Flowerpath: Taejin Oneshots

Hundred Leaved Rose: Sincere Love

"I'll be visiting you both again soon," Mrs. Kim says as she gently pats Seokjin's shoulder. "I hope to see you still as in love with each other as you are now."

The couple exchanges knowing glances, each aware of the facade they've been maintaining—acting as if they are in love when, in reality, their relationship has been anything but. The mention of love feels out of place.

"Alright, Mother, I'll see you downstairs," Taehyung says with a smile, picking up her luggage. "Just let me look at him for a moment," Mrs. Kim requests softly, wrapping Jin in another embrace.

"Please stay happy. If anything's bothering you, I'm always here for you. I promised my best friend that I'd look after her precious son," she says, her tone full of warmth.

Jin nods awkwardly, unable to find the words to reply. He watches as Mrs. Kim leaves the apartment, with Taehyung following closely behind. "It's over already," he mumbles to himself.

It had been over a year since Taehyung and Jin entered into an arrangement. When they first met, they were strangers pushed together by their parents, urged to get to know each other with marriage as the end goal.

When Jin learned that Taehyung was unwilling to engage in the charade, he made an offer that seemed practical at the time: they would marry on paper, with no expectations beyond that. He still recalls the look on Taehyung's face, a look he couldn't decipher, when he proposed this idea. Jin believed that if he hadn't been in love with someone else, he might have given this marriage a real chance. But he was foolish, holding onto a man who didn't have the courage to stand up for him.

Without much thought, Seokjin approached Taehyung with the offer. They formalized their relationship, with the understanding that they would divorce once Jin's lover was ready to commit. But that didn't happen. The contract ended a month ago, and Jin knows he owes Taehyung an explanation. But how can he tell him that his supposed lover turned his back on him before they even married?

How can he confess that he's now hopelessly in love with Taehyung? How can he admit that he loved sharing a bed with him for the past week? Jin ponders all the possible ways to confess, but fear of rejection keeps him silent.

His thoughts are interrupted when he hears the door click open. He smiles instinctively but regrets it when Taehyung doesn't reciprocate. Why had he hoped that sharing a bed for a week would change something?

Jin watches as Taehyung retreats to his room and shuts the door behind him. With a sigh, Jin gets off the couch and strolls to the kitchen. He quickly prepares a lunchbox for Taehyung, something he's done every day for a while now.

As expected, about thirty minutes later, Taehyung emerges from his room, ready to leave for work. Jin gathers his courage and approaches him with the bento in hand. "Here's your lunch box—"

Taehyung looks at Jin, his hand tightening around the lunchbox. "I think I've told you enough times to drop the act," he says, his eyes fixed on Jin's face. "If you're done, I'll be leaving." Without another glance, Taehyung walks out of the apartment.

Jin's grip on the lunchbox loosens as he lets out a breath he'd been holding. "Right, he doesn't need to play along since his mother is no longer around."

The rest of the day, Jin finds himself contemplating whether to move out of Taehyung's room or stay in. He mindlessly prepares dinner for Taehyung, lost in thought. "How do I fix this?" he mumbles over and over to himself.

After dinner, Jin finds himself lying on Taehyung's bed, enveloped in the scent of the man he's fallen in love with. "I wish I could just stay here forever," he whispers to himself.