sea-kissed 🌊 || j.jk+k.th

{22} photographs 🌊

"Have you ever thought about doing photography ?" Taehyung asked, as Jungkook and him were quietly lying on the sand.

The night was still dark, crisp, and deep, shimmering with distant stars, and the two of them hadn't moved an inch in what seemed like forever. It just felt natural for Jungkook, to stay quiet and content by Taehyung's side. The others were still peacefully asleep on the sand, Namjoon's and Seokjin's backs touching, while Jimin's head had ended up near Yoongi's shoulder during his sleep.

"Photography ? No, not really... Why ?"

"Well, you said that before coming here your life felt... like a blur, didn't you ? I was thinking, maybe if you recorded your days, it could help you remember them more clearly. Feel that something significant happened, you know ? It's just a thought, though."

Jungkook nodded. He had never thought about it that way. Besides, there was plenty of pretty landscapes -and people- he wanted to remember, here in Gimyong. Yeah, it was a pretty good idea.

But after hours of listening to the unending lullaby of the waves, Jungkook's eyelids began to feel heavier and heavier.

"You can sleep," he heard Taehyung whisper beside him. "I'm going for a swim, but I'll keep an eye on all of you, don't worry."

Jungkook nodded, and let his eyes close and his breath become steady. He heard shuffling on the sand beside him, and Taehyung's footsteps towards the sea.

He fell asleep as a familiar voice rang in his ears ; a song that made him dream of stars and tiny glowing jellyfish.

• • •

Jungkook woke up a few hours later, to see the 6 other men gathering what was left of the barbecue to clean up. Well, 5 other men ; Jimin was still sound asleep on Yoongi's back, who announced he would carry the boy back to the café. Once everything was clean, Namjoon said he'd bring Hoseok home, and then Seokjin to the hotel ; Jungkook insisted on staying back to help Taehyung carry the barbecue and others ustensils back. They all parted silently -partly because it was early and they were tired ; partly because their head hurt from consuming a little too much beer and wine.

  Once they had cleared everything away, Yoongi graciously invited Jungkook to stay over for breakfast, and he politely waited in their living room, on the second floor, while the appartment slowly took on the smell of coffee and crêpes.

"Where did Taehyung go ?" Jungkook asked when Yoongi came back with three cups of coffee and a few plates.

"Tae ? I don't know, he must have gone for a swim. I'm gonna wake Jimin up, okay ? I'll be back in a second. Eat while it's still hot."

Jungkook did as he was told, and silently enjoyed how the crêpe dissolved in his mouth while the older was gone. He let his eyes wander in the room for a bit, lingering a bit on each photograph they encountered ; it was mainly photos of Taehyung, at first a quite young boy, all boxy smiles and soft cheeks.

He was often photographed with an old lady with soft white waves for hair, and reassuring eyes ; and with another young boy who Jungkook soon recognized as Jimin, as he saw them both grow older with each photo.

Then, when the two boys became young adults, the old lady in the photos disappeared ; and with her, a bit of the shimmer in Taehyung's eyes -although he kept smiling as big as before. She was soon replaced with a young man with tired eyes and a weak smile ; Yoongi, who gained a little more cheek and a little more vigor with each photo.

From then on, it was only the three of them ; sometimes on the beach, or in this very living-room, or later in the By The Seaside café, which was becoming a more and more familiar place for Jungkook.

He finally laid his eyes on the last photograph, framed in the center of the wall, and there they were ; three friends, with the biggest of smiles, and radiating genuine happiness.

Jungkook too, lost for a moment in the memories of a life that wasn't his, smiled.

They deserve it, he thought, they truly deserve it.