❝EARPHONES❞ ─ k.th

Chapter 011

He hated the whole lot of this world. He hated how everything miserable had to happen to him, no matter how hard he pretended to be unaffected or tried his best to ignore it. He was always struggling one way or another. In a matter of fact, one thing he had hated most in this world, was himself. He hated how he always ruined himself and everyone around him. If only he knew earlier about this, he wouldn't have bothered to attach himself to her, or have her attached to him.

As he walked through the doors, all heads turned, his grandmother being the fastest despite of her old age. Not being able to determine what was going through his mind, she decided to speak up first. "Did you tell her?"

All he could give her was a sunken look, his eyes drooping as he fought back tears. He wanted to be headstrong, act like he was fine and everything wasn't as bad as how he felt inside, except, that didn't happen. He broke into tears as his grandmother wrapped her loving arms around him, providing him the protection and love he had been longing for. His grandmother tightened her grip around her grandson, rubbing his back in a circular motion. She was saddened seeing her little boy destroyed, broken.

"I couldn't tell her," Taehyung cried out in agony, taking irregular breaths. His heart shattered the more he thought about the event that took place only minutes ago. The way her eyes were flooded with tears, the way her eyes grew red. The way her cheeks puffed up as her eyes lashes were soaked with tear drops. It was all caused by him, he brought her the sadness, the result of trusting him. "I feared hurting her."

Dahye walked around the corner, her eyes landing on the boy weeping in desperation for things to turn out differently. Although she didn't like Naeun that much, she pitied both her and Taehyung. He didn't have many friends, especially female ever since the divorce between his parents, he grew weary of them, feeling like they were a specie you couldn't trust. All except Dahye. She was there when he needed her most, she was the only one he could trust, knowing she wouldn't judge.

Taehyung's eyes a lined with hers, showing her all the bottled-up emotions he had kept inside of him over the course of the year. She mouthed 'I'll wait outside' to him as her heart clenched in pain, seeing her friend in more pain than she knew of. She took one last look at Taehyung before removing herself from the room as she moved towards the front of the house.

As she heard the door turn open she immediately sat up, looking Taehyung directly into his eyes. He didn't have to say anything, she already knew. Dahye wrapped her arms around him, mumbling into his ears, "Don't worry too much Taehyung. As time goes by and the situation blows over, she will understand. She'll forgive you."

As much as he wanted to agree, he couldn't. He opened his mouth to disagree, but only oxygen came out. He became mute. He didn't know if Naeun would forgive him. If she did forgive him, he didn't know how long it would take. And that was the problem. He didn't want to lose her, the connection they shared. It was special, it made him feel emotions he hadn't felt in ages. She gave him something to look forward to every night and morning. She made him feel human, and that's all he asked of.

Slowly, everything he had said or done with her played through his mind on replay, like a song that never ends. He smiled at the memories for a second before frowning, guilt and regret overwhelming him. A tear slid down his face and landed on her shoulder as he finally spoke up, saying all he had to say. "Will I be able to forgive myself?"

[ chapter eleven ]