Hangang In The Autumn | Taekook

8. Shine & Smile

The music continued from one to another, some dragging his heart along with the lyrics while some pushing him to a daze, Taehyung tried his best to fall asleep. A nap can make him feel better. Before he could even completely fall into a deep slumber, the doorbell meddled with his trance. Oh, right. It's the food he ordered.

Without waking up Yeontan who was asleep, Taehyung stood up, hugging Yeontan close to his chest. He wasn't hungry anymore, but the thought of Hot Jajjangmyeon and Kimchi fried rice made him snap out of his doze. Lenient steps dragged him to the doorway, drowsy eyelids struggled to keep it open, he opened the door to find the delivery man holding a box for him.

Taking the package, he thanked the man and walked faster towards the dining table. Yeontan was awake because of the little noises Taehyung's clumsy hands made. He let the dog walk around while he unboxed the hot package. Mouthwatering at the scent of food, Taehyung paused for a moment. Jajjangmyeon was missing.

There must be a mistake by the delivery guy. Taehyung concluded and decided to complete his appetite with Kimchi fried rice. But weirdly enough, the package had something else. Something he didn't order.

김태형

Written on the top of the packet, Taehyung froze on the spot. His blood went cold, his breath caught up, and he could feel how fear was taking over him. Panicked so bad, Taehyung took steps back from the table, the itch in him wanted to touch the packet, the messy handwriting on the top of it, and maybe inhale the scent. It wasn't the same as the hot Kimchi fried rice. The scent the small package had was intense, almost making him dizzy, the musky fragrance that he hates the most.

The package was a neat one, wrapped in colorful paper with strawberry and peaches on it, too fruity to Taehyung's liking. He was scared to open it, but curiosity rushed through his veins. Taking a glance around, and keeping his breathing normal after a big battle with himself, Taehyung decided to open it. Each paper came to his hands when the package was unwrapped, Taehyung felt his heart was clenching slowly to not give him enough strength to stand up on his own. The package opened only for the caramel-haired boy to witness a box in it, inside of it was a vinyl record.

Pause. All Taehyung could do was bring his senses together to realize that the record was in front of him, a short note glued on it with handwriting different than the one on the outer package. It was not a prank. No. Why would anyone pull a prank like this on him? Why would anyone try to scare him with a record like this?

Taehyung was out of his mind, hands ran to pick the note on it, whole body shivering at the thought of what it had to do with him. He glimpsed at Yeontan who was now snuggling to his leg as if the little dog could sense Taehyung's nervousness. Picking up Yeontan from the floor, Taehyung walked up to his room with the package, his Kimchi fried rice left untouched on the dining table.

The record was cold, as he put it into his recorder, the note in his hands, unopened but the anxiety was over the top. He sat on the side of his bed, with Yeontan on his lap as a knight in shining armor, he could hear his loud beatings of the heart reverberating in the whole room.

With a creak at the start, the record started playing, and unknowingly, Taehyung froze, nerves stopped, blood went cold, eyes prickling with foreign emotions, the hold around Yeontan only tightened as seconds passed.

He had heard that voice only once. But he realized that he could never forget it in a million lifetime. He had heard those whispers only once, but he realized that's what he wanted to hear every day and night.

Taehyung never thought he would have that privilege of Jooan, the privilege of having a Jeon Jeongguk in her life, the privilege of the man singing her to sleep. Nevertheless, here he is, listening to the voice of Jeon Jeongguk, while tears rolling down on his cheeks, and breathing getting heavy at each word resonating in the room.