IKIGAI l KIM TAEHYUNG

Chapter 16: Hera

PRESENT

"Don't get out of my sight." He warned as he slowly opened the door to peek out. It was total chaos. People in masks were fighting Taehyung's men, incapacitating them.

We both got out to fight. He immediately opened fire at the enemy and god he looked fine doing that.

Suddenly I felt a hand grab my elbow and I was pulled into a dark room, away from the gunshots. I punched the man as hard as I could, freeing myself from his grip.

"Shit." He said, as he looked up, blood spilling from his lips. Jungkook.
"I will deal with this later." He gestured to his split lip. "They are here to provide back up for you to escape." He explained.

And that's when it hit me. It was time. Time to leave him.

Duty calls, Hera.

I nodded quickly. I was afraid my voice would break if I said anything. This was what I had signed up for, I told myself. It was my fault that I got attached.

I went back into the hall. By now, everything was in a bigger mess. Taehyung had a gash across his right hand, but he was still putting up an impressive fight. His eyes met mine and he seemed relieved to see that I was not injured.

I didn't have it in myself to talk to him.

Some of my people quickly found me and they started to escort me out of here. Taehyung saw this from a distance and started firing at them. He thought they were taking me away. I just kept my head low and started to run, scared to face him.

Unfortunately, some of his guards got in our way and in the meantime, Taehyung caught up to us.
He threw a punch at one and slammed the head of the other against the wall brutally. He took my hand but I jerked it out of his grip.

A hot tear fell on my cheek.
"Taehyung, I have to go." I said, my voice cracking.
He was only starting to process what I said when another one kicked him in the back and he toppled over.

"Looks like someone got attached." The guy sneered at him before kicking him again.

"Stop. Your orders are to get me out of here safely. Leave him." I screamed at the guy.
"Sorry, ma'am." He lowered his eyes before he came to stand beside me.

Taehyung got up and it looked like he was finally realizing.
"What...did he mean? What did he mean Hera?" He screamed loudly, so full of rage.
I could see in his eyes that he finally understood. My attempts to get close to him. My lack of attempts to escape.

It all made sense to him now.

"It's what you think it is. But... but this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I... I" I tried to control the shakiness in my voice in vain.
"This was... This was all just an act? This was all just a game to you?" He spoke in a hushed tone, not wanting to hear his own words. It hurt so much to see him like this. His eyes were looking so intensely in mine, as if trying to find a reason to justify all this.

There was none.

"I have waited for you." He whispered, his hands reaching up to caress my cheek.
"Please don't do this." He was pleading.

"I'm sorry, Taehyung." I said as I turned around, tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. I had broken his heart and now I had broken mine too.

Here ends a story that never began.

I didn't dare to look back. I would have lost all sense of right and wrong right there and then if I saw his face. The gunshots had stopped now.
"Nobody will shoot." I heard him say in a stoic voice.

True to his words, nobody harmed us as we all left.

Me? I think I had just done the worst thing I could possibly do to myself. Oh, the relief of giving in to destruction.

But it will always be my duty before myself.

~~~~

and to think this is only the start of the story. there's still much more to unravel. what happened 150 years ago? how are hera and velma connected? what will happen to tae and hera now? would they find their way to each other? AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE. what's this no jams thing? jaanne ke liye dekhte rahiye (lmao)
remember to vote if you liked this chapter :)