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The festival itself was nothing like Minjun had ever beheld. The boy hadn't seen so many excited people before — not counting the sports events at his former school. His eyes couldn't find a still wonder to linger on for more than a second or two.
They were walking along a raised street, one that sandwiched a neat, shop-filled alley. Minjun's eyes found the lane below them, covered over by hundreds, if not thousands, of mottled umbrellas.
Above him, and in almost every direction around him, a unique cherry blossom tree sat proudly. They displayed millions of blushing flowers and danced in the weak, springtime breeze.
"Do you like it?" Asked Jimin as he caught up with the youngest.
Minjun gleamed at the man and nodded, "it's very pretty, I love it." Then, he wriggled his hand out of his sweater pocket and held it out for Jimin. The warmth of Jimin's palms gave Minjun a jolt of comfort, and he cheerfully strolled beside the elder with his hand being carried.
"We're at the Jungwon Intersection," Jimin informed the boy as they turned a corner, "We can get some food here before we continue."
The feeling of Jimin's hand plucking out of Minjun's reach was discouraging to the boy as he watched the elder converse with Namjoon. He appeared to be inquiring about food, so Minjun quietly watched with a pout on his rosy lips.
Shortly, however, the heat in his hand was reinstated — on each side. The boy snapped his head up in alarm, discovering a smiley Taehyung on his left and a blush-covered Jungkook on his right.
"You shouldn't frown, Min, the boys and I will think you're upset," Taehyung told him, squeezing his hand now and then, "and then we'll have to come over and give you so much affection in public."
Minjun only then looked up from Taehyung's hypnotic lips, "o-oh," and regarded the tens of people wandering around the immobile group. He wondered if they had cynical thoughts about the way he held hands with his two partners, how he was subconsciously inches away from kissing one of them.
"Boys," came Namjoon's voice from behind the trio, "we're going to get tteokbokki, coming?" And soon, Minjun was being tugged towards a petal-smothered picnic table.
Jin, Yoongi and Hobi were the ones to order the food, standing by the street stall as their rice cakes were prepared.
Minjun shovelled a handful of dawn-tinted petals off of the table, thanks to the overbearing sakura tree that hung over the group's heads. With great care, he lowered the bundle onto the floor beside him, being that he was at the edge of the bench.
Next to him sat Jungkook, who supervised as the boy gently moved the cherry blossom from the table to the floor.
When the eldest three returned, Minjun's eyes were filled with appetite and glee. He saw the steam wafting out of the takeaway cartons and a gleam of saliva appeared on his lower lip.
"For you," Hoseok sang, positioning the first box down in front of the boy. He then served everyone before sitting and tucking in. Minjun didn't waste time, he popped open the lid and scratched the wooden fork off of the inside.
He impaled a rice cake and, making sure he had spooned enough cheese onto his fork beforehand, directly popped it into his mouth. Yet, the day was bitter and the food was simmering and Minjun began huffing and puffing out hot air as he munched on the tteokbokki.
"Careful," Seokjin snickered, "you'll burn your tongue."
Minjun nodded while progressing with his chewing. The boys laughed at the situation, how Minjun's cheeks became a flustered red and how he noticeably tried swallowing the scorching rice cake.
After they had eaten, more of the festival activists had been set up. This included gift stalls, stages for performances, and a closed-off area in a garden for the firework display to transpire later that night.
Minjun found himself holding hands with Jin and Namjoon as they left lunch, the trio walking ahead of everyone.
"Thank you for the food," Minjun hummed with a complacent smile.
He was met with grins and coos before they came across another street stall. The vendor was an old man, his drowsy wife in a comfortable chair just behind him. He sold pottery items; plates, necklace pendants, coasters.
The next stall sold sakura themed trinkets. As did the next.
It was the fourth stall they came across that Minjun stopped walking, confusing the two boyfriends he was attached to. He let go of Jin and nudged Namjoon over.
Once the remaining six had stepped towards the next stall, Minjun looked up at the leader with imploring eyes, "Namjoon?"
"Yes?"
"Is there any chance-" Minjun stopped, deciding to try again, "do you think that," the boy thought this was too rude so he started over, "please, could i—"
"Is there something you'd like to buy?" Namjoon smirked, putting an end to the flustered rambling that he was moderately enjoying.
Minjun sunk his head, "yes, please."
"How much is it?"
"I can work it out," Minjun said, "but you have to turn away so that you don't see!"
The leader did as he was told, keeping hold of the boy's hand as he gave him time to count how much money he needed. Minjun was grateful to see that all he had to do was times the simple price by seven and that he knew his seven times table.
"Twenty-eight thousand won," Minjun whispered.
"Alright." Namjoon stroked the boy's hair and fished the cash out of his wallet, once again turning away as commanded by Minjun.
The boy wasn't very confident when it came to talking to people. Before he met the Bangtan Boys, he stayed well away from any social interaction and felt relaxed only when doing so.
But, the gifts were so charming and Minjun was determined. He, with a melodious voice, asked the old woman for the items, referring to the specific seven that he wanted, and stood gnawing on his lips as she wrapped them up.
"Thank you," he beamed, presenting the money. He was offered the gifts in a golden paper bag, which he held to his side protectively. He tightened his grip when Namjoon offered to carry it.
"All good?" Yoongi asked as the pair caught up, receiving a delighted nod from both Minjun and Namjoon.
Minjun's face gleamed vividly. A performance of blues and pinks projecting onto his features. All of the boys saw it, the shimmering reflection in his wondrously enlarged eyes.
Though the firework display was blazing through the air above them, they couldn't drag their eyes away from Minjun's face.
Not that he knew. With his fingers weakly gripping the paper bag, Minjun sat on the grass bank, his head angled up at the midnight sky. Any indication of twilight was more-or-less gone due to the magnificent fireworks. They animated the sky for miles.
A pair of white, fuzzy earmuffs hugged his ears, shielding him from the sharp noises. They muted the coos that chorused around him when he first exclaimed at the astonishing colours. Every few minutes, Minjun would lower his eyes and look around, whether to check his boyfriends were still there, or to check that they were watching as well.
"He's so cute," Jimin grumbled, eyebrows narrowed at Jungkook.
The younger snickered, "and why is that making you angry?"
"I want to hug him," the Hacker lamented, voice raised over the thunderous sound of fireworks splitting up in the air.
"Weird," Jungkook chuckled uproariously, "go and hug him then."
Jimin eyed the boy before nodding and hastening forwards. Wary of Minjun's paper bag, Jimin slid his legs on either side of him and scooted closer. Jimin encased his hands around Minjun's middle, chest against the boy's back.
Minjun didn't seem to frighten or worry about which boy had come to hold him, he only used Jimin's shoulder as a headrest to watch the leftover fireworks illuminate space. When the show ended, Minjun hoisted his knees to his chest and rolled over, leaning his weight wholly on Jimin.
"Not yet," Jimin chuckled and kissed the boy's cold cheek, "you can sleep when we get back to the house, Sweetheart."
The boy let out a loud sigh and huffed when he was picked up by Seokjin.
"Can you get his bag?" Jin asked Jimin, positioning Minjun comfortably on around his torso. The Hacker nodded and grabbed the paper handles.
Minjun appeared to spring awake, yelling, "don't look," and Jimin nodded at him.
Fortunately for Minjun, the bitter wind hindered him from falling asleep on the journey home. Though, he stayed soundless in optimism that Jin would remain to carry him. When they hit home, Minjun stretched and put on a show of waking up, before bouncing down and getting his bag from Jimin.
"Come on," he gleed, "I have something for you all!"
The seven gang members followed their petite boyfriend to the lounge area, where he sat on the recliner by himself. Minjun pointed the men at the sofa and each of them found a seat.
"There was a Japanese stall at the festival today and I saw something that I wanted you to have," Minjun smiled shyly, "When Namjoon told me about each of your lives, I didn't think I'll ever have the courage to talk to you about them and I doubt I ever will, but this is instead of that."
Minjun reached into the bag and removed a ball of wrapping paper.
"I understand you all a little more now-" Minjun unwrapped the paper until the tiny sculptures sat on his palm- "I respect you all, and admire you all."
The boy went to each boy, one by one, setting one of the identical objects into their palms and shutting their fingers over the present before they saw. When he got to Yoongi, he beamed, "and, I hope that you all stay happy forever."
The boys opened their hands and grinned down at the mini fortune cats in their hands. The Maneki Neko were white, a propitious charm of happiness.
The first to grab Minjun into an unending cuddle pile was Taehyung.