The next morning, I woke up with a very strange mix of warmth and dread. The warmth from Taehyung’s words last night still lingered, but the dread from what we both faced crept in as well. I couldn't explain what I was feeling. It was foreign. I stretched in bed, feeling the ache in my muscles, a constant reminder of the battle we were fighting.
As I got ready for school, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Taehyung had held my hand, the way his eyes had softened when he promised to stay by my side. I’d always known he was important to me, but something had shifted in those quiet moments we shared at the ice cream parlor. Something deep and unspoken, a tension that hadn’t been there before, or maybe I’d just been too blind to see it.
At school, I found myself searching for him in the crowd. When I finally spotted him by his locker, I felt my heart skip a beat. His back was turned, his shoulders slightly hunched as he sorted through his books. His happy smile when he found what he was looking for made my heart flutter.
For a moment, I hesitated, watching him quietly. He looked so normal, so much like the Taehyung I’d known, but I knew better. I knew the weight he carried, just like I carried mine.
Taking a deep breath, I approached him. “Hey,” I said softly, trying to sound casual.
He turned, and the moment his eyes met mine, I saw the same warmth and tension reflected back at me. “Hey, Sujin,” he replied, his voice low.
We stood there for a moment, the bustle of the school moving around us, but it felt like we were in our own little bubble. Like it was only him and I present in that very moment. I didn’t know what to say, and for once, Taehyung seemed to be at a loss for words too.
“About last night…” I started, but he cut me off with a small shake of his head.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said, his voice gentle but firm. “I meant every word.”
“I know,” I replied, feeling a lump in my throat. “And I meant it too. But… there’s something I didn’t say.”
His expression grew serious, his eyes suddenly searching mine. “What is it?”
I hesitated, trying to find the right words. “It’s just… I’m scared, Taehyung. Not just of what’s happening to us, but of how I feel about you. Everything is changing so fast, and I don’t want to lose you, but I also don’t know how to deal with… this.” I gestured vaguely between us, my heart pounding in my chest.
He took a step closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup my cheek. His touch was warm, comforting, and yet it sent a shiver down my spine. “Sujin, you don’t have to figure it all out right now. We can take it one step at a time. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
The sincerity in his voice made my heart ache. I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes for a moment, just letting myself feel. “I’m not sure what I’d do without you,” I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
He smiled softly, his thumb brushing lightly against my cheek. “You don’t have to find out.”
The bell rang, snapping us out of our moment. I pulled back reluctantly, glancing around at the students hurrying to their classes. “We should go,” I murmured, though part of me wanted to stay in that bubble with him a little longer, but I had to pop the bubble.
“Yeah,” he agreed, but his eyes lingered on me, as if he didn’t want to let go either. “But Sujin… just know that whatever happens, you’re not alone in this.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat as I turned to head to class. But as I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something between us had shifted. I didn’t know where this would lead, but I knew one thing for sure—I wasn’t ready to let go of Taehyung, no matter how complicated things got.
Throughout the day, my thoughts kept drifting back to Taehyung, to the way his hand had felt on my cheek, the way his words had wrapped around my heart like a safety net. I tried to focus on my classes, but everything seemed to blur together. There were multiple times when Yun hee had to snap me out of my thoughts.
By the time lunch came around, I was a bundle of nerves. I made my way to the cafeteria, scanning the room for Taehyung. When I spotted him sitting with Jimin, my heart did that annoying fluttering thingy again. This time, though, it wasn’t just nerves—I was starting to realise just how deep my feelings for Taehyung ran, and that scared me more than anything.
I joined them at the table, trying to act normal, but Jimin, ever perceptive, seemed to notice something was up. “You okay, Sujin?” he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
“Yeah, just tired,” I replied quickly, avoiding Taehyung’s gaze. I could feel him watching me, and it made my pulse race.
Jimin didn’t press, thankfully, and the three of us fell into our usual banter. But even as I laughed along with them, a part of me was hyper-aware of Taehyung, of the way his knee brushed against mine under the table, the way his eyes softened every time he looked at me.
It was almost too much, this tension between us, and by the time the day ended, I was more than ready to go home and bury myself under my blankets, to escape the confusing swirl of emotions inside me.
But Taehyung had other plans.
“Hey, Sujin,” he called as we left the school building. “Can we talk? Just for a minute.”
My heart skipped a beat, but I nodded, following him to a quieter spot near the school gates. He looked nervous, which only made my own anxiety spike. “What’s up?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“I’ve been thinking,” he began, his hands shoved into his pockets. He wouldn’t meet my eyes, which was unlike him, and it set off alarms in my head. “About us. About what you said earlier.”
My stomach twisted into many knots. “Taehyung, if this is about me being scared-”
“It’s not just that,” he interrupted, finally looking at me. His eyes were intense, searching, as if he was trying to see right into my soul. “It’s about how I feel too. Sujin, I… I care about you. More than I should, maybe. But I can’t help it.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d known, somewhere deep down, but hearing him say it out loud made everything so much more real. “Taehyung…” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“I don’t want to make things harder for you,” he continued, his voice thick with emotion. “But I can’t pretend that I don’t feel this way. I’m scared too, but I can’t keep lying to myself. And I can’t lie to you. I'd hate myself if I did so”
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to break down. “You’re not making things harder,” I managed to say. “If anything, you’re the one thing that’s keeping me on ground and going right now.”
His expression softened, and he took a step closer, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him. “Then let’s figure this out together. We don’t have to rush, or put labels on anything. Let’s just… be here for each other, okay?”
I nodded, the tears finally spilling over. He reached up, gently wiping them away with his thumb, his touch tender. “Okay,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “But promise me something?”
“Anything,” he replied without hesitation.
“Promise me you won’t let go. No matter what happens.”
His eyes softened, and he leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine. “I promise, Sujin. I’m not going anywhere.”
For a long moment, we just stood there, breathing in each other’s presence. The tension, the fear, the uncertainty—it was all still there, but it didn’t feel as overwhelming anymore. Not with Taehyung by my side.
Finally, we pulled back, and he smiled at me—a small, tentative smile, but one that reached his eyes. One that's very like himself. “Come on,” he said, his voice lighter now. “Let’s get you home.”
And as we walked, side by side, our hands brushing but not quite touching, I felt a strange sense of peace settle over me. Whatever the future held, I knew we’d face it together. And for now, that was enough.
YOU ARE READING
Fading Petals || Kth
Romance"Even in the shadow of death, their love was a beacon of hope."
