Dear. My Darling | Gongfourz / Taehan

Chapter 41

The car hummed steadily, its tires eating up the empty road as they drove through the quiet streets.

Taesan's hands gripped the wheel lightly, his eyes scanning the road ahead.

Leehan sat on the passenger side, his head tilted back against the seat, staring out the window at the passing streetlights, their glow casting fleeting shadows across his face.

Neither of them spoke. The silence felt heavy, yet it wasn't uncomfortable.

The night air was cool, seeping in through the cracks of the rolled-down windows. Despite the lack of words, Leehan felt a strange sense of peace.

It was different from the distance and tension they'd carried for the past days. There was something about being near Taesan again, even without the weight of conversation, that grounded him.

It was like a thread of familiarity, something he didn't realize he missed until it was right in front of him.

The silence stretched on, each minute filled with unspoken thoughts, until finally, Taesan broke it.

"I didn't expect to be here tonight," Taesan muttered, his voice low, almost apologetic.

He glanced briefly at Leehan, his gaze flicking back to the road. "I didn't think you'd text me. Honestly, I thought... I thought you'd want space."

Leehan turned his head, looking at him with an unreadable expression. "I wasn't sure either," he admitted. "But... I wanted to try. Even if it was hard."

Taesan nodded, his lips pulling into a thin line. "It's been hard," he said, the weight of the words hanging between them. He inhaled deeply, his grip tightening on the wheel. "I don't know how things got so... messed up."

Leehan let out a soft breath, his gaze drifting back to the passing cityscape. His thoughts swirled, each one more confusing than the last.

He had never felt so lost in his emotions. So much had happened in such a short span of time, and he wasn't sure how to make sense of it all.

"Neither do I," Leehan whispered. "I've been thinking about it... a lot." His voice wavered, but he pushed on. "About everything that's happened... and how I've felt."

The words were tentative, as though they were pieces of a puzzle he was still trying to put together. He hesitated before continuing, unsure if Taesan was ready to hear it all.

"I think... I think I've always wanted more from you," Leehan said quietly, his eyes focused on the road ahead, but his mind miles away. "More than just... things. More than just gifts and gestures. I wanted you. I wanted your attention. Your care. Your love."

He paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. "But I couldn't make sense of it. I kept telling myself that I should be happy with what you gave me. That it was enough. But it wasn't. And that made me angry at myself."

There was a silence again, but this time it didn't feel cold. Leehan could almost feel Taesan's eyes on him, as if Taesan was processing his words, understanding them in the way only someone who truly knew him could.

The car's headlights flickered as they passed a stoplight, casting their shadows in the rearview mirror.

Taesan finally spoke, his voice soft but carrying a weight Leehan hadn't expected. "I thought... I thought I was giving you what you wanted. I didn't know. I thought if I bought you the things you liked, if I showed you I could provide... then that would show you I loved you."

Taesan sighed, a bitter laugh escaping him. "But I missed it. I didn't see you... not the way you needed. I didn't listen."

Leehan's heart clenched as he heard the pain in Taesan's voice. For a moment, the anger he'd felt earlier melted away, replaced by a wave of sadness that was so deep it threatened to drown him.

"You were trying to love me," Leehan said quietly, his voice barely a whisper, but the words felt like they carried all the weight of their relationship.

"And I was too caught up in my own frustration to see it." Leehan paused. "I didn't know how to tell you... what I really needed. I thought you should just know. I thought if you loved me, you would."

Taesan's hands flexed on the steering wheel, his fingers gripping it tightly before he loosened them, as if trying to release some of the tension building within himself.

"I didn't know either," Taesan confessed, the vulnerability in his voice clear now. "I thought... I thought I was doing enough. But I wasn't. I'm sorry, Leehan."

Leehan glanced at him, catching a glimpse of the sincerity in Taesan's eyes. The words felt heavy, but for the first time in days, they didn't sound empty.

The car continued its slow ride, the city lights flickering by, but everything felt quieter now. Like the world outside had stopped just for them to have this moment.

"I don't want to give up on us," Taesan said suddenly, his voice firm but not without hesitation. "I don't want to let go. But I don't know how to fix this, Leehan. I don't know how to make it right."

Leehan's chest tightened, but he couldn't deny the knot of hope that fluttered in his stomach. "Neither do I," he said honestly, his voice soft but resolute.

"But I want to try. I don't want to give up either." He turned to Taesan, his gaze steady. "I want to fix this. I want us to get back to what we had... maybe even better. But I need to know you're willing to try too."

For a moment, there was nothing but the hum of the car and the distant sounds of the city.

Leehan held his breath, waiting for Taesan to speak, unsure if he would. But then Taesan's voice broke through the silence, his words simple but heavy with emotion.

"I'll try," Taesan said softly, his gaze not leaving the road. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Leehan nodded, his heart swelling at the sincerity in Taesan's voice.

They both knew this wasn't going to be easy. They both knew that there were still many things left unsaid, many walls between them to break down.

But for the first time in days, there was hope-a fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, they could find their way back to each other.

The car continued to roll forward, the road ahead stretching out in front of them, wide and unknown. But for the first time in a long while, neither of them felt as afraid of it.

What they're sure if right now is that no matter what it is ahead, they'll take it together. Leehan could see the light at the end, so bright waiting for them. But, did Taesan saw the same?