you say you feel the same.

TAEHYUNG TENDED TO OVERTHINK.

it wasn't a good trait of his. then again, he didn't have a lot of traits that were considered good.

but his paranoia didn't allow him to stop assuming every head of black hair wasn't jeon jeongguk, or to stop glancing at the hearts of every person that walked by.

they did studies. for every hundred people, there was a broken one.

that meant there were eighty million in the world. about five hundred thousand in south korea. maybe fourty thousand in busan.

he told himself it didn't bother him.

it wasn't on his mind when he walked. it didn't plague his thoughts while he slept. it didn't make his heart ache, almost in guilt.

jeongguk's heart, or anyone else's, for that matter, was not their own fault.

but taehyung couldn't help himself from wondering if, maybe, this time it was.

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running into somebody isn't meant to be taken literally.

but here taehyung was, apologizing profusely to the man he ran into, picking up the scattered papers with trembling fingers as he mentally cursed himself.

clumsiness wasn't as much of a charming attribute than childhood made it out to be.

"i am so sorry," taehyung stammered out for the umpteenth time, holding out the papers he collected with his head bowed.

"it's alright. thank you."

that would have been taehyung's cue to abscond from the situation, but he stopped in his tracks when he noticed who it was.

"je-jeongguk?"

"hyung," the raven-haired said in greeting as taehyung blushed.

"oh, you don't have to call me that, i'm sure we're around the same age anyway; i feel more comfortable without the formalities," taehyung babbled, pulling at the collar of his shirt.

jeongguk nodded. "i'm sorry."

"ah, oh, you don't have to apologize - it's my fault, we haven't really talked. much."

taehyung squeaked out the last breath as the other watched him with faux curious eyes.

"are you busy this weekend?" taehyung blurted out, not fast enough to retract the words from his stupid mouth. why did he say that. why on earth did he let himself say that.

"for what?"

"pft, ah, I don't know, 'cause we haven't really talked much, and maybe hanging out or something would help me - help us get to know each other better?"

why did he allow himself to talk like this, like a school girl confessing to her oppa, christ.

"you're sweating, hyung."

"am i?" taehyung breathed out, pressing a hand to his brow to confirm that he was, indeed, sweating, and tried to calm his heart that was, in fact, glowing quite obnoxiously.

he didn't know if his actions said more about jeongguk or himself. probably the latter.

taehyung wasn't completely sure what his motivation was for asking jeongguk out.

its not like it was a date or anything like that, taehyung told himself, still sweating. there wasn't any romantic intent involved.

well, the boy was cute but it was mostly out of friendliness. politeness. he just wanted to get to know him better, that was all. that was all.

"i'm not sure," jeongguk responded finally, allowing taehyung to breathe. "i may be available on sunday, if that's alright with you."

"yeah! yeah, that's fine, i have sunday off too," taehyung said quickly. "maybe around twelve? i can give you my phone number if you'd like."

that didn't sound desperate at all. regardless, jeongguk did patiently wait as taehyung typed his number in with shaky hands (and made three typos) without comment.

and then there were two, standing in the middle of the bustling lobby of jeon industries, and never once did it occur to taehyung that he may have been keeping jeongguk from somewhere he needed to be.

"i'll try and get back to you on whether or not i can go," jeongguk apprised, holding his papers close to his chest.

taehyung nodded a bit too eagerly, bouncing on his heels. "if you're busy, it's perfectly alright, you know, you're not obligated to come-"

"i understand that, hyung."

"you do." taehyung scratched at his head. "you do," he said again, with less confidence.

"i do."

taehyung swore he saw a flicker of amusement pass through jeongguk's dark eyes, but it may have been just pity. great, taehyung thought, i make even the emotionless feel sympathetic.

"i'll see you around, hyung," jeongguk said, practically under his breath, but taehyung stopped him.

"would you like me to walk you?"

jeongguk smiled out of politeness, but the strain of it made taehyung want to look away. "no, that's alright. i work on the highest floor. it'd be a bother to you more than anything."

taehyung tilted his head. "you... on the highest floor?"

jeongguk nodded.

"what do you do?"

shifting his position, jeongguk cast his gaze downwards as if embarrassed. "i'm a secretary of sorts. to my father."

taehyung made an "o" shape with his mouth. "ah, well, that makes sense. your father must be very important."

"the company wouldn't be here without him."

"i'm sure."

silence.

picking up on it, jeongguk coughed quietly as taehyung felt his heart shake.

"he's the ceo after all," he added as a quiet afterthought.

taehyung choked.

"hyung?"

jeon jeongguk's father was the ceo. of jeon industries. jeongguk was the son of taehyung's boss.

taehyung was done for the day.

"have a good day, jeongguk!" taehyung exclaimed, smiling but dying a little bit on the inside. jeongguk raised a hand to wave goodbye but taehyung was already gone.

taehyung ran to his office with such vigor he nearly tripped, recollecting himself, heart beating loud, with namjoon calling out right after, "they stumble that run fast, romeo!" from his office next door, but taehyung, for the most part, didn't care.

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this!! is a terrible and short chapter lmao kudos if u get the reference at the end it'll all make sense lat er

tbh the next few chapters are ones im not emotionally prepared to write

sorry for the long wait too for the disappointing chapter I just wanted to move the story alONG

by e