"If you go to Kookie's bookcase, to the second drawer on the leftmost side, you'll find a small box there; and inside it, is the answer to what you want to know."
Taehyung stood before the bookcase, the words Yoongi spoke earlier replaying in his mind. That bookshelf of Jungkook's was rather high, so he used a step ladder to climb up; going for the second drawer on the far left, to the box Yoongi had spoken of.
It was an antique-looking wooden box, covered in many intricate designs which were exquisite and beautiful.
Taking the case into his hands made Taehyung feel quite nervous, to the extent where his hands actually began to tremble as the constant feeling of it being like he was peeking at some mysterious object overtook him.
He did not try to open the box at first, he only stared at the thing intently, while the two opposing thoughts: "Open" and "Don't open", bounced against one another, as if they were the multiple-choice answers on a sheet of paper laid out before him.
His mind warned him doing something like this was wrong, and that spying on Jungkook's private things without his consent was very bad.
But, his heart told him this thing should be something regarding him, otherwise, Yoongi would have been unlikely to tell him about it to begin with.
Besides, he wanted to know the answer to those things Yoongi had said, and ultimately, why Jungkook wanted to make such a contract with him.
Without a doubt, his emotions prevailed over his rationality in the end. So with the intake of a deep breath, Taehyung slowly opened the box. The box's latch made a soft "click" echo within his hand when it unlocked, and in that split second, Taehyung heard the sound of his own heart pounding.
Surprisingly, there was nothing particularly special inside the box. So far, just an old piece of newspaper—looking a bit yellowed—resting atop its other contents.
Upon seeing the newspaper, Taehyung was a little stunned; not understanding what Yoongi's intent could have been in making him see it. He then took out the newspaper and read the date on its cover: July 25th, 20xx.
——This newspaper was from five years ago.
Why would Jungkook treasure and preserve an old newspaper like this? Taehyung did not understand.
Now putting back the box, Taehyung opened the newspaper and read the capitalised front-page headline of the leading news story——Jeon Group's Next Heir, Jeon Jungkook, Receives Secret Invite to Attend the XXth Youth Standalone Web game Competition: So could this mean the Jeon Group is possibly stepping foot into the online gaming industry?!
Below this headline, one-third of all the titles were all about Jungkook.
Taehyung, "..."Is narcissism that Kookie's reason for wanting to hoard popular newspaper headlines of himself and keep them in that box? Could that Kookie actually turn out to be more of a narcissist than a tsundere?
Knowing fully well such a thing was out of the question, Taehyung still could not help but laugh after he thought about it, as he took a careful look at the Jungkook from back then. Comparatively speaking, there was not that much difference between the Jungkook in that picture to his current appearance. His features were still quite handsome, and his expression was still rather indifferent; but now it seemed like those features, along with his temperament, became even more refined, more mature—more...composed. That photo, suddenly made Taehyung become more curious as to what Jungkook was like those years back, especially whether or not he was such a sharp-tongued tsundere as he was now.
Yep, he must've still been like that. He was probably born that way, Taehyung thought before he returned his gaze to the newspaper's contents.
The article from five years earlier was about a web game competition where Jungkook, who was invited as a mysterious guest, received a great deal of attention from the media. It also had quite a number of people guessing whether his acceptance of the invitation to a competition like that had something to do with the next direction his company would advance in.
Taehyung was not very convinced by that report. Due to the strength of the Jeon Group, if they really wished to step into the online gaming industry it was unlikely they'd set their sights on an average teenage web game compe— Wait a minute! Taehyung remembered something. He then swept his gaze back to the article's title, reading the headline twice.
Taehyung paused, 20xx... Isn't that the competition I participated in?
Back then, it just so happened to be the summer vacation period, and along with the son of his homeroom teacher, he had formed a team who then entered that competition which they even won the "Most Creative" consolation prize for at that time.
Taehyung had been accepted to a high school in the city and due to his family's situation, the homeroom teacher looked after him a little more, and also because their son was in the same grade as him though the other boy's grades in every subject were unbalanced. The form teacher's son had the problem of focusing seriously on some subjects at the expense of others, so after he and the boy were more familiar with each other, Taehyung took it upon himself to help him make up for those lessons he was falling behind on; and it was because of this guy, that Taehyung got his first chance to interact with computers.
Back then, his participation in that competition was accidental. Still unfamiliar with computers, he could not help much but with his that clever mind of his, he did provide them with many new ideas and directions. In fact, the concept for the end product that went up for the competition was thought up by him, while the concrete design was the work of the homeroom teacher's son and another team member's. Little did he expect that they would win a prize for it in the end.
Taehyung also recalled the picture he had of all his teammates from when he took part in the competition, which now rests on his desk back at his family's home. Grandpa would frequently take out that picture to look at it, and say how that event still made him very happy.
But why would this newspaper be here? Taehyung continued reading. Below the article, his eyes falling on a photo with him standing in the first row to the far left, looking very reserved while wearing a white shirt and black trousers.
"...inside it is the answer to what you want to know."
Yoongi's words echoed once again, and an unbelievable thought slowly formed within Taehyung's heart. His mouth now slightly agape, he did not dare believe what he just saw in that newspaper, considering the speculation now forming in his heart as simply preposterous.
"...how can something like this be possible?" Taehyung mumbled. Folding up the paper recklessly, he then picked up the box again to find there were a few more news clippings inside that was from the same time as the one before. Apart from the newspapers, there were also several pictures, with not even one failing to be a photo of him from that competition.
His heart "ba-thumped" as it pounded, seeming as if it wanted to burst open, giving him no way to control its throbbing. He then, very carefully, picked up those photographs upon making contact with them, to his shock, every one of his fingertips emitted a scalding heat.
It was the same as the time when he saw the contents of the journal, except now it was the box in his hand which felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and yet again it seemed as if an invisible hand had churned the seas within his heart and tossing that place into chaos.
Taehyung thought he had already gotten along well with Jungkook and had also gradually come to understand the depth of that man's affections. But it never occurred to him he had yet to touch the tip of it.
"Taehyung." Jungkook's voice came from outside, jolting him back to reality. Eyeing the doorway, he quickly put the newspapers and pictures back into the box, covered it, then returned it to its original place before hurriedly climbing down the ladder, three steps merging into two, as he ran out of the study.
Jungkook stood in the doorway of their bedroom, the towel used to dry his hair hanging around his neck. Seeing Taehyung exit the study, he then said, "What are doing staying up so late? Come over here."
Taehyung's head was completely filled with all the pictures from inside that box, and after setting eyes on Jungkook, his steps halted; and soon after, he did something that even after many years had passed, his recollection of it made him feel ashamed to return back to his village.
Making his way over to Jungkook with quickened steps, he threw himself onto the other when he was finally right before him. That's right, he threw his whole self onto him, jumping on the man with both legs wrapping around the other's waist and arms tightly encircled around his neck.
Jungkook got quite a scare by the smaller man's pouncing, the impact causing him to draw backwards by free steps before he could steady himself, and use both hands to prop him up by the butt as he held him.
"Hiss!" Jungkook's face got knocked by Taehyung's forehead. Sucking in a breath, and with an unhappy tone, he said, "Are you throwing yourself into my arms, or are you trying to murder your dear husband?"
Taehyung gave him no reply, instead choosing to tighten his embrace and bury his face with the hollow of the other man's neck while repeatedly calling out his name softly.
"What happened?" Jungkook noticed he was acting a bit odd.
Taehyung sniffed his nose, his voice a bit hoarse as he asked, "Why are you so good to me?"
"Why, hm? " Jungkook thought about it, then replied, "It's probably because I'm a good man, right? I don't want to see you crying, okay. It's too ugly."
[T/n: the word for ugly used here also means embarrassing]
Bull-crap. Taehyung said internally. It's obviously because you love me...you've loved me for such a long time.
Taehyung did not expose him. Since Jungkook wanted to conceal it, he chose to treat the matter as something he had never discovered in the first place
"Jungkook..." hugging for a while, Taehyung finally spoke.
"Hm?" Jungkook replied.
"Please let me down," Taehyung said. This kind of position was too embarrassing, as there will always be this kind of feeling after performing such a jarring action.
"Let you down?" Jungkook raised a brow, "Who was the one who launched himself like a rocket onto me a moment ago?"
Taehyung's face became flushed by his words, it was just that a moment ago he was simply too moved. Knowing that Kookie held such a big secret in his heart made him unable to restrain his repressed emotions, thus giving him the urge to do something so embarrassing.
"Hm? Where did all that vigour you just had gone, huh?" Jungkook dragged his hand over the other's buttocks, pinching it harshly, "Scared?"
All those stirred up emotions he felt from his discovery of that Kookie's secretly being in love with him had yet to be tempered, and now because of that man's teasing, Taehyung's mind grew heated, causing him to cup the man's face and go straight in for a kiss, delivering a reckless kiss against his lips.
Left speechless by this sort of dog-licking like attempt at a kiss, Jungkook carried that person straight to their bed and pressed him down, switching their positions to one where he was the one now on the attack.
That thing from just a moment ago had given Taehyung such a great impact, he wanted very much to be more close to Jungkook—just a little closer—wishing that he could fuse himself together with that man as only this method would quell the surging tides within his heart.
[T/n: the impact mentioned is specifically from a thrust or great force, *wink*]
This was probably the most euphoric experience the two have had; their joining bodies seeming to stem from a cry within their souls, causing both of their hearts—their spirits, to tremble; each wishing the other would become wrapped within their own body.
The next day, Jungkook was already gone by the time he woke. With it being the day of the conference for his company's new product, it was mandatory for him to be present.
The pillow beside him, still holding onto Jungkook's scent, was then embraced by him followed by the inhalation of a deep breath; the sensation he felt of himself being surrounded by this scent giving him an extremely comfortable feeling.
Lying back on the bed again for a while, Taehyung finally got up a little past ten to wash up, all because Jungkook's news conference was to be aired at eleven o'clock.
Being kept warm in the kitchen, was the breakfast Jungkook went out to buy, so he took the warm milk, the pancakes and the dumpling with him as he went to turn on the television to the station to watch the press conference of Jungkook and company.
At the moment, it was still not the time for the event to begin, so Taehyung ate his breakfast while he waited. After he finished his breakfast it was finally the time, as Jungkook just appeared at the site of the conference.
Taehyung noticed that even though it was such a situation, Jungkook's attitude was neither cold nor warm, and his answers to the reporters' questions were also very simple. Sometimes, those answers even just had a couple of words, which were extremely simple and crude.
At the news conference, everything was arranged in advance, but there was one reporter who thought that place was suitable for gossip. As the event came near its end, this famous reporter suddenly put forward a question completely unrelated to the conference's topic, saying, "Mr Jeon, according to a reliable source, is it true that you already got married secretly?"
With this subject out, the venue was now in an uproar, with other reporters echoing this question one after the other.
The Jeon Group's public relations staff members upon seeing this, at once, changed the topic however Jungkook raised his hand to stop them, and surprisingly, gave the response, "Since you stated your source is reliable, what are doing asking me?"
When Jungkook made that statement his expression was extremely cold, while he looked as if he was staring at a complete fool.
"Mr Jeon, may I please ask you if it is true that you've gotten married? Or, is it still just a rumour?" the reporter continued to ask.
Jungkook's finger tapped the table; the entire venue was in a state of silence until a few moments afterwards when he said one, single, word: "Yes."
This reply made a wave of silence come over the scene, immediately followed by even more bustling and commotion, as an increasing number of reporters competed to ask their questions: "May I ask when did you register? Why haven't you held your wedding ceremony so far, and may I also ask when you planning to do so? May I be so bold as to ask where your wife is? Someone said they saw you with a younger person at the civil affairs office, is that true?"
Taehyung never expected Jungkook would admit to their marriage at the press conference. Astonished, he stared on at the television screen, looking at the man calmly say, "Exactly when the registration took place is my personal business. As for the ceremony, I too would like to ask since that person is watching the television right now." Jungkook lifted his chin faintly, seeming as if he was speaking to Taehyung through the camera, saying, "When are you going to marry me?"
Taehyung, who was twirling the chopsticks in his hand, dropped them onto the table, not daring to believe what he just saw on the television. He looked on as Jungkook stood up then left the conference after he spoke, and the reporters who wanted to follow him afterwards be blocked by the security guards.
...was this a marriage proposal? Taehyung covered his face. It was simply indescribable that this person would propose at a news conference. Every bit of this person was not good at all!!!
Kookie, is this you want ing to be some kind of heartthrob!!
Taehyung could already imagine what the next day's news headline would be...