Shared Walls, Unfinished Hearts

"You always have to be in control, Kim Seungmin! I can't even breathe without you acting jealous over something!" Mara snapped, arms crossed so tightly. Kim Seungmin's jaw tightened. "So not wanting my girlfriend anywhere near random guys is a problem now?" Mara stared at him. "Flirting? Seriously? I was discussing work with my coworker. You completely lose it anytime I speak to a man-" "Because they're all hoping I slip so they can swoop in and take you away!" he snapped. "And you're too blind to notice!" She gave a harsh laugh. "Blind? Now I'm blind too? If that's true, then you're unbelievably controlling jerk!" Kim Seungmin scoffed, crossing his arms. "So now I'm some bad guy for caring? For wanting to be sure no one tries to use you?" Mara shook her head, giving a frustrated snort. "Kim Seungmin, nobody is trying to take me from you. The only person wrecking this relationship is you." His jaw flexed. "I just can't stand the thought of losing you." "Well, congrats," she shot back, yanking up her bag. "You already have." Kim Seungmin's expression fell for a moment, like he hadn't expected her to really say it. Yet within seconds, he hid the hurt behind a flat stare. "Fine," he said under his breath. "Leave." Mara paused for half a heartbeat. That was it. No more midnight calls. No more private jokes. No more us. Still, she knew staying wasn't an option. Without saying anything else, she turned and made for the door. Just like that, it was finished. Mara walked outside the apartment, her heart heavy but oddly relieved. She didn't know where she was even going, but she knew she couldn't remain there. It was as if her chest had been cinching tighter for months, and now, finally, she could fill her lungs. But the second the cool night air hit her skin, her phone buzzed. Kim Seungmin: Are you seriously just going to leave like that? She looked at the message for a long while, her thumb hanging over the screen. She could feel the burn of tears in her eyes, but she pushed them back. She wasn't about to let him control her any longer. Mara: There's nothing left to say. She pressed send, her hands shaking. The text felt absolute. Words she'd swallowed for months were finally out, and somehow, she didn't feel much better. Meanwhile... Back at the apartment, Kim Seungmin sat on the couch, looking at his phone screen. His heart was racing, a heavy feeling in his stomach. He read her last message over and over. Her message was final: there was nothing more she wanted to say. What had he done? He'd just been trying to look after her, but somewhere along the way, he'd let his fear of losing her take control. His obsession with control had choked the life out of everything good they had. He hurled his phone onto the coffee table. The apartment felt suddenly silent. Hollow. He raked a hand through his hair, then stood up and paced. Maybe it was already too late to fix this. Kim Seungmin sat in his apartment, looking at his phone. He'd gone over Mara's last text more times than he could count. She had nothing left to say. None of it felt real. How had everything gotten this broken? He kept telling himself it had been necessary. He'd acted like that because he cared about her. Why couldn't she understand it? But he still couldn't shake the sense that he'd blown it. He dragged a hand over his hair and exhaled. This wasn't how he'd pictured things to end. A week later, a few friends invited both of them out to the same cafAc, hoping to keep things unchanged. Mara went back and forth about showing up. Could she really stand to face Kim Seungmin? Was there any point? In the end, she said yes. When she finally walked into the cafAc, the person she wanted least to see was Kim Seungmin, sitting with Sable and Nico, laughing like everything was fine. Her stomach dropped. "Mara!" Nico called, grinning as if nothing had happened. "Glad you made it." Mara barely looked at him, her eyes fixed on Kim Seungmin. "I didn't realize you'd be here," she said, her voice sharper than she'd intended it to be. Kim Seungmin lifted a brow. "Didn't think you'd actually show." Mara rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm not the one still holding on." He leaned back with a smirk. "I'm not the one who stormed off, though, am I?" Mara's hands curled into fists. "You think this is on me? You're the one who had to control every little thing. I'm finished with that." "Sure," he shot back, voice edged. "You're finished? Really? Because I didn't notice anyone else lining up for you." Mara's eyes burned with frustration, but she kept her ground. "I don't need a date right after a break up, idiot." Kim Seungmin let out a clipped laugh. "So that makes you better than me now, does it?" "Better than you? No. I'm just through with you," she said, her words slicing through the room. The air between them turned heavy, and Nico and Sable traded uneasy looks. Neither of them had any idea how to repair what sat between them.