In his first lunch break, Taehyung requested to have his lunch outside on the school patio instead of being cooped up in the school cafeteria with multiple strangers. Jungkook was highly pleased about that suggestion and immediately complied.
They planned on meeting Yugyeom and Yoongi soon, the two of them planning on catching up with some people before joining them. So far, no one had tried to confront Jungkook about his sudden dis- and reappearance which he was only too glad about. However, he was sure it was only a matter of time until someone had something to say. How to make up a convincing story that did not include him getting lost in the woods and accidentally stumbling upon a secret kingdom, he did not know yet. But he didn't consider himself the "master of figuring things out" for nothing.
"I can see all the little children playing from here. How wonderful." Taehyung smiled giddily, watching three little girls rope-skipping while laughing loudly close behind the primary school gates. Him and Jungkook were sitting on a huge rock in front of the building, where it was peaceful and empty with the exception of only few students.
"You sure do love children," the brunette commented, taking a sip from his packet of chocolate-flavoured milk. The prince nodded enthusiastically. "Why yes, of course I do! They're so little and energetic! My biggest wish is to raise a tiny little human of my own."
"Yet you rejected the possibility of doing exactly that." Taehyung shrugged. "Yes. Because I want a child, not an heir." The younger smiled at that.
"Fair point... Do you ever think of the future, what'll happen to you, who and what you'll end up with?"
There was silence for a while. "I used to be afraid of it. Of my future responsibilities and expectations on me as a... ruler. I tried to avoid them as much as possible, I tried not to let them influence my life and live it how I wanted to live it. But of course, that would never have been a long-term solution. However, I will leave all of that in the past. I'm done running and I will face whatever comes across me with a clear mind."
Jungkook nodded, feeling nothing but admiration for the prince's moving speech. He accidentally caught himself staring at the other for a little too long, it was simply too strange to see him here, the place he had known for so many years and yet, he was experiencing it so differently. Taehyung made a difference.
"You surely have a way with words. I'm glad you're leaving the past in the past, it must not be easy." The blue-haired boy, who'd been watching two little boys share a chicken sandwich in the other school's playground, turned towards the brunette with a smile. "Just because it's not easy does not mean it's not possible!"
"True... But what if your family comes searching for you here? What if they send out, like, soldiers to invade our world and force you back?" Taehyung shrugged, imagining his mother and father and siblings back in the castle, either worrying about him or cussing him out.
"There's no way. Mother and father proclaimed this world a strict taboo. Everyone is afraid of it and I'm certain they will search the village first. People in Elysium aren't as smart as they are here." He grinned.
"That Jimin guy surely seemed smart, though. You have no idea how much he bossed me around while we were doing chores together. Well, I guess I learned something, though. If I fail school, I can become a caterer and make the prettiest-looking dishes in the whole of Korea." Taehyung's smile faltered a little.
"Jimin... I've known him since I was nine. He had been assigned to be my servant when he just turned ten. And he always followed instructions so well and never complained. I hope he is doing well, he is such a wonderful boy to whom I owe part of my life to. Even if he never let anyone know what his thoughts looked like, I valued his presence so much. He made me feel less lonely during lonely times." Jungkook smiled sadly, thinking of how Jimin tried to protect his prince the first time he saw him. He had thought of Jungkook as a dangerous man and did not hesitate to rush to Taehyung's aid.
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually miss the guy. Makes me wanna go back to your castle and snatch him so he can live with us, too." And at that, the older laughed heartily. And Jungkook realized he had never heard him laugh like this before. It was truly a beautiful sound, like music to his ears.
"You know, I was a bit worried about you the past few weeks. You were so quiet and did nothing but study through my old stuff. I was actually kinda scared you would be unhappy forever here." Taehyung stayed silent for a while, but then shook his head.
"No, definetely not. I may have left behind an entire world that I spent my entire life in but I found a new one, didn't I? It is true that time heals, when you let it."
"Jusr promise to tell me when something's making you unhappy. Or when there's something confusing you, our lifestyle's different from yours, after all." The prince nodded.
"Of course. It's preposterous to live without someone constantly taking care of your health and appearance, but I am starting to accomodate." He smiled, shoving an eggroll into his mouth.
Just then, they saw something strange happen in the elementary school. The climbing wall in the school's playground, to be more precise.
A little boy, who had been climbing, fast and confident, let out a loud scream as his foot slipped on the grip, he lost his balance and fell from a height of eight to nine feet.
Immediately, there was a massive ruckus among the kids in the playground, the fallen boy surrounded by worried schoolmates. Taehyung, who had just been about to eat his next egg roll, let it fall back into his lunch box with a loud gasp, clasping a hand in front of his mouth.
"Oh, good heavens! That poor child!," he shrieked, throwing his entire lunch box on the ground, not wasting a single second and- sprinting towards the elementary school.
Jungkook, who had been distracted taking another sip of milk, watched him in shock. Only just now did he register what was currently happening. It seemed that the prince was not fully aware of the school rules yet. Students were not allowed out of the high school grounds without a permission slip, at no cost. The principal might be a nice man, but he was extremely strict when it came to the safety of his students.
Despite there being a gate seperating the high school from the elementary school, the blue-haired boy found himself quite lucky as the caretaker was currently disposing of the garbage by the near landfill and had left the gate open. The boy slipped through it without hesitation, frantically approaching the hurt child.
"Little boy! Oh, little boy! Let me see, let me see!" He gently forced his way through the assembled children, where the hurt boy was sitting on the ground, clutching his very obviously hurt wrist with fat tears rolling down his cheeks and loud wails leaving his throat.
It seemed as if all sense had left the prince: not even sensing everyone's eyes on him, his will to help this little boy overpowered all feelings of possible withdrawal or shame. He kneeled on the floor and softly lifted the child, pulling the tiny human onto his lap.
"Taehyung!," he heard Jungkook call across the front yard, looking panicked and uncomfortable. But at the moment, he could not pay any attention to him, he wanted to help this little child more than anything. Analyzing the situation mentally, he concluded that the boy must have fallen on his wrist and by the looks of it, broken it.
It was only too lucky he happened to have huge interest in medicine. "To treat fractured bones, the injured area must be immobilized and pressure must be applied," he mumbled to himself, taking off the thin cardigan he had borrowed from Jungkook and carefully wrapping it around the boy's wrist. The latter had momentarily stopped crying, probably out of surprise.
"Little boy, there is no need to worry. I will do everything to treat your injuries, so do not cry," he mumbled, smiling slightly and patting the injured boy's head. The little human's chest heaved up and down a little, but no tears were running down his cheeks anymore. It seemed that the prince was a born natural with children, too.
"What's going on here? Who are you?!" It seemed that the elementary school's surveillance teacher had just now noticed what was going on, walking towards Taehyung with big steps, to which the latter couldn't help but cower.
Quickly, he lifted himself into a standing position and bowed his head slightly. "Sir, please excuse my barging in. I just noticed this little boy falling from the climbing wall and instinctively could not help but rush over since I was worried and luckily know something about treating injuries," he excused himself, still bowing.
The teacher was not impressed and simply scoffed. "I presume you are aware of the school rules. I suggest you mind your own business in the future. When someone gets hurt, we will take care of it. I've already contacted your school's principal, it's best you get off, pay him a visit and apologize for breaking the school rules and trespassing."
"T-Trespassing? But, Sir, this is my first day here! I wasn't aware of the school rules yet! And there wasn't anyone to help him and he was crying!" The little boy, who had now slightly calmed down, looked back and forth from Taehyung and the teacher.
"Haven't I already told you we would take care of it? Try not to pry in things that don't concern you." The balding teacher grabbed the child's uninjured arm and glared at Taehyung. "I don't like seeing high school students on these grounds. You best run along and visit the principal's office. Sorry kid, but rules are rules."
As he turned his back, he became very aware of the eyes staring at his retreating figure, just like he was aware of the ones watching him as he approached the high school again.
"Tae, I should have told you about the rules here beforehand. Sorry. What happened?" Jungkook was immediately by his side, putting a hand on his shoulder. The prince sighed.
"I was just trying to help a child! Now I have to go to the principal's office and got scolded for prying in business that is not my own! I'm starting to think this place is just like Elysium!," he suddenly exclaimed. He thought he'd feel scared of what was going to happen to him but currently, all he felt was pure rage.
"Just like Ely-- okay, that's harsh. I have to admit that the rules here suck ass and sending someone to the principal's office because they were trying to help a hurt child sucks ass, too. No world is perfect, your kingdom has its flaws just like the common world does. But... stay positive. At least the principal's nice and once he realizes your true intentions, he won't mind what you did. Why don't I come with you?," Jungkook suggested.
"Would you do that? Thank you, Jungkook. Do a lot of new students break rules and get sent to the principal's office on their first day?" The brunette carefully shook his head.
"Uh, not exactly. But it'll be fine. I think it was really great, by the way. The way you saw the kid fall immediately bolted to save him. You're a courageous one, that's for sure."
Taehyung smiled, feeling his heart swell as he received the compliment. "Thank you."
"No need to thank me. Let's get going, then."
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
(A/N: writing this i remember this big ass climbing wall from my primary school, my acrophobic ass never dared to set foot on it like come one voluntarily climbing screams suicide mission to me😭
anyways i kinda have a pounding headache and better go to sleep, thank you very much for reading so far you're all amazing, love you and bye bye🥰💜💜)