40

This is not a drill.

I repeat, this is not a drill!

The headquarters was under the threat of an attack. What were my fucking orders? Ain't got a fuckin' clue, fam.

I went into a brain freeze and my first instinct was to get the hell out of there and run. Like a bitch. Run like my rent was due.

My stomach lurched and I almost turned, but then the bitch in me channelled episode number one of Bitchie Bitch. And I was almost pissed off by the fact that I had to run. Like, why exactly did I have to be the one to hide? This bastard was yawning in broad daylight, standing there like he hadn't done anything suspicious at all.

Why the fuck was I going to be scared?

And you know what? A few karate moves were going to get this chimpie stud in much much trouble.

That's right. I hadn't learnt online lessons on karate to run away when the actual threat arrived.

"Oh—I think I left my phone upstairs." I halted, professionally making the nearest excuse that my brain could form.

For an entire minute, this man—who was supposed to be my manager—kept on walking. Then, he turned from a mile away, squinting in the sun as if the earth had moved and he hadn't done a thing wrong. Mr Seo had already stopped to check on me before Mr Min, curious. Clearly, someone was the better manager here and it was not Mr Min.

"Your phone?" Mr Seo looked at the thing in my hand and then at my face like I was fucking stupid. I didn't doubt that.

"Yeah—the other one. I'm going to get a call on that one so..." I dragged my feet behind, trying to fade out from there. "I'll probably join you both in a minute. I'll call."

"Okay...I guess." Mr Seo smiled, still confused and then walked away, towards the bright pavement where Mr Min waited frustratedly.

Mission partially achieved.

I spun in the direction of that shameless asshole standing outside the main building gate. He didn't even look bothered when he saw me approaching him. What a troll.

"You..." I folded my arms at my chest, brain already smoking up thinking of all the times this face lied to me. "Here for Seokjin again? Lame brother, isn't he?" I hissed.

There was a self-explanatory pause. He assessed me and then caught on to the matter at hand.

Taehyung casually leaned on the side of his parked car—I don't know who gave him the audacity to fucking park there.

He was dapper today. Black jacket, baggy jeans and a hoodie to make sure he was the complete new generation package. All the youth and rash decisions were imprinted on his face.

He had a bunch of clangy keys in his hand that jingled when he fiddled with them. Weird detail but my eye immediately assessed if any of them were sharp. Almost none.

"By the looks of it, you already know I'm not here for'im." He threw the keys in the air and caught them expertly in the clutch of his fist. And I hated that he looked good when he did that.

Bastard.

"Look, Edward Cullen without the glitter," I stepped forward, puffing up my chest because I was about to be a jackass to this asshole. "I'm a nice person, okay? Be straight and tell me, why are you lying around and following me? None of that was a coincidence, was it? The maternity shop, the Danish cookies, the weird times you appear outside Neureva, the fact that you knew my address when I never gave it to you."

"Clever girl, Miss Kang." He smiled at me. "Clever but slow."

"Yeah, you don't have to rub it in my face that I trusted you for a second there." I rolled my eyes, "I shouldn't have."

"Shouldn't have, wouldn't have, all that's for the weak, Miss Kang." His tone shifted. He didn't sound so cheery and friendly anymore. I mean, that awful tinge of excitement and interest was still alive, but just the way he spoke, like he didn't care about anything else, was kind of creeping me out. "And yes I did pursue you around, but all of that is in good intent, I swear. It's not every day that you find people you're destined with."

"Let me stop you there, My Love from the Star." I snapped back because what nonsense was this? "Don't project your crap on me. If we're destined, it should have been natural. Not with you stalking my information without my consent. How did you even know where I live?"

"It wasn't that hard, really. Your colleagues are all useless people." He rolled his eyes, not even slightly affected that I wasn't enjoying a single second of this.

This man was deranged.

"Okay. This contact stops now. I'm not comfortable with this." I stepped back. "If you don't stay in your limits, I'm going to show you exactly what karate can do to you."

"The chop?" He tilted his head, examining my face. "I'm resistant to that." He shrugged.

My almost fell to the floor. How the fuck—you know what, it was no point asking how he knew. By now, it was already established that this was some stalker level stupidity.

"Your brother needs to know this." I dialled Seokjin so fast that I didn't even remember how it happened.

Taehyung just watched. Calm and collected, assessing me. He was so calm that I began thinking that Seokjin was in on this too. But when he answered the call and cried out in dismay when I told him about Taehyung, it didn't seem like that.

"See? I called him." I smirked.

"Cute."

My smirk died.

"Really." He insisted. "I love how dedicated you are to your causes, Miss Kang—"

"Listen to me, you fucker—" my fists closed and I stepped forward threateningly. "Don't try to patronise me. Don't try to act like an unbothered diva because you're not. You're a pathetic stalker who probably thinks every other girl is destined to be with him. And what's with this chill attitude? Are you that deranged? Or did Copenhagen beat the shit out of you?"

He hid his mouth and chuckled.

"You're very entertaining, Miss Kang." He smiled sleazily. "I think that's what I love about you the most, second only to your genuine affection, of course."

"What the fuck does that even mean?" I scowled. He was pissing me off! What the hell was he talking about? "Taehyung, this stops how. No more contact from me. Do you get it?"

"No contact?" He laughed as if I had said something childish. "Miss Kang, I already see the end of this. Everything in between us just...delay? Is that the right word?"

"What?!" I glowered, feeling my blood boil. "You think you can decide for me, you pasta noodle?"

"It's not me who decides, Miss Kang." He softly implored, leaning down to make sure our faces were inches away but I ducked and stepped behind. "It's fate. We're meant to be. It's all the strings of—"

"Oh fuck your excuses." I snapped. Then, with the rage of a million needles, I slammed the heel of my high-heeled shoe into the side of his car. I looked at him, sharp with challenge and disgust. He flinched. "See this?" I pressed my foot harder into the metal. "This isn't even a drop of what will happen to you if the next thing you say isn't from a stalker romance book."

I dragged my heel, making the metal sound confirming the scratch I was forming.

He blinked at the damage and then at me, "You're even better than I thought."

"And it's only going to get worse." I kicked at the door of his car, hurting the front of my toe but I sucked in the pain and stood up straight. "These heels will drag down your face next, so don't you dare consider my warning weak. Stay away. Got it?"

He smiled at me, genuinely pleased. "I can only imagine what kind of face you're going to make when I do the things in my head to you."

My smile fell.

A pause.

The air shifted. It was like something had smacked the back of my head.

What—what—what?

"You deranged son of a bi—" I leapt at the same time that I heard Seokjin's cry. My flailing arms stopped in the air. My heel almost twisted, but I saved myself.

Taehyung was about to grab me for support but I snapped my finger at his face, "Don't."

"Taehyung? Bro, are you even in your head? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Seokjin attacked immediately. He lunged at him and choked him in the crook of his arm. "We're going home. You're going home. Do you get it?"

"He's said some unforgettable things to me." I glared at Seokjin. "If he even as much as breathes near me, you both are goners, do you get it?"

"Yes—yes, Haerin." Seokjin struggled, pulling him away and stuffing him in the car. "I'll take care of this. I'm so sorry on behalf of my deranged brother."

"You better." My eyes narrowed, giving a final disgusted look at Taehyung who was casually being dragged away. He wasn't even protesting. Just smiling.

I shook my arms to shed the shiver off me and darted away from them, angrily walking back to the Neureva floor, fully aware that I wasn't going to be able to work for a fucking second now.

All because of this bastard.

I was shaking. Well of course, I had to. I had only ever heard of such creeps in documentaries and TV shows. Not in real life. And with the level of confidence this one had, I knew that this was far from over.

I didn't want to be one of those stupid people who thought filing a police complaint was a hassle and unhelpful. But when I was actually in the shit, the perspective was really something. Taehyung hadn't done anything to hurt me. Yet. So on what basis was I going to report him? Plus, he was Seokjin's brother. The mess that would follow would be explosive diarrhoea.

I sturdied myself as I pushed the glass door open and walked back inside.

I had to be smart. Scared as shit but smart. I couldn't compromise on anything. I'd use my baton on him if he did anything else I swore.

The ride up to the sixth floor was the worst. My brain was scattered all over the place.

I strolled into the pantry area for coffee and saw half of my team bent over laughing and cooing at something excitedly.

I was really not in the mood for any of that.

I shoved the empty cup under the machine and pressed for a latte. The smell of coffee was what I wanted to concentrate on. I sighed, glancing at them laughing again when it got louder.

Namjoon was being punched in the back by Hoseok and Jimin. He shoved them away, frustratedly and fell to Sohyun's side. Sohyun looked concerned for Namjoon's health after that punch session. She rubbed his back gently to soothe and the latte didn't even make it to my lips.

Did I see it correctly?

Wait. I stopped leaning and straightened. His hand was on the small of her back now. Small of her what now?

Was casual touch like this allowed? Or did I hit my head on the pavement downstairs and enter a parallel universe?

What the actual fuck?

His hand dragged—no, no, no, no—it curled at the dip of her spine, tapping it lightly, or not.

She awkwardly pushed him away. Not in the way that you think that is a violation. Her face was flushed. As if she had just enjoyed that feel-up. Enjoyed?

Namjoon looked at her, their faces inches apart for the taboo as he smiled down at her. Whoa.

I almost gasped because I almost thought they were about to—almost about to—fuck!

What the fuck was I watching?

"Miss Kang!" Mirae stood up when she saw me. "Miss Kang they're dating!" She pointed at them, her eyes wide and astonished. "I told you, didn't I? This was their pigeon thing!"

Wat?

I blinked.

No. Fuck no.

"Miss Kang!" Hoseok and Jimin cried out to call me too. "Please come over here. This is breaking news!"

I grabbed the cup of coffee on the machine, waiting for me, and walked over to the group of maddened hooligans. My eyes met Sohyun's and she blinked, then bit her lip, averting her eyes as she grinned.

"You both—" I looked at Namjoon, "In the name of juice splashing—"

"We weren't together then!" He defended, already red behind the ears.

"Then when did this happen?" My eyes narrowed.

The juice splashing incident happened almost two months ago. Right? So when exactly? Because every time I saw them, they were at each other's throats so when?

Jimin pushed his way in to get in front of me. "He says it happened earlier this month and they're very serious about this relationship. What's up with that? That sounds fake, right?"

Huh? What a fuckall reason.

"Is this a rom-com or what?" Hoseok bit back. "And Sohyun just liked you back? Why? I can't believe all this time we were innocently thinking you guys hated each other and you were kissing each other's faces!"

My jaw dropped because that was true! Because yes! To think that their mouths somehow found it in themselves to align and slant in for a sucker fish motion—damn it! It was like imagining my parents kissing. Oh god, why did I use that comparison? Now I had two things to be traumatised by.

Mirae arrived at my side and clung to my arm, trying to get pampered when I was far from a good mood.

"It happened slowly." Namjoon cursed as he tore his fingers through his hair. "And we had no intention of letting you dogs know about this but Jimin just had to nose his way into my phone."

"Damn right, I did that!" Jimin lifted a finger at him accusingly. "You thought you could just send her kissy emojis while we were assaulted with work? No bro. Not in this life."

Oh god.

"Are you sure this isn't some well-planned revenge?" Jimin's eyes narrowed. "The long game type of thing."

We turned to Namjoon's offended face. "No!" He groaned. "Why can't you just let us be?!"

"Because this is sorcery." Seulgi pointed at them, catching the attention of the table. "There is no way that two people who argue so much just madly fall in love one day. Something is off. Tell me, Sohyun. What did this bastard do to you?"

"Bastard?" Namjoon's flap opened but he was speechless already.

"Seulgi, language." I raised a hand and she stuck her tongue out guiltily. "Please do not."

"Did you start feeling strange as soon as he made you eat something?" Seulgi clutched Sohyun's arm. "This almond-head, however handsome he may be, is an ass—and you know it. Explain yourself Sohyun."

I found a chair to sit on, lapping my legs, almost craving popcorn at how things were going.

"Is ass not an acceptable word too?" Seulgi turned to me and I shook my head.

"Hey! That's offending me!" Namjoon admonished.

"I don't care." Seulgi rolled her eyes.

"He did not, Seulgi." Sohyun rubbed her shoulder, her eyes guilty and sorry for Seulgi in a way that confirmed that this woman liked Namjoon too. "We really like each other. In fact, we're thinking of talking to the families now."

"What?!" Hoseok's chair screeched when he stood up. "Families?! You're going to make babies?"

Okay, ew. I did not need that information. I'm not trying to be a bitch. I just—I don't want to imagine them fucking each other. That's it.

"That's going too far!" Sohyun snapped. "It's your fault for being too curious. But please keep this within us because we're just not comfortable with people at Neureva knowing."

"Why?" Seulgi frowned. "Won't it be better if they did?"

"I...don't want everyone to look at me differently. And Namjoon should have his own personal space too." She shrugged. "It might get overwhelming."

"Yeah..." Jimin nodded, sad for some reason.

"How did you know?" I asked and they turned to me. "How do you know when it's not just banter anymore? It could be platonic, right?"

Namjoon's lips curled as he lowered into the chair next to me. "I guess it's when you can't imagine a day without that anymore."

"Aw," Sohyun rolled her eyes. "Look at him getting all romantic. Shut up, okay? Haerin, it was so obvious."

I raised an eyebrow.

"He never found my brattiness annoying. He was always smiling and enjoying it." She scoffed. "Who enjoys someone being crazy, you know? I used to think some switch was off in his head but then he never compromised on helping me out. Laughing in an adorable kind of way when I said something bitter for a comeback."

My smile fell.

Something dark and ominous was crawling up my back.

No.

Namjoon continued, "I just found that I'd never actually get mad at her for doing exactly what others do to piss me off. I started looking forward to it, weirdly."

Sohyun chuckled. Everyone around the table listened as if this was Training.

But me. I was slipping and melting into the floor portion by portion.

"When you fight like you flirt, you know it's not just banter anymore." Sohyun shrugged and everyone nodded in deep understanding.

I gulped.

"Fight like you flirt? What's—what's that like?" My voice shook and so did the foundation I was standing on.

Sohyun thought hard for a second, then shrugged, "Like—say personal stuff?"

Hah? Am I flirting with Bo Ah then?

"Think of it this way," Hoseok intercepted. "If someone else says it, you'd file a harassment complaint, but when they do it, it turns into a childish war."

...wait.

WAIT.

Did that mean—?

Did that mean that Jungkook...? Oh my fucking god. No wait. What the—

"That's still very platonic, honestly." I dismissed. "I'm talking about that one thing that confirmed that this wasn't casual anymore."

I tried to sound like my bladder wasn't losing because of this but yeah, I had to go ahead and dig a hole for myself.

Sohyun tilted her head, "Maybe when they get serious, somehow, as soon as another man talks to you. I think that possessiveness is what breaks the glass."

What is going on here? Friends, Season 5, Episode 9, 10:06—Chandler.