Remnants of the Heart | Kim Taehyung

32: part

ACT 3 — SCENE 8
SHE LEAVES.

IT'S HALF past ten when Seojung finally comes back to the apartment after a long day. Her last class had ended three hours ago, but she had taken it upon herself to stay on campus a little later to finish some of her assignments. Ended up losing track of time and was the last one to come out of the study area. It was her first time seeing the place so quiet and deserted with everyone having gone home or in their dorms already, and frankly speaking, the eeriness gave her the creeps.

Taking her keys out feels like a challenge with her fatigue-ridden body. Seojung wants nothing more than to collapse on her bed and pass out, enjoy the rest she deserves and sleep in until noon. But it's still midweek and she has to remind herself that she had morning classes the next day. An unexpected ding distracts her from unlocking her door, watching as the elevator opens and reveals the boy she had not heard from for three days.

There's already something Seojung doesn't like about his slumped posture. Tired eyes avoid hers as he walks to his door without bothering to acknowledge her presence with a greeting. He had told her that he'd be back by Monday, but it's Wednesday now and the fact that it's at this hour she sees him for the first time ever since he went home for the weekend worries her.

"I didn't know you were back," she tries carefully. Taehyung doesn't turn around, busy with his keys. "How are things at home?"

"As good as they can get," the boy grumbles with a tone that Seojung doesn't particularly like. She knows he's upset. It's so easy to read Taehyung when he acts like this, so unlike himself and so distant. He thinks he's suave and discrete with his emotions when in reality he's no good at hiding how he really feels.

Seojung follows him inside before he could close the door on her. He doesn't seem to mind as he casually throws his backpack on the couch and heads for the kitchen. She wants to ask why he's trying so hard to avoid looking at her, but she knows that asking won't do her any good with a guy like Taehyung.

And so she watches him get a glass of water, arms crossed over her chest and waits until he finishes his drink. He should know by now that she's not going anywhere until he gives her something she can believe, even if she feels a headache coming and her body just screams sleep.

Taehyung sets his glass down and leans on the counter. "You hung out with Jeongguk over the weekend."

She almost laughs. That couldn't be the reason why Taehyung's this riled up. And even if it is, it doesn't seem fair how he gets to be jealous after Seojung happened to be at the same place as her ex when she sees Taehyung lets groups of girls fawn over him on campus all the time.

"How did you know about that?"

"Instagram."

"So you had time to check Instagram but not answer my calls?" the girl scoffs. This is ridiculous.

Taehyung shrugs. She wants to tell him that he's acting like a child, but that would only fuel his unexplainable anger and make things even more chaotic. Seojung doesn't want to argue when it's not worth arguing about.

"You're seriously mad because I spent one night with my friends and Jeongguk just happened to be there? You're not usually like this. What's wrong?"

She follows him into the leaving room, staying by the TV and watches him plop down on the couch. It's not the first time she's seen him completely act up. He has mood swings far too frustrating to deal and issues he'd rather not tell her, which makes it hard for Seojung to understand what exactly is going on with him. They've had their fair share of small arguments that die down only because they were never completely resolved. Taehyung liked to pretend nothing ever happened and forced things to go back to normal. Seojung thought that it was fine, but she slowly realizes how unhealthy that is.