Chapter Text
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God ― Bill Keane
Chapter 1 Introducing the Light at the End of the Tunnel
In the garden of the hospital stands a large silver bell. Every so often patients will hear it ring three times; some will smile, others will envy, and some will set their own goals to ring the bell. Today there is a crowd in the courtyard waiting for one of the centers most favorite patients to ring the bell. The young man stands amidst his family and friends with a hot pink beanie covering his bald head. What most stands out on his face is his happy boxy grin, it could light up a city it’s so bright.
Kim Taehyung is on the top of the world, he won, he beat cancer! Each of his loved ones and his angels whom he firmly believes in has helped him get this far. He has won his battle! A voice near the bell calls for every one’s attention. The hospital director waits till all is quiet then starts the bell ceremony motioning Taehyung to come forward. “I am proud to say Kim Taehyung, you are cancer free. Come ring the bell…”
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Two weeks later…
Two weeks later reality has hit home. The battle was won, but what now? Tae stood at his small vanity brushing his teeth refusing to look up at the mirror. If he looked up, he wouldn’t even recognize himself and he would have to face what life had hit him with. In college he was quite the catch, his looks even rivaled Seokjin. Yes, he was there when his hair started falling out in clumps, when his skin took on a sick mottled look, and his body was swollen with the poison that was killing the cancer. He was there, he lived it; but he never saw himself as a cancer patient. In his mind he was still the person he was before cancer. But now, as he observed himself in the mirror, he saw reality and the view was so depressing. His hair was gone and his scalp so bare. His skin was sallow and sickly and to top off the humiliation he was grossly swollen. Cancer was a cruel heartless bitch.
The depression hit him a week after his bell ceremony in the grocery store of all places. He knows that the little child pointing at him was innocent, small children don’t have a filter. Adults politely just look away, but the small child was curious, and children will be children. A child pointed to him and wanted to know why he was scary looking. He went into a semi shock. He was not scary! He was one of the handsome Kim brothers! How could someone think him scary?! Well, he thought to himself, he wasn’t handsome, not anymore. He looked more like a nightmare rather than the handsome college student he once was.
The handsome Kim brothers, what a joke. He and Seokjin’s mother used to laugh about the curse of having two beautiful sons. All the admiring girls and his mother’s friends volleying to have them for their son in laws. But pride goes before the fall, or so they say. Maybe if she hadn’t been so vocal. He vanished that thought, his cancer wasn’t a curse from pride. He shouldn’t think so negative or even try to blame his cancer on vanity. And he didn’t blame his mom and her pride in her sons. He loved his mom, there wasn’t a more beautiful or caring soul on this planet like his mom. She held his hand on days when he received his chemo, supported him through losing his hair, the nausea, the fevers, all the tears. Mom was his rock in the middle of the storm.
Now that he was cancer free and he finally was able to take care of himself, he had decided to move out and let his parents have some time being a couple again. But until he found an apartment of his own though he was staying in his brother and brother in laws spacious apartment. They gave him privacy to think and work on his web toon. And amazingly his web toon was a hit. Armageddon Island a zombie thriller slash love story was a hit. AI as it was fondly called by his fans started when he was in college and had kept him company during his long illness. It revolved around a group of friends who had to make it from Seoul National University to Busan to find a boat to take them to Jeju island which was the only haven in all of Korea free of the monsters. There was blood, shit blowing up, craziness, drama, and topping it off a messy love story. The fans ate it up.
Armageddon Island took off online and then Namjoon, his brother’s husband who owned Big Hit Talent took him under his wing and became his manager. He thought it was silly at first, why would just on online web artist need a manager? But then Namjoon as his manager introduced him to a friend who was a book publisher. The publisher was impressed by his reader count and many fans and soon after his webtoons were published works. AI now provided him a stable paycheck and a reason to get out of bed every morning. Namjoon was now working his magic as a publicist in speaking with a famous screenwriter who was begging for a chance to take AI to the big screen.
But he was hesitant. No one knew of Kim Taehyung. The writer of Armageddon Island, the famous webtoon, was Vante. The pseudonym inspired by his favorite photographer, Ante Badzim. He loved his photographs and had even worked a few in as backgrounds scenes in AI. Vante was a ghost, his photograph had never been printed anywhere and no mater the clamor by his fans for a glimpse of their hero, it never would be. Who would want to see a hairless swollen slug like him? No, he would stay away from all publicity.
He felt restless thinking about it and quickly saved his work and pushed back from his desk. Ice cream or last nights pasta? Decisions, decisions, decisions… Another perk living with his brother was that he was guaranteed a good meal since his Seokjin was an excellent cook. When he was in college, he had stayed over at their house more than his dorm, eating, playing games, and raiding the fridge for leftovers.
He was all alone in the apartment today. Seokjin was out at an appointment of some sort regarding his latest novel and Namjoon was at his office. Creative minds ran in his family, his brother was known as the Nickolas Sparks of Korea and had a total of ten novels under his belt, two of which had been turned into movies. He wrote romance novels of all things but in person he was a silly goof who told lame dad jokes and took care of his little brother like he was the most precious thing on earth. Taehyung smiled thinking of his big brother. He also had another nickname in Korea which Tae teased him about often. Kim Seokjin had been given the nickname ‘Car Door Guy’ when his visuals stunned the crowd as he exited the limo at his first movie premier. It became a running joke at every media interview since then and every time an interviewer brought it up Seokjin corrected them with a hilarious rebuff that he wasn’t a mediocre ‘car door guy’, he was ‘Worldwide Handsome.’
He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge and looked at his options. That pasta last night really was good, he could have the ice cream later. Opening the foil wrapper which held the French bread he grabbed a slice and put it in his mouth. Grabbing the milk in one hand and the pasta in the other he was startled to hear voices coming his way. Jin was back early and who was this new voice? What to do? He didn’t want anyone to see him looking all slovenly, dressed in sweats, and rummaging in the kitchen. He didn’t even think about the bread he was holding in his mouth when the voices instead of going toward the office or family room entered the kitchen instead.
He was frozen standing there looking like a wide-eyed idiot as his brother and the guest walked into the kitchen. One look at the beautiful man standing beside his brother had him flustered so bad that he dropped the bread dangling out of his mouth onto the floor. So now he was just an idiot standing there with his mouth hanging open holding a jug of milk and a bowl of pasta. Oh, and never let him forget, no hair and swollen misshaped body encased in grey sweats and an oversized t-shirt. He had never felt so stupid, so idiotic, and so ugly. Jin attempted to make a quick introduction. He didn’t think he just dumped what he had in his hands and ran. And that was no stranger! That was Jeon Jungkook himself! He was known as the Golden Makne because every show he was on turned to gold! He was discovered by Yoo Jaesuk when he was in college. Yoo had seen his potential and quickly brought the young man into the fold, nursing his career until he was established as one of Korea’s youngest television personalities. He was on Running man and even had his own talk show called ‘At Home with Jungkook’ where he interviewed idols, actors, and entertainment personalities in their homes.
Taehyung ran across the living room and up the stairs to his room. Running in he slammed the door and leaned against it as if to hold it shut from any invaders who may be following. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and streaked down his face silently as he slid down to puddle on the ground, just a limp version of himself. Tears fell and all he could think about was the look of pity on Jeon Jungkook’s famous face as he looked at him. Life just sucked.
Xxx
“That was my brother, Taehyung.” Kim Seokjin explained to his visitor. “He’s a little shy.” He walked around the kitchen island and knelt to pick up the bread his brother had dropped. Coming up he opened the cabinet and pitched the bread into the garbage can hidden within. “Would you like water or soda?” he asked desperately wanting to pull his guests eyes from his retreating brothers form. Poor Taehyung, things would get better, it just took time.
His little brother was going to get a happy ending love story if it was the last thing he did. His heart swelled with love for his little brother who had fought a courageous battle with cancer and won. They had come close to loosing him at one point and he had vowed that if his brother made it, he would do everything in his power to give him a happy life that would make up for all the pain he went through. He had watched others in the hospital with Taehyung lose their battles and with each loss his determination grew. He was going to give Tae the happy life and love story he deserved. He just needed a prince charming for this potential love story in the making.
He was brought back when his guest replied, “Water please. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable.” Jungkook’s smile was hesitant and the author could tell he wanted to ask about what had just happened. Jin pulled two glasses from a shelf and retrieved a pitcher of water from the refrigerator. Pouring them both a glass he handed one to Jungkook who nodded his thanks.
“Let’s go into my office and we can get the interview underway.” And leading the way brought him to his office. “How do you want to start?”
“Well for this first interview, lets just get to know each other. I like to meet up and get to know people before we ever bring in cameras. It makes things more personable; I want us to be natural on air.”
Seokjin nodded at this, “Yes, I can see the benefit. Nothing is worse than an awkward interview. I had an interview once with a Japanese magazine and she just stared at me for five minutes before asking a question, so awkward. And then the questions were the same as every other interview!”
“Yes! I want the real Kim Seokjin, not the dust cover Kim Seokjin.” He grinned and pulled up his sleeves, showing off a sleeve of tattoos on one arm. He laughed when he noticed the author staring. “Shh, the studio does all they can to keep them hidden, by now it’s the worst kept secret in all of viewing history. I mean everyone can see them when I’m photographed by Dispatch but the network covers them up every time I’m on air.”
“Scared to offend the viewing audience? It’s silly how we let other viewpoints rule our world.” He said this and then glanced with a worried look through the doorway to the stairs leading to where his brother had fled.
“Yeah,” Jungkook mumbled and gave him a curious look, “What was his problem if you don’t mind me asking?”
Jin looked down at his feet for a moment and then looked him in the eye, “You would feel awkward too if you had battled cancer for two years and now everyone looks at you like you are a weird curiosity.”