Dear. My Darling | Gongfourz / Taehan

Chapter 43

Taesan's apartment was eerily quiet as Leehan moved around, picking up stray clothes and wiping down surfaces.

The scent of Taesan's cologne still lingered in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of coffee, but everything else felt empty.

Taesan had been distant lately, and it gnawed at Leehan in ways he couldn't put into words. He wasn't sure what had changed, or when, but he could feel it-Taesan had been slipping away, slowly, silently, like sand through his fingers.

Leehan knew Taesan needed space. He had given it to him willingly, even if it hurt.

They were both still recovering from everything, from their past mistakes, from the things they'd left unsaid. But something had shifted in Taesan, and Leehan couldn't ignore it anymore.

He had come over today, hoping they could talk, but Taesan hadn't been home yet. So, Leehan kept himself busy, doing the things that made him feel like he was still in control.

The apartment had always felt like a safe place for them, a space where they could be themselves, where they could come together. But now, it felt different-less like a home and more like a cage, a reminder of everything that was slipping through his grasp.

He moved toward the storage room, hoping to find something that would distract him from the ache that was steadily growing inside him.

As he pulled open the door, a cardboard box teetered precariously on a shelf, and before he could catch it, it toppled over. Papers and books spilled out, and a photo album slid across the floor, creaking open with a sickening finality.

Leehan knelt down to pick it up, his fingers brushing against the cover. He hesitated for a moment, but curiosity got the better of him.

He opened the album slowly, each page turning more heavily than the last. Then, his eyes landed on a picture-a picture of Taesan, smiling widely, standing beside a girl with long dark hair.

Her face was partially obscured, but the way Taesan looked at her was unmistakable. It wasn't just a glance-it was the kind of look Leehan had seen before, a look of someone who was in love.

Leehan's heart skipped, the blood draining from his face. His hand trembled as he flipped the page.

More photos followed. In each one, the girl was there-holding Taesan's hand, laughing beside him, looking at him with a love so obvious it burned through the paper.

There were more pictures of them together, their arms around each other, their smiles genuine and full of affection.

Leehan couldn't breathe. His eyes scanned the letters scattered throughout the pages, the words carefully written in neat handwriting.

Taesan's name was on every other line, and the more he read, the more his stomach turned. The letters weren't just friendly notes or simple exchanges.

They were love letters-words written for someone who clearly meant more than just a passing acquaintance.

The world tilted beneath him. The air around him grew thick and suffocating. His head pounded, and for a moment, everything was too much to process.

He stared at the photo, the image of Taesan smiling so brightly, so effortlessly happy. The pain hit him like a wave, crashing over him in an instant.

Had Taesan been seeing her while they were on a break?

The thought felt like acid in his veins, burning through his skin, searing his mind. His chest tightened, a lump forming in his throat. The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in on him as the truth began to take root in his mind.

Of course. Of course Taesan had found someone else. Why wouldn't he?

Leehan's thoughts spiraled out of control, each one darker than the last. The distance, the coldness, the way Taesan had been pulling away from him-it all made sense now. He met her. He's been seeing her. And maybe he's happier with her.

A wave of self-doubt crashed over him, his fingers clutching the album as if it might disappear if he let go.

What if I wasn't enough for him? The thought echoed in his mind, louder than the others. What if I never was?

His stomach twisted painfully, and he tried to breathe, but it was like the air had been stolen from his lungs.

His fingers shook as he put the album down, but his gaze remained locked on the pictures of Taesan and the girl.

The love between them seemed so real, so effortless. Maybe I was just a placeholder, he thought bitterly. Maybe he was just waiting for someone better to come along.

Leehan's mind went back to their conversations, to the way Taesan had acted in the past few days, and he felt his chest tighten. He's been lying to me. All this time, he's been lying to me.

He wanted to scream, to throw the album across the room, to confront Taesan right then and there, but something held him back.

The words stuck in his throat, turning to ash. If he said anything, it would only confirm what he feared the most-that Taesan had found someone else, someone who could give him the love he couldn't.

Someone who could give him everything I couldn't.

Leehan closed his eyes, trying to block out the image of Taesan and the girl, but it burned in his mind.

The hurt was like a constant weight on his chest, pressing him down with each passing second. He had never felt so insignificant in his life.

Am I not enough for him? The question played on a loop in his mind, drowning out everything else. What did I do wrong? Why does he want her and not me?

The sadness in his heart shifted, growing into something darker. He wasn't just hurt-he was angry.

Angry at Taesan for hiding this from him, angry at himself for not seeing the signs sooner. How long has this been going on?

His breath hitched as tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't want to cry, didn't want to feel weak, but the pain was too much. He bit his lip, trying to hold it together, but the dam inside him broke, and a choked sob escaped.

He looked at the album once more, his vision blurry through the tears. The girl's smile seemed to mock him now, to remind him of how easily Taesan had moved on.

Was it ever real? Was any of it real?

Leehan stood there, frozen, his body shaking with a mix of emotions he couldn't control. He wanted to believe in Taesan, wanted to believe that everything they had meant something, but the image of him with her-of him being so happy, so content-was too much to bear.

The door creaked open behind him, and Leehan's heart stopped. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Taesan had arrived, but Leehan didn't know if he could face him now. Not with the weight of this new truth crushing him from all sides.

How could he lie to me?

The room felt suffocating, and Leehan felt like he couldn't breathe anymore. He wanted to run, to escape, to shut out the hurt.

But deep down, he knew there was no running from this. The truth was here, and it was breaking him, piece by piece.