When Love Forgets

Chapter 14

                 

                 Taehyung POV

As I sat there with Jimin, my eyes couldn't leave her. She was across the campus courtyard, laughing—laughing in a way I hadn't seen in a long time. It was a sound so foreign to me now, almost like it didn’t belong to her, not the version of Mina I’d been living with. Her smile was wide, her eyes sparkled as they used to, and every part of her seemed lighter. Free.

But that’s not what irritated me. No, what burned a hole in my chest was the guy sitting next to her, too close for my liking. He leaned in when she laughed, and she didn’t pull away. His eyes... the way he looked at her, with admiration, curiosity—it was too much. I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the surge of rage bubbling up inside me.

Jimin, of course, noticed. “Man, she’s moving on,” he said casually, taking a sip of his drink. “I told you, she’s beautiful. It was bound to happen. Guys are going to notice.”

His words cut deep. Moving on? Was that what this was? And why did it feel like a punch to my gut when it’s what I wanted? What I had asked for?

The guy made her laugh again, and this time, her hand lightly brushed his arm. I felt my entire body tense. It wasn’t my place—I didn’t have the right to feel this way, but I did. And it ate me alive.

I tried to shake it off, but the anger just grew, twisting into something darker. I don't want her to move on, I realized, though the words felt foreign in my mind. The problem was, I couldn't even explain why.

I was still sitting there, frozen in place, unable to tear my eyes away from her. Mina was laughing with Nari and that guy—whoever he was. The sound of her laughter, so carefree and natural, pierced through me. It was the first time I had seen her laugh like that in weeks. The smile on her face was one I hadn’t seen when she was around me, and that made my chest tighten with something unfamiliar. Anger? No, it was worse than anger. It was jealousy.

“Man, you're staring too much,” Jimin’s voice snapped me out of it. I glanced at him, but he was smirking, clearly amused.

“I don’t like the way that guy looks at her,” I muttered, surprising even myself with how possessive I sounded.

Jimin chuckled, shaking his head. “Tae, she’s not yours anymore. She’s her own person now. You pushed her away, remember? Besides, she’s beautiful. You think guys won’t notice?”

I gritted my teeth. “I know she’s beautiful.”

Jimin raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening. “You sound jealous, man.”

“I’m not jealous,” I snapped, though even I could hear how unconvincing that sounded. My eyes drifted back to Mina. The way her eyes sparkled when she smiled, the way she looked at Nari, at everyone, except me. It was as if I didn’t exist anymore.

Jimin leaned in, lowering his voice. “If you keep pushing her away, someone else is going to take your place. You can’t have it both ways, Tae.”

His words stung. It was true. I had given her the cold shoulder, handed her divorce papers, told her to move on, but now... Now, seeing her do exactly that was unbearable. Why did it bother me so much?

I glanced at Jimin, my voice lower, almost a whisper. “Do you really think she’s moved on?”

Jimin shrugged. “She’s trying to. And if she hasn’t yet, she will soon. There’s only so much someone can take before they give up.”

Give up. Those words echoed in my mind. Was that what was happening? Had she given up on me? On us? The thought sent a sharp pain through my chest, and I hated it. I hated how much it hurt.