Taehyung's Song • KTH

Twenty

Your mother had entertained Seongwoo while you hurriedly finished your make up and pulled on your dress. Everything your parents had told you kept spinning through your mind. They had one of the most solid marriages you've ever seen. Supporting each other incessantly, being in your corner no matter the obstacles, always a united front against every hurdle. But at one time they'd fallen short of perfection. Your mother turning her back on her marriage in want of a child, your father turning his back on his wife when things got too difficult. They'd reconciled and had over twenty happy years since.

You wanted that with Taehyung, but he'd finally taken steps to close the door. How could your timing be so awful? You'd both ignored all your feelings and just let the chance at happiness slip away. You glanced in the mirror and shrugged, this was as good as it was going to get. You looked pale even with your make up, your eyes watery, unfocused.

You were quiet in the car, explaining that you'd had a disagreement with your parents and you just needed a drink. You'd feel better after that. Seongwoo squeezed your hand and tried to cheer you up with some upbeat music on the radio. That proved to be a bad choice when BTS "Boy with Luv" played a few minutes into the drive, and you found your mood even lower. He'd flipped the station, but the damage was done.

At the table in the cozy restaurant he ordered a bottle of red wine, and you both drank deeply. You could tell Seongwoo wanted to ask you about your deposition, but couldn't find the words. You decided to put him out of his misery.

"I'm not over my ex, I'm sorry Seongwoo, I want to be honest." You took another healthy drink from your glass and watched as he nodded slowly.

"I figured, after Park Seo Joon's party, you were really out of it at the bar. I figured seeing him made some feelings come back. Do you want to talk about it?" He took another long drink, you couldn't tell if he really wanted to talk about it or if he was being considerate.

"I'm sure that's the last thing you want." Seongwoo reached across the table his fingers squeezing your forearm where it rested on the edge.

"You're not ready to date, but I'd like to be friends. Why did you break up? Sometimes things are larger in our heads and if we keep repeating them out loud we get some perspective."

"The miscarriage took it's toll on us. We both let it, and before we knew it, we weren't talking anymore. It all just exploded in an argument and I left. I couldn't save him you know? I was tired of getting shut out. Then at the party he was different, like himself again, and that was intriguing to me. Turns out, it was just him getting over me." You finished your glass turning pink with the embarrassment of relaying this story on your date. Seongwoo didn't seem perturbed.

"I'm guessing you saw him again after the party?" His voice held no judgement and he filled your glass again.

"It was a goodbye of sorts, yes."

"But for you it felt more like a hello again?"

"Exactly, and that was a mistake, because it really was closure for him. I left him without saying goodbye, packed my things and fled while he was at work. It left him unresolved, and then after seeing me again, he said goodbye. I found out he blocked my number right before you picked me up." You let out a breath you didn't know you'd been holding. You felt your phone vibrate and you glanced at it.

"That's not him is it?" Seongwoo raised a brow glancing at your phone.

"No, Sujin had her baby. Namjoon's wife." You whispered the words to him and he nodded and then you both leaned close as you opened the picture. A tiny perfect infant lay wrapped in a pristine white linen blanket in Namjoon's arms. 'Welcome to the world Kim Kang-Dae' and you both smiled broadly for the first time all night.