Ties of hearts

3 : ARRANGMENTS AND DUE DATE.

Taehyung was about to enter the house when he saw the family busy decorating. He hesitated, feeling like an outsider amidst the laughter and cheer. The house was a flurry of activity,hanging fairy lights, arranging flowers, and setting up decorations. The scent of fresh roses and lilies wafted through the air, mingling with the aroma of delicious food being prepared in the kitchen.

The guests were gathering, the children ran around, their excited giggles adding to the festive atmosphere.

Yet, Taehyung felt a pang of emptiness in his heart. The joyous laughter and festive decorations seemed to blur around him, their brightness contrasting sharply with the shadows in his mind. He found himself lost in the crowd, a solitary figure amidst a sea of jubilant faces. It was as if he didn't belong, an outsider in what should have been a moment of celebration. The decision to marry weighed heavily on his shoulders, an oppressive burden he wasn't ready to bear.

As he stood there, a wave of memories and emotions washed over him, pulling him into a world of his own imagination.

He thought of his mother, the one source of warmth in his cold world. Her tender touch, her compassionate words, had been his relief during periods of sorrow. Yet, even her love came with its own set of expectations. She had sacrificed so much for him, and he had always been determined not to disappoint her. But in doing so, he had denied himself the chance to live authentically. The desire to please her had overshadowed his own dreams, leading him down a path he wasn't sure he wanted to walk.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Taehyung's mind conjured images of a different life. A life where he could make his own choices, unburdened by the weight of familial expectations. He imagined a world where he could follow his own passions, love freely, and embrace his true self without fear of judgment. The thought of marrying Jimin, a kind and gentle soul, should have brought him comfort. But instead, it filled him with dread. He didn't want to enter a marriage built on duty rather than love.

The very thought of it seemed like another chain to marry someone else when his heart longing something else, binding him to a future he hadn't chosen.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him back to the present. He glanced at the screen and saw the name of someone very special. His heart considered answering the call. His fingers hovered over the screen, but he hesitated. The memory of the voice, the warmth it brought, clashed with the unrest in his mind. He couldn't afford to think about HER now, not with everything else weighing him down. He let the call go unanswered, slipping the phone back into his pocket.

He couldn't help but slight memory of her passing through his mind. Her presence in his life was a shine, she is comfort and confusion all at once. Was she already comfort of him???

She represented the life he wished he could lead—free from the constraints of duty and expectation. But acknowledging those feelings was risky.

It meant facing a truth he wasn't ready to admit to himself, a truth -to getting married with one who you don't even like nor want ruin him or your life that could unravel the carefully built facade of his existence.

The rings presumed to be paused at this time, but his phone buzzed again, instead of creating more further consequence he attended the call, voice of him bit low than his personality -the cold professor personality

"Hello," Taehyung said, trying to sound composed

"Taehyung," she began, concerned and bit frustrate, "I was starting to worry. Where are you?"