Chapter Text
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Millie figured that spending a day at an amusement park would feel more natural and less calculated than making your first public appearance together at some glamorous award show after the dating news broke. And that’s how you both ended up at Everland today, blending into the crowd with caps pulled low as your disguises.
“Where do you wanna go first?,” Taehyung asked, tugging you a little closer so you wouldn’t get separated in the crowd.
“How about the T-Express?”
“Is that the rollercoaster one?,” Taehyung asked, pointing towards the wooden rollercoaster in the distance.
“Yeah”
“We’re starting off with a strong one?,” Taehyung looked at you in disbelief, “You don’t wanna go on a carousel or something else first?”
You raised a brow, teasingly smiling at him, “What? Are you afraid of rollercoasters?”
Taehyung scoffed, shaking his head, “No, I just didn’t expect you to go on extreme rides.”
“Well, now you know,” you said with a shrug, “But fine, we can start small. Bumper cars sound good?”
Taehyung nodded, and before long the two of you were spinning across the arena, laughing every time you managed to ram into him. After that came two more rides, each a little wilder than the last, until Taehyung finally gave in to your pleading eyes to ride the T-Express
But as soon as you reached the entrance, your excitement faltered when you saw the board stating that the wait time was more than an hour.
“You still want to get on?”
“Obviously,” you said, grabbing Taehyung’s sleeve and pulling him along as he groaned, the two of you weaving through the queue that wound around the railings like a never ending snake, “We can wait.”
“You owe me snacks afterwards,” Taehyung muttered.
You rolled your eyes, a smirk tugging your lips “Fine, deal.”
When the two of you finally reached the end of the line, you pulled out your phone, scrolling through a few apps before settling on a game to kill time. You were so absorbed into the game that you didn’t even notice Taehyung inching closer, peering over your shoulder out of curiosity.
“What’s that?,” Taehyung asked, voice low beside your ear.
“Tetris,” you answered, fingers tapping rapidly as you tried to fit another piece into place — completely oblivious to the fact that Taehyung had rested his chin lightly against your shoulder.
Taehyung stayed there for a while, quietly watching as you played round after round, humming occasionally whenever you made a bad move. Eventually, he let out an exaggerated sigh, “Are you just gonna keep playing the whole time?”
You locked your phone and slipped it into your pocket, turning your head slightly—only to find Taehyung’s face much closer than expected. Still, you kept your cool. “Well, what do you suggest we do then?”
“I don’t know,” Taehyung said casually, eyes gleaming with mischief, “We could make out.”
You immediately jabbed your elbow into his stomach, earning a muffled groan, “What makes you think that’s a good idea?”
Taehyung laughed through the fake pain, straightening up as he placed a hand on your shoulder, “Hey, I’m just saying—look at them.”
You followed Taehyung’s gaze, and sure enough, there was a couple practically glued to each other, kissing like there’s no tomorrow.
You scrunched your nose in disgust and turned back to Taehyung, “Yeah, no, thanks.”
“Alright, alright,” Taehyung said, chuckling as he raised his hands in surrender before tilting his head playfully, “Then, how about something tamer?”
You eyed him suspiciously, “Like what?”
Taehyung leaned closer, voice dipping low enough for only you to catch it, “A back hug. Simple. Harmless. Sweet.”
You scoffed, “And totally cringe.”
“Cringely cute,” Taehyung countered.
Before you could get another word out, Taehyung had already turned you around, his movements smooth and sure as he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind. He pulled you in until your back was pressed against his chest, his quiet laugh rumbling through you.
“See?,” Taehyung murmured, his chin resting gently on the crown of your head, “Not so bad, is it?”
“I guess,” you muttered, trying to ignore the flutter in your chest, “but this feels weird,” you added under your breath.
“Hm? What was that?,” Taehyung asked, dipping his head beside yours to hear you better.
You turned your head to whisper into his ear, “I said, this feels weird.”
“Weird?” Taehyung blinked, brows knitting in confusion as he began to loosen his hold but you quickly caught one of his hands, squeezing it before he could step back.
“What I meant,” you said, glancing up at him, “is that it feels weird doing this out in the open, you know?”
“Ah, don’t overthink it,” Taehyung assured you, tightening his hold just a little, “I’m pretty sure we look natural.”
You could only smile, letting yourself relax into Taehyung as he gently rocked you both from side to side. Soon enough, one of the staff members waved for your turn and you climbed on the wagon together.
To your surprise, Taehyung seemed to enjoy the ride even more than you did, his laughter overpowering the screams of the other passengers as the wind brushed harshly past. You couldn’t help but laugh, the joy on his face contagious, especially when he grabbed your hand, urging you to raise your arms high in the air.
When the ride finally came to a stop, Taehyung was still grinning ear to ear, his eyes shining with excitement. He laughed at how unruly your hair had gotten, yet he gently ran his hands through it to fix it for you before you slipped your cap back on and headed towards the exit.
“Let’s go,” Taehyung said, lacing his fingers through yours after a quick glance at his phone, “The sea lion show starts in 15 minutes.”
Taehyung gave your hand a playful swing as you walked towards Zoo Topia, still high from the adrenaline from the ride. He bumped his shoulder against yours when he spotted a snack stand stationed right by the show’s entrance.
“So, what are you getting?,” you asked, eyes scanning the menu board.
“I’m kidding,” Taehyung said with a grin, “I’m buying.”
“I thought you said I’m buying.”
“Uh, hello,” Taehyung said, showing you the corporate card he’d pulled from his wallet, “We could literally buy all of the snacks if we wanted.”
You scoffed, “And here I was, thinking you were actually being a gentleman.”
“I am a gentleman,” Taehyung insisted, “I’ll stand in line for the snacks and you can head in and grab us the best seats.”
“Yeah, yeah,” you said, smiling as you rolled your eyes, “Just make sure you get those Oreo Churros for me.”
Taehyung shot you a salute, “Got it.”
You headed into the venue and made your way up the stairs, picking seats towards the back that still gave you a centered view. After settling in, you checked your phone and saw a message from your mom, asking whether Taehyung would be joining you at your sister’s rehearsal dinner.
You let out a sigh, the stress creeping in as you were reminded once again that your family believes you and Taehyung are actually together. Before you could dwell on it, you noticed Taehyung scanning the room for you. You raised your hand to wave and when he spotted you, a bright smile spread across his face.
“Here you go,” Taehyung said, handing you your Oreo Churros.
You took a bite of your churros then eyed at the yellow swirl on the cone Taehyung was holding, “Is that mango?”
“Banana,” Taehyung corrected you before taking a slow lick of the ice cream.
“Banana? What does that even taste like?,” you asked, genuinely curious.
“You wanna try?,” Taehyung offered, raising the cone slightly.
“Can I?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
You leaned in, holding Taehyung’s wrist as you took a small taste, “Mmm, It tastes—“
Before you could finish your sentence, Taehyung reached out, swiping a bit of the ice cream from the corner of your lips with his thumb and then, without hesitation, he brought his thumb to his mouth and licked it clean.
“Sweet, right?”
You blinked, your eyes darting elsewhere as you decided to focus on munching your churros, silently thanking the gods that Taehyung, who’s busily eating his cream before it melted, was oblivious to your internal panic.
“So,” you said, clearing your throat, “My mom’s been asking if you’re coming to my sister’s rehearsal dinner?”
“When is it?”
“On the sixth”
“Let me see,” Taehyung said, unlocking his phone and scrolling through his calendar to check his schedule. A moment later, he frowned, “Ah… I’m sorry. Tell your mom I won’t be able to make it.”
“Why not?,” you asked, surprised at the twinge of disappointment in your own voice.
“I’ll be in Paris.”
“For what?”
“Fashion Week,” Taehyung replied casually, brushing his hands together once he finished the last of his ice cream.
You nodded, taking a mental note to update your mom later but then a thought hit you. Remembering that Taehyung was going to Paris, you turned to him in excitement.
“If you can, could you bring me one of those pistachio croissants?,” you asked eagerly.
Taehyung stared at you, eyes widening before an amused smile tugged at his lips, “From where?”
“I can’t remember the name of the bakery but it’s all over my Tiktok.”
Taehyung chuckled, shaking his head, “Am I supposed to check every bakery in Paris, then?”
“I’ll send you the video once I find it,” you promised.
Before Taehyung could tease you further, upbeat music suddenly filled the air, signaling the start of the sea lion show. You both turned towards the stage as a trainer appeared with two waddling sea lions, each balancing a beach ball on its nose. You watched as they dove into the pool, danced, clapped their flippers, and gave kisses to a lucky kid chosen from the crowd.
As the show ended, Taehyung gently took your hand as you both made your way down the stairs and out of the venue.
“Where do you wanna go next?”
You hummed thoughtfully, “Honestly, I’m just thinking about the fireworks show later.”
Taehyung’s eyes, however, were scanning the crowd. He noticed a few people lingering nearby earlier but now, they seem to have doubled. You, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice a thing.
“Hey,” Taehyung said, tugging you closer, “Do you want to look inside the gift shop?”
“Sure, why not,” you replied, letting Taehyung lead the way.
Inside, your eyes lit up at the display of cute stuffed animals. “Oh, this one’s adorable,” you said, picking up the panda plush keychain, “Should we get it?”
“Yeah,” Taehyung replied absently, not even glancing your way, his attention fixed somewhere behind you.
“You did not even look,” you pointed out.
Taehyung finally glanced down, gave the plush a quick squeeze and said, “It is cute,” before getting it from your hand and intertwining his fingers with yours, tugging you both towards the counter in a haste.
“Is there something wrong?,” you asked.
“What?,” Taehyung muttered, already fishing for his wallet.
“You seem… distracted.”
Taehyung let out a quiet sigh, leaning down as he whispered in your ear, “I think people have figured out we’re here.”
“Really?,” you asked, glancing around the shop. One girl was pretending to browse through the racks, flipping hangers aimlessly but her eyes were fixed on you not until she realized you’d caught her staring.
“Yeah,” Taehyung said, grabbing the plastic bag and pulling you out of the shop in a hurry, “They’ve been following us for a while now.”
You glanced over your shoulder and sure enough, a few people had followed, “So that’s why you brought us into the gift shop?”
Taehyung nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket to apparently call someone—you later found out it was his manager.
As you walked, you couldn’t help but notice a few people whispering and pointing in your direction, some were even snapping photos of you two. You instinctively lowered your head, trying to hide your face.
Taehyung seemed to notice it too as he gave your hand a reassuring squeeze and guided you toward the Sky Way ride—a sky lift that crossed to the other side of the park. Thankfully, there wasn’t a line so you both managed to get on right away.
“It looks like we’ll have to cut the trip short,” Taehyung informed you once the crew secured the safety bar on the sky lift, “Our managers are meeting us at the end of the ride.”
“So, no fireworks then?,” you frowned.
“Sorry.”
“Eh, I guess It can’t be helped,” you sighed, disappointment clear in your tone as you had been looking forward to the fireworks show at the end of the night, “I still don’t know what made Millie think this was a good idea in the first place.”
“Don’t w-,” Taehyung didn’t get to finish his sentence; his eyes slammed shut as he gripped the safety handle tightly, flinching when the lift swayed slightly while passing under the post.
You blinked at him, a teasing smile tugging at your lips, “Wait… Are you scared of heights?”
Taehyung exhaled, cracking one eye open, his knuckles still white around the handle, “Don’t make fun of me right now.”
You laughed softly, leaning back in your seat as the lift rose higher, “But you seemed perfectly fine on the rollercoaster earlier.”
“It’s different when I actually have to look down from this high up,” Taehyung replied.
“Then why did you bring us here if you’re so scared?”
“You’ve seen how they’re following us,” Taehyung said, his tone defensive but calm, “This was the only place I could think of where we’d actually get a little peace and quiet… even if it meant hanging midair for it.”
You tried to stifle a laugh, especially when the lift dipped slightly as it passed under another post, making Taehyung flinch again.
“Here,” you said, feeling a bit bad as you reached over and laced your fingers with his, “You can hold my hand if it helps.”
Taehyung looked at you, eyes warm despite the lingering fear, “Thanks.”
Soon after, you reached the other side of the park, much to Taehyung’s delight, and the two of you were quickly escorted by your managers away from the growing crowd and towards the parking area.
Taehyung’s manager was supposed to drive the two of you home but Taehyung insisted on driving himself, leaving your managers to follow in a convoy.
The moment you slid into the passenger seat, exhaustion hit you like a wave. Your eyelids grew heavier with every blink and though you tried to stay awake, your words began to slur mid-conversation, making Taehyung chuckle with the way you‘re trying your best to keep him company.
“Just sleep,” Taehyung said gently, glancing at you for a brief second before returning his focus to the road, “I’ve got it.”
That was all the permission you needed because within minutes, you were out. You turned to your side, breathing soft and even, completely oblivious to the world around you.
When you finally stirred, blinking yourself awake, the first thing you saw wasn’t the road or the faint city lights outside—It was Taehyung. But the moment your eyes met his, you realized he’d been watching you, a faint smile playing on his lips before he looked away.
You shifted slightly, your voice still hoarse with sleep, “Were you watching me?”
“I was just making sure you weren’t drooling on my seat,” Taehyung teased, the corner of his mouth curving up.
Consciously, you wiped the corner of your mouth despite knowing it was completely dry, “I’m not drooling,” you protested, reaching out to playfully swat him.
Taehyung laughed, dodging your attempts until he caught your wrist midair, his fingers curling around it, “Hey, don’t wipe it off on me.”
You tried to pull your hand back but Taehyung didn’t let go right away. His grip wasn’t tight, it’s just firm enough to make you aware of the warmth of his skin against yours.
The laughter between you both slowly faded into a quiet tension, the kind that made your heart skip a beat, especially when Taehyung rested your hand m on his lap, his thumb brushing lightly against your palm.
When the car stopped at a red light, Taehyung released your hand to stretch and let out a yawn, and for a brief moment, you found yourself missing the warmth of his touch but just as you began to pull your hand back, he caught it again, fingers threading through yours as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Tired?,” you asked softly, your eyes drifting from your intertwined hands to his face.
“Mhm,” Taehyung hummed in response, leaning his head back against the headrest with his eyes closed.
“You should’ve just let your manager drive.”
Taehyung cracked one eye open, a lazy smile tugging at his lips, “And what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t drive my girl home myself, hm?,” Taehyung said, bringing your hand to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss against the back of it.
“Very committed to the role, I see,” you managed to say, trying to sound teasing even as your voice wavered slightly.
Taehyung let out a low chuckle, eyes flicking toward you briefly before turning back to the road, “Method acting, you know?”
You huffed a laugh, shaking your head as you looked out the window, hoping the passing streetlights would hide your flushed cheeks. Still, Taehyung’s hand wrapped around yours, only letting go when he turned off the ignition after parking in the basement.
“You’re coming up?,” you asked, pushing the door open and stepping out.
“Yeah,” Taehyung said, unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing out after you, “I’ll walk you to your door.”
“Where’d they go?,” you asked, referring to your managers as you glanced around the dimly lit parking area.
“They said they had to head back to the office,” Taehyung replied, shutting his door and rounding the car to your side.
You nodded, falling into step beside him as the two of you made your way towards the elevator. Once inside, you pressed the button for your floor.
“Before I could forget,” Taehyung said, rummaging through the plastic bag in his hand. He pulled out the panda plush keychain and held it out to you, “Here.”
“Thanks,” you said, glancing down at the plush before attaching it to your bag.
Taehyung pulled out the matching one he kept for himself and held it up, “I’m putting mine on my carry-on.”
“For when you go to Paris?”
“Yup,” Taehyung said with a nod, “Gotta make sure the cameras catch it at the airport and let everyone analyze our matching keychains.”
You shook your head, letting out a soft laugh, “You’re enjoying this too much.”
“Of course,” Taehyung said, flashing a grin, “Gotta let everyone see how cute we are, no?”
You rolled your eyes, huffing a laugh as the elevator doors opened to your floor. To your surprise, Taehyung reached for your hand and gently tugged you out beside.
“So, this is me,” you said once you reached your front door, turning to face Taehyung with a small smile, “I had fun today.”
“Me too,” Taehyung murmured, his gaze dropping to your joined hands, which he was absentmindedly swaying between you.
For a moment, neither of you moved. You just stood there, watching Taehyung shift his weight from one foot to the other until he finally looked up, his eyes crinkling as your smiles mirrored each other’s.
“What?,” Taehyung chuckled, his tone light but a little bashful.
You smiled, shaking your head, “Why are you still standing there?”
“You haven’t gone inside yet”
“Chivalry’s not dead, huh?,” you teased, letting go of Taehyung’s hand as you unlocked the door and stepped inside to flick on the lights. When you turned back, Taehyung was leaning casually against the doorway, his hand resting on the doorframe, keeping it open.
“I’m inside now,” you stated the obvious.
“And?,” Taehyung said, cocking his head to the side.
“And you should go,” you said, jabbing a finger at his chest.
“I should,” Taehyung murmured, though he didn’t move an inch.
You could’ve closed the door. Taehyung could’ve walked away. That should’ve been the end of it but neither of you seemed ready to let go of the moment. The air between you felt thick — charged with something unspoken.
You opened your mouth, meaning to ask him if he’d like to come inside just to break the tension but the words never made it out — not when his gaze flickered from your eyes to your lips and suddenly every thought scattered.
Before you could process it, Taehyung stepped closer as he leaned in. Your heartbeat went wild, eyes fluttering shut as you anticipated the feeling of his lips against yours, only to feel his lips brush your cheek instead.
Your eyes flew open, finding Taehyung smiling, utterly pleased with himself as heat rushed up to your face from embarrassment.
“There are no cameras around,” you muttered, pushing Taehyung’s shoulder which only made his grin widen.
“There is,” Taehyung said, pointing to the CCTV in the corner, “Who knows, maybe they’ll leak this.”
“Go home,” you said, rolling your eyes as you pushed Taehyung again and this time, he actually budged.
“I’ll see you in a week, yeah?,” Taehyung called out as he backed towards the elevator, pressing the button.
“Don’t forget my pistachio croissant,” you reminded him.
“I won’t,” Taehyung said, sending you a wink before he disappeared inside the elevator.
You shut the door, leaning your back against it, hands flying up to cover your face as a muffled squeal escaped you. You could still recall the way Taehyung had caught you in that mix of disappointment and embarrassment—still feel the ghost of his lips on your cheek.
Your hand drifted to your cheek then to your chest, feeling the quick uneven beat beneath your palm — something that’s been happening quite often lately — and you just knew that you’re undeniably in deep, deep trouble.
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