The Life He Didn't Ask

The evening shift at the café was almost over…

but Tae’s mind was still far away.

Even as the day slowly came to an end,

he wasn’t ready to go home.

“Home…”

That word… never felt like comfort to him.

He sat there in silence, lost in his own thoughts,

wondering if he should even go back tonight.

At least here… there was peace.

No shouting. No fights.

No broken voices echoing through the walls.

But at home… it was always the same.

His parents arguing endlessly.

The heavy tension in the air.

The never-ending struggle over money.

And yet… he knew one truth he couldn’t escape—

After thinking for a long time…

Tae finally picked up his things and headed home.

He told himself maybe… just maybe…

his parents would already be asleep.

When he reached his house, everything was silent.

For a brief moment… relief washed over him.

Silence was rare in his world.

He stepped inside quietly and went straight to his room,

finally allowing himself to rest.

And soon… he fell asleep.

It was Monday morning.

Tae woke up early for university,

dragging himself downstairs with a tired heart…

already dreading what awaited him.

And just like every other morning…

His parents were arguing again.

Shouting filled the house before the day had even begun.

Tae had never known a peaceful morning at home.

It always started the same way—

anger… frustration…

The only time silence ever existed in that house…

was when Hobi was around.

Tae’s older brother.

A man who barely worked…

who spent most of his time drinking,

coming home drunk, shouting, and using harsh, abusive words.

Because of him, the entire responsibility of the house

had slowly fallen onto Tae’s shoulders.

There was no hope left in Tae for his elder brother anymore—

only resentment.

Everyone in the house was scared of him.

Afraid he would start another fight…

throw things…

or make everything worse again.

So whenever he was around, the house didn’t feel peaceful.

It felt quiet… but tense.

Everyone careful with their words,

moving like they were walking on glass.

That kind of silence wasn’t peace.

It was fear pretending to be calm.

Tae stood there for a moment… then asked quietly,

“Where is Hobi?”

His mother answered softly that Hobi had left early in the morning

with his friends… to drink again.

Tae let out a long sigh.

Without saying anything, he picked up his bag and headed out for university.

Behind him, his mother called out—

telling him to at least have breakfast…

But Tae didn’t stop.

He just kept walking.

He didn’t have the energy anymore.

In the university, half of Tae’s classes were already over.

He sat near the window, quietly staring outside.

The world beyond the glass looked peaceful… almost unreal.

Students walking, laughing, living their lives so easily.

So different from his own.

But Tae’s mind wasn’t there.

It was far away… tangled in thoughts he couldn’t escape.

Behind him, his mother called out—

telling him to at least have breakfast…

But Tae didn’t stop.

He just kept walking.

He didn’t have the energy anymore.

In the university, half of Tae’s classes were already over.

He sat near the window, quietly staring outside.

The world beyond the glass looked peaceful… almost unreal.

Students walking, laughing, living their lives so easily.

So different from his own.

But Tae’s mind wasn’t there.

It was far away… tangled in thoughts he couldn’t escape.

He wanted to become a sketch artist.

That was his dream.

Something that once made his heart feel light… alive.

But every time he thought about it, reality pulled him back down like a heavy chain.

The course fees were too expensive.

Far beyond what he could afford.

So he kept it inside him…

like a dream that was never allowed to grow.

Once, he had tried something else too.

Guitar.

It was cheaper, easier… and for a short time, it felt like maybe—just maybe—he could do something for himself.

He used to sit quietly and practice, losing himself in the sound.

But even that didn’t last.

At home, the words started coming.

“You’ll do what with this?”

“Just playing that useless instrument won’t feed you.”

“You’re wasting your time.”

Each sentence chipped away at him.

Slowly… until he stopped.

Like everything else he had ever hoped for.

His phone suddenly vibrated

Jimin.

A small spark of warmth appeared on Tae’s face as he answered.

“Hi, bear. How are you?” Jimin’s voice was bright, comforting.

Tae leaned back in his chair slightly.

“Forget me. You tell me… what’s the update?”

For a moment… silence.

Tae’s smile faded a little.

“…What’s wrong?” he asked more seriously now.

“Don’t say later. Just tell me.”

Jimin sighed softly.

“I’ll tell you everything when we meet properly.”

Then, trying to sound normal, he added—

“By the way… didn’t you call me yesterday?”

Tae nodded even though Jimin couldn’t see him.

“Yeah. I told you… your bracelet is with me. Are you coming today?”

There was a pause.

Long enough to make Tae uneasy.

“No, Tae,” Jimin finally said.

“I’m going out of the country for a week because of work.”

Tae blinked slowly.

A small silence settled between them.

“But don’t worry,” Jimin quickly added.

“I’ll send someone to pick it up. They’ll collect it from you.”

Tae exhaled softly.

“Okay… bye-bye. Take care, my bear. I have some work to do.”

The call ended suddenly.

Tae opened his mouth slightly, as if to say something more…

But the line was already dead.

He stared at the phone for a moment.

“…At least you could’ve told me who you’re sending,” he muttered quietly.

A tired sigh escaped him as he slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Before he could sink further into thoughts…

The professor entered the classroom.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Chairs creaked. Pages turned. Conversations died down.

Silence spread across the room.

The lecture had begun.

And just like that…

Tae was pulled back into reality once again.

So... what do you think will happen next?

Whatever it is... we'll find out soon enough.

Until then, don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter. 💙

Your support means a lot.

See you in the next chapter. ✨

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***