mischief || kth [✓]

(Epilogue): The Flight

Taehyung wasn't the type to dwell on the past, wasn't the type to pan the moments where things weren't falling into place like how he initially planned them to; wasn't the type to think of the do's and don'ts or the what if's. He laughs things off, sometimes having to ignore the hole in his heart that came with it, ignore how no one noticed how empty his laugh is.

Taehyung would never, ever recommend delving into the part of his mind he considered as toxic, the part of his mind he would barely be able to see the light in. Every single one managed to shift into the form of anxiety and fear and anger and just simple negativity he didn't ever want to burden anybody else with.

He always lived with the mentality that every puzzle was made to be solved, every puzzle needs every piece to make it whole. Though with moments that proved to be fallen pieces to the puzzle that shaped into his life, the puzzle that was meant to be solved without a single flaw; he found himself doubting his own mentality, doubting every idea that managed to implant itself into his mind. But even still, every single one molded itself into the heart that belonged to none other than Kim Taehyung, and no one would change that.

No one but you, his missing puzzle piece he never even knew existed. And he only hates you more because he can't hate you.

Don't become attached. Don't become attached. Don't become attached—

Taehyung became attached.

~

More often than not, it's hard for people to think straight when put under any kind of pressure. And by people, in this case, it's you, no one else but you. And maybe also Taehyung, the male that was standing directly in front of you, staring at you without even a hint of emotion displayed in his features, the only indication that he's even aware of what he's doing being the slight twitch of his lips and the hurricane in his eyes.

At this rate, if you continue having a stare off with the man in the middle of a cafe, of all places, people might start questioning the scene or even do so much as ask you both to move directly. Or maybe even kick you out, because from the calm look in his eyes that's slowly morphing into desperation, a desperate need for you to say something, anything - people might start to get worried. For themselves or for you, you didn't even know.

And so you do. You swallow down the bile in your throat, the bile compiled of emotions that infused themselves into your system; pushing them down, down, down until it, hopefully, doesn't show in your eyes, doesn't show in your voice, doesn't show in the way you had to stop your bottom lip from trembling even just the slightest bit.

But even so, no matter how ready you thought you were- no matter how ready you thought you could possibly be- you still let your voice falter as you spoke, "H-hi, Taehyung."

Taehyung?

Not... Tae?

And if he noticed, he doesn't comment. "Hi, Y/n."

Then it's back to silence, except this time, your gaze lowers to your shoes. Despite the clinking of utensils, the chattering of customers or the shouting of the employees; it feels like you're stuck in a world where it's just you and Taehyung, Taehyung and you. While it was a world you were willing to welcome with open arms before- God, even now- you weren't ready for it, you just weren't ready.

And that's what makes your resolve to talk to him crumble into pieces, that's what makes you avoid eye contact completely, that's what makes you mutter a chewed up, poorly executed "I need to go" before walking past him, before your emotions get the best of you, before the gathering of your emotions starts to stir up again.