still you | baekyeon

Chapter 13

After their lips parted, she looked at him, her expression a mixture of emotions. Her voice, laced with urgency, broke the silence that hung between them.

"Don't go," she implored, her arms slowly releasing their grip around his neck.

Still slightly dazed by the unexpected kiss, he watched her retreat into the bedroom, the door closing softly behind her. Confusion and astonishment battled within him as he tried to make sense of the situation.

Why had she kissed him? Was her confession genuine or a momentary lapse of vulnerability? The questions swirled in his mind, leaving him sitting on the couch, fingers unconsciously grazing his lips, where the memory of her kiss still lingered.

He closed his eyes momentarily, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions that had overtaken him. Whatever her intentions, he knew he couldn't allow himself to be swayed by the uncertainty of the moment.

Gathering his resolve, he stood up, his gaze flickering towards the closed bedroom door, where her presence lingered like a haunting melody. Conflicted between the unexpected connection they had shared and the reality that had shaped their relationship, he took a step towards the main door.

As his fingers hovered over the elevator button, he hesitated, his thoughts momentarily drawn back to the room he was leaving behind. Just as he was about to step into the elevator, the hotel room door swung open with a rush of air, and she emerged, her eyes fixed on him, a determined fire burning within.

Her abrupt appearance caught him off guard, freezing him in place as the charged tension between them crackled like electricity, unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.

Before the elevator doors could close, she managed to reach him, swiftly pulling him back into the hotel room, her grip determined and unyielding.

"I was about to leave. Why did you stop—" he began, his voice tinged with frustration.

"I told you that you're not leaving! Was the kiss and my confession not enough to keep those stubborn feet of yours from walking out into the pouring rain?" She stared at him, a mixture of exasperation and hurt in her eyes, as if he were the one in the wrong.

His words momentarily failed him as he tried to formulate a response to her accusation.

"You... you only said those things to prevent me from leaving, didn't you?" he ventured, his tone cautious.

Once again, she avoided his gaze and fell silent, her lips pressed in a thin line.

He offered a bitter smile, a mixture of resignation and bitterness etched in his expression. "Whether you said it to hold me back or not, whether you kissed me or not, it doesn't change my decision. I'm still leaving."

Her eyes remained locked on him, a blend of frustration and desperation evident in her gaze. "I warned you about the storm. Why must you be so stubborn? If anything were to happen to you, your fans—"

"Bullshit!" His outburst cut her off, shocking her with the force of his words.

"Stop pretending that you care about me. All you care about is what people will think!" His anger radiated through his voice, though he quickly realized the sting of his words had caused her tears to flow.

He cradled his head in his hands, his frustration mixing with self-recrimination. His emotions were spiraling out of control, and he knew he was losing his grip on the situation.

A strained smile tugged at her lips, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You're right. I do care about what other people say. Fine, do as you please. If you're so determined to go, then go. I won't stop you."

The weight of his own actions and words bore down on him, leaving him feeling hollow as he stood and staggered towards the exit, his steps heavy with remorse and guilt.

Each step away from her felt like a step closer to a void he couldn't escape. He longed to take back his harsh words, to bridge the gap between them, but the damage was done. It was as if every attempt he made only dug the hole deeper.

As he turned back to look at her one last time, he saw her standing there, her lips quivering as she struggled to hold back her tears. In that moment, he wanted to turn back, to erase everything that had transpired, but he knew he couldn't.

In a hushed tone, he uttered the words that had been trapped in his heart. "I'm sorry..." And with that, he left the hotel room, walking away from her life, a chapter closing with a heavy finality.