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Taehyung walked down the busy street.  The sun had just started rising, but people were already rushing to work.  He didn’t have to be at work until later in the day, but there were still things to be done.

Even with the sunrise, the city was still quite dark today.  It was cloudy overhead.  It appeared that it would rain soon.  Little Yeontan was happy to get out of the house and trot around on the pavement, but after about twenty minutes of walking, she was getting tired.  So, Taehyung picked her up and kept going.

Eventually, it did start raining.  But it didn’t make Taehyung want to go home.  He tucked his little ball of fur into his coat so she wouldn’t get cold and continued his walk.  As he watched the sky, tears began to spill down his face.

As much as he refused to say anything, he really hoped Nia broke off her engagement today.  How he could still be so in love with her, he didn’t know.  But he was.  In all truth, he was lonely.  Even the four months he’d had Yeontan hadn’t brought him much comfort.  He loved his little ball of fur, but he needed a human.

He hadn’t had anyone close since his mother had died.  And that had been over two years ago now.  He’d been near his breaking point when Nia had shown up.  Even with all the uncertainties, just seeing her had made his world flip upside down.  It gave him hope.  Her still being alive had been impossible, but here she was.

But now, it was her choice what she would do.  He wouldn’t influence it.  She’d been living by other peoples’ influence for years now.  She needed to make her own decision for once.  Without someone trying to persuade her to do what they wanted.  And as much as it hurt to think she might choose to go back to Hoseok, Taehyung knew it was right to let her decide for herself.

——————–

Nia stepped into the restaurant that night.  She was nervous.  But she knew Hobi would back her up.  She’d shown up late, so everyone else was already there waiting for her.  She sat down next to Hobi, and he smiled at her.

“So, I heard you two have news for us,” Hobi’s dad commented, getting straight to the point.

Hobi and Nia shared a nervous glance.  Their dinner was going to go up in flames before it even started.

“Yes…we do,” Nia started.

“We’re breaking off the engagement,” Hobi stated plainly before taking a sip of his drink.

The table went silent for a few moments.  Finally, someone spoke up.

“Why?  You’ve been together for six years, and you’re breaking up now?” Nia’s mom asked, clearly enraged.

“We’re not in love, mom.  There’s no point in staying together.  In fact, I’m not sure why we were together in the first place,” Nia responded.

“But you were in love!  Before your surgery.  You two were perfect together.”

Nia couldn’t remember everything fully, but she knew from what Taehyung and Hobi had said that that was not true.  And even if Taehyung was an unreliable source, Hobi had no reason to lie to her about that.  In fact, he had reason to do the opposite.

“That’s not true!  I know now.  I had a boyfriend who you kept from me for eight years!”

Once again, silence.  It was clear Hobi’s parents wanted no part in this conversation.

“How do you know about him?” her mom asked, shocked.

“Because I found him.  I found the paintings that you hid in the attic.  And I recognized him.  I put all the pieces together, and I found him.”

Mrs. Choi was now staring at Nia with a look of both rage and confusion. “You’re going to marry Hobi!  You have to!  That boy you dated didn’t deserve you!”

Nia stood up abruptly. “You know nothing about him.  And I’m not marrying someone I don’t love.” She turned to Hobi and his parents. “I’m sorry I ruined dinner.  Forgive me.” She bowed to them.  Then, she left.