Taehyung watched as a brooding expression took over Mrs. Hwang's face. She stepped forward, gesturing at the table.
"And what is this?"
Ae Ra swallowed hard. "I've been painting."
Mrs. Hwang scoffed. "You've been painting all this time? I thought you gave those silly dreams up. How many times do I have to tell you? Painting is going to get you nowhere in life. You're making pictures no one is ever going to notice. We need to put an end to this once and for all."
Before Ae Re could react, her mother grabbed the brush in her hand and snapped it in half like a twig.
"I want you to throw all this away and come home now. And here I thought I could just grab a cup of coffee before my evening meeting."
Ae Ra's eyes were filled with hot tears. Her cheeks burned as other eyes in the café focused on her.
"Mrs. Hwang, this isn't Ae Ra's fault. It's mine. I found out recently that she used to paint and this café needed new artwork. I work here, and heard they would pay the artist well, so I recommended Ae Ra."
Mrs. Hwang's expression lightened a bit as she faced Taehyung. "I know you're trying to help and clear things up, but things are already very clear to me. Sorry to make a scene. Ae Ra, get up now!"
Ae Ra scrambled to her feet and flashed Taehyung one last pitiful look before her mother wrapped a firm hand around her wrist and dragged her out of the café. Taehyung collapsed in the seat she had been sitting in. He stared at the broken brush in front of him. Even though painting didn't mean much to him, his heart hurt seeing it. All her paints were set up so neatly, and she had sketched out a beautiful design.
It's all my fault Taehyung thought as he packed up her stuff and stored it with his messenger bag in the back.
"What was that about?" Taeil asked once Taehyung joined him behind the counter.
"Ae Ra loves to paint. But she her mother doesn't want her to pursue a career in painting." Taehyung suddenly remembered Baekhyun had attached a mic somewhere on him and was listening to every single word. He had to be careful not to say too much. "Whatever, not my problem."
"You don't care? She looked so upset. Doesn't that bother you?" Taeil tried to gauge his colleague's complete change in character.
"I have better things to worry about than some stupid girl who wants to paint."
Taeil bit his lip. "That's a bit harsh. Well, I guess I have to respect your opinions."
Ae Ra sank into her bed, wishing she could be anywhere but here, trapped in her house under her mother's watch. What scared her the most was the lack of conversation. She expected her mother to scream her lungs out until Ae Ra's ears bled. But this time, they had walked home in silence. She cancelled her meeting and collapsed on the sofa to watch a show on her favorite cooking channel.
"Knock knock." Hyunjin cracked open the door and made his way to Ae Ra's bed. "Hey, you okay? What happened?"
"Mom found out I still paint. She caught me painting in a coffee shop and made a spectacle of it in front of Taehyung."
Hyunjin's eyes widened. "Wait, Handsome Hyung 1.0 saw this happen? That's embarrassing."
Ae Ra sat up, glaring daggers at her little brother. "You don't have to remind me."
"So what are you going to do?"
The girl shook her head. "Not sure. I need some time to think about it. You think you could give me some time alone? I don't really feel like talking to anyone."
Hyunjin eyed his sister sadly. She was such a nice person and so full of life. But seeing her so drained and emotionless like this was heartbreaking. All these years, he took the effort to defend her because he knew painting was that part of her life she couldn't cut out.
Ae Ra forced herself to sink back into the monotonous lifestyle she used to live every time she tried to give up painting. Last time, her mother had just found one of her pieces. This time, she'd been caught in the act. Even worse, Taehyung had been there to see her get dragged out and ripped apart.
There was another knock on the door. "I told you to leave me alone," Ae Ra said blandly. Seconds later, she received a text message.
Taehyung: That was me... Sorry, I just wanted to see if you were alright.
Ae Ra jumped up and subconsciously made her way towards the door. She pushed it open, not thinking twice to knock or anything. When she saw his surprised form jump back a few inches, she laughed, but he could see the hurt in her eyes.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," she apologized. He noticed that look in her glistening eyes.
Taehyung stepped closer, holding out his arms for her to walk into. She slowly let him embrace her as they sat down on the edge of his bed like that one time before.
"No. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you better." He buried his face in her hair and smiled, but then reminded himself that this was not the time to be thinking of Ae Ra's fragrant shampoo. "It's okay if you cry," he said softly. "I won't judge you."
Ae Ra relaxed in his arms as she let her sniffles pierce the silence. And then the storm rolled in. It was the kind of cry he was familiar with- the one where you were trying your hardest to hold back tears and keep smiling. It was the cry that stung the back of your throat from being held in, making it feel rough like sandpaper. It was the kind of cry where the tears stung your eyes, and you tried to keep yourself from falling apart.
He pulled her closer, and rubbed soothing patterns onto her shoulder. He let her sob into his shoulder to her heart's extent. The scene of her mother snapping her brush in half replayed in his mind, and Taehyung winced.
Ae Ra finally cooled down and looked up at him. She was met with his harsh jawline and lips that she'd studied more than she'd care to admit. Her eyes darted up to focus on his.
"I'm so grateful for you," she said slowly.
Taehyung couldn't hold himself back anymore. He didn't care about anything else in the world. He didn't care whether Baekhyun was listening or not. Slowly, he placed his hand behind her neck. He asked for permission with his eyes.
Ae Ra couldn't believe what was happening. She nodded in response, and he captured her lips with his. His hands drifted down her sides to hold her waist, and he pulled her closer.
She pulled away to gasp for air, and Taehyung blushed seeing the slight swollenness that inhabited her lips. Her face was flushed, and she was unable to look him in the eyes.
"You're cute," he smiled softly.
"Ummm, you too," she replied quickly, and he laughed. "Can I ask you something?"
Taehyung nodded. "Sure. Anything."
"This was a real kiss right? It meant something to you? Or are you just fooling around-"
He cut her off with a peck. "I promise it's real. I struggled with my feelings for a while, Ae Ra. I kept pushing the thought that I liked you out of my mind. But when I couldn't sleep at night or kept succumbing to thoughts of you throughout the day, I realized the effect you had on me. Every time you stared at me before you sat down in marketing, my heart would beat so fast, it must have been unhealthy. I crave your presence when I'm alone."
Ae Ra blushed even harder. "But why me? There are so many prettier girls out there."
"Their personality and their talents can't come close to yours," Taehyung rested his head on her shoulder.
"One more question. Why did you always act so cold initially? I mean, you have this image at school where you're this coldhearted ice prince with killer looks and a bad boy vibe. What's up with that?"
Taehyung rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Ummm, so you know how you wear a mask? You're always happy and bubbly and chirpy at school, but then when you come home, you're a completely different person? It's the same for me. I always had to pretend to be unbothered. When people talked behind my back about how my life was made, it hurt me. They made it sound like this opportunity just fell into my lap where I didn't have to earn it. But I worked day and night learning about the company. I know more than most people realize. I've always been so misunderstood."
"But I worked day and night learning about the company. I know more than most people realize."
Baekhyun smirked. "What would you know?" He made some mental notes after listening to their conversation and decided to call it a night.
"Hwang Ae Ra," he said slowly. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."