slowly realize more and more things, the stress of it all just piles on top of me. It squeezes at my mind, like the tightest rope.
I can't change him.
I'll never be able to leave the tiniest scratch on his steel surface. I'll never be able to break through anything. Never be able to save Taehyung, from this part of him.
Even now, he looks like he doesn't even give a single piece of shit on what I have to say.
Even now.
Maybe I'd try again, in the future. Try all of this over again, when I'd calmed down.
But right now, I was done.
Completely done with him.
"Where are you going?" He hisses when I turn away and start walking briskly down the marketplace. I feel his presence behind me, like a shadow.
"You do realize you'll be stranded out here without me to bring you ba—"
"I don't care." I scowl, quickening my pace. "Leave me alone. Go back home by yourself."
His voice is harsher now.
"You're acting like a goddamn child."
"Don't. Care."
Slender fingers wrap around my wrist. He pulls me into his chest, the shapes of his eyes slitted into lines as he leans over me. His brow tilts.
"Fine."
"How can I fix this." He says, voice flat and cold.
"Should I apologize? For causing such a disruption? Or should I beg on my knees, love? Should I plead for your forgiveness?"
I stare at him.
He really doesn't get it, does he?
"You can't." I glare before pulling away. "You can't fix anything, so just give up already."
His fingers shift from my wrist to the collar of my shirt. And before I can even make my next move, he closes the distance between us within seconds.
He shuts my lips with a kiss.
What the—
But then he breaks away, a low gleam in his darkened eyes. I stare at him, completely dumbfounded.
Why in the hell did he just do that?
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
"What?" I hiss, shoving him away. He falls back a step, his eyes fixed on me. And I keep my hands slightly out in front of me— a warning that I wouldn't let him try anything like that again.
And what in the world is he saying?
But then he sighs, as if I'm the slow one here.
"You wanted this."
"You wanted to make me love you."
My face turns blank for a second. How did he know that?
It's like he reads my thoughts straight off my face.
"You were acting so out of line. Did you really think I wouldn't notice? That you brought me here, to try and make me fall for you?"
"So you could have me gone?"
My feet feels frozen to the ground. His eyes are like two dark pearls under his long locks, and I wonder just how much things had spiraled downwards. How it had ever gotten this bad.
It was barely a half-year ago, when I remember aiming my father's gun at Taehyung for thinking he would kill me.
I remember his face then. And the signs he'd made for me— the signs he'd taught me when I was a child.
Now I might never see him again.
Jaw flexing, I turn on my heels and stride angrily down the festive street.
I feel his gaze on my back.
I had nothing more to say to him tonight. And he could go fall off a cliff if he thought I would need him to give me a ride back to the Elven City.
It was over, anyways. He knew. He had known everything, from the beginning. How pathetic I must have looked in his eyes.
When he was never going to let Taehyung's soul heal. He never had the intention to do that in the first place.
I bite back tears.
Asshole.