THE EPILOGUE: TILL THE END

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The dark-haired man pushed open the café door and entered

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The dark-haired man pushed open the café door and entered. He knew this place well. He'd come here a lot these last days and felt really good here. He liked that the atmosphere was almost always cozy, and you could avoid the crowds that flocked to nearby restaurants and pubs. Sometimes he would just come here and sit at one of the tables, then take out a book and read, sipping black, bitter coffee.

Now, too, there were only a few people inside, occupying individual tables. Choosing the one at the back of the room, he walked slowly towards it. He set his suitcase down in the corner against the wall, removed his thin nude coat from his shoulders, and, draping it over the back, dropped into one of the wooden chairs. It was still quite early, so there were only a few people in the café. Even so, he preferred to sit further away from the other regulars to allow some freedom of conversation. He did not want to have to be careful about what he was about to confess. He knew this conversation was not going to be easy at all, but he felt he had to do it.

Remorse had tormented him for several days, and after what happened yesterday, he couldn't stop thinking about it at all. Almost instinctively, he slipped his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a small box. He played with it for a while, tossing it slowly in his hands, then finally lifting the lid. As his gaze found what was inside, an involuntary sigh escaped his lips. On some strange impulse, he reached out and grasped a ring he had bought a few weeks ago. He studied it for a moment, his thoughts wandering somewhere far away.

When he bought it, he really thought that he might someday hear that wonderful word "Yes" roll from the lips of a man he had come to love over a year ago. He wasn't quite sure when he realized his feelings, he just looked at him one day and knew he could spend the rest of his days with him. He wanted Jeongguk to love him as much as he did, but in fact, he probably knew from the very beginning that he would never love him like that one person...

Taehyung.

This boy was everywhere. Even though he was not with them, he followed them like a shadow, his owner. Jeongguk couldn't stop thinking about him. It was as if the tattoo artist had sneaked under his skin with the ink on his body. He knew from the very beginning that even if a young artist would love him one day, his feelings would never be as strong as that for his ex-partner, but he believed that if he was patient and understanding, one day the younger man would love him. Maybe not as much. Maybe their feelings will be different. But he believed that they could really be happy one day.

Now he knew it wasn't possible...

"Yugyeom," a familiar voice said suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts before his thoughts returned to yesterday's events.

Instinctively, he quickly put the ring down and slipped the box back into his pocket. Before he could even look up, the smell of fresh coffee crept into his nostrils. As he looked to the side, Jeongguk appeared to his eyes. The brunet stood on a step from the table he was occupying, smiling shyly at him. There were two coffees in his hands.

The Taste Of Ink | Taekook | ENG Where stories live. Discover now