Chapter Six
Slap. She slaps me. Hard, loud, and with a crack of my jaw, my head snaps to the direction of Jimin who's vision shakes. Park Jimin mimics the rest of the party, who in light and in silence see what happens next.
With a burning tingle on my flesh, I hold my glass to my face, fingernails tracing parts of my cheekbone that reddens with blood. Jumbled eyes gazing forward, the wind is knocked out of me and I retrieve. Composing myself but failing. First breathless from the slap, now breathless when getting a better look of the one who hit me—her eyes, her lips, her nose, her hair—she's beautiful.
But I can't relish in any of it long. My brows knit, forehead crinkles. I see the pain and hurt in her sea-like eyes that rain down onto her cheeks. Streams. Oceans. Water.
"Who are you?" is the only thing I muster to ask.
Her bottom lip quivers from the pain she feels at her heart. "I'm the girl whose life you just ruined," spits irk Taehyung's face; the ocean becoming a sea. Streams. Seas. Water.
I, the boy stare at her stunning eyes and realize I need to swim.
"I think you knocked the sanity outta him! Lady what's your issue?" Park Jimin barks, eyes wide while staring at mine that blink—a glitching robot I am while containing myself from staring so long and hard over at the girl before me. The one who slapped me.
"What's my issue?" she screams, she screams loud and throws herself towards Jimin, "What's my issue—you motherfu—"
"Woah, woah, wait—" Jungkook's arms hug her waist, he pulls her back and suddenly, I'm gawking over at my friend in confusion. Jeon Jungkook stares up at me in horror, tames his friend in his arms and goes, "What did you do Taehyung?!"
"You know him?" the girl asks, pained and looking to Jungkook in confusion.
"I don't know!" I yell. I'm no longer enticed by her beauty. I'm no longer fluttering eyelashes to memorize her features. I'm no way in hell wanting to swim. Now, with harsh eyes, I bark, "What the fuck you slap me for?"
Jungkook's brows jump large, hugging the girl into his chest. I take in that I've just swore, but that happens when I'm angry and confused, and I don't know—slapped for no fucking reason I know of. Ignoring the first-year's eyes, I scream again, "Who the fuck are you?"
The girl growls, leaves Jungkook arms and leaps over to me again. I trip backwards, 'manly' and pulling out any strength I can, but also terrified and not wanting to sucker-punch a stranger. I fall back and Jimin holds me.
"Yo yo, chill," Hoseok's cooing now, running to me in all the commotion. He still has a girl wrapped around his arm, however. The same girl I left twerking alone. "What's going on?"
"Just a causal party night," I mumble, "Being slapped and being clueless regarding why. How has your night been?"
"Wha—" Hoseok is interrupted when the girl's trembling lips part. She makes everyone jump while shouting, "I have my reasons you asshole!"
"Asshole? He doesn't even know you!" Jin's here now. By Hoseok's side, awkward and trying to soothe the situation—but clearly not helping as the girl threatens to jump at the older man. She slaps her foot forward, cocks her jaw, and Jin does what I did earlier. He trips back.
"He may not know me—" the girl shakes so much. My eyes soften just a little. "He may n-not," hiccup, "But he sure as hell knows my boyfriend."
My brows furrow at that. Jimin, Hoseok, Jin and Jungkook all look over confused. All the friends I have are here, and none are in relation to her that way. So, with a harsh gaze, I whip, "No the fuck I do not. Ease out with slapping and accusing by assumption babe, maybe you won't be shamed as a fucking idiot."
"Taehyung!" Jungkook hollers defensive.
The girl whimpers.
"What?" I yell, "She slapped me! How do you know her anyway?"
Jungkook grows awkward. He looks around the room, he looks around the lights that are bright. He looks at the birthday party that goes to shit right before our eyes. With confusion over his curiousity, I soften when Jungkook says, "She's the birthday girl...the friend I was telling you all about." Then he says her name and I'm in complete awe.
Jimin being Jimin strikes his hand out. "O-Oh, nice to meet you. Happy bir—" Hoseok slaps the boy's hand down, seeing how strong the girl's eyes carry death.
That death, those eyes, they waver when she steps towards me. I find myself glancing to her eyes almost immediately. Swallowing hard, with a bitter smirk she says, "Let me refresh your memory, I understand that slap may have erased a bit from your mind so suddenly."
"Loo—"
"Shut up and listen."
I'm quiet. I'm quiet right away.
"I'm the girl you've been describing as a 'waste-case'?" her head cocks, her eyes sparkling from hurt to more sad amusement. "What else was there? Oh right, a girl who 'isn't worth it'... one that should easily be cheated on and not at all cared for."
"What are you talking about?" I whisper this. I'm so close to being swallowed back into her eyes the more she steps to me.
Amusement gone, anger hiding, the girl lets her pain come forth again. She's heartbroken, so heartbroken. I can see the damage in her eyes and for a second, I find myself to swim again. I'm swimming, I'm swimming, and then I'm drowning when I see Oki with security from the corner of my eyes. Confusion tips my iceberg, I glance between the girl, then over at Oki. Repeating the process, my stomach derails into a painful twitch when realizing what's to come. Awareness hits when she says, "I was Oki's girlfriend."
"What?" I look at Oki, my eyes narrowing. The boy does nothing but stare to his feet, his hands holding his penis.
Jungkook, behind the girl whispers in shock himself. However, unlike me, Jungkook's already glaring over along with many others in the party that watch as bystanders. Most are putting the pieces to the puzzle together. Many other than me. I'm still asking, "Oki had a girlfriend?"
"Don't pretend to be shocked. I read the text messages you sent him," the girl spits, her toes shoving into mine. I look down to my shoes, her heels, then I look to her eyes that are so close to me. If I wanted I could easily kiss the crying girl—but I won't. I wouldn't. What an absurd thought in such tense moment. She continues, "You knew what you were doing...you made it okay for him to cheat on me."
My lips part, I shake my head, I want to speak but I can't. I'm shocked, I'm still so confused. With awing gazes, I look to Oki and ask, "Is this true? You had a girlfriend?"
Before Oki can look up and meet my disappointed eyes, I'm looking back at heels that clank loud on the silenced dance floor. With the wave of her fingers, security listen and start to walk towards me. As I'm being grabbed at, I'm flinching and cursing and squirming but throughout it all—I'm looking over shoulders and watching Jungkook run after the heels of the crying girl.
She runs out, leaving the scene.
The door is loud when he slams behind her, making me jump.
[9 hours since Kim Taehyung has successfully been slapped]
The mouse trap is loud when it slams over none, making Taehyung jump awake.
When he groans and wiggles, Taehyung's pounding head moves to the pit of the pillow, staring over at the cheese and peanut butter on the failed mouse trap. Then the almond-shaped-eyes of the boy meet feet that walk over to fix the trap—rearrange and restart. Following the feet, the pajamas, and then the naked torso, Taehyung sees Seok Jin towering over.
Taehyung groans. Blocking the pillow on his face and wishing to suffocate from the pain felt at his throbbing head.
"Wakey-wakey," Jin sings, letting the mouse-trap go before moving to open the blinds completely. "Get off the bed and face your responsibilities."
"You've got mouse issues too?" Taehyung grumbles, rubbing at his eyes and squinting past his hair that messily hits his forehead. Sitting up and scrunching the ends of the blanket around him, like toes in warm sand.
"Yes. My ass broke too. No wonder we're friends."
"Where's your roommate?" Taehyung asks, scratching his chest over the sweater from last night. To think of it, most of his body aches and itches because of the fabrics he slept so messily in.
Jin laughs, having the sun peer into the small bedroom before walking back over to Taehyung who winces like a bat ready to attack. Pointing over at a glass of water and medicine over at the counter beside him, Taehyung nods in a 'thanks' before grabbing at the supplies instantly.
"You mean Hoseok? Why address him like that?"
Taehyung shrugs, grumbling, "Not exactly in the mood to name out friends right now...considering I may not know much about them to even label them as friends." Then he gulps down the water with his eyes shut, not wanting to see Jin's soft eyes play in his direction.
With a soft sigh, Jin answers my question, "Well, Hoseok didn't come back home after getting kicked out of the party. He left with a girl."
Taehyung's face scrunched in distaste. "After everything that happened last night he still got horny enough to ditch and sleep around?"
"Now now, be fair," Jin laughs, licking over his lips and sitting at the corner of the bed's end. "He isn't the one that got slapped. There was nothing stopping him from having a better night to a tragic train of events."
Taehyung sighs. Eyes narrowing in shield of the sun that pokes in, teasing him. Finishing up with the glass, he plays awkward while holding it, before hesitantly asking, "Any news on what happened when we got kicked out?"
Jin noticed the boy's struggle. With soft eyes, the oldest shook his head, "All I know is how the rest of the night played out. I was sober enough to have everyone safe in their beds."
"What happened?" Taehyung swallows hard, not wanting to remember. While on the other hand, even if he tried to remember after the initial kicking-out of security, it hurt his throbbing head too much to try.
Jin sighs again, "Well after Hoseok left, Jimin took Oki away from you and went home immediately, thinking it would be best not to have you two see the other...after what...happened." Taehyung's jaw clenches, his eyes glaring into the sheets he's wrapped in before listening on, "I planned on having you here for the night considering Hoseok's gone and we've got a separate room. Thinking it would be good to have you away..."
"We went out drinking, I remember that much." Taehyung moans, hugging his head into his palms, rubbing and swearing under his breath, "We shouldn't have. I feel totally whipped right now."
"Like we were last night? You remember what happened."
"After the security or before the security?"
"Before," Jin hesitantly brings up.
Cupping his top lip over his bottom like a protective hoop, Taehyung's tainted eyes look up with an innocence that has Jin nod. Jin knew it from last night, he knew Taehyung didn't know and that only made the entire situation worse. With a sad breath of air, Jin holds out his hand, rubs Taehyung's shoulder and whispers, "It's alright, it wasn't your fault."
"Why does it feel like it partially is?"
"You didn't know Taehyung."
"But I didn't care to check."
"You trusted Oki," Jin reassures, "I know for a fact that if he were to have told you he did, you would've never—" the mature student's nose crinkled, "What's done is done. Don't put yourself to blame in this equation."
Taehyung's throat dances in nervousness. Nibbling on his bottom lip, it's clear he keeps seeing the crying eyes of only one person, and one person only. "She thinks I knew..."
"I'm sure Jungkook will clarify it all for her...you won't have to worry." Jin pats Taehyung's shoulder one last time before standing up to his feet. "For right now, you've got to understand that she's a stranger to you, a stranger you have not wronged. Understand?"
Taehyung nods, very very slow. Letting his lip go free, he looks up and asks, "Where's Jungkook now?"
"I saw him leave with her and another woman." Jin shrugs, stretches and then goes, "But that's none of your business. You need to snap out of feeling guilty in a place where you shouldn't at all."
"I can't help it. She was cheated on...even at her birthday party, I-I—" Taehyung tosses over the pillow he was laying on earlier in anger. It falls to the mouse trap that acts in snaps once more. Jin sighs when the muffled, smothering sound seals the quiet air.
Taehyung is breathing. Breathing hard.
"Taehy—"
"Is there anyway I can meet her?"
Jin's brows jump. "You want to meet the girl that slapped you in front of dozens of people?"
"Y-Yeah, I want to talk to her."
Jin looks at the boy as if he's crazy, "About what?"
"You know me," Taehyung begins, tapping his chest and selling out all that he's aware of, "You know that I'm not going to drop this until I've gotten some sort of closure upon the topic. I'm going to be moody, I'm going to be annoying. I'm going to have you all worried." Jin's hands go to his hips, eyes shut over Taehyung being right. The action only makes the boy continue, "Finals are coming up and knowing the way I stress over these things, I'm probably going to fail another semester."
Jin remembered that semester. It was a mess for the Kim brothers. All the oldest remembered was seeing how Namjoon and Taehyung didn't speak for months. Not that they do much anymore now...
"Fine, fine. I get it. It's crazy over why you'd be stupid enough for wanting this but yes, I understand. I get it." Jin sighs, points at the pillow previously tossed and goes, "Pick that up before coming out for breakfast."
"W-Wait."
"What?" Jin mumbles, turning just before he gets to the bedroom's door.
Taehyung, with a nervous chuckle pulls out an earring from his pocket. Holding it up and letting the sun reflect off it, the boy licks over his plump lips and asks, "Returning this would be enough as an ice-breaker, won't it?"