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Five letters, two entangled hearts, one word
Love.
Through centuries, the word has been ever so prevalent in our midst due to how bewitching the feeling is made to seem. The idea of two beings in a blissful bubble of passion being so tempting, that some wanted nothing more than to indulge in this quest for love. Repercussions being never thought of due to this folly blinding them. Such love-driven individuals became some of the most classic characters on parchments. Romeo-Juliet for example, being the most celebrated in such tales of love. The two proved to the world their undying love for each other by ultimately, dying.
People have celebrated these characters and many others like them, grandly. The beauty in their doomed love seemed quite appealing to many. The idea of the beauty of love has shifted from, in the union of the lovers to, the struggles and futility of their love. Their love blinded minds failing to see the consequences and rationality, leading to their ultimate tragedies.
Fools, truly they are.
Taehyung used to consider himself as one of them. The girl he had grown up with, his high school sweetheart being the love interest in his life. The two were happily engaged, leading a slow yet warmth filled relationship. Until one day, he was faced with a tragedy of his own.
"Why are we together Tae, it's clear as daylight that we're not in love."
"Honey w-what are you saying? We've been together for more than a decade now, of course we love each other..." That was his first seeing Sana so hysterical, she was pacing back and forth with frustration clear on her face.
"See, this is what I'm talking about. You love the familiarity of me, you don't love me! There's a clear difference between the two."
Taehyung had faltered right then because as much as he hated to admit, that seemed like a possibility. Above all, he wasn't a man of change. The sheer familiarity of the woman led him to pursue her, plus the fact that their families had been close all these years helped. It was always blatantly clear that they would end up together, their parents had always wanted that. And Taehyung just went in flow with it and now here he was, twelve years later rethinking all the past years that he himself believed to be in love.
They had grown up from being two innocent teens to mechanical adults with their goals and ambitions separating the two. It had just been an year into his time as a junior resident at one of the prestigious medical colleges when they'd gotten engaged. Sana was doing an internship at a fairly big law firm and things couldn't have looked brighter for the aspirational couple.
But they were crumbling now, the time crunch and miscommunication putting a strain on their relationship which led to them ultimately questioning the authenticity of this bond. Sana herself admitted to have gotten quite comfortable with the security and familiarity their relationship offered but there was no real affection they shared for each other. To get their minds to wrap around this fact, it would be wise to take a break off each other.
That definitely made him worried but not surprised. It was frightening, the prospect of coming back after this 'break' and getting to know she found herself someone new. That she was not in love with him anymore.
Oh it made his insecurities gnaw him from the inside.
But he had to stay strong, he had to accept the offer like a gentleman and depart from the familiar warmth of their bond and maybe find some answers on his own. Like for one, had he even experienced love?
Hence why, a troubled solivagant sitting on the cold benches of the railway station at three in the morning. His trip to Greece was a spontaneous one, a coworker of his had recommended after hearing his dilemma. Taehyung was staring off into nothingness, the mist of grey speckles encasing the place. He had no trouble keeping himself up at such early hours of the day all thanks to his sleepless nights in medical school.
His entirety of the day was spent on signing all the documents he was obliged to and turning in the last minute reports of the newly arrived patients to his senior, Dr. Jang. The doctor was a delight to be around but at times even the best of them lost their cool.
Sitting on the frosty metal seat, Taehyung took his ticket out of his pocket and looked at it for a while. This was the first time for him to be going on such a trip all alone. But he knew he needed it, it would do him good. 'It better do, I don't want to be paying twenty bucks for nothing.' he thought amusingly, taking out a travelogue he had packed in his suitcase for simple reading purposes.
His destination being quite known for their monuments and mythology, the young doctor would have been more thrilled for the trip if the conditions were otherwise. Somewhere, deep down he felt like he didn't deserve to enjoy the trip, knowing he'd come back to a broken relationship with fragments that he'd be picking up because he just couldn't let things and people go that easily.
The whistle of the train made Taehyung look up from his mindless staring into horizon and with a heavy heart, he got a hold of his suitcases and prepared to step into the transport. Within a few hours, he would be stepping into the foreign land and also into the 20th century. After settling down on his seat in the not-so crowded compartment, he took out his diary and a pen and began writing on a new beige colored page.
31st Dec 1999
After much consideration and pondering, I have decided to enjoy this visit to the fullest. After all we're entering a new century altogether and I think I deserve a little joy at the least. Twenty hours to go for the new year and it would be me celebrating in solitary.
