CANDID. ᵏᵗʰ

CHAPTER 07; 𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙀-𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙎

taehyung shivered, his left leg bouncing as he sat on the park bench. he ran his fingers over the seat's peeling green paint and pulled off a curl of it, leaving a divot in the wood where it came from. he hadn't meant to. he lined up the paint in the curve and flattened it with the pad of his thumb until the edges were nearly seamless.

he glanced at his phone—ten to eight. the seconds ticked by frustratingly slowly and what he felt was twenty minutes would only be five.

he leant back on the bench, hearing the old wood creak quietly, and shifted his camera in his lap. the strap was custom-made, made of good leather, and he wrapped it around his hand securely. it was a denim-blue colour and taehyung had bought it online on a whim.

"taehyung," greeted a voice from right behind him. he turned around and stood up in one motion and beamed.

"hyung! hi!"

you noticed that he went in for a hug, but changed his mind and stuck out his closed fist. you lifted your own fist, unable to stop your lips from twitching upwards. if possible, his smile grew wider and he fist-bumped you.

"were you waiting long?" you asked him. he began walking slowly, and you followed him naturally to be on his right.

he shook his head, looking at you as he spoke. "nope, don't worry. i just didn't want you to wait."

"aw." you laughed quietly. the market's front entrance was getting closer and you could already see fairly large masses wandering around inside. "you'd be a good boyfriend."

"thanks." when you glanced away, he took the time to inspect your appearance. he thought you looked nice. you had chosen a relatively simple outfit for the night, but taehyung still stood by his previous statement. if he saw you on a poster or banner advertising high-end clothes, he wouldn't bat an eyelash. he said, more to himself than anything, "it's a shame i can't date."

"not at all?"

"not at all," he confirmed. "but it's okay! we have army in our hearts." he winked and made a heart with his hands, almost dropping his camera. you moved on reflex to catch it but taehyung just laughed breezily, throwing the strap he'd caught it by around his neck. "oops, my bad."

you closed your eyes and let out a relieved chuckle of your own. the panic you'd felt at seeing it drop towards the concrete had pulled a visceral reaction from you.

the 'official' front entrance was nothing more than a wide-open gate, large enough to comfortably fit a car on the road. as you and taehyung stepped past the metal fences, the rich scent of spices and flavours hit you properly. you took a deep breath in, the smell, the sounds, as warm and familiar as a hug.

this place, where nobody knew or cared who you were and only wanted to sell, used to be your escape from the rest of the world. the sight of a few raucous teenagers running about was so common that it felt wrong to see none.

school, fake friends, forced hobbies—none of it mattered here in these loud streets. the clanging of pots and pans, the mixture of baked breads and steaming noodles permeating the cool evening air, the shouts and calls and laughter that floated up and dissipated into the sky...

"hyung? you okay?"

at taehyung's voice, tinted with concern, you opened your eyes (when had they closed?) and smiled at him. you dismissed his question with a wave of your hand and said, "i'm okay. just nostalgic."

he returned your smile radiantly and beckoned you with a crooked finger. you started walking again. "it's nice here, isn't it?"

"it is, even nicer with you," you teased, to which he swatted you on the arm, "ouch. but i might—"