𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗𝟓: 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠

[Y/n's POV]

It was morning. The cold, crisp Swiss air wrapped around me as I stood on the balcony, my arms hugging myself as I stared at the mountains in the distance. The world was still, quiet—almost peaceful. But inside me, there was no peace, only a storm of emotions swirling with every breath I took. I had always dreamed of coming here one day, and now, I was finally here… but somehow, it didn’t feel right. The only name was echoing in my mind was... 

Aera.

I hugged myself tighter, my mind replaying every glance, every smile Aera had thrown Taehyung’s way last night. She knew exactly what she was doing, weaving herself into our lives and acting like she still belonged here, like she still had a place with him.

And it hurt. More than I wanted to admit.

Why would his ex, of all people, need to stay with us here? In his mansion, in Switzerland, on what was supposed to be a trip for us. I knew there was something he wasn’t telling me. He looked troubled, almost as if there were some invisible chain holding him back. But he had brushed off my questions, saying only that she needed a place to stay. It was a poor excuse, and he knew it.

What was worse was the nagging voice in the back of my head, the one that kept whispering all my worst fears. What if Taehyung still had feelings for her? What if she could give him something I couldn’t? She had been part of his life once, knew sides of him that I might never know. How was I supposed to compete with that?

I shook my head, trying to clear away those thoughts, but they clung to me, stubborn and unrelenting. Aera was beautiful, confident, and completely at ease with Taehyung. She was his past, a part of him I could never erase, and the way she looked at him made it clear she wanted to be a part of his future, too.

The door creaked open behind me, and I heard footsteps approaching. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Baby...”

I jumped at the sound of Taehyung’s deel voice, turning to find him standing in the doorway, his dark eyes watching me with a softness that tugged at my heart. He was dressed casually, his hair slightly tousled from sleep, and he looked so effortlessly handsome it made my heart ache.

I kept my gaze forward, refusing to look at him. “Y-Yeha?”

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, stepping closer.

I forced a small smile, even though I could feel the tears threatening to spill. “Just… needed some air.”

His brows knit together as he came to stand beside me, gazing out at the mountains. “I know things have been… difficult, with Aera here,” he said quietly. “But I need you to trust me, Y/n.”

My throat tightened, and I looked away, blinking back tears. “Trust isn’t the problem, Tae. It’s… it’s her.” I hesitated, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “She acts like she still belongs with you, like she knows some part of you that I’ll never understand. And… it scares me.”

He turned to me, his gaze intense as he reached out, his fingers gently brushing a stray tear from my cheek. “Love,” he murmured, his voice soft but firm. “She’s my past. You're my future. The only one I want by my side is you.”

I looked into his eyes, searching for some hint of reassurance, and saw the sincerity there, the way he looked at me as though I were the only person in his world. For a moment, I let myself believe it, let myself sink into his words and the comfort they offered.

But then, in the back of my mind, Aera’s face flashed again, her confident smile, the way she carried herself as though she belonged here, right next to him. And despite everything Taehyung was saying, I couldn’t shake that lingering doubt, that feeling that Aera was here for a reason—and that she wouldn’t leave until she had what she wanted.