Inspired by: iKon's "Airplane"

For days, Taehyung never received any messages from his best friend. Even Jimin didn’t tell him what was with her too. Taehyung tried to remember if he ever did anything bad to her the past couple of days but he only told her the usual jokes. How can that be any bad?

Taehyung soon decided to go to her house and ask her out to ice cream. He knew he could leave his part time job early so he did. When the clock struck 5 PM, he immediately hung his apron and went out the shop. He coolly walked towards his best friend’s house and prepared himself. He liked her for a long time after all. He just chose not to destroy the friendship they treasured so much.

When he reached the house, he rang the doorbell a few times before her mother opened the door. She looked like she was fresh from crying. She was holding a tissue in her right hand and her eyes were really red.

“Oh, Taehyung, why are you here?” Her mother asked.

“I’m here to fetch your most beautiful daughter. Where’s she?” Taehyung asked, blinking his eyes innocently.

“You didn’t know, dear?” Her mother sniffed. “She’s at the airport.”

“Why’s she at the airport, auntie? Is she going to fetch someone there or something?”

“No, didn’t she tell you?” Her mother sighed. “She’s leaving for London. She received a scholarship from a university there and accepted it.”

Taehyung’s eyes widened. Was that why she kept on avoiding him? Was that why Jimin kept silent about everything? Taehyung was sure Jimin knew about this. He balled his fists up and looked into her mother’s eyes.

“When’s her flight?”

“You’re really not going to tell Taehyung, huh,” Jimin sadly looked at her. She could only force a smile and shrug.

“It’s better if I leave silently, ya know? Taehyung’s a crybaby,” she faked a laugh. “I’m really going to miss you, Jimin. Take care of Taehyung for me, okay?”

“I will. Don’t worry. Take care of yourself in London, okay?” Jimin enveloped her in a hug. “You’re going to leave without telling Taehyung how you feel huh.”

She only hugged Jimin tighter.

“It would only be a burden on him if he knew, Jimin. I don’t want to bother Taehyung,” she slowly loosened the hug.

“Contact us once you land there, okay? I won’t sleep if you don’t.”

“I will,” she kissed Jimin’s cheek before smiling at him. “Tell Taehyung I’ll miss him.”

“I will,” Jimin nodded. She held on her bag before waving him goodbye. She went to the check-in and went up the escalator. It hurt her while watching Jimin look sadly at her. She turned her head away but when she did, she heard a familiar voice.

“YAH! WHO TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE?”

She stopped in her place and quickly turned her head around again. She saw Taehyung staring at her with tears in his eyes. Jimin was as shocked as she was.

“HOW SURE WERE YOU TO THINK I WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT THIS, HUH.”

She was frozen in her place. She felt tears streaming down her face but she knew she couldn’t return to him for a while. She had a flight to hurry to. Her phone suddenly rang and she answered it.

“Who gave you the right to leave us here and not tell me?”

“I was going to tell you. Don’t be upset.”

“When were you going to tell me? When you’re settled in London?” She could hear Taehyung cry at the other end.

“Hey, don’t cry,” she tried comforting him. “There’s no returning now, Taehyung. I have to go.”

“Can you please tell them to postpone your flight then? Tell Mr. Airplane to leave you here for now?”

“Taehyung, we’re not kids anymore,” she felt her chest get tighter. “I can’t tell Mr. Airplane that anymore. I have to go.”

Taehyung grew silent on the other line.

“Taehyung?”

“Hm?”

“Before I leave, I want to say that I love you.”

“… why did you only tell me now when you’re leaving me?”

“I’m sorry. I have to go, Tae. My flight’s going to leave.”

“No, don’t leave me. I love you too. Please don’t leave me. Just stay for just a day, just for an hour, even just for a minute.”

She felt her tears falling. She didn’t want to leave him but she had no choice. There was no going back. She had responsibilities to attend to. She closed her eyes and turned around.

“I have to, Taehyung. I’m sorry. Goodbye,” she hung up and hid her phone. She held on her bag and continued to where she was supposed to wait for her flight.

Taehyung’s knees weakened, sending him kneeling on the floor. His arms drooped on his side. His grip on his phone loosened, sending it to the cold ground of the airport. He felt so crushed. He watched the love of his life leave him there. He didn’t want her away from him. He wanted her by his side, always. He did his best so it could always be that way but things changed. She had to leave.

Jimin kneeled in front of Taehyung and hugged his friend tightly. Taehyung let it all go and cried into Jimin’s shoulder.

“Why couldn’t she tell Mr Airplane to delay her flight, Jimin? We used to do that when we were kids and it worked,” Taehyung sobbed.

“We’re not children, Taehyung. We need to accept her decision. She’s gone. But she’ll always remain in our hearts,” Jimin couldn’t help but cry with his friend too.

“Can’t Mr Airplane stop for a moment? I just want her here and hug her and kiss her. Can’t he let me on to tell her that I love her so much? That I regret not confessing sooner? That she’s the most important person to me right now? How desperate I am to have her stay?”