A young man's clumsy love.
Written by Malranggong.
*This article started out as a fantasy, so it may be very strange. I'm posting this to take a break from writing a dark short story that will be coming out soon.
“Oh, dear. Seolhwa. Did you hear that? There’s Master Taehyung… He collapsed again this time.”
“…Lord Taehyung?”
Kim Taehyung has been sickly since he was young. He used to collapse frequently since he was young. People say he collapses because he's sick, but some people seem to believe a rumor that he collapses on purpose to get his wife's attention. Maybe it's not a rumor, but the truth is, Taehyung was not very welcome in the house. He was sickly, and his body was so thin and pretty. His wife hated him because of that. She hated him just because his body was thin and pretty. Still, when she heard that her child Taehyung collapsed, she would run to him in a panic. She really is an enigmatic woman.
There was another person who ran to Taehyung whenever he collapsed. That person was Lee Seol-hwa. She had been Taehyung's precious friend since they were young, and at some point, she began to secretly harbor feelings of affection for him. Unlike Taehyung, who was a nobleman, Seol-hwa was a commoner, so even when Taehyung told her it was okay to be comfortable with him, she would unconsciously feel uncomfortable. She was aware of the gazes and the dismissive tone of the noblemen around her, but she also felt like a sinner herself, so she drew the line at Taehyung. However, when Taehyung was sick, when he collapsed, her attention was solely focused on Taehyung.
“Can I not go? Seolhwa, whenever I hear that Master Taehyung has collapsed, you always drop everything you’re doing and run there in a panic.”
“…Yeah. There are many people besides me who can take care of the young master, so what? If a commoner like me goes, it’ll only cause inconvenience.”
“…It seems like the young master is waiting for you to come.”
"huh?"
“Um, nothing.”
“Taehyung, are you okay?”
“Ah, it was you. Lord Jeongguk.”
Before Jeon Jungkook came in, when he heard footsteps of an unknown person, he looked endlessly happy, but when he confirmed that it was Jungkook, his expression looked utterly disappointed. Kim Taehyung, who was he waiting for? As if he knew Taehyung's feelings, as if he had already seen through it all, Jungkook sat in front of him, resting his chin on his hand, with a meaningful smile.
“Taehyung, are you… disappointed that you’re not Princess Seolhwa?”
“…That’s not it. You’re crazy, so get out.”
“You’re so blunt, it’s a problem~ By the way, you don’t even look sick, so why don’t you go out for a drink?”
“…Okay.”
“What if I happen to meet Lady Seolhwa?”
“Well, I wasn’t waiting for Miss Seolhwa.”
“Haha, that’s okay. You’re not going?”
“…I’m going to go, so don’t act so reckless.”
It was quite a bustling town. Even though he had feigned illness this time, it was true that he was weak, so the piercing noise only tormented Taehyung. He even wondered if he had come out to drink for nothing. But Taehyung endured the dizziness that almost made him faint, hoping he might see Seolhwa. Just to see her. He had seen her yesterday, but he wanted to see her again today. She was the one he wanted to hold in his eyes and hold in his wide arms again, Lee Seolhwa. Just to see her.
Amidst the bustling crowd, a familiar back began to enter Taehyung's sight. Abandoning Jeongguk, who was flustered by the crowd, Taehyung began to approach the familiar back.
“……Lady Seolhwa?”
“Oh, Master Taehyung…!”
Was it because Taehyung had pressed too close to Seolhwa, or was it simply because of the large crowd, that Seolhwa seemed to be pushed into Taehyung's arms by the people in front of her. Taehyung unconsciously wrapped one hand around Seolhwa's waist. Then, their faces became much closer, and it seemed as if their lips would touch at any moment. Taehyung saw Seolhwa's face up close for the first time, and his gaze kept drifting to her lips. Seolhwa's gaze also kept moving to Taehyung's lips. At that time, their breaths gently touched each other's skin. A subtle current flowed between them.
It was none other than Seolhwa who broke the delicate tension. She was momentarily flustered and asked to be left alone.
“Your Majesty, please let me go…”
“Oh, I’m sorry, my lady.”
Taehyung let her go, feeling a bit regretful for some reason. Seolhwa wanted to kiss him right then and there, but she felt like she would be committing a greater sin if she, a commoner, kissed him, a nobleman. She had simply been swept up in the atmosphere, and she wasn't sure if he liked her either, which was why she had asked him to let her go. However, Seolhwa, unable to hide her fluttering heart, turned her back on him and hid her flushed cheeks. She was able to hide her cheeks, but she couldn't hide her flushed ears. Even though she turned around, her red ears were slightly visible. Taehyung smiled lovingly at her.
Taehyung, who loved her endlessly but was still so immature as to not know how to express his feelings, simply took off the robe he was lightly wearing and placed it on Seolhwa, who was wearing only a thin sheet. In that moment, Seolhwa felt as if Taehyung's scent was permeating her entire body.
“…Why is this……”
“It’s still cold. You should wear warm clothes, or you’ll be in big trouble if you get sick.”
That was the best Taehyung could do to show his affection. However, Seolhwa didn't know it was Taehyung's expression of affection and misunderstood it as Taehyung's simple affection, so she held onto the robe he had given her.
A young man's clumsy love_finally.