For Life - Kim Seokjin ✔︎

#27 - Torn apart

With his hands stuffed into his pockets, he slowly walks down the path with the moon shining down on the scene. His gaze is fixed to the ground, kicking at stones and pebbles that get in his way.

Sniffling, his anger rises and falls as he thinks about what's happened. It falls every now and then from sadness that everything's going to change, when he doesn't want it to.

If this was him a week ago, he'd be happier than ever. Knowing that the arrow belonging to the girl he hated was going to change would be music to his ears.

But now the music is starting to fade, and he wants nothing more than to hear it once again.

"Looks like we both got what we wanted."

The voice that sounds in Jin's ear makes him stop. He turns around in surprise to lay eyes on the person he wants desperately to see.

She's sat on one of the benches, a suitcase sat next to her. She isn't looking at him but instead at her arrow-less wrist in her lap.

With a painful smile, she looks up. "Turns out we didn't even need the deal for our arrows to change. Just for your parents to despise me."

"I thought you left." He whispers. "Seokjoong said you left."

She shakes her head. "I'm still waiting for a taxi. But I'm glad it hasn't turned up yet. Because it means that I got to see you before I go."

Jin carrys on staring at her, feeling his throat start to tighten. "This isn't what I want."

Tara nods her head lightly. "Me neither." She sighs, looking at the scene around her.

He takes in a deep breath. "Tara-"

"It's okay, Jin." She anxiously fiddles with her hands in her lap, pressing her lips together. "Look, the longer I stay here the more tension there will be. Your parents will be even more annoyed at you and I don't want that. And I also don't want to be disrespected by them for these remaining days. Besides, my arrow will eventually come back soon-"

"Yeah and when it does, mine disappears too. And in the end both of our arrows will point to someone different." Jin cuts off her words, stepping forwards. "So no, it's not okay Tara."

"It's not like one of us is leaving. We'll still see each other every day at school." She reminds him.

His shoulders slouch. "It won't be the same and you know it won't."

Tilting her head in consideration, she nods a little. A silence forms around the two of them, not knowing what to say to one another to make this situation seem better.

Taking in a deep breath, she stands to her feet and walks in his direction, stopping before him. "Thank you for letting me stay here, Jin. This has been the greatest week of my life and I'll never forget it. I actually didn't mind it at all. Even today. Well...until now."

Clenching at his jaw, he holds back the hot tears threatening to fall. "Please don't leave me."

Her head tilts and and a tear rolls down her cheek whilst her eyes lock with his.

"You...you made me swear not to leave you! And now you're leaving me? You can't do that!" His voice begins to crack whilst recalling the night where Tara had a nightmare, and so he stayed with her the whole night.

This may seem too dramatic since they'll see each other at school. But it won't be the same. They both have to let go of each other as soon as she leaves, and neither of them are ready to do that.

"I won't even see you until after the new year." He then realises, since it's the Chrismas holidays next week. "If you leave now then you'll go back to school until we break up for the holidays. And I won't be able to come back until friday. After school's finished."

"And after the holidays we have a solid 5 months together until we finish year 13 and then go off to university." She says with a smile. "No matter the circumstances we'll always see each other."

"But this time we won't want to see each other. It'll be too hard to look each other in the eye knowing that we're not connected anymore. We'll then be paired with other people and that'll be that."

Gulping, Tara nods and refuses to even think that thought. "I know."

A car then pulls up further away from the two of them. Tara turns her head towards the vehicle and so does Jin. Both of them recognise the car to be a taxi to pick her up.

Looking down, she turns her head back towards him. "Guess that's my cue."

He bites down on his lip to stop it from quivering. "Please." He whispers as a plead.

As her breath hitches she holds the side of Jin's face, planting her lips on his cheek. After a couple seconds she let's go, averting her gaze to the ground with him and turns her back.

Holding her suitcase with her hand she wheels it over to the taxi. The driver steps out of the car and opens the boot for her to put her suitcase in. Then, the driver goes back inside the car.

Jin watches her walk further and further away, knowing deep down that she isn't going to change her mind like he wants her to.

Tara opens the door, and is about to step in when she stops. Her eyes flicker up to Jin's. When they make eye contact she can feel herself about to burst into tears, but she holds them back.

Breaking eye contact she gets into the car and closes the door shut behind her. The next thing Jin knows the car begins to drive away from him, taking Tara away from him too.

As soon as the car leaves his legs buckle and drop to the ground. And with his head in his hands, he finally breaks.