The next day, Minji, along with the rest of the upperclassmen, sat at the usual table inside the cafeteria. You had yet to arrive, being that you were waiting for you were busy talking to your professor about a particular assignment.
"So, you guys are actually still doing the Halloween party?" she asked, taking a sip of her vanilla shake. After entering the cafeteria, she started to take notice of the flyers that were hung around the building for the up and coming party.
"Of course we are," Jin said. "Our parties are always the best, and everyone knows that."
"Jin hyung's right," Namjoon picked up. "It's been like this since our high school days."
"So, what's going to happen when Jin sunbae and Yoongi sunbae leave?" she propped her head on her hand. "You still going to be throwing these so-called 'best' parties?"
"Of course!" Jin exclaimed, with a bang of his fist.
"Really? You'll really have time for college parties when you're busy working your butts off to make a living?" Jin, along with the rest of the table when silent. "I thought so."
"Hey, guys." Everyone turned their heads in your direction as you finally arrived. As you strolled up to the table, your eyes immediately locked with Taehyung's. Becoming slightly flustered, either of you looked away simultaneously. "Um...what're you guys talking about?"
"We were just talking about how Jin and Yoongi are going to be officially old men next year and won't be able to help throw anymore parties," Minji explained.
"Sounds interesting," you smiled, as you took your place in between her and Yoongi.
"You're definitely going to come to our party, right Jiyeong? It's going to be bigger than last year." Jimin grinned.
"I don't know," you shook your head. "Huge parties really aren't my thing."
"Come on, you've gotta go. It won't be the same if you or Minji aren't there."
"I'm sure it will."
"Speaking of parties," Jungkook started, "do you want one for your birthday?"
You looked to him, "No, there's no nee-"
"Huh?" Hoseok's eyes lit up. "Is it Jiyeongie's birthday soon?"
"Yes," you nodded. "It's on the 1st."
"Seriously? If that's the case, then why don't we just have one big party? Our Halloween party, plus a birthday party for you," Hoseok suggested.
"Wait a--"
"That's not a bad idea," Yoongi shook his finger in acknowledgment. "We'll call it: The Halloween Bash'."
"I mean, I won't come to your guys' stupid party, but if it's for Jiyeong then of course," Minji said.
"Sunbae, wait a minute," you raised your voice before anyone else could spout any more ideas. "I appreciate you getting all excited about my birthday and stuff, but I really don't need all that. If anything, a party between just the 9 of us would be all I need."
"Don't worry, you'll be with us," Jimin reached across the table to give you a pat on the shoulder, whilst smiling reassuringly. "We'll make it the best party of your entire life."
"Right..." You really weren't too sure about that. If they planned to combine their Halloween party with your birthday, that meant that there was going to be tons of faces you'd never met before. "Where is all of this supposed to take place exactly?"
"Taehyung?" They turned to him, giving him the floor.
Sending a quick glare in their direction, he said, "um," he took a quick glance your way before his eyes fell back to the table, "it's going to be at Jimin's place." After saying so, he went under silence again.
"Oh..." you nodded.
"You're letting a whole bunch of people come to your house just to trash it all night long? You're a brave man, Jimin sunbae."
"It won't be that bad," Namjoon started. "This time we plan on getting some help after things die out. I'm sure we'll find a couple of girls dressed up as maids that will be more than willing to help with the cleanup."
"Speaking of dressing up, you wouldn't believe what we dressed up as last year," Jungkook turned to you, giggling. "I was a police officer, Hoseok hyung was a race car driver--"
"--a cool race driver," he interrupted to say, with that cute heart shaped grin of his.
"I was an office worker," Jimin picked up. "Jin hyung was a doctor. Yoongi hyung was a military officer, Tae was a detective, and Namjoon hyung was--" he took a pause. "Actually, what were you? I never really understood it."
Namjoon rolled his eyes and breathed an exasperated sigh. "I told you guys this over a million times already. I was a liftman."
"What the hell is that?" Taehyung, along with the rest, gave him a questionable look.
"Y'know, the guy that presses the buttons on the elevator for people? Duh."
Hoseok shook his head, "and here I was thinking that he was some kind of important general."
"You should've chosen to be someone else, man." Yoongi gave him a pat on the shoulder, while everyone else broke out into laughter.
"Choosing costumes sound like it'll be loads of fun," you giggled.
Upon hearing that bubbly laugh that he admired so, Taehyung's eyes were automatically drawn to your direction. He hadn't realized how truly captivated he was until he was struck with the heavy flutters of his heart.
"Which reminds me, we still haven't chosen what we're going to be this year," Hoseok said.
"How about we go for a group concept this time?" Namjoon suggested.
"Oh, that sounds fun," Jimin said.
"No way," Yoongi sneered. "What if you guys choose to be something stupid like that time Jin hyung dressed up as a pumpkin."
"Excuse me? If I remember correctly, you dressed up as Naruto, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but Naruto is a popular character and I looked like a badass."
"Even though girls kept calling you 'cute'?" Jin mumbled, with the roll of his eyes.
"Then let's take a vote," Namjoon suggested. All those in favor of individual costumes?"
As Yoongi looked around, he frowned at the sight before him. Not one single hand was raised. "You bastards."
"All those for a group concept?" Everyone raised their hand, except Minji. "Minji, you forgot to raise your hand. If you don't want a group concept, you should've raised your hand before."
"What does it matter anyway?" she shrugged. "The group concept thing got the popular vote."
"What kind of concept are we going to go with?" you couldn't hide your excitement.
"That...has yet to be decided. We'll get back to you on that once we've figured it out," Namjoon said.
"As long as we don't dress up as stupid pumpkin men or anything cliche, I think we'll be fine," Yoongi muttered.
"Alright, well it's about time that we get going," Minji said, glancing over at the boys in secrecy. "I have to get to work."
"Jiyeong's leaving, too?" Jungkook asked.
"Yeah, she needs to borrow something from my house."
"Okay then. Bye, you guys," he waved.
"Oh, that's right,' Namjoon started up, "Taehyung, we're going drinking tonight? Wanna come? Or do you want to spend another night sulking?"
Taehyung rolled his eyes, but found room to smile. "Fine, I'll go."
"Good," Yoongi gave him a strong pat to the shoulder. "We'll meet in the park near school around 10-ish and go from there."
Later on, as night fell, Taehyung left his house around said time and went straight to the park. Being that is was dark out, there weren't many people outside. If anything, he'd see the occasional night joggers out for a little workout and a couple or two passing by. But when each time a couple would pass by, Taehyung couldn't help but look and stare on.
'I guess there won't be a chance for a us to get like that, will it.' His negative thought was followed by a heavy sigh.
Bringing his attention back to his phone, Taehyung decided to check their twitter before playing some games. He waited on and on for what felt like an hour already, but not one of them had shown up yet. He tried texting and calling them, yet no one picked up.
"What the hell are they doing?" he mumbled to himself. "They better not be trying to pull anything stupid like they did yesterday."
As Taehyung attempted another failed call, he heard the sounds of footsteps nearing him. "Took you bastards long enou--" When he looked up from his phone, the young male instantly went into a frozen state.
"Taehyung sunbae?"
"Jiyeong...Wh--what are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting for Minji to get off work so that we can go out for dinner. And you?"
"I'm waiting for the guys to get here so we can go--" All of a sudden, it hit him. With a groan and a sigh following right behind, Taehyung felt nothing but annoyance take over. "Those fucking--" he swore under his breath.
"Is something wrong?"
"I've been waiting for about 45 damn minutes already and I'm starting to realize why those assholes haven't shown up yet. They set this up. All of them."
Your eyes widened, "they what?!"
--"They finally found out," Hoseok said. "You think they'll leave now?"
"I hope not," Yoongi said. "We don't have a plan C."
Hiding among the bushes and trees of the park, and easing dropping on their friends, were the very same people that set them up the first time. Jimin and Minji were crouched together behind a bush, Namjoon and Jin were paired behind a tree, and Yoongi and Hoseok behind another tree close by.--
"I swear those idiots just live for this kind of stuff, and I always end up being the victim. I wouldn't be surprised if I found those bastards hiding in the bushes."
--"You don't think that they'd actually looked over and find us here, would you?" Jin questioned.
"No, there are tons of trees and bushes around here. He won't find us," Namjoon said.--
"They can be really troublesome," you said, with the shake of his head.
--"Well, at least things are looking and sounding good. They're finally talking now," Jimin said.--
"Troublesome isn't the word to describe 'em." With those last words, an awkward silence followed right behind. All except for the chirping crickets and the soft buzzing of the street lamps, it was quiet.
--"Spoke too soon, sunbae," Minji said.--
Taehyung's vision landed on everything around him. The stars, the playground, the trees, even the concrete path below. Anything that didn't have to do with the direction that you stood in. 'This is so damn awkward! Should I just leave? No wait, that'll make me look like a jerk! She'll end up thinking that I don't want to be around her. I guess I'll just wait until she walks back home then.'
After consciously confirming it, those last few words played back a few times in his head. 'Walk back home...Walking...' He remembered how dark it was and that did not sit well with him. "Wait, did you walk all the way here from your house?"
"Hm?" you looked up. "Oh, yes."
"At this time of night?" his tone started to rise.
And you raised a brow at the sudden change. Is something wrong with that?"
"Of course, there's something wrong with that! You're a girl. Or did you forget that part?"
--"Is this idiot really arguing with her right now? He can't be serious," Jimin shook his head.
"Anything involving stupidity and Taehyung is serious."--
You were taken aback by Taehyung's sudden outburst. "Why are you yelling at me all of a sudden?"
"You know you're not supposed to be walking around at night without someone with you," he huffed out some of his frustration, as he ran his fingers through his hair. "How do you think I'd feel if I something were to happen to you?" his eyes fell to the ground.
You stopped and blushed slightly, followed by the tightly sealed line that your lips formed. "How would you feel?"
Taehyung glanced up, seeing you as you were. "I'd feel sad...regretful even."
--Oh, things are starting to get juicy," Namjoon exclaimed in a whisper.
"Let's keep it that way. We don't want them hearing your big mouth," Jin said.--
A light chuckle escaped your lips, "you care that much?"
"Of course I care. You're my hoobae..."
As that word left his mouth, you unexpectedly felt that negative emotion drape right back over you. "Yeah, your 'hoobae'." Regret began to course through your heart once again, as the memories from a few days ago resurfaced.
Even without his eyes on you, Taehyung could hear how quickly your tone had changed. When he took a glimpse your way, he could see a frown, clear as day on your lips. Seeing you now, reminded him of the way you were before he left your house.
"Well, I guess I'd better get going now," you took a step away from him. "I'll call a cab or something, so you don't have to worry about me, okay?"
"Jiyeong, wait!" he quickly took to his feet.
Doing as you were told, you took not one step more. "Is there something you need?"
"No--I mean, yes?" His thoughts were all over the place. "What I mean is--" he licked his lips with the slightest caution to continue. "Why do you look like that?"
You turned back to face him, "look like what?"
"You look sad."
"And why would I be sad?"
"That's what I want to know," Taehyung put his feet in motion and started walking towards you. "You had that same exact expression back at your house before I left. I didn't think much of it because you seemed mad at me," he stopped as he stood right before you. "But after seeing it again, it's plain to see that you were sad that time. Why?"
You opened your mouth to speak, but closed it. You then set your sights towards the ground, not knowing whether to tell him or not.
"Yah," he called out to you in a calmer tone, "answer me."
"...It's because of what you said. You said that the kiss was 'nothing special'. After that, it hurt me a lot. More than I expected it to."
"So what's that supposed to mean? Are you saying that you liked it?" Taehyung soon found his answer within those flushed cheeks of yours. In his final sigh, Taehyung felt every single cloud blow away. "You really are something, you know that? Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"
"Because I was embarrassed..." you trailed off, feeling the heat in your cheeks increase.
"Don't you know that it's because of you that I said what I said? I was actually feeling like crap because of your words. I was thinking that you would've been thinking the same thing that I was; about that kiss being--"
--amazing...?" You glimpsed up at him long enough to see the gentle smile forming on his lips.
"Yeah."
"So, I guess all of this would all be my fault then," your vision shied away to the ground once again.
"Yup, it's all your fault that I was feeling like shit all weekend."
"I'm sorry."
"Are you really?"
You nodded, "yes."
"If you're really sorry, then why don't you make it up to me?"
You looked up to him, "how am I supposed to--" Your eyes widened after seeing him tap on his lips. "Oh..." It was then that the meaning of his words found you.
With a smirk forming on his lips, Taehyung reached out and cupped both of his large hands onto your reddened cheeks. As if on cue, your heart began to speed up, even more as the gap between your lips shortened.
Before you knew it, the feeling of his lips on yours was once again. The second they met with yours, your heart rate shot through the roof and your heartbeat was drumming as fierce as ever. So fierce, that you feared he'd hear it.
But in almost no time at all, those thoughts, along with everything else around you, seemed to cease existence. Anything that didn't have to do with this moment, was forgotten about. And though this kiss wasn't hot like the last, it's caliber was still enough to bring those butterflies back and stronger.
Finally pulling away from your lips, Taehyung left only but a small distance between your lips and his. As his forehead rested right against yours, he said, "it's good that we cleared up this little misunderstanding, huh?" he smirked.
A bashful smile then found it's way to your lips, "Yeah."
--"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Minji clutched onto Jimin's shoulder and shook him as violently as she could. "Our plan worked!"
"Yeah, we did it." Jimin was smiling, but it hadn't lasted too long with the thoughts of Jungkook's confession floating around in his head.--
"Do you still feel like going out to that restaurant? We could get something to eat before I walk you back home. My treat."
The honey-soaked tone behind Taehyung's words sent a flutter towards your heart. "Yeah, I'd like that."