When the stars align

Torn between hearts

The next afternoon, San's dad came over for lunch. San sat in front of him on the bed, gathering her courage. Her heart was pounding as she glanced around to see where her mom was, then she focused on her dad. As he felt her gaze, he raised an eyebrow at her.

Her mom looked at her with concern. "San, is everything okay?" she asked, her tone gentle but quiet. Little did she know, San wanted to discuss the same topic.

San nodded, though her throat felt tight. "I want to talk about marriage."

Her dad responded, "except of not wanting to get married, tell us."

Taking a deep breath, San said, "I'm not sure about this marriage, and I need time to think."

There was a stunned silence. Her mother's face fell, and her father's gaze hardened.

"What do you mean you need time? We have already discussed this; everything is planned!" her father said sharply.

San looked down, trying to keep her voice steady. "I know you have made all the plans, and I appreciate that you want the best for me. But right now, I want to pursue my own dreams. I need to find my own path first."

Her mom covered her mouth with her hand, silently signaling San to stop. "Do you really know how hard we have worked to find a good match for you that would secure your future?"

Her dad's face turned red. "San, this is not how we raised you. Family and honor come before everything else. We have trusted you to make the right decision, and this isn't it. If you had a problem, you should have shared it with us before, but now everything is arranged, and we can't back out."

San swallowed, feeling a lump rise in her throat, but she held her ground. "I understand, Dad. I know you both love me, but this isn't what I want right now. Please, I just need time to figure out who I am outside of these expectations."

Another silence hung in the air, heavier than the last. Her father's expression showed a mix of anger and disappointment, while her mother looked on the verge of tears. San's heart ached, knowing she was hurting them, but at the same time, she felt a weight lifting from her shoulders.

Without saying another word, she stood up and walked out of the room. Her heart was racing. She didn't know what the outcome would be or if they would understand, but she stepped outside feeling both sad and relieved at the same time.

She reached for her phone and quickly typed a message to Taehyung.

"I did it, Tae. I finally told them." Then she clicked the send button.

She leaned against the wall, her heart still pounding, her hands trembling slightly. She waits for his response. A part of her was scared wondering if she just shattered everything her parents had planned for her. There was a strange uneasiness that didn't let her feel happy.

An hour or two hours later, suddenly her phone's screen lit up and a message popped on her screen. His response came "I am proud of you, San. I knew you had it in you. Whatever happens, just know that I am here. Share it with me."

She typed quickly and said, "Tae even if I talked with my parents and walked away from this marriage. My heart still feels heavy. I feel guilty for hurting them. I don't feel happy. Is choosing myself over them really worth it? Am I doing the right thing? I am unsure."

Taehyung's reply came swiftly: "San, what do you mean? Do you really doubt your own happiness?

San clarified her words flowing from a place of vulnerability "It's not that, it's just ... my mom had tears in her eyes and my father's stare, it was sharp. I saw disappointment on their face, that's the last thing I ever wanted. ''

Taehyung read her message carefully, feeling the weight of her words. He could imagine the guilt she was experiencing, torn between the life her parents wanted for her and the path she had desperately tried to forget for herself.

After a moment of reflection, he typed, "San, I know this isn't easy. Family expectations can feel like they are woven into us, and going against them is one of the hardest things in the world. Just because it hurts right now doesn't mean it's wrong. Sometimes, doing what's right for yourself can feel impossible at first."

San took a deep breath as she read his message, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She wanted to believe him, but doubts still haunted her.

She replied, "But how do I know if it's the right choice, Tae? What if I'm just being selfish? My parents have done everything for me. How can I look at them and say their dreams don't matter?"

Taehyung's response came as if he had already known what to say. "San, it's not selfish to want a life that feels true to who you are. You are allowed to have dreams and make choices that bring you happiness. Maybe one day, they will understand that this is about finding yourself. The love they have for you won't vanish just because you are taking a stand."

She typed back, "I don't know how this will turn out, but I'll try, even if it hurts."

Taehyung replied, "It's okay, San. You are not alone."

San sat on her bed; her mind full of different thoughts. She knows what Taehyung is saying is correct but disobeying your parents this much time when you know they are only thinking about your benefits and secured future. it just don't feel right.

Breaking through her thoughts, her father's voice filled the room as he called San from the living room. Little did she know, what the conversation would be.

She walked out of her room, her parents looked at her with mixed emotions. Her mother speaks first. "San, we understand that you're feeling uncertain, but, It's time to think practically about your future."

Her father nodded, his gaze unyielding. "We've raised you to value family, San. This isn't just about you; it's about our honor, our family's standing, and ensuring you have a stable life. Dreams come and go, but family and security are forever."

San felt her heart sink, the words she wanted to say were crushed between the heavy wall of their expectations. She tried one last time to speak, her voice barely a whisper. "But I have dreams, too. I just... need time."

But her parents looked at her with a resigned expression, as if they'd already made up their minds. "San, we've given you every opportunity, and now it's time for you to trust us and do what's right for the family. " her father said firmly.

Feeling the weight of their words pressing down on her, San looked down, unable to meet their eyes as the dreams she'd once held so close to her heart began to dissolve. Maybe they're right, she thought. Maybe I'm just being selfish.

After a long silence, she finally nodded, her voice barely audible. "Okay. I'll go through it."

Her parents' faces softened, relief washing over them. Her mother reached out, gently squeezing her shoulder. "We're proud of you, San. This is the right decision."

But as she walked back to her room, San felt hollow. She'd given up her dreams, surrendered the hope she'd been holding onto. She lay down, clutching her phone, the memory of Taehyung's words feeling distant now.

Almost instinctively, she typed a message to him. "Tae, I... I can't do it. I gave up. I'm going to follow my parents' plan." tears rolled down her cheeks.

A few moments later, his response appeared. "San, are you sure? This isn't like you. Don't let go of yourself like this."

Tears blurred her vision as she typed back, "I don't have a choice, Tae. it's getting harder , and I don't want to hurt them anymore."

There was a pause, and then Taehyung's reply came, each word carrying the weight of his support. "San, no matter what happens, I'm here for you. we will go through it together. Just promise me one thing."