FORGET-ME-NOT | kth

Chapter 25 - Déjà vu

I slowly paced back and forth along the long aisles of the library, an open book in my hand, but my mind was miles away. Not a single word had registered in my head the past hour. 

Instead, my thoughts were consumed by the memory of our kiss, which lingered vividly in my mind, replaying over and over like a cherished scene from a movie.

I could still feel the warmth of his lips on mine, the gentle pressure of his touch as he pulled me closer, the softness of his skin under my fingertips, and the way his breath mingled with mine.

The library around me seemed to blur into the background as I relived those moments with Taehyung.

I bit my lip to suppress the smile that threatened to spread across my face and tried to divert my attention back to the book. The dimly lit aisles stretched ahead of me, casting shadows on the shelves as I took steps.

A few minutes later, I heard faint footsteps behind me. I turned around, and my eyes widened in surprise.

Speak of the devil.

There he was, Taehyung, walking toward me from the other end of the aisles. His pace was unhurried, a subtle smile playing on his lips.

My mouth hung open as a mix of emotions surged within me—surprise, happiness, nervousness, shyness. It was all jumbled together, making it difficult to compose myself. But I tried my best to hide it. I managed a smile, attempting to maintain a confident look despite my racing heart.

The silence of the space amplified the sound of his footsteps, making my heart race even more.

"Hey there," He greeted as he reached me.

"Hey" I replied, grateful that my voice didn't betray the flurry of feelings inside me.

"When did you get here?" I asked a stupid question, and his lips tugged up into a broader smile.

"Just arrived" he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. The familiar scent of his cologne mingled with the faint, musty smell of old books. I nodded.

"Were you reading anything interesting?" he asked casually, glancing at the book in my hand.

I glanced down at the book, realizing with a pang of guilt that I hadn't even looked at the cover. "Oh, yes, very gripping." I lied, quickly closing it before he could catch a glimpse of the title.

"Clearly," Taehyung replied, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "What's it about?"

"Um..." I hesitated, mentally scrambling to think of a plausible topic. "supply chain optimization?" I finally blurted out, inwardly cringing at my lack of preparation. 

"Fascinating" he said with a straight face, stepping closer. "I've always wanted to know how supply chain optimization worked."

"Really?" I replied, trying to match his seriousness but failing as a smile tugged at my lips. He chuckled, the sound warm and infectious.

"You're adorable when you're pretending to read" he teased gently, his eyes softening as he observed me.

I sighed, accepting the defeat. "Okay, you caught me. I've been thinking about... other things." I admitted.

He smiled. "I've been thinking about you too." he said softly and my heart skipped a beat.

I smiled shyly and turned back to the shelf, placing the book back on it. "Don't you have any classes today?" I asked, noting it was still morning and he was in casual attire.

"Yes, but I took the day off" he said, and I turned to look at him.

"Why?" I asked, and he just shrugged nonchalantly.