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Taehyung

"Jimin ah... I confessed to Amanda last week." I said, absent-mindedly swirling around the tea in my cup while we were seated at the small café outside the university campus.

"Wow. And what did she say?" He was eager and curious to know.

I had hinted to him many times that I was starting to develop feelings for her, and, after the reunion incident, I confided in him that I was sure about my feelings.

"I did it by mistake....and my timing was horrible. I confessed while we were having sex. I guess it didn't go down well with her. She hasn't been talking well with me since then even though I apologized to her that it was a mistake. It's getting really hard for me..." I exhaled deeply and leaned back in my seat, letting my head fall back.

"Taehyung, listen to me." Jimin tapped my hand, and I sat up in my seat. "Moving on from friends with benefits to lovers doesn't happen just like that overnight. You must have been feeling these things within for a long time and probably realized it only when someone else came in like a threat to your relationship. Right?" He tilted his head to the side, and I nodded in agreement.

"But have you confessed to her genuinely? Like from the bottom of your heart? First, you told her that you're marking her yours. Second, you confessed during sex, and what are you going to do next? Hm?" Jimin spoke his mind clearly, but I couldn't come up with any logical answers.

He was right; I had never once openly spoken to her about my feelings.

"And you keep telling her that you've made a mistake every time. So what do you expect her to assume at this point? See, it's like you're trying to grab a wet fish. The more tightly you squeeze it, the likelier it is to slip out of your grasp. The trick is to be more strategic and less frantic. You should also consider letting the fish go. If it isn't yours anyway, it will slip away. Do you understand what I'm saying?" He shook me by my arm, and I ran my fingers through my hair, shaken up by his analogy.

"But I want her to be mine. I can't even imagine myself with anyone other than her or anyone else in my place with her." I shook my head which had now begun throbbing with a dull headache.

"So, tell her then. It's worth the risk, isn't it? There is a high chance that she might be confused by your actions, and what if she is hesitating to confess because of that? You first make your intentions clear and then see what she has to say." Jimin gulped down his coffee and tossed the empty cups into the bin.

Amanda

"Sooya, I'm so confused right now. How do I face Taehyung? I mean, I really can't look at him as just a friend, and it isn't meaningless sex anymore. Every time my stomach twists, and it is like I want to really show him my love rather than just exploring stuff or reaching climax like how it used to be in the beginning." I whined and complained to Sooya over the phone.

"So why don't you guys sit down and talk about it? And honestly, I think he might have fallen for you. Why else do you think he followed you to our reunion?" Sooya questioned me, and my eyebrows knitted in confusion.

I sat up on my bed, surprised.
"Followed me? He told me he was there, and I thought it was just a coincidence."

Sooya let out an amused chuckle.
"Did he tell you so? That's a lie. He has told Jimin about everything that happened that day. He followed you in disguise. It was never a coincidence." She disclosed, and my heart began pounding hard.

"In disguise? Oh my God." I smacked my forehead, thinking how foolish and dumb I was to compare his protective self with Namjoon who actually drugged me and tried to mess around.

"And do you know why he had been clinging around with you all the time while at college?" Sooya asked calmly.

I shrugged. "Because of Joon?"

She hummed softly.
"Yeah, and because of what he did. He has tried to take pictures of you when you weren't looking, and Taehyung had seen that. So he decided that hanging out with you all the time wouldn't give Namjoon a chance to take pictures of you. I'm almost certain that Taehyung has strong feelings for you, Mandy."

My heart was pounding like crazy, and I was internally laughing and hooting in joy.

'No wonder the tension between us has been so high these days. Even when we had arguments and misunderstandings earlier, I was able to sort it all out calmly. But now, I feel like I'm walking on glass. I feel that one wrong word or one wrong move might ruin it for us—whatever it is that is blossoming. I feel the need to keep him by my side and be by his side for a long time.'

"Sooya, Should I talk to him? I mean, I know I should. But I'm afraid it would go wrong..." I poured my heart out to her.

"Don't force it. Let the conversation happen organically, but I am almost sure that this will work out between the two of you." Sooya chuckled excitedly.

I felt my cheeks heating up, and my skin tingling with excitement. The very thought of taking it to the next level with Taehyung made my stomach do flips.

I ended the call with her and laid back down in bed, smiling and blushing hard to myself, thinking about all little moves that Taehyung made all these days without even probably realizing his own feelings—right from the moment Namjoon came to college and Taehyung tried to break his hand with a furious handshake, and that time when he planted a lingering gentle kiss on my forehead while we were at Jungkook's apartment and I was half asleep leaning on his shoulder, and how he had been holding my hand and intertwining his fingers with mine so often these days and never let go until absolutely necessary—something we had never done before, yet it felt so warm and natural.

I felt like I needed to see him and be with him right away, but I wasn't with him. I was at home, and my mother would be back from work any minute now.

'Should I text him? God! Where are those days when we were just literally stuck in bed with each other? Today I want to see him so bad, but I can't, and it's killing me.'

I typed and erased a few texts before giving up. I would meet him at college tomorrow, and even better, it being a Friday, we would go home to his place after college. My heart flipped in place, and I felt super excited, and just then the sound of the tinny door bell screeched through the silence in the house.

Showing a lot of unusual enthusiasm in welcoming my mom with a hug, I kept walking about with a stupid silly smile plastered on my face—the smile that didn't seem like it wanted to fade off.

After a long while,
"Amanda!" My mom yelled, and my gaze fell on her angry and confused figure standing right next to the couch where I was lying, with her hands planted on her hips.

"What's it, mom?" I sat up and straightened out my clothes.

"I've been calling you for dinner for ten minutes now. Were you sleeping with your eyes open?" She tilted her head to the side and studied me carefully with her sharp eyes.

"Oh... I think yeah. I mean.. no. Let's eat lunch. No, sorry, let's eat dinner. Come on, mom!" I didn't know why I was blabbering, and mom shook her head before muttering a small prayer to herself and following me to the dining table.

"Amanda, I won't be home this weekend." Mom said, and the gears in my brain began creaking into place. "I'm leaving tomorrow morning to meet aunt Angela and her sons. Mike is graduating from high school next week, and I can't attend the graduation, so I thought of visiting them ahead. Do you want to come along?" She asked casually as she ate her meal.

"Weekend alone" was all that entered my ears, and I began dreaming again with my eyes open. So I could spend time with Taehyung over the weekend without having to stay at home, two whole days with him. I began smiling to myself once again.

"Is something wrong with you?" Mom's voice interrupted me.

"No mom. Everything's perfect now." I smiled proudly, and she gave me a disgusted look.

"Didn't I ask you if you want to go along with me?" She leaned forward on the table with a stern look on her face.

"No mom. I don't want to go..." I replied confidently even though I had no idea where she was going.

Mom shook her head and cleared the dishes while I skipped away to my bedroom and locked the door behind me. I took off all my clothes and slipped into Taehyung's T-shirt that I brought home earlier and cuddled myself to sleep.

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Taehyung

May 14, 2021

"Hey, gorgeous, we need to wake up, baby," I whispered to my wife who was curled up to my chest and sleeping peacefully, breathing calmly with her lips slightly parted. The sharp and harsh morning rays of sunlight on the rooftop didn't seem to bother her.

She was taking the day off today to pick Jungkook up from the airport, and, although I wanted to go with her, I had to conduct an emergency laprascopic surgery on a 1-year-old to treat his chronic pyloric stenosis. I stroked her bare shoulders and tried to wake her up by removing the comforter covering us, and it worked—she frowned and stretched, finally waking up.

I watched with a smile as my wife slowly struggled to open her eyes and stretched her limbs.

"Sorry, baby. I'm late." She mumbled sleepily and sat up while I handed her the hoodie we discarded last night.

"That's okay, ramen. I still have a lot of time." I kissed her temple.

She then wore the hoodie and headed straight down to the kitchen while I packed up our bedding from the rooftop, showered and got dressed for work.

"What's the surgery today?" She asked me as I took a bite of my sandwich.

"Laparascopic rectification of chronic pyloric stenosis on a 1-year-old baby boy. The child had been experiencing symptoms for 6 months and somehow the parents have not paid much attention to it." I explained to her, and she nodded.

"So how did they decide to get it checked?" My wife was curious.

"There was weight loss, more frequent projectile vomiting after each meal and dehydration, too, when they first brought him in 2 days ago." I informed her as I emptied my glass of milk and moved the dishes to the sink.

"Good luck with the surgery, Dr. Kim," she patted my butt and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Thank you, baby." I kissed her; my hand stroking the smooth skin of her thigh that rested on her knee over the bar stool at the island.

We had to part quickly since Dr. Moon had arrived to pick me up, and he kept honking the horn at the front gates.

Once at the hospital, I changed into my scrubs and surgical garments after sanitizing my hands and feet, heading straight to the O.R. thereafter. The surgery lasted about three hours, and it was a success.

As I headed back to my locker, I checked my phone and saw the texts from my wife that she would be picking Jungkook up on her own since Jimin and Sooya couldn't join her. I replied to her texts telling her to call me when they got back home safe, and I was pretty sure that she wouldn't even know that there were some incoming texts on her phone. Amanda checked her phone only when she wanted to and never when anyone else on the planet wanted to communicate with her.

I wore my coat and proceeded along with Dr. Sehun to check up on the previously operated kids. The three-year-old girl baby that always wanted to cuddle with me was due for discharge today. After spending some time with her and bidding her goodbye among her tears, I headed to check up on little JiHye who had now been shifted to the recovery ward. She was sleeping peacefully, and her mother was finally happy and relieved.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Kim. You have literally given our lives back in our hands." She held my hands and thanked me with tears in her eyes. I nestled her smaller hands inside mine, smiling back at her.

"JiHye's eomma, your child is a fighter. She has survived a major surgery at this tender age, and she's recovering really well. Take great care of her. I only did what I could." I squeezed her hands lightly before releasing my hold on them.

After a brief conversation with her, I headed out to the Neonatal ICU to check on the newborn preemie, and she was doing great as well. Completely satisfied with everything, I went to my consulting room and stretched myself out on my swivel chair, letting my strained muscles relax a bit.

There were five quick knocks at the front door that startled me since my wife wasn't working today. Before I could ask them to enter, the door swung open and in came Namjoon—the filthiest person I have ever met in my life.

He closed the door behind him, and I fixed my steady gaze on him as he took long strides towards my table. My heart was thumping wildly and my fingers grew colder with each step he took.

"Were you expecting someone else, Dr. Kim? You don't seem so pleased seeing me." Namjoon adjusted his necktie. "Ahhh... you were getting ready for some cockwarming, I guess?" He plopped down on the chair. "Too bad, I'm not Amanda, and I'm not into men." He laughed and leaned back in his seat, making himself comfortable.

I cocked my head and quirked a brow at him, folding my arms under my chest. "Why are you here?"

His hooded eyes shot up to meet mine.
"I can be anywhere, anytime within this hospital. It's mine from today." Namjoon let out a long breath and a deep chuckle that made me want to rip his skin off.

"But anyway, I'm here to get this thing signed by you." He tossed a bunch of papers across the table and leaned back, crossing his folded arms behind his head.

I picked up the papers, wore my reading glasses and studied them carefully.

Namjoon clicked his tongue in frustration. "I told you to just sign that crap and not to read it." He hissed angrily.

I nodded slowly in agreement.
"You're right for once. This is crap. I'm not signing this." I scowled and threw the papers back at him, causing a few to land on his face and a few others flew to the floor.

Infuriated by my action, Namjoon got up slamming his palms on the table top.
"Fuck you, Taehyung. You're disrespecting me, and you know how bad this can get." He spat out, and I got up from my seat, too.

Burying my hands in the pockets of my trousers, I walked around the table to where he stood.

"Dr. Kim Namjoon, I do not approve of this hospital entering into a contract with the orphanage and getting a forced health check-up done for all the kids. I know your motive behind this move, and I will never join hands with you in pulling innocent kids to the operating table to get their organs removed. If you make this move, I'll make sure to get you behind bars for the rest of your life." I spoke sternly and steadily, not moving my eyes from his eyes.

He let out a sarcastic chuckle.
"Who do you think cares about those abandoned kids? The orphanage is not a huge one to even be noticed and reported by anyone. So you fucking put your signature on this and hand it to me now!" He slammed a hand on my shoulder.

I took the papers from his other hand and, holding them up at his eyes level, I tore them into shreds and tossed them in the air.

"Get out!" I hissed.

Namjoon's hand slipped to my throat, and he gripped his large hand around my neck. He leaned in with his head tilted, jaw clenched, rage burning in his eyes.

"Taehyung..." he hissed through gritted teeth. "Do you know how many billion wons are involved in this deal? And you dared to destroy the documents?" His grip tightened, and I felt my vision blurring and breathing getting shallower as I frantically fought with his hands.

"You will pay for this." He clenched his jaw tight and let go of my neck forcefully, making me stumble back.

I coughed vigorously to regain the air in my lungs while Namjoon stormed out of my room. Undoing my collar button, I chugged down a small bottle of water to return to a state of normalcy. I would never let him go scot-free with such a dirty deal, and I already made up my mind to report him to the police after the ceremony tomorrow because otherwise the hospital would be reprimanded, and it would adversely affect tomorrow's events.

All the chapters in AVARICE are slightly longer.

Who's excited about Jungkook's arrival?

Published on : 10/13/2021