Sometimes Sweetly, Sometimes Achingly

Chapter 4

“There’s nothing to tell,” Taeyong insisted. “He just offered to drive me because we have similar hours and I don’t have a car. He’s just being nice.”

Sooyeon snorted. “Please. I’ve seen Johnny and Sicheng begging for rides to no avail. Jaehyunnie isn’t that nice.”

“We’re just friends!”

Taeyeon, Yoona, Sooyeon, and Soojung all exchanged unconvinced smirks.

“Wait,” Yoona suddenly held her hand up. “I actually have a question. The other day I overheard Yunho-oppa yelling something about a lampshade and Jaehyun to Taeyong. What was that all about?”

Soojung’s jaw dropped. “He told you about the lampshade?”

Perplexed, Taeyong nodded.

“That story was never to leave the Jung siblings,” Sooyeon groaned. “Damn, he must really like you.”

“He doesn’t like me!”

The women all shook their heads again. “Okay, Taeyongie. Whatever you say,” Soojung grinned like a cat.

“I’d say this intervention was moderately successful,” Yoona commented.

“All the better knowing Yunho’s paid us to do this,” Taeyeon agreed.

Taeyong tilted his head in confusion. First he’d been kidnapped, and now it turned out that Yunho was the prime aggressor? “Yunho-hyung paid you to drag me here and interrogate me?”

“Obviously,” Sooyeon winked again. “Why else would we?”

Sometimes, Taeyong was glad he was gay. Women were scary.

November 18th

“So have you gotten high with your brothers yet?”

“Please shut up.”

November 19th

“This may sound mean,” Jaehyun commented between sips of his tea (that Taeyong had given him when he got in the car). “But it’s not actually that bad hanging out with you, Taeyong-hyung. Once you stopped getting embarrassed all the time, that is.”

Taeyong quelled every nerve in his body that told him to throw his iced coffee at Jaehyun’s dumb (handsome) face. “Well you weren’t very much fun to talk to at first, either,” he retorted.

“Aww, you’re sassy, too?”

“I’m literally two years older than you. Start respecting me.”

“Yunho-hyung’s eleven years older than me and I’ve never respected him.”

“Yeah, well you’re one to talk,” Taeyong rolled his eyes. “You’re also surprisingly fun to hang out with. I get a personal chauffeur, even though you’re still so hot and cold all the time.”

That, Taeyong belatedly realized, was the wrong thing to say. Jaehyun switched off immediately, and the rest of the ride was spent in silence.

November 23rd

“So,” Ten sang, pausing as he poured his coffee. “I saw you take the bus today. Where’s your little driver?”

Taeyong blushed. “He flew back to America to spend some holiday with his high school friends. Something about how the plane tickets were worth it for a turkey dinner. He said he’s coming back on the thirtieth, though.”

“How cute, you know his whole schedule” Ten teased. As he dumped packet after packet of sugar into his coffee, he casually asked, “Will Jaehyun be around for Christmas?”