Against Time | k.th. ✔

二十四 : a fork in the road

Taehyung was yet again stuck at a juncture which eventually developed into a fork in the road. Although his adherence to staying unbothered about Yeseul's clearly discernible dolefulness was as impressive as ever, he knew that he would not be able to stick to being indifferent for much longer— more so when he had just had a major epiphany.

If Taehyung's acknowledgement of Yeseul's significance in his life— as seemingly unparalleled— did not merely spring up in the heat of the moment, he really required to do a lot of contemplation to locate the time and cause of this absurd feeling. But did he actually have so much of time on his hands to waste it away like that? It was not like he did not have somewhere to return to, where there were a lot more people than a bare, single soul who cared about him, and were looking forward to his much-delayed arrival.

Sometime to go back to, in Taehyung's case.

However, if he seriously considered all those arguments— about him being needed more back where he truly belonged— the petty emotion called attraction was ought to take a back seat in such a circumstance. But Taehyung being himself, could not bear to postpone the inexorable discussion only to have disappointment knock on his door in the end. If he was to be turned down eventually, why not be a little bold and take the leap while he could still afford to confess his feelings?

Taehyung swiftly rotated his neck in Yeseul's direction, preparing to address her as he involuntarily cleared his throat. Albeit, he had to abort his mission halfway when her consistently tear-brimmed eyes caught his attention. Unable to garner the courage to divulge the truth about his feelings for Yeseul, he instead wound up asking:

"That chain was precious to you, wasn't it?" He mentally sighed when Yeseul sniffed softly, only to break down into a miserable mess just a few moments later, "You don't need to answer, that response was powerful enough for me to know."

However, what followed next was definitely not something that Taehyung had imagined himself being a witness to someday. Yeseul was bawling as if she had not cried her heart out in ages, her shudders possessing the power to splinter anyone's ataraxy into plenty of bits. If anything, the female walking beside him was not the type to succumb to any kind of hardship that might befall her. Could his assumption about the now-gambled gold chain being exclusively dear to her perhaps be true, then?

Was Taehyung being an egocentric prick by not volunteering to ask whether everything was fine with her or not?

"Yeseul stop," he spoke up at long last, gently holding her wrists to provide gravity to his statement, "tell me what's it about? We can still go back and retrieve it, you know? I don't want these guns if they'll cause such distress to you."

"I know I'm being foolish right now but that chain means a lot to me," Yeseul's glassy eyes bore into Taehyung's as she continued, "but I also can't attach myself to an object in such a manner, that'd be obsession... and I don't want it to hold me back like it is currently. It's just that, I didn't know that I'd have to give it up so soon, that's what triggering me right now. You don't have to worry though, I'll be alright." A fleeting smile appeared on Yeseul's lips.