Past 

12| 'His red world' 

Taehyung was furious, so freaking furious and he found this situation so funny. 

No matter how much Taehyung tried to avoid those cancerous thoughts, they tenaciously and constantly explode on the surface of his brain. It had been two weeks since Nina started mingling with Ji-hoon, they used to hang out together but these days they seem to be chilling together with a little too much for Taehyung's liking. Sometimes, he was this close to puking. 

Taehyung wasn't appreciating their closeness, he wasn't happy. Taehyung witnessed their jovial banter in the classroom. He watched them in the cafeteria, having lunch together. Nina now started visiting Ji-hoon on the basketball court after the practice. Even Taehyung had seen them at Nina's favourite spot— the freaking library. 

Yeah, Nina had completely started avoiding Taehyung. She didn't much react if he mock her in the hallways with his snarky remarks.

And the right after when she smiled at Ji-hoon, her rosy lips splaying so radiantly, curving out her higher cheekbones and oh when her eyes go smile with the delicate crinkles around them, she looked like a deity, just so breathtaking — and she blessed that angelical smile to Ji-hoon. It was like a thousand spikes piercing his retina in one merciless go.

A violent tremor in his stomach leaping to his throat, so indignant that he could easily go insane by the hand of that atrocious emotion.

His jaw was tightened, a dark, angry swirl in the abyss of his golden pools as he tried to solder his attention in his piano, his admirable gem. The enormous room was vacant, and the only thing was his grand piano dominating the centre of the room. It was his place, his solace and no one was allowed to enter there without his permission. As usual, he was alone, listening to his harsh breathing pounding in his ears with the harmony seeping through the hollow walls.  

Taehyung's calloused fingers elegantly yet furiously moved on the key, shaping the as a usual piece of music that he had adored since he was a child. Taehyung desperately needed the peace, he wanted the unbearable burn in his chest to crawl away yet the image of Ji-hoon and Nina kept stubbornly rushing back to his senses.

"This is not good." The ache of his fingers hissed and glided to his wrist, stopping him to play furthermore. He puffed out a frustrating growl through his parched throat. "Why am I so bothered about it?" The heat stung his spine as he squared his body on the seat. Taehyung was sensing so many things, the throng of thoughts jumbling every corner of his head to agitate his nerves. 

"Wang has a life, she could meet anyone and talk to anyone, spend time with anyone, it should not concern me. She is a loser and Ji-hoon is a loser too. Lucky her because they do deserve each other." Taehyung softly traced the tip of his finger on the key of the piano. He was assuring himself, a pointless attempt. 

He knew she wasn't good enough for the place where Taehyung belonged. She was a gorgeous palpitation for steady hearts and he was the heaven, the hell and everything in between. 

"It's almost pathetic how much I hate you, princess. You are not even worth it." A dark chuckle slanted out of his lips, as the gloominess of his golden iris worsened. 

Nina was no one to him, just a speck of dust. Then why the thought of her being with other guys was breaking him inside, ripping his heart bit by bit. Why was he so blinded in jealousy that he felt like burning his whole house to the ground? 

Prestige was everything for the Kim family. Taehyung had learned it when he was just a kid, he should become acquainted with elite kids— always. The Kim family had some rules and Taehyung had followed them. His father taught him and made sure that Taehyung learned it very well so it could not be a disappointment in the future. 

The rules were highly intriguing for Taehyung, he engraved them in the wall of his brain. The first rule, he shouldn't care about people's feelings, their thinking, or their beliefs to get whatever he wants. The second rule, never to be afraid to take a destructive path to grab what he desires. The third rule was never to hesitate to crush people in your way. The fourth rule never thinks once to bring your ugly side out. The fifth and last rule, never show weakness and never be too sentimental to get crumble easily, because it's foolish. There was no place of weakness, there was no point of any improper occurrence. 

All the rules were demolished when the first time Taehyung's eyes beheld the sight of the red-haired beauty.

She wasn't the proper one who could fit with him. She wasn't the type that Taehyung would love to spend his time with. The crying face, red strands flying everywhere, the old red hoodie and battered sneakers. Two words that were on the verge of breaking out of his cocky mouth at that time were— poor and tacky. 

But when she glanced at him with those teary eyes. That look was so innocent and those crazy masses of blinking lashes, oh God, Taehyung loved that reaction. The 15 years old guy concealed the red-haired girl's reaction in the chasm of his chest; he sometimes took a short glimpse at it when his head hit the pillow at night.

The moment was Taehyung's. That guileless expression of Nina was his, her first kiss was his and no matter how much Nina denied it, she was Taehyung's too. 

"For heaven sake, what if she started dating that bastard Ji-hoon?" Taehyung slammed his fist on the piano, an intense throb spurt around his lustrous skin. The pain around his crooked heart was too brutal compared to it. He felt like Nina was slipping through his fingers and he couldn't yank her back, couldn't hold her— the thought was so disturbing, chewing his organs.

"Her heart will beat for him in that cloying romantic way. Her smiles, her hysterical blinks, her tears and her happiness, her confusing reactions. . . she will give all of these to that bastard. And Ji-hoon would accept everything Nina would offer him with that shit-eating grin of his." Every word unleashing between his gritted teeth, his knees were jittery as he bounced them up and down in a hectic rhythm. 

Ji-hoon and Nina weren't dating, Taehyung was aware that they were not a couple. It was obvious because they were not the hot topic of the school. He didn't come across whispers swirling in the corners of the classrooms about them. If they become something, Ji-hoon would declare Nina his girlfriend to the whole King's High with a microphone, he was downright dazzled by the red riding hood. 

"But what if Wang decided to be his girlfriend. . . and his, all his. That means, touching, kissing and fucking on daily basis. She is a virgin. Fuck!" A volcano erupted within his lungs, not ready to molten, burning his insides in its wake.

The male couldn't endure the combust of emotions disparaging him. From the start, Taehyung considered Nina his. The untold, unfurling and unexplained emotions that he held for her was a clench for his chest, it was old, heavy and eager, it made him insane yet it sent him relief. One thing was clear, if someone dared to pluck that emotion out of him, he would unleash hell on everyone with a suave smile because Nina Wang was that emotion. Hate or addiction, he didn't know but he needed that emotion to stay sane. 

Taehyung was so coveted to corrupt Nina until she had nothing, owned everything that belonged to the girl, Including the cerise of her cheeks, her smiles, her scent, her touch, her tears, her purity— even the colour she adored, her red world.

Taehyung's fixation for her Red world was thriving, it was wonky and wrong. He should stop yet Taehyung didn't care, he never cared.

"We are bonded Red. And you are ravaging this, you are ravaging the thing inside me." Taehyung breathed out, his shady gaze faltering as he stared in the distance, nothing in particular. 

Something was sucking the soul out of his body, and he was slipping into a cold and numb zone. It was the tremendous amount of spite and abomination that soured his mood as his mind flickered to yesterday's event. Ji-hoon had posted his and Nina's picture on Instagram, where they were having fun in the karaoke bar and his arms were carelessly resting on her shoulder and they were sitting so close. 

Taehyung was this close to comment him a middle finger emoji with a bold 'fuck yourself dick if you have balls, remove your hands from her before I break your motherfucking neck' comment, then he controlled the urge.

A frenzied part of his chest snarled, he would not allow anyone to ruin whatever they shared, even if it was just hate, even if it was just an obscene temptation— it was betweenTaehyung and Nina and he wanted to keep it that way. 

"Tae, baby. Can I disturb you for a moment?" Seon, his mother called out, knocking on the door as Taehyung idly turned his attention to her, nodding at the beautiful woman with a faint smile.

As she sauntered in Seon's eyes wandering on Taehyung's black bomber jacket and there was written, douchebag by choice. 

"This boy." An amusing smile curled her pink tint lips, she knew he especially customized it. 

"Are you mad at me?" Taehyung stood up, his curious gaze flickering at the file nestling in her hands, her Rolex was glimmering. Seon's heart softened when he adorably pecked her cheekbone with his pouty lips. "You are sounding awfully formal, mom." 

"You are not spending time with me. I'm just sulking." Seon feigned a hurt look, pinching his chin fondly as Taehyung snorted out a low chuckle. "Let's go shopping with me, I'll forgive you for being a bad son." The gorgeous lady's eyes brightened and she flashed an enthusiastic grin at the boy. 

"Take Wang with you. I'm busy in basketball practice and the piano competition, plus the exams are around the corner." He waved his hand to dismiss the topic, flashing her an apologetic smile as Seon's shoulders slouched. 

"And I'm busy getting jealous over a rotten bastard who is trying to steal the red colour of mine." He mentally delivered loads of profanities at Ji-hoon, the creases shaping between his brows.

"Anyways, I have news for you." Taehyung slanted his head sideways, his delicate locks falling over his arched brows as he nodded, instructing her to continue. "I've found her Tae." His heart skipped several beats, tearing and dropping in his stomach, he couldn't believe what she uttered. 

"She. . . is alive?" Tears blurred his vision, his jaw trembled as he grabbed Seon shoulders who released a sad smile at the male desperation. 

"Yes, she is alive." Her thumb glided over his cheek to wipe the teardrops as Taehyung kissed under her palm. Seon handed him the file as he eagerly opened it, the smile vanishing like smoke.

"I'm sorry son, but she is not in a great condition." Seon sniffed, cupping his cheek, she tilted his head up to peek into his melancholic face.

"Mental asylum?" His words slipped between his wobbling lips like a thick, buzzing whisper. The fire in his stomach was so potent that his bones were searing in utmost wrath. 

His upper lips coiled into a snarl when the familiar voices and laughter swiftly slithered at him through the window, mounting his anger. The happy sound stung his ears as he walked out of the room and hastily reached his front door. 

Taehyung's eyes narrowed and he caught Ji-hoon and Nina standing at the gate of the Kim mansion. The male's eyes frantically enlarged when he watched Ji-hoon leaning at Nina to kiss her lips.

And next thing Taehyung knew, he was on top of Ji-hoon, swinging his fists on his nose.