The rest of the night was a blur, as others wished me a happy birthday and a new year.
I only gaped at them, too stunned to wish them back, or even say anything in return.
Hoseok, bless him, tried to laugh out an explanation, but my lips didn't tug upwards at his words.
I was just shocked. Confused, puzzled, absolutely shocked.
After too many tries on lightening me up, Hoseok finally asked, "Sora, honey, what's wrong?"
"I..."
My eyes finally met his, but seeing the genuine worry in them had my own snapping back to the entrance. "Uh..."
My voice steadied slowly as I made a rhythm of breathing in and out, in and out. "Hoseok, I...just...can you take me back to my flat?"
The man gave me a look. "Why so sudden?" he asked. "The party's just about to begin-"
"Please," I cut him off, taking him by surprise. "Just...please take me home."
Hoseok's brows knitted in confusion as he looked at me. I wished he hadn't, because from way he scanned my face, I could tell he'd already guessed the reason for my shaken behaviour.
"...Okay, dear."
Not bothering to say goodbye to everyone else, Hoseok let me out the estate, taking me to his red Lexus.
Opening the door for me, I sat inside. Entering himself, Hoseok strapped on his seatbelt.
He started the car, the engine roaring to life. He drove out the estate car park, reaching the main streets of Seoul.
Thankfully, we soon arrived at my apartment.
I quickly got out the car, slamming the door shut as the window slid down. "Thank you."
As I turned on my heel, I heard Hoseok call behind me. "Is there any way I can help, Sora?"
Looking over my shoulder, I caught the sympathy in that usual happy face.
I offered him a sad little smile. "I don't think you can help in this, Hoseok. If I couldn't do anything, then what will you do?"
Then, turning back, I went inside the building, not waiting for my friend to drive off.
-
Kim fucking Taehyung ignored me for a week.
Not one call. Not one message.
Not one. Fucking. Word.
I damned my fingers, itching to check for my phone in hopes of a missed call or a new message from the very man I keep cussing.
Hysterical. That man was making me hysterical.
"Sora."
I looked up to see my sister, standing at the edge of the sofa I sat on.
Focusing back on the show, I asked, "Yes?"
She didn't say anything, just sitting down gingerly on the space beside me.
"Sora."
I sucked on a tooth, staring at the screen to avoid her eye contact. "Yes, Somi?"
A sigh escaped her. "Stop pretending to be interested in the show."
Ugh. Picking up the remote, I turned the TV off.
"Now look at me, Sora."
Cursing under my breath, I faced her, making sure she saw me glaring at her.
The woman only gave me an unimpressed look, a usual one she'd often give over Chanmi's attitude.
"I'm not in the mood, Somi," I muttered.
"It's Taehyung, isn't it?"
"No, it's the stick rammed up my ass."
The raising of Somi's eyebrows had me rolling my eyes. "Of course it's Taehyung, who else?"
"Look, sis, why don't you just go up to him yourself?"
I shook my head. "He wouldn't be crying tears of joy over my sudden entrance."
"That's true," Somi started, folding a leg over the other, "Yet I don't remember you ever caring for what one might think about your actions."
I pouted, cocking my head slightly as I thought her words through.
She's right. I don't exactly give two shits over his reaction.
All I need to do is talk.
And find out what the fuck happened to him.
-
I stormed into the headquarters, being instantly stopped by the receptionist.
"Wait, wait, Miss Yoon, you can't see Mr Kim now-"
"And why not?" I asked, raising a brow at her.
"He's..." the girl fumbled for words, for a decent excuse. "...he's in a meeting at the moment."
I smiled sweetly at her. "Then I'll say hi to his colleagues as well."
Dismissing her, I marched on ahead, to the lift.
Shooting twenty floors upward, the metal doors screeched open.
I now hurried to the far end of the glass rooms, where Taehyung's secretary seemed to be missing.
That's good then. One less busybody to handle.
Not bothering to knock on the door, I burst straight in.
I looked up.
There he was. The very man I wanted.
The very man I miss.
Kim Taehyung looked up from his paperwork.
God fucking damn it.
There he was, looking like starlight gracing the desk, as his hair bobbed at the side of his face, that earring like liquid diamond trickling down his neck.
Wearing a red sweater, his collarbone exposing just above the neck of the fabric, this simple detail in itself almost had my anger melting.
Almost.
His face revealed just a second of shock before hardening into a granite like mask, locking all the emotions behind it.
"Sora."
Fuck. Even the way he said my name had my focused rage faltering.
Don't. Don't let him do this.
"Oh, so you remember my name?" I asked, forcing some scorn into my voice. "I'd thought you'd forgotten that too."
Taehyung's mouth twitched. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"I work here, if you didn't realise."
"I didn't call for you," he said, setting a paper to a specific stack of more. "You didn't have to come here."
"Yes I did," I snapped. "Tell me what kind of diseased creature has bitten your ass so hard that it's made you into a whole new person?"
The man blinked. Damn him, even that was attractive. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean," I snarled.
I stormed over in between the chairs, in front of the table. "Why have you been ignoring me for the past week?"
Taehyung looked away, his hands fisting on the table. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, stop bullshitting with me," I jeered. "You and I both know that when those three words came out my mouth, your fucking soul left your body."
I slammed my hands on his desk. "Was that it, Taehyung? The fact I proclaimed my love for you? The fact I thought I made you happier than I was on my own birthday?"
Taehyung stilled yet again.
Then, slowly, his eyes met mine.
The icy glare that greeted me chilled me to my very core.
"I don't know, Sora," he guttered, slowly raising from his seat, planting his fingers on the desk. "Were you though?"
He laughed at the slight confusion building up on my face.
As he reached his full height, I tilted my head back to look at him, straight in the eye.
It was challenge, really. The cold freezing in them was becoming unbearable.
"Were you really in love with me?" he sneered. "Are you really in love with me, or are you just like all of them?"
I tried to keep my ground, tried to keep that anger flaring. "Don't beat around the bush, shithead. Tell it straight."
"Fine."
The millionaire, just a little bit, leaned in, turning his head to the right.
"Are you like all the others before, faking a confession for a chance to be in my spotlight?"
My eyes widened.
I staggered backward, his words like a blow to my gut.
Are you like all the others before?
Faking a confession for a chance to be in my spotlight?
Faking a confession-
Faking.
He thought I was-
"Faking," I breathed out. "You thought I was...faking."
Taehyung's mouth parted, ever so slightly.
Suddenly all those emotions he'd trapped in those eyes came tumbling back into them.
I couldn't decipher them. I just couldn't figure them out.
My own emotions were out of control.
Why wouldn't they be though?
Kim Taehyung just called me a gold digger.
"You fucking bastard."
The man gasped.
He quickly gritted his teeth, hardening himself again. "Glad to know you've realised."
My heart. Was it beating? I didn't know. Though I did think that it had stopped.
Tears threatened to spill. I blinked them in, as I took a step back.
Away from that man.
Kim Taehyung opened his mouth. "You shouldn't have come here."
To my surprise, a chuckle rasped out of me. A dead, humourless chuckle.
"No, Taehyung," I corrected him. "I'm glad. Overjoyed that I came."
I turned on my heel, the door right in front as I walked towards it.
As I looked over my shoulder, glancing at the man for what I thought would be the last time of my life, I declared, "Now, I've learned something.
"Now I know what it's like to have your heart shattered in pieces."
I didn't bother seeing his reaction as I walked out of the office, slamming the door behind me.
I heard a crashing noise from inside the room, but at this point, I was done.
My feet suddenly sped up, and I was running to the lift.
I was out of the headquarters, and my voice screamed for a taxi.
Ordering one to take me home, it zoomed through the streets of Seoul, the driver seeing my numb state.
When I reached the apartment, I burst through the front door.
Somi was on the couch still, watching the news.
She turned to me.
One look at me had her eyes widening.
And that's when she said that dreaded question.
"Sora, are you okay?"
I broke.
Tears, hot and salty and so much of it, came tumbling out.
I collapsed onto the floor, covering my face as my hands were stained with tears.
I felt light footsteps near me, and suddenly I was enveloped in a warm embrace.
"Sora, darling..."
It was then I gripped onto my sister.
And cried and cried and cried.
-
Hey guys!
Over 30K.
I'm speechless. I just...
Oh my God, I just love you all so much.
I actually have a surprise for when I reach 50K. It isn't too exciting, but I pissed myself when springbts suggested it :')
The chapter, on the other hand, went pretty downhill, ngl. Whoops.
Anyway, please do vote and tell me your thoughts on this chapter. It'll mean a lot, I promise :)