Hello (Goodbye) (1/1)

Jinki stood in shock as he watched Taemin kiss Gwiboon, his feelings evident in the way he cupped her chin and firmly pressed their lips together as if he wasn’t taking no for an answer. Time seemed to freeze as he glanced behind the pair and saw Minho standing in the doorway, his face set in a hard line. Uh-oh. Jinki knew that face. Minho, who was one of the kindest, most considerate people in the world and would do anything for anyone, who refused to raise his voice at people and always believed the best in them, was furious. His arms were held at his sides but Jinki noticed that his fists were clenched and the veins on his forearms were bulging. He had only seen Minho like this once before, when Gwiboon had been groped by that asshole, and Jinki was afraid of what he might do next. Gwiboon made a soft whimper of protest, drawing Jinki’s attention from his best friend to his roommate, who was now attempting to step away from Taemin. Not even a second later, Minho had strode forward and yanked the two apart, putting himself between Gwiboon and Taemin. Taemin, whom Jinki did not know so well, also looked furious; but, the anger and protectiveness in Minho’s eyes would quell even a lioness protecting her cub. The two faced off in a stalemate as Gwiboon stood behind them, watching it all happen as if in shock. She glanced from Taemin to Minho, confusion etched into the furrow between her brows. Jinki wasn’t sure exactly what Gwiboon felt for the boys, but he did know that neither looked like they were going to back down without a fight.  ~  Taemin stared daggers at the guy that was now standing between him and Gwiboon – as if she needed protection from him. He breathed deeply to remind himself that getting angry would solve nothing and would only upset Gwiboon further, so he attempted to relax his shoulders and return his face to its neutral expression. The other guy responded to his now calmer demeanor, relaxing, but only just. It was impossible for Taemin not to roll his eyes. Who did this guy think he was to come between them? Choosing to ignore him rather than egg him on, he looked past him to see Gwiboon, his Gwiboon. She was so beautiful that it took his breath away; she was just as he remembered but also different somehow. He couldn’t quite place his finger on what was different but could feel it in the way she held herself and the way that she was now looking at him. Something had changed and he wasn’t sure if he was going to like it.  ~  Gwiboon attempted to gather her thoughts. Everything was happening too quickly and she didn’t feel like she had any time or space to process it all. Never in a million years would she have guessed that Taemin would be here, in her dorm room in New York City. For weeks he hadn’t returned her phone calls, her desperate messages on every social media account she could think of – he hadn’t even talked to her brother when she had begged Jonghyun to contact him. But now he was here, standing in front of her – well in front of Minho – and he had kissed her. He was looking at her as if she was the last piece of an unfinished puzzle and all he needed was to hold her and fit her right back where she belonged. Somehow that imagery seemed to click. She could so easily see herself returning to Taemin, returning to his warm smiles and familiar embrace. Returning to his love and his heart until they had grown old. Before New York, this had been her dream, to be with Taemin, a man who loved her as a woman even though they both knew she wasn’t. A pang shot through her heart at the last thought and tears stung her eyes. She wasn’t that girl anymore. She wasn’t that person anymore. Gwiboon’s heart thudded in her chest, each beat bringing another image to mind. Minho, with his big, caring eyes and kind smile, with his warm laugh and silent determination for Gwiboon to accept herself wholly as she was. No specific images came to mind mind when she thought of a future with Minho, but the feeling was strong, burning under the surface as if saying there was no definite future, only a secure knowledge that they would be happy and that Gwiboon would be cherished, always. Gwiboon looked up finally and caught Jinki’s eyes, somewhat relieved to see that her friend was still in the room with her. He smiled at her and her tears began to flow freely. “I’m sorry.” Tears rolled down her face as she finally made eye contact with Taemin. Her lips still tingled from his touch and she had to resist the urge to reach up and brush her hands against them. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, voice cracking as she saw tears beginning to roll down Taemin’s face too. He moved passed Minho, who had stepped aside so that he could see Gwiboon behind him. Minho’s dark chocolate eyes met hers as Taemin embraced her but she broke eye contract, allowing herself to be enveloped in Taemin’s familiarity.  ~  “Minho-yah, let’s go, uh, grab some food or something…” Jinki said, looking over to his friend and raising his eyebrows slightly. His friend hesitated, glancing back to Gwiboon who now had her eyes closed as she returned Taemin’s hug, and nodded. Jinki grabbed his keys and herded Minho toward to door, unsure if he would be able to leave on his own. Just as they passed the two, Minho reached out to stroke the back of Gwiboon’s head muttering a soft, “I’m only a phone call away,” before he exited. Jinki saw Taemin stiffen but Gwiboon seemed to relax. “Let me know if you need anything, yeah?” Jinki said, wanting her to know that he would be there for her too in case she needed him. He figured she would need someone neutral in all of this and was happy to offer her whatever comfort he could. Gwiboon raised her head and smiled, nodding her thanks before Jinki too exited into the hallway. The door now shut behind them, Jinki turned to find Minho already at the end of the hall, jamming his finger into the elevator call button like it had personally offended him. Side-eyeing his best friend, Jinki made sure to text Jonghyun and update him on what had happened. No doubt the blonde was worried about his sister – Jinki would be surprised if he hadn’t booked his own plane ticket here to ensure that she was okay for himself. The elevator dinged and the two entered it, Jinki sighing when he saw the defeated look in Minho’s eyes that did not bode well for his plan of distract and entertain.  ~ Gwiboon sat at the head of her bed, her back resting comfortably against the wall and her feet tucked underneath her. Taemin was sitting directly across from her at the foot of the bed, staring ahead as if he was waiting for Gwiboon to speak first. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, Gwiboon working through everything that she wanted to say while Gwiboon waited patiently, idly shifting his position to become more comfortable. “What’re you doing here?” Gwiboon finally asked, voice quiet as she broke the silence between them. Her question caused a frown to crease across Taemin’s smooth forehead and he looked up to meet Gwiboon’s questioning gaze. “What do you mean?” At this simple question, Gwiboon felt tears once again build behind her eyes and clog her throat. She didn’t know why she was almost blubbering but Taemin, sensing her inner turmoil, moved across the bed and drew her into his lap. “Sh,” he said, kissing her forehead softly as he stroked her hair and let her cry into his shoulder. No matter how hard she tried, the tears would not stop. She clung onto Taemin desperately, needing his closeness, needing him. “Gwiboon-ah,” he finally said after what seemed like hours. “Why do you think I’m here? I came for you. I love you.” He whispered the last words like a silent prayer, willing her to hear the sincerity behind his words, the months of pain and separation, the years of longing and love all rolled up into one simple phrase. The only problem was, was that there was nothing simple about this. About any of it. Gwiboon wiped away her remaining tears, determined to make her time with Taemin count before he would inevitably have to return to his life in Korea. Biting her lip nervously, because she honestly didn’t know what she would say or what would happen, she looked up through her lashes to meet Taemin’s intense gaze. “I-I love you, too, Taemin-ah,” at these words, he smiled brightly, leaning in as if to kiss her, but Gwiboon shied away, placing a hand on his chest lightly. “I love you too, but I don’t think I can be with you. At least not right now…” “I don’t understand…” the heart-broken words cut through Gwiboon like a knife but she had to continue, had to help him understand exactly what she was thinking, what she was feeling. “I don’t think I can be with anyone right now. I can’t be a girlfriend…or whatever…,” she stumbled over the words unsure of what their relationship was or would have been. “Tae, I-“ but before she could continue, he cut her off. “No, Gwiboon, no.” His usually warm, understanding eyes were now cold and his voice cut through her like ice. “I thought that you wanted to make this work. Why did you text me and call me and – hell – have your brother track me down and tell me that you were desperate to talk to me!?” “I’m sorry, I-“ “No, just stop. I feel like I don’t even know who you are anymore,” he stood abruptly, grabbing his jacket and moving toward the door. “Where are you going?” Gwiboon asked, afraid that he wouldn’t come back this time. “I need some space. Please don’t follow me,” he held his hand out, stopping Gwiboon in her tracks. She slowly sat back down on the edge of the bed, head bowed and hands clenched at her side. The door banged loudly behind Taemin causing Gwiboon’s shoulders to tense. Minutes passed and he didn’t return, the only thing he left behind was an overwhelming sense of loneliness. What had she done?