FORGET-ME-NOT | kth

Chapter 37 - Unwind

Maya's POV

A cool breeze brushed my face as I walked along the apartment pavement beneath the night sky. Moonlight illuminated the fallen leaves, and the crisp air carried the scent of autumn.

I slipped my hands under my jacket to keep them warm, mimicking Taehyung, who silently walked beside me. He hardly spoke on our way, only mentioning a new restaurant near the park, which I agreed to go to. However, the restaurant wasn't the real reason for whatever we were doing; it wasn't about the food or hunger.

I remained silent too, unsure of what to say. We had already shared about our whereabouts, but the lack of clarity only intensified my curiosity. His silence deepened the mystery, and I found myself stealing glances at him, hoping to catch a glimpse of what he might be thinking.

He kept his head down, eyes fixed on the pavement as if the ground held answers to the questions neither of us dared to voice. Dark strands of hair fell forward, partially veiling his face, and creating a barrier between him and the rest of the world. The way his hair shadowed his eyes made it difficult to read his expression, leaving me to sigh in disappointment.

I felt the urge to break the silence, to reach out and bridge the gap between us, but the words were stuck in my throat.

Instead, I walked beside him, mirroring his pace, feeling the steady rhythm of our footsteps on the road as we moved through the quiet night.

I couldn't help but think about the times we used to walk down this same road two years ago, hand in hand, laughing at something silly or smiling at each other for no apparent reason.

A small smile crept onto my face, and I stole another glance at him, hoping, maybe even longing, to see just a glimmer of that old smile. But all I saw was the same serious expression, his eyes downcast, lost in his thoughts.

"How are you, Taehyung?" I asked, breaking the silence that had hung between us for too long.

He looked up at me, his eyes slightly widening in surprise at the question. "Me? I'm good," he replied, with a look that suggested he had already answered that question and I sighed inwardly.

The silence settled between us once more, heavy and unyielding. With each step, a regret started to build inside me. I questioned my decision to agree to this restaurant trip, wondering if it had been a mistake.

We arrived at the restaurant, which was charmingly cozy and we chose to sit outside, where the seating offered a pleasant view of the park.

I glanced at him and noticed that he was deliberately avoiding my gaze. He was focused on the park, his jawline prominently flexing as he glanced out at the serene scene, and I felt an almost primal impulse to grab his jaw, and turn his face towards me so that I could see into his eyes, to confront whatever was hidden behind that carefully maintained silence.

We placed our food orders, and while we waited, he remained absorbed in the peaceful view of the park. I, however, couldn't tear my eyes away from him, watching the subtle shifts in his expressions and movements.

The silence between us grew more pronounced, and with a resigned sigh, I reached for my phone and began scrolling through it aimlessly, trying to distract myself. It became clear that coming here and spending time with him, only to be met with this silent treatment, was indeed a mistake.

A few minutes have passed and I sensed a shift in him, as if his eyes had finally moved away from the park and settled on me.

I looked up from my phone and saw that I was right- he was watching me. I placed my phone back on the table, my attention now fully on him and the silence that had felt so heavy now seemed to dissolve.