Letters from the Void // ASTRO ✔

Chapter 35

Taehyung kept his act, not saying anything until he finished the last drop of his cappuccino before standing up, intending to leave the café. He pushed the glass door open, stepped out into the busy street and walked forward without looking back.

"Kim Taehyung!" Moon Bin was desperately chasing after him, but he gave no chance to the detective. Instead, he quietly calculated how long it would take for him to arrive at the apartment. He thought about the warm shower, soft bed- He was jerked backwards as someone grabbed his shoulder with force, making him stop. The people around him merely parted, walking around him.

With an annoyed face he turned to look at the culprit. The culprit stood there, slightly panting after having to chase Taehyung. "You're a detective yet you're out of breath just from a little bit of exercise," Taehyung smirked, the edge of his lips slightly curled.

"I... had a rough day so give me a break," Moon Bin took in a lungful of breath.

Taehyung simply shrugged, but he knew the real reason the detective was determined to chase him on the streets; to persuade him to take out his sister's ID chip.

"Whatever you say, I'm not going to do it. Laying her on the operating table was hard enough, cutting through her skin just to be able to revive her and see her walking again; once was enough. I'm not going to do it again just for the sake of finding the real owner."

"But your sister's in great danger. Remember what happened to her at the bridge-"

"There has to be another way. The point is, I'm not letting my sister lie down on the operating table ever again."

Moon Bin blinked a few times, trying to think of another good excuse to make Taehyung agree. Taehyung is stubborn, much like Taehee. They're siblings, that's for sure.

Taehyung eyed the detective, and he knew he was thinking on ways he could convince him. He thought about his sister, before saying, "If my sister starts acting up again because of the ID chip, I'll take it out. But if she's doing fine, we better find some other way to know the real owner of the chip."

***

Incheon airport was bustling with people from around the world; a group of tourists who just landed trudged past him, chattering excitedly in English. Eunwoo understood their conversation perfectly, since he had been learning English for as long as he could remember. They sounded really excited, but the mood didn't rub off on Eunwoo as he sat solemnly on the bench, staring at the passport in his hands. His luggage stood near his feet, and his packed breakfast was placed on top of the luggage. He didn't have the appetite to eat, but he would surely get an earful from his mother if he decided to skip breakfast.

He checked his watch; he had around two hours before he was due to leave the country. He got up, walked around while dragging his luggage and diving into his breakfast. His shoes clicked on the smooth floor, and he caught a few women smiling shyly at him, but he took no notice. Because really, he only had eyes for one girl. One unreachable girl, if he had to describe her.

The announcement for different flights resonated through the vast area, but none were his. He walked aimlessly, eyeing the shops selling candies, chocolates and souvenirs.

He was confused about his feelings.

He was a coward.

He was incompetent.

All the negative feelings consumed him, and he was left to stare blankly through the glass of one of the shops. Wandering aimlessly through the airport took up all his time, and it was time for him to board the plane. Pulling his luggage behind him, he started walking to his destination. As expected, the metal detector beeped when he passed through it. After a brief explanation and a letter about his condition as proof, he was let inside. As he was lining up to get into the massive vehicle, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face on the other side of the glass separating the waiting area and outside. The familiar figure only shook his head slowly, clearly disappointed by the decision Eunwoo was making. The figure left before Eunwoo could react, the figure only giving his slumped back as Eunwoo's view. Eunwoo stepped into the long walkway, walking towards the airplane and onto a journey to get him away from the country.