Feeling Brew

~25~

 "Take care, and thank you for being a part of our NCTU family," the Dean wished her.

Isla bowed and let out a deep sigh as she left his office buried in the heart of the campus. Once she had made the first difficult decision to reveal herself to the world as Geo, she had gone numb. Every other decision she made didn't leave as much of an impact. And this time, she had decided it would be for the best if she left NCT University without a sound and go dormant for a bit while completing the rest of her music degree online. Luckily, the university was more than happy to comply with her request.

"Your suitcases are in the car. Do you have everything you need before we head to the airport?" her manager asked.

Isla hesitated. "You mind if I stop by a couple places? For the last time?"

Her manager could hear the hurt in her voice and gestured for her to take care of everything.

Isla pulled her baseball cap down low as she strolled on the familiar path down to the Aquatic Complex. With it being so early in the morning, there was no one in the pool. Isla stared at the water longingly, wishing she could dive in and redo that race over and over again. But those thoughts quickly dissipated and were replaced by the time Mi Ran had made her walk through fire in order to prove she was worth it to join the team. She had pushed Isla beyond her physical limit, even going as far as pouring syrup on her and commanding her to swim at top speed. But Taeil had appeared in her most desperate moment, saving her from being humiliated further. She remembered how safe she felt when he defended her and tried to cheer her up.

The girl glanced over to the far end of the pool, and this time, she remembered when she and Taeil had been swimming laps together. Her heart raced faster when he had pressed her against the edge of the pool and kissed her. She never knew he had that in him, but she wished she could go back and feel her heart pound like that again. In that moment, she had felt so alive.

Isla finally met her manager in the parking lot but looked back at the large campus one more time. The sun cast a golden glow on the tips of the buildings that she had become familiar with over the last few months. The van pulled out of the lot and made for the main roads, but before her manager could make it to the highway, Isla begged him to make one more stop.

"I knew you would ask," he laughed. "Let's make it quick, so that we can comfortably catch the flight without being caught by reporters."

"Thanks." Isla had to see him one more time before she left. Her hands grew sweaty and her cheeks took on a flushed look as she burst out of the van and stood in front of the place where it all started.

Confidently, she pushed open the door and made her way to the counter. But as she peered around, she realized the only barista on hand was Taehyung.

No, she thought. No. No. NO.

Isla looked around frantically. "Where's Taeil?"

"He has an afternoon shift today. Would you like to come by then?" Taehyung asked, but he sensed that something was wrong. "Are you alright?"

Isla bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling, and she was thankful for the shades that kept her watering eyes concealed. "I'll take the Goodbye."

"The Goodbye?" Taehyung could see her crumbling behind the sunglasses and baseball cap. "That's the hazelnut latte. Are you sure you want the Goodbye and not the See You Soon?"

"The Goodbye" Isla repeated.

Taehyung quickly but hesitantly whipped up the latte, pouring a rosette pattern with the steamed milk just like Taeil had taught him. "This one's on the house, Geo," he smiled. "Keep this in mind. You think you're saying goodbye, but you should remember that home is where your heart is."