Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
present
he was there,
until he wasn't.
"mr. jeon!" a loud voice suddenly blurted jungkook out his thoughts.
balancing the mechanical pencil he was holding, jungkook blinked his eyes open and bowed over his two-dimensional design professor, mr. lee, whose facial expression remained calm as he was unable to do much, considering that jungkook was one of the best students in the whole art department.
"i-i'm sorry," jungkook nodded, moving his vision back to the paper. "won't happen again, sir."
"hmm, you better."
but how could jungkook focus on his work, when all he could think about was how those ashes engulfed taehyung's vibrating body, turning him into absolutely nothing? how could he, when someone as logical as him couldn't find any scientific explanation to whatever the hell he just witnessed? who are you, kim taehyung?
it was funny how jungkook got so sad and unaccepting of their abrupt separation, he ended up following taehyung from behind. and he wasn't even trying to look like he just barfed a whole script of romantic novel .he was never really one to chase who and what he wanted, unless it was related to arts . . . or the people he loved.
but, was he in love with him?
was he in love with hanbok man, the man he just met a couple times over a series of misadventures?
jungkook himself had no idea. all the twenty one-year old busan native knew was that he wanted to keep him close, no matter what. maybe it wasn't love, maybe it didn't have to be. it could be anything. they could be anything. all jungkook needed was a third chance from god — oh, how demanding — to see taehyung again, and confronted him for whatever supernatural event he just witnessed four days ago.
"attention!"
everyone immediately stopped their drawings. watching mr. lee stood up from his seat with a note on his hand, it sort of reminded jungkook of high school whenever his homeroom teacher got up in the podium to announce an important news. but today, he was tired. and he didn't think he would be able to handle anymore exposure, until . . .
"forgive me for only telling you this," mr. lee flashed a scintillating smile, obviously interested by how ecstatic the whole class reacted. "but your history professor wanted me to tell you that she's arranged a quick trip to the museum, where you can analyse its paintings and sculptures for your further references. it won't be long until you finish your studies, i suppose?"
they nodded, jungkook included.
"as you already know, every one of you will have to submit a final work in order to graduate. you will be given six months to complete whatever you want to do — just know that you'll have to do this without the help of your lecturers, so," jungkook could feel mr. lee's intensity burning holes through his chest. "best of luck, young artists."
and then, just like that, something else came up inside jungkook's mind at the thought of going to a history museum.
it was taehyung's kingdom of silla.
past
taehyung understood why time always had its way of showing him what really mattered.
because jungkook mattered.
and now, as he finally got himself transported back to where he belonged, back to the very place he first lost his consciousness, taehyung slowly walked inside his room with a heavy chest and an even heavier heart. there, his mother was already seated on his bed, looking both worried and relieved that her only son had returned from the world he was never really fitted in.
it seemed like the queen was aware of what had happened, as she stood up from the mattress in panic and immersed her son in a tearful hug.
"p-prince taehyung,"
"just taehyung."
"taehyung-ah," his mother patted the back of his head, feeling her soft fingers brushing through his hair. "i'm sorry for everything."
"no . . ." as innocent as it sounded, taehyung despised the word sorry. it made him feel guilty, and he didn't want to be guilty. it didn't took him long until he shook his head with a loud sob, saying, "i'm sorry too, i s-shouldn't have-"
"your mother understands . . . she always does."
letting go of their hug, taehyung raised his brow in confusion. "w-what?"
"have you been to the beach before?" jungkook opened a conversation, in which taehyung accepted with a happy nod. "well, do you like it?"
"yeah, i think it's both calming and alarming at the same time. it keeps me grounded, i guess?"
"and why is that?"
throwing his body over the pastel sands, taehyung fluttered his eyes shut as he imagined the stars rooting for their collision, hoping that he wouldn't get transported back anytime soon.
"i look at the shore and feel certainty. i am safe, from whatever can reach me, until the water moves closer and says hi to my feet. it is when i focus on the sea, following its sounds and rocking waves, i realise that after all this time, everything has always been full of uncertainty."
"hmm, i like the idea of that," jungkook hummed before joining him. "it kind of resembles us, you know— how we pushed and pulled against fate . . . and yet still manage to find each other again."
"there must be questions swarming inside your head about this necklace and your travels, correct?" she softly asked, her fingertips finding the edge of the pendant as she caressed its surface.
travels.
time traveling.
"you're right — i shouldn't have lied to in front of your face," they sat themselves on the unmade bed, hands gripping each other almost a little too possessively. "now, why don't you wipe your tears and let me explain everything from the start?"
an early update won't hurt, right? ♡
don't forget to vote & comment (& maybe check out my pjm work; the prologue has been published!). also, i'm going to go on a war a.k.a. fighting against thousand others to buy a GOT7 ticket next week, please wish me luck!
