FORGET-ME-NOT | kth

Chapter 33 - The Last Day

Maya's POV

The entire night, I spent thinking, thinking, and thinking. Yet, I still couldn't reach a conclusion.

The memory that lingered most vividly in my mind was of Taehyung walking away without even looking back, leaving me alone in his room just a few hours ago. The sight of his retreating figure replayed in my mind again and again, each step echoing the finality of our parting. The pain was unbearable, a hollow ache that seemed to grow with every passing second.

I lay on the bed, tears streaming down my face, and uncaring if anyone from the next window could see me. I care less about it. The world outside felt irrelevant.

My alarm went off, signaling that it was Monday and time to wake up, but my phone didn't seem to understand that I hadn't slept yet to be woken from. 

I turned off the alarm and stared at my phone, wanting to call Hoseok but hesitating, afraid that my troubles would be too much of a burden. I couldn't bring myself to impose my problems on him.

With a sigh, I placed the phone back on the nightstand and got out of bed, wandering aimlessly around the apartment, feeling like a ghost.

I opened the closet and pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, realizing that staying indoors would only make me feel worse. So, I decided to head to the library earlier than usual.

I made a coffee, hoping it would give me a boost of energy. As I cleared the kitchen counter and sipped my drink, I let out a deep sigh. It struck me how much things had changed over time. The room seemed more organized now. From the closet to the kitchen cabinets, everything was meticulously arranged. No more papers on the floor or clothes draped over the couch. Everything looked neat and in its place.

Being on my own had taught me to take care of myself—cooking, cleaning, and managing my space. I had learned to maintain a semblance of order in my life. But I couldn't forget that Taehyung was the one who had inspired me to become this organized person. 

His ability to handle everything with such grace and efficiency had always impressed me. I admired how he managed every detail of his life so seamlessly. His example pushed me to adopt similar habits.

He was more than just an inspiration; he guided me through a challenging time in my life and the weight of having hurt someone so important to me felt incredibly heavy.

The coffee didn't help as I had hoped and I lacked the energy to cook, I wasn't even hungry. So, after finishing it, I headed for a shower. The warm water flowed over me, easing some of the weariness but barely touching the heaviness in my heart. I got dressed without much concern for how I looked. All I wanted was to leave this place, to escape the suffocating walls that felt like they were closing in on me.

In my haste, I left my used clothes on the floor, the urge to organize slipping from my mind. I locked the front door and walked to the elevator, each step feeling like a struggle. The hallway seemed unusually long, the distance to the elevator stretching out endlessly.

As the elevator doors finally slid open, I was stunned to see the one person I least wanted to run into. Taehyung stood there, his expression a blend of surprise and something I couldn't quite place. 

He looked at me with those deep, dark brown eyes I had once loved so much, and still do. The air was thick with awkwardness and unspoken words. As the elevator doors began to close, I shook off my daze and stepped inside.

I shouldn't have stepped inside. I should have waited, but the idea of running away after he had already seen me felt even worse.

The elevator doors closed, revealing his reflection in the mirror. His gaze was the same as yesterday, but I realized that today, it also carried a hint of bitterness. His forehead was slightly furrowed, and I noticed him subtly clenching his jaw.