A Long Way From Home

열하나 (yeol-hana)

...ㅏ니 ...

"You don't seem happy... What happened?" Taehyung asked as Ani sat in the café where they'd regularly met for Boba. Ani felt her stomach knot in happiness and anxiety. Taehyung was perceptive. He was able to gauge her feelings before she could figure them out herself. He was very sweet. He even remembered her café order. Her favorite bubble tea order had been waiting on the table for her when she arrived. That made all of this harder.

"I...need to ask you a question..."

"You can ask me anything," Taehyung said with a wide grin. Ani felt more knots form.

"We hang out a lot yes?"

"Yes, but we've been working through it all. We should go out properly. Why not let me take you out to a chimaek restaurant? My brother knows a great spot."

"Well, that's the thing... I don't think we can hang out like that..." Taehyung's smile dropped. The look of confusion on his face made him seem small.

"Why not?" He asked quietly. Ani played with the condensation on her drink cup. Taehyung reached out and wrapped his hands around hers. Ani shivered at the small yet intimate gesture.

"I don't want to make any assumptions about how you feel about me. I know how I feel about you. You're very kind. You're smart. You care about even the littlest things. I admire that about you."

"Ani, are you breaking up with me?" 

"I mean... I didn't think we were dating... I thought we were friends."

"We are friends. I just thought we were more... We get along so well... We hang out so much that I thought the feeling was mutual..."

"Taehyung-ssi... I'm dating someone." Ani noticed Taehyung's eyes widened. His hands left hers like he'd been burned suddenly.

"I didn't know." He said putting his hands in his lap.

"It's a recent development. If I had known how you felt, I would have said something sooner. I'm sorry." Taehyung stood up and walked to the door. He took one last look at Ani before walking out. 'Well, that couldn't have gone worse.' Ani thought to herself. She looked over at Taehyung's untouched drink and sighed.

"Ani-ssi?" A familiar voice said suddenly. Ani looked up to see Li Song waving as she made her way over. Ani mustered up a friendly smile. "Annyeong!"

"Annyeong, Li Song-nim."

"Am I mistaken or did I see Taehyung leave in a less than happy mood?"

"Yeah...that was him..."

"Wow, he's even more handsome up close!"

"You were right... He thought we were dating."

"I'm rarely wrong. Wait, does that mean you broke up with him?"

"We weren't dating! I just clarified that..."

"He seemed more upset than you telling him that you want to just be friends."

"I may have told him that I'm dating someone else..." Li Song's eyes widened then switched to confusion.

"You and the businessman?" Ani nodded. 

"He finally asked me. I'm officially off the market."

"Off the market?"

"Yeah, as in I'm taken."

"Why'd you pick the businessman? Isn't he too busy for a relationship?"