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Chapter 42

Na Ri awoke in the middle of the night, disgruntled and slightly out of it. She looked around her room, realising she had slept without switching on her heater, and a better part of her body had frozen. She got up, swinging her blanket around her shoulders, and decided to trudge down the stairs. Despite her pride, she was hungry, and her grumbling stomach suggested that it would devour itself if it was not fed.

Her hand lingered on top of the doorknob, but before she could think twice, she unlocked the door and walked down. She heard the TV noise and assuming that her mother was awake, made a point to walk quickly and quietly to and from the kitchen. While returning with some strawberry milk and Choco Pie she noticed her mother's figure slumped in front of the TV. She hovered, promising herself that if her mother were to turn she would dash up the staircase.

But her mother didn't turn. She was fast asleep in front of the TV, her arm jutting out at an odd angle. Guilt instantly overcame Na Ri. She sat her snacks on the coffee table and went to get her mother some pillows and blankets. She carefully placed them on the ground and made her mother lie down on them. Despite being a light sleeper, her mother did not move a muscle. In fact, she welcomed the softness of the pillows and the blankets and burrowed herself deeper in them.

Na Ri silently wondered who was the kid in this scenario. She observed her mother for a few more minutes, before switching off the TV and walking back to her room with her snacks. She finished them quickly, scrolling through Instagram while doing so, and tossed the wrappers into the bin. She was going to fall back asleep when she landed on a picture she had been avoiding for the whole evening: V. Or better yet, Taehyung.

She looked at his picture. He was wearing one of his dark suits that he performed Stigma in, with its glittery jewels and such. She sighed, as she locked her phone and tried not to throw it across the room. As if on cue, her phone began ringing. She looked at the Caller ID, and froze.

~

Taehyung was biting his lip, almost drawing blood. He looked at his mother's sleeping form and picked up the keycard. He walked into the lobby of the hotel they were staying at. He prayed, hoped, for once that she didn't pick up the phone. He didn't have anything to say to her in particular. Maybe he would hear her voice, and then quickly cut the phone. It was just...Jungkook's comment that got him thinking. Why hadn't he called her? There was no reason. There really wasn't. Because they had broken up didn't mean they were suddenly not friends...right?

She picked up. She didn't say anything nor did he. He did hear her breathe on the other side and wondered if she was crying. The warmth on his cheeks told him that at least he was.

"Hello?" He began. She breathed in sharply. He thought she would disconnect their call but she spoke, in a soft voice.

"Tae?" His heart almost broke when she said his name. But he smiled, small, then largely. It felt like forever ago that she had said his name, albeit with a very different feeling to it. He wanted to say that he didn't like hearing it anymore. It meant that it was actually over...it was all over. 

"I've broken up with my girlfriend, and I was wondering if I could talk to my friend about it." He said, with as much strength he could manage. His voice cracked twice while saying just that much.

"Your friend is listening."

~

Na Ri closed her eyes, letting the tears of relief fall through her eyes. If not as partners, they were going to stay together as friends. Things had tried to tear them apart before, but not anymore. They will persevere.

"I really liked her. But she decided to break up with me, and I think it's because I came on too strong. I told her I loved her when neither of us fully understood what love meant." Taehyung said.