CHAPTER 23

                                    

                                          
THIRD PERSON POV 
                          
A week later, Jungkook had been called to his parents house again, rather urgently this time. He had been a little worried if he were to be honest. What could be so urgent for them to ask him to come so quickly? 
                          
This time, he hadn't bothered asking for a short leave and only asked Seokjin to cover up for him for the day, saying he would make sure to be back by the next day, no matter what. Albeit a little apprehensive, Seokjin had nevertheless agreed to his request. 
                          
Jungkook knew that they both could get into trouble for this, especially him, since he had been absent from practices under the pretext of going to his hometown way too often, which was also why he hadn't bothered asking for permission. He knew they wouldn't grant it to him again. 
                          
Over the past week, everything seemed to have been normal. He hadn't received any message from his father about the proposal again and he was speaking to Taehyung casually once more. However, that didn't settle it. The 20 year old boy had a feeling that he had been called by his parents to have a discussion regarding the said issue again, though he hoped he was wrong. 
                          
As for Taehyung, they indeed were talking to each other, but only when they had to. Their conversations had been mostly related to their work as idols, not a word being spoken again about the incident in the practice room and both of them still maintained a subtle distance from each other. 
                          
They thought it was subtle but it was so blatant to everyone who was used to see them being inseparable. Everyone could notice how they would sit at different ends in the car when before, they would make everyone move until they got seats next to each other. Everyone could see how they would stand far from each other when before, they would instinctively get closer to each other. Everyone could see how they had stopped getting into mindless conversations. But no one was able to ask them about it since they would divert the topic or assure that they were alright if questioned about it. 
                          
Jungkook wasn't fond of keeping his distance from Taehyung but since the older seemed to still be uncomfortable about it, he had respected his feelings and complied wordlessly. Actually, they hadn't had a talk about whether they should keep away from each other or act like nothing had happened, but having noticed the way Taehyung would avoid his eyes or stand away from him, Jungkook hadn't needed any more proofs to believe that the older didn't want to have any unnecessary contact with him. 
                          
If he were to be honest with himself, Jungkook hadn't minded that kiss one bit and wouldn't have had any problems with acting like it had never happened. But it seemed like Taehyung couldn't do that, and the younger was rather scared to tell him his real thoughts about it, afraid that Taehyung might think he's strange for not minding it. 
                          
Taehyung who, on the other side, thought that Jungkook might be uncomfortable with being around him after that incident, had decided that even if it would hurt him to stay away from the younger, he would still do it to avoid any more awkwardness. For a whole week, Jimin had been trying to convince him that it was all in his head but Taehyung being Taehyung hadn't paid any attention to him. 
                          
The usual scenery flashed by as Jungkook drove down the same road to Busan. It had almost become a routine now, and he felt like he could drive there with his eyes closed, considering the amount of times he's been driving down that same road in the past month. 
                          
He was alone in his car this time; Haesoo hadn't returned from Busan since last week. The stylists weren't very much needed to be honest, as the next comeback wasn't scheduled until at least 5 months later, so she allowed herself a short leave. Even though they hadn't been seeing each other, the two had been texting the whole week to talk. They definitely were really comfortable with each other.