FORGET-ME-NOT | kth

Chapter 38 -Date

Taehyung's POV

"Really?" I asked, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I couldn't believe what I had just done. I had asked Maya out for a date. Me. I had actually done it, just like those ridiculously charming heroes in the movies.

I ran a hand through my hair, still reeling from the sheer impulsiveness of it all. I had always dismissed that kind of thing as something that only happened in fairytales, where the guy would confidently sweep the girl off her feet with a well-timed invitation. Fiction. Purely fictional. Yet, somehow, I found myself caught up in the moment, my words leaving my mouth before I even fully processed them.

I cringed, remembering the melodramatic act I had intentionally performed. The way I had tried to stage our first meeting, as if it were something out of a carefully scripted scene. The whole thing seemed so cheesy now, like something straight out of a romance novel.

I could still see her eyes widening, the surprise in her expression, and the way she hesitated before agreeing. The memory of her soft smile lingered in my mind, making me feel both exhilarated and embarrassed at the same time. What had possessed me to go for it all? To pull off something so far out of my comfort zone?

With a sigh, I leaned forward, gripping the edge of the sink as I studied my reflection closer. I wasn't exactly the "romantic lead" type, or at least I had never seen myself that way. But here I was, caught up in a real-life moment that I had never anticipated.

"Well," I muttered to my reflection, "guess there's no turning back now."

I smiled, despite the self-inflicted embarrassment-she had agreed in the end. That's what mattered. I let out a small giggle, almost incredulous at the turn of events, and glanced back at my reflection.

"Keep it low," I warned myself, narrowing my eyes at the mirror as if to emphasize the point. There was no need to overdo it anymore. "No more grand gestures or theatrical performances. Just... be me." I said to myself.

I switched off the light and slipped into my bed, but sleep felt like a distant dream, far beyond my reach. My mind was restless, turning over thoughts I'd tried to push away all the while. I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that maybe I have a thing for self-sabotage.

Her words echoed in my head, clear as ever: "We're just setting ourselves up for more pain." And It was definitely true.

I could see it now, the way I kept diving headfirst into situations that had no real chance of ending well. As if I was somehow drawn to the inevitable hurt that would come later. There was no denying it. We were setting ourselves up for more pain, and I had gone along with it anyway, knowing fully well what it might cost me.

I sighed, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. She will go, and she has to go. I knew that. I didn't want to be the one to pull her away from the life she was building, to drag her into the complications that my presence would inevitably bring. It would be unfair to her, and selfish of me.

But as I closed my eyes, the irony of my thoughts hit me hard. I had just invited her into my life again, knowing full well it would make things more complicated for both of us. Despite everything, I had asked her to stay in this tangled mess, to share in the confusion and uncertainty. What was I doing?

I couldn't help but feel like I was contradicting myself at every turn-trying to protect her while simultaneously dragging her closer. Maybe it was because, deep down, I didn't want to let her go. Even if it meant more pain, even if it meant making things more difficult for both of us.

"Let's see where it goes," I said to myself, burying my face into the pillow. The softness enveloped me, and I tried to find some solace in the simple act of surrendering to the uncertainty. Maybe letting things unfold naturally, without overthinking or overcomplicating them, was the best I could do right now.