Taenus stared out the window, watching the city go on without her. The sounds of traffic and distant chatter seemed to fade as she sank deeper into her thoughts. She thought back to the night before—how she had tried to make the most of their time together, despite the growing tension. But now, alone in the hotel room, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was always the one left behind.
Her phone buzzed in her hand, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked down at the screen, seeing a message from Eunseok:
"Just paid for my part of the room. Hope you're okay. Let's talk later."
Taenus clenched her fist around the phone, a wave of frustration rising within her. He didn't understand—he never did. He saw her as someone to fill the space when he had time, not someone he truly valued. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.
She dropped her phone onto the bed, turning away from the window. The day stretched out before her, long and uncertain. She was supposed to meet him later, but the thought of being in the same space with him again felt suffocating.
The clock ticked away the minutes as she sat in the room, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She knew she deserved more than this. More than the empty promises, more than the fleeting moments of affection. She had known it for a while, but she had always been too afraid to admit it.
The sound of the hotel room door opening broke her from her reverie. She turned quickly, heart racing, but it was just the hotel staff coming to clean the room.
"Sorry, miss," the maid said with a smile. "I'll come back later."
Taenus nodded, forcing a smile. "It's fine," she said quietly. The maid left the room, and the door clicked shut behind her. The silence returned, more deafening than before.
She needed to make a choice. She couldn't keep waiting for Eunseok to change, couldn't keep pretending everything was fine when it wasn't. But how could she move on when she had so much hope left?
After a long pause, Taenus grabbed her phone again. She stared at the screen, hesitant. Should she call him? Confront him? Or should she just leave, walk away, and figure things out on her own?
The question hung in the air, unanswered.
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