Chapter 4 – Goodbye, City F

The morning sun shone through the thin curtains of Taehyung's dorm room.

He slowly opened his eyes.

For a few seconds, he simply lay on the bed, listening to the quiet hum of the ceiling fan.

Today...

He would leave City F.

The city that had given him more painful memories than happy ones.

He sat up and looked around the small room.

There wasn't much to pack.

A few sets of neatly folded clothes.

His old laptop.

A pair of worn-out sneakers.

His medical books.

A kettle.

Some notebooks filled with handwritten notes.

Everything he owned could fit into one medium-sized suitcase and a backpack.

Taehyung smiled bitterly.

"So this is all I have."

He didn't feel sad.

He had never owned much.

---

He folded each piece of clothing carefully.

Unlike before, he wasn't in a hurry.

Every movement was slow and calm.

When he reached for one of his notebooks, a folded piece of paper slipped onto the floor.

He bent down and picked it up.

It was an old timetable from his first semester.

For a moment, memories flashed through his mind.

Eating alone in the cafeteria.

Studying until late at night.

Walking back to the dorm by himself.

Waiting for someone to ask, "Have you eaten?"

No one ever had.

He looked at the paper for a long moment before tearing it into small pieces and dropping it into the dustbin.

"Those memories can stay here."

---

By noon, his room was empty.

Taehyung stood in the center and looked around one last time.

The room felt strangely unfamiliar now.

He picked up his suitcase.

"Thank you..."

Even though no one was there to hear him, he bowed slightly.

"This room protected me."

Then he quietly walked out.

---

Outside, the campus was lively.

Graduating students were taking pictures with their friends.

Parents hugged their children proudly.

Bouquets of flowers were everywhere.

Laughter echoed across the grounds.

Taehyung walked through the crowd with his suitcase rolling behind him.

No one stopped him.

No one called his name.

He smiled faintly.

"It hasn't changed."

But this time...

It didn't hurt.

---

Before leaving, he made one last stop.

The library.

The old librarian looked up from her desk and smiled.

"Leaving today?"

"Yes."

"I got into City C Medical University."

The woman's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Congratulations, Taehyung!"

"You worked very hard for this."

He bowed politely.

"Thank you."

"If it weren't for this library..."

"I don't think I could've done it."

The librarian chuckled.

"I only provided the books."

"You were the one who never gave up."

She walked to a shelf and handed him a small bookmark decorated with pressed flowers.

"It's nothing expensive."

"But keep it."

"So you'll remember this place."

Taehyung accepted it with both hands.

"I'll treasure it."

For the first time in years...

Someone had given him a gift without expecting anything in return.

He carefully placed the bookmark inside his anatomy textbook.

---

The afternoon bus to City C was scheduled to leave at two o'clock.

Taehyung arrived at the station thirty minutes early.

People hurried around him, dragging luggage and saying emotional goodbyes.

He sat quietly on a bench.

His suitcase rested beside him.

He bought a bottle of water and a simple bread roll.

That would be his lunch.

As he ate, he watched families laughing together.

A little boy hugged his mother tightly before boarding a bus.

His father ruffled his hair.

Taehyung looked away.

A small ache settled in his chest.

"I wonder..."

"What does it feel like... to have someone waiting for you?"

The thought disappeared with a soft sigh.

He had spent too many years wishing for things he couldn't have.

Now...

He wanted to focus on the things he could build.

His future.

His career.

His dream.

---

"Passengers traveling to City C, please proceed to Platform Three."

The announcement echoed through the station.

Taehyung stood up.

He adjusted the straps of his backpack and picked up his suitcase.

Before stepping onto the bus, he turned around one last time.

City F stretched out before him.

The place where he had laughed.

Cried.

Trusted.

And died.

A gentle breeze brushed against his face.

He smiled softly.

"Goodbye, City F."

"I won't let my past follow me anymore."

With that, he stepped onto the bus.

As the engine rumbled to life, the city slowly disappeared behind him.

Ahead lay City C—

A new beginning.

A new dream.

And a future that neither Kim Taehyung nor Jeon Jungkook could yet imagine.

End of Chapter 4

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