LOVE MAZE - Taekook

Nine

The green glass bottles had taken up most of the space on the table and Jeongguk was already on his fourth bottle of soju of the night. His head was floating and everything seemed blurry. He wanted to cry and scream at the same time. His heart ached like someone was repeatedly punching it.

That someone might just be Taehyung, his now ex for the second time.

"I can't fucking believe your ass" The man in front of Jeongguk... Jin, he remembered, said exasperatedly.

Jeongguk whined.

"You guys were acting all cute just one day ago!" Jin said.

"It's my fault" Jeongguk muttered.

"He is right, you know? I don't know if any of this would even go into your head because you are on the brink of passing out but... you really have to put the past in the past. Taehyung loves you and you only. Always had. That's all that matters"

"He's an ass" Jeongguk muttered. "I chose him over and over again. Even after he discarded the plans we made like they were nothing.... Even after he decided to leave me and chase his dreams. Even after he made such a huge decision about his future without me... I chose him. I was there for him. After all I had done... after all the shit I had to go through... he says this is a mistake!" Jeongguk groaned.

Jin sighed. "It can be frustrating to have someone bring up the past all the time, Jeongguk"

"It was frustrating for me too! What happened last time scarred me. My worst fear of him breaking up with me because of a third party came true. And now it happened again"

Jin watched him with worry. "Taehyung also gives in to his emotions. Like you. Takes hasty decisions. He gets hurt easily, just like you"

"I know that it's me that keeps bringing Beckson between us but..." Jeongguk whispered. "But Taehyung..." Jeongguk felt his throat closing up on itself, a sob threatening to escape. "It's always so easy for him to walk away from me"

"Jeongguk..."

Jeongguk felt a tear make its way down his cheek. "I sacrificed so much for him" He sniffled. "I wanted to be with him so badly. He is the one, Jin"

"What did you sacrifice? You guys broke up because you disagreed to do long distance"

Jeongguk shook his head. "I didn't want to do long distance" he could feel his vision blur and his head swam. "I wanted to go wherever he went"

"But you didn't" A voice came. Where was that voice coming from? Is he dreaming?

"I was going to!" He objected to the voice, feeling the need to justify himself. "I searched and searched for universities in the area he was going to study in. I was going to go to the best university that offered a business degree but I was ready to go to a university close to him, even if it meant I would have to let go of my dream university, just to be with him"

"What?"

"I applied to so many universities, fully aware that I would secure a spot at SNU," Jeongguk confessed in a hushed tone, as if unveiling a closely guarded secret. He lowered his voice, letting the weight of his words hang in the air. "My father went to the lengths of threatening to disown me if I didn't enrol in my first-choice university after being accepted. But all I yearned for was to be with him."

A heavy pause enveloped the room, the gravity of Jeongguk's revelation sinking in like an impending storm. The atmosphere thickened, charged with the intensity of a truth left untold. "I was willing to forsake everything," he continued, the raw emotion evident in his voice. "To cast aside the prestige of my dream university, defy my father's wishes, just to stand by him."