Chapter Text
Someday.
That’s what the album, which had a beautiful Filipino woman on the cover, and to which Namjoon had gifted him, read.
“But hyung,” begun Taehyung, checking out the album, “this album is in English. I don’t understand English.”
Namjoon looked at him and, with the gentlest expression that Taehyung had ever seen on him, said, “Music knows no boundaries when it reaches the heart.”
Packing the last of his clothes and items, Taehyung took one look around the apartment that he once shared with his ex-boyfriend, that he once called home. But this apartment was no longer home. Never again would it be home, just as his ex would never be his again.
He grabbed the biggest box and carried it outside to his car. Then he made several more trips for the rest of his stuff.
“Sorry that it didn’t work out, Tae,” his ex apologized, bowing his head, after Taehyung had finished moving his stuff. “I really wanted our love to last. Really! I did!” He tried to put on a sincere and genuine face, but Taehyung noted the lack of emotions in the man’s dark orbs.
Despite feeling bitter on the inside, Taehyung managed to disguise his true feelings by putting on a small smile. “It’s okay,” he said. “If I left anything behind, please, don’t hesitate to contact me. The item may be of importance.”
“Of course, of course,” the guy had nodded too quickly for Taehyung’s liking. It was as if the guy wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. Which may not be far from the truth.
“I’ll get going, now.” Taehyung bowed slightly and then pulled up his hoodie.
Getting into his car, and then inserting the key, Taehyung backed out of the parking spot. He turned the steering wheel, wanting the car to go left, towards the exit. Glancing back at the apartment, he was able to see his ex eagerly welcoming in a petite lady.
“Wanted our love to last, whatever,” said Taehyung, recalling his ex’s words. “At least be honest.”
He never really understood me.
He always called me weird; and not in a good way.
He made fun of the times when I dyed my hair in shades of different colors.
He never tried to get along with my friends.
That’s what Taehyung kept telling himself over a bottle of beer. And that’s what Yoongi and Hoseok, both bartenders, also told him when he entered the public place.
It’s already been three weeks since the breakup and two weeks since moving out. (He spent the first night at Jimin and Yoongi’s apartment, after moving everything into his new home, because he was afraid of the unsettling feeling of being alone.)
Yet, he couldn’t get his ex out of his mind nor would the pain of the break up disappear from his heart.
His new apartment turned out to be much better than the one he used to share with his ex. The living room and kitchen were bigger, so Taehyung could now host parties, and he could so whenever he wanted without the permission of another person. The neighbors were friendlier than the previous ones. To the right of his place lived an elderly lady, by the name of Grandma Yejin, that gave him homemade cookies on the day he settled in, as well as the rest of the days. To his left was a college student, whom Taehyung never had the opportunity to establish proper introductions with, but the student greeted Taehyung whenever they saw each other in the hallway. The other residents made sure they had at least one conversation with Taehyung.
“You know what you need,” said Hoseok, wiping the counter clean from spilled alcohol, “you need a new man in your – Aye!”
Yoongi kneed Hoseok’s butt, promptly telling him to shut his mouth. This no time for a new man, Yoongi mouthed while serving another customer.
We can’t just let him mope around, Hoseok mouthed back. He stopped wiping and threw the rag under the counter.
And how is a new guy going to help, Yoongi mouthed, glaring at his co-worker.
Taehyung’s eyes drifted from Yoongi to Hoseok and then back to Yoongi while the two hyungs were having a mouthing argument. After a few more minutes of watching Yoongi and Hoseok looking like complete fools, Taehyung slid off the chair and grabbed his leather jacket. He left the bar without his hyungs noticing.
Strolling in the Seoul cool night air was rejuvenating for Taehyung. He hadn’t had much time to really be outside and just enjoy the surroundings. After college graduation, which was a year ago, Taehyung joined a new-grad nursing program at one of the big hospitals in Seoul. He was a nighttime employee, along with his friend Jimin.
When working, Taehyung’s mind was occupied by roundings, patient requests, and ensuring that no one died under his watch. During the day, Taehyung slept, exhausted from work. Work took his mind off the breakup. So he threw himself into work. He asked others if they needed help, accepted favors, and took on additional shifts. The charge nurse had noticed that he’s been working practically everyday and, although she was pleased by Taehyung’s hard work, she didn’t think it would be wise to let Taehyung work another night, in fear that he would collapse from fatigue or stress. Therefore, Taehyung’s now left to figure out what to do to forget about everything.
In the midst of his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed that he was about to cross the street with the light still being green. He took a step forward, but was then pulled back by his collar. Falling on his behind, Taehyung winced and looked up to see a black sedan car passed before them. Taehyung’s gaze traveled to his savior. It was the college student that lived next door to him.
“Hey,” uttered Taehyung embarrassed. “Thanks for saving me.”
The student smiled, clutching on the strap of his messenger bag. “Kind of an irony to be honest. ”
“Why?” Taehyung stood up.
“Because you’re a nurse and your job is to save people. Yet, here I was, saving your behind,” explained the student.
“Well,” Taehyung said slowly. Now that the other mentioned his behind, it started to sore, so Taehyung rubbed it. “My behind is in the most pain right now. I wouldn’t quite say that you saved my behind.”
The student laughed while scratching the back of his neck, eyeing Taehyung. “I’ve got to go. Staying over at friend’s house, because we’ve got our first finals on Monday.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Taehyung. He remembered the dreaded finals that kept him awake for weeks as he held a deep fear for failure. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
“… You’re welcome …”
The student and Taehyung continued to stand there, staring at one another, and waiting for someone to make the first move.
“Are you going or what?” teased Taehyung. “Wouldn’t want to keep your friend waiting.”
The student blinked. “Oh. That’s right.” In Taehyung’s opinion, the student seemed hesitant to leave.
“Bye?” Taehyung lifted his hand up to wave goodbye.
“Bye,” replied the student yet was not making a move to leave.
Taehyung waited expectantly for the student to leave. “Going…?”
“Oh … Right … My friend.”
“Yeah, your friend.”
And then, with a final goodbye, the student turned around, shoulders slumped, and crossed the street. Taehyung watched the student’s figure disappear into the night scene of Seoul, realizing something: He hadn’t asked for the student’s name.
Being together for two years, of course, meant that everything would constantly remind Taehyung of his ex.
Taehyung woke up that morning, craving coffee. As cliché as it sounded, Taehyung and his ex met at a Starbucks.
He left his apartment and greeted Grandma Yejin a good morning. It turned out that Grandma Yejin had a pet cat named Harry. Amazingly, the brother of Taehyung’s ex had chosen Harry as his English name.
The charge nurse called him, when he was at the grocery store, informing him that there weren’t many patients, therefore he wouldn’t be needed for tonight’s shift. Back in college, whenever Taehyung’s class was cancelled, his ex brought him on a date.
“Yoongi almost killed Namjoon the other night.” Jimin brushed a hand through his newly dyed red hair. With nothing on his agenda, Taehyung had texted Jimin to meet him in the park.
“Hmmm … Why?” Taehyung asked, not really paying attention, as he gazed at the bed of tulips and sunflowers.
Taehyung’s ex liked the bright colored flowers that they often saw in the park.
Jimin sighed. “Yoongi bought a stupid white couch because it matched well with his pale skin. I told him not to buy it, because we, as well as guests, would have to constantly be wary of getting it dirtied. That wouldn’t be worth the money. But nope,” he said, making the ‘p’ popping sound at the end. “He bought it. And then …”
Taehyung wondered what his ex was doing. Had he remembered to water the plants?
“ … He wanted to show off the couch to Namjoon hyung so he asked him and Seokjin hyung to come over … ”
Was he eating well? Certainly, Taehyung hoped his ex wasn’t starving.
“ … They came over with a bottle of red wine to celebrate the purchase of the new couch … and my hair … ”
Oh, Taehyung wished he could contact his ex just to know how he’s holding up.
“ … And then Namjoon hyung spilled his glass of red wine on the couch! Yoongi freaked out, screamed out some profanities, and then lunged himself at Namjoon hyung. What a headache. Of course, right after Namjoon hyung and Seokjin hyung went home, I reprimanded Yoongi because it’s his freaking … Hey, are you listening to me?” Jimin poked Taehyung in the ribcage.
Taehyung blinked, thus exiting from his train of thoughts. “What?”
After examining his friend, with his mouth set in a firm line, Jimin sighed. “Were you thinking about your ex-boyfriend?”
Knowing how Jimin felt about his ex-boyfriend, Taehyung denied it.
“Tae, don’t lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. You’re wondering if he remembered to water the plants, if he’s eating well, and just how he’s doing.”
Leaning further back into the park bench, Taehyung wondered if he’s that easy to read. It’s just that, when you’ve been with someone for so long, it can’t be helped. But he wasn’t going to admit that. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m completely fine.”
“I understand. But you need to move on. Do something different. Unexpected. Like what I did with my hair.”
Taehyung inspected Jimin’s red hair. It was a dark shade of red; almost crimson red. Was Taehyung shock when he saw his best friend’s new hair color? No. Not really. Yoongi, Jimin’s boyfriend of four years – three years and seven months, Jimin always corrected him – was a fan of dying his hair, or as Taehyung called it, ruining the natural beautiful state of his hair. “I’m not dying my hair,” Taehyung refused. “Been there. Done that. Got sick of doing it over and over again.” His hair hadn’t fully repaired itself from so much hair dying that he used to do when he was a college student.
“Just dye it one more time for a change. You were the one that said, it won’t be permanent.”
“Exactly! If I’m going to do something, I’m going to have it done permanently, not temporarily!”
Like love. Aim for love that would remain forever, not one that will fly away along with the wind.
“Hey, neighbor!”
The college student greeted Taehyung as the former opened the door with one hand, his laptop and books in the other. A backpack was slung over his shoulder.
“Did you finish your finals?” asked Taehyung. He’d invited the boy into his simple white and black apartment, which had yet to be decorated by Seokjin, just because that’s Seokjin’s habit, for some homemade giant muffins courtesy of Grandma Yejin.
The student nodded eagerly. “I’m finally free!”
Snorting, Taehyung’s next words crushed the younger male’s spirit. “Not so fast, kid. I graduated a year ago, and I’m still studying. You may think the finals are done, but they aren't. Every phase in life will come with their own finals, and it's up to you to pass, by overcoming the obstacles, or fail, by letting yourself be defeated."
The student stopped munching on his muffin. "Wow. What a way to motivate me for the future," he sarcastically stated. "I'm so excited for the future now. Got to give you props for the wise words though."
Taehyung placed a cup of coffee in front of the student before sitting down, across from the other. Rather than eat a muffin, Taehyung chose the lemon cookies that were given to him by another neighbor. Their conversation was mainly about school. The student shared that he just finished his third year of college and majored in music.
"Why you chose nursing? You don't seem like the nursing type.” Jungkook asked after Taehyung told him about the new-grad nursing program.
"My umma was a nurse, and I was surrounded by other nurses and the occasional doctors. I just figured that I’d be a nurse."
Taehyung got up and went to the kitchen counter for the coffee. He poured some for the student; but being oh so clumsy, he spilled the cup on himself, as he made his way back to the student. "Damn." Grabbing some paper towels from the counter, Taehyung tried to dab away the coffee, but it proved to be futile. Giving up, he glared down at the large, ugly brown stain forming on one of his favorite shirts, and then at the coffee machine, mentally asking what he ever done to it for this to happen. “I hate you, you addictive shit.”
The student laughed at his hyung’s silliness. “Hyung, you’re so precious,” said the student, gazing at Taehyung warmly, and Taehyung blushed.
Well at least his antics entertained the young student. Feeling comfortable around the student, and wanting to dispose the shirt as quickly as he can, Taehyung grabbed the hem and pulled the shirt over his head, revealing his smooth, tanned chest and abdomens. Surprised at his hyung’s rash actions, the student gawked.
Grinning, Taehyung closed his dongsaeng’s mouth and told him, “Don’t keep your mouth open like that. Flies will go in.”
Coughing, the student went back to munching on his muffin, averting his attention from his hyung’s eyes.
Taehyung squealed. He really wanted to keep the student around like a pet bunny. The student was just too adorable.
“You know,” started Taehyung, leaning against the doorframe, and watching the student fumble with his keys, “we see each other in the hallways. We greet each other. Yet, I don’t even know your name.”
“Neither do I know your name,” smirked the student. “You practically invited a stranger into your home.” The door unlocked, and the student pushed it open but left it hanging, wanting to finish the conversation with his hyung.
“You? A stranger? What are you talking about? You’re officially my precious dongsaeng, albeit no name.”
“I’m your precious dongsaeng?” The student blinked. “As your precious dongsaeng, then, it appears that it is now obligatory for me to share my name. It’s Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook.”
Jungkook. The name rolled off Taehyung’s tongue in the most pleasant way that Taehyung absolutely loved it. He was repeating Jungkook’s name, out loud, over and over again. Jungkook laughed before he asked for Taehyung’s name.
“Taehyung. Kim Taehyung.” Taehyung stuck out a hand for a handshake. “Nice to officially meet you, Jungkook, Jeon Jungkook.”
When Jungkook reached out and accepted the handshake, there was this electrifying spark that surged up their arms and traveled throughout their bodies. Taehyung retrieved his hand quickly and smiled shyly at Jungkook.
They said their goodbyes and entered their apartments.
An hour later, before Taehyung went to bed, thinking of his cute dongsaeng, he checked for any new messages on his phone.
There was one new message.