[TXT situational Q&A] by Aga-bbang

[Taehyun short fragment] Swimming club male friend

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"Let's date!!"



"...No"



The conversation took only 5 seconds—no, not even 3.
That's always how it is with the two of them.



"Tsk... today too?"



"Aren't you ever embarrassed, every single time?"



"But still...! You could always say yes someday.."



If someone asked Taehyun whether he liked Yeoju, Taehyun would say without a moment's hesitation that he liked Yeoju.
But then why did he turn her down?

Because he was afraid Yeoju would get hurt by his fickle feelings,
afraid of losing a precious friend who felt like family.



"Tch, what are you, dense or what? My swim team practice ends late today, so don't wait for me. Oh, and don't text me either. I won't reply"



"Come on, I will text you! You're going to reply anyway~"



"....I'm not going to"




"Alright then, have a good practice!!"



After Yeoju said her last line, Taehyun turned his back and went into the pool locker room.



"It's a cold snap, and you came out dressed so lightly, huh...!"



He almost let his inner thoughts slip out to Yeoju.



"...Huh? Isn't this Taehyun's... thing?"



The thermos in the pool lobby. Yeoju realized it belonged to Taehyun



"He already went in... if I text him, he'll see it later, right?"


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"Thank you for your hard work"


After Taehyun finished swim team practice and turned on his phone, he had told himself not to send a text, but he secretly hoped one would be waiting from Yeoju.
As expected, there was a message.



'Taehyun, you left your thermos in the lobby, but nobody was there, so... I'll wait in front of your house!! Come slowly when you're done'


"....Huh?"



For a moment, Taehyun's mind went blank. It was a cold snap today, swim team practice had been 2 hours, and Yeoju was waiting in front of his house wearing just a thin coat?



"...No way she's still there.."



Though he said that, Taehyun hurriedly put on his outerwear, stuffed his scarf into his bag, and rushed out of the pool lobby.


"Oh, Kang Taehyun! Why don't we all eat together?"



"Sorry, someone's waiting for me..."



"Oh~ Who is it? Your girlfriend?"



".....No..um...I'll tell you later, I have to go first"



He almost blurted out that it was his girlfriend. But he couldn't. After all, Taehyun had always been the one to reject Yeoju's confessions.
He quickly left the swim club lobby and ran all the way home in one breath.


"Hah...hah...no wa, she couldn't still be there, right?"



"...Huh? Taehyun...hehe.."


She'd waited for 2 hours in the cold without even knowing why. Seeing Yeoju's nose and cheeks flushed red like peaches, smiling sheepishly at him, made him stop just as he was about to get angry.


"Here, this! The thermos!"



She blew on her ice-cold hands and quickly handed the thermos in her hand to Taehyun.



"...Hey, are you crazy? It's a cold snap right now, and you were out here for 2 hours wearing just one coat?"



"...Huh? W-well, I just... had to give you the thermos..."


Her voice trailed off, getting completely cowed by a single sentence from him, and it looked cute. Keeping his expression as unreadable as possible, he pulled out the scarf he'd stuffed away and wrapped it around Yeoju.



"Uh... thanks.. hehe



The gentle scent of Taehyun's signature fabric softener from the scarf tickled Yeoju's nose.



"...No, it's nothing, really... go on in quickly. I'm cold too"



"Mm-hm, ah, I almost forgot thisㅎ"



"Kang Taehyun! Will you go out with me,"



"...Y-yes..!"



Whether it was because he was cold or because he was embarrassed, Taehyun said it with his ears bright red.




"...What did you say?"




"...I said yes, let's date"




"Really? I'm not dreaming, am I?"




"Why? Do you hate it?"




"No? I love it... so... so much!"




Yeoju hugged Taehyun tightly around the waist. Taehyun gently patted her head too.




"I love it so much too"