Love or Destiny

Distance That Burns

"I'm leaving, Taehyung."

She said it so calmly.

Too calmly.

Her eyes met his, but there was nothing in them. No warmth, no pain, no love. Just emptiness. And somehow, that hurt more than anything else.

Did he do this?

Did he hurt her that much?

The thought clenched something deep inside his chest, but he forced himself to stay still, to stay cold because that's what he chose.

"What do you mean...where?" he asked, his voice quieter than he intended.

"For now, I'm moving to another room," she replied, her tone steady. "And tomorrow, I'm going back to Korea."

Tomorrow.

So soon.

Something inside him resisted, but he pushed it down.

This was right.

This was what he wanted.

This distance...it was necessary.

He swallowed and nodded slightly. "I was thinking the same. It's better if we keep some distance."

The words felt heavy in his mouth.

"I think you should move to another room."

For a moment, she just looked at him. And God, how he wished she would say something. Argue. Cry. Stop him.

But she didn't.

She simply nodded.

Without another word, she picked up her belongings and walked past him.

And just like that, she left.

────୨ৎ────

Jisoo stepped out of the room, her hands trembling as she held her suitcase.

The door clicked shut behind her while his words echoed in her mind.

It's better if we keep some distance.

You should move to another room.

Did he really feel nothing?

Not even a little?

Was she really that easy to let go of?

Tears blurred her vision as she walked down the hallway.

Am I that bad?

Didn't she deserve to be loved?

Her chest tightened painfully. But what hurt the most wasn't his rejection. It was the thought of a life without him.

That scared her.

That broke her.

She let out a shaky breath, trying to hold herself together but it was useless.

Tears streamed down her face.

She couldn't stop them. Or maybe, she didn't want to. Because crying was the only thing that made this pain feel real.

That night, Jisoo cried until there were no tears left.

────୨ৎ────

Next morning, Jisoo woke up with a dull headache.

Her eyes felt heavy, swollen from crying.

For a moment, she just lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Then reality hit.