⠀⠀ ↳ THE SUN WAS ESPECIALLY BRIGHT today. for some reason, the earth sensed that this special occasion would betide, and it encouraged the bright star to expel the best luminous rays it possibly could. the set of events that would soon take place was pivotal to the strength of their relationship—so much that even the universe anticipated the moment with edgy enthusiasm.
squinted eyes, provoked exhaustion, and perspired foreheads all resulted from the heat of the day, but they continued along with their entwined hands as motivation.
they treaded up the steep hill, feeble legs wobbling as they stepped over sharp pebbles and dried-out weeds, in hopes of reaching their destination soon.
she held a bouquet of chrysanthemums in her hands (since she'd been told they were his favorite), whilst he bore the weight of their two backpacks,—because he had refused to let her carry hers,—and their accompanying persian cat was currently nesting inside one of them.
when they'd grow tired, they'd pause their hike, pull out their water bottles, and chug down the refreshing liquid with notable thirst. they'd constantly check up on yuki, ascertain that she was comfortable and stably breathing, and allow her to peek her head out from the zipper hole of the black backpack. then, they'd resume their trek and gasp for air until they would agree to take a break again.
this cycle went on for some time (nearly an hour) before they finally noticed the peak of the mountain a good ten feet away from them.
the journey would've most likely taken them, at max, fifteen minutes if they had chosen to travel by car, but she had suggested they exercise their legs for today—because it was about time that she did. she had unfortunately forgotten how fragile her ankles were, though, but that's why she had his hand to grab on to in case she stumbled.
by the time they reached the top, all the energy had withdrawn from their bodies (so much that it took them a full minute to finally realize what was scattered before them).
an ocean of tombstones—vacant as the night sea and embodied with eerie stillness.
the couple blinked at the waves, now feeling grateful that the vibrant sun illuminated their view and diminished the creepy aura of the setting. each stone was engraved with their owner's name as well as the vital dates inscribed below them.
since he'd been there plenty of times before, he already knew which path to proceed on.
the brunette could not even squeak out a word, her voice box faltering at the endless amount of gravestones surrounding her. she closely trailed behind him, somewhat frightened by the thought of some zombie hand sticking out from the muddy ground to grasp her ankle or something.
she tried her best to mask her fear, simply clasping the back of his loose shirt the way baby elephants do with their mother's tail.
this was her first time visiting her boyfriend's best friend ... or, more like, his best friend's headstone.
the visitation was excruciatingly significant to him, as he was finally introducing his girlfriend to the boy who had erratically departed from the world too early. she was aware of how much this "meeting" meant to him, but she couldn't help feeling uneasy about the swarm of tombs and the decomposed corpses that inhabited them.
the blonde professor stopped in his tracks upon reaching his destination, causing his girlfriend to crash into his toned back and nearly drop the spray of flowers in her hands.
loving son
& best friend
KIM TAEHYUNG
DECEMBER 30, 1994
†
AUGUST 11, 2014
they stood staring down at the carved grave in silence.
the brunette cautiously kneeled down to the mushy earth and carefully laid out the bouquet in precise verticality. she, then, moved to the side of the tomb so that her bum rested on the patch of grass beside it—just so she wouldn't disturb or disrespect taehyung's bones that dwelled directly beneath the soil.
jimin also situated himself next to the gravesite (but on the left side of it) and shrugged off the straps of the burdening backpacks.
as if on cue, yuki wiggled herself out of the knapsack and meowed when she landed on her late owner's territory.
jay intently observed the feline's curious sniffling, wondering to herself if yuki had the slightest idea as to whom this tombstone belonged or if she even remembered taehyung at all. she'd been only a kitten when the boy's life was taken away from him; it'd be understandable if she forgot about him by now, three years later.
but judging from the way she patted the ground below her paws, it seemed as though yuki knew more about taehyung than jay thought.
as it turned out, jimin always brought yuki along every time he came. the cat had grown so familiar with the boy's grave that she could sniff it out from a mile away.
the area was cozy and peaceful by day, and yuki always felt as though something caressed her fur whenever she'd rest in front of the stone. she'd flinch and purr at the sensation, but no one would be there when she'd turn around to hiss at them. the invisible strokes would continue, and yuki would soften up to the ghostly touch after a while.
jimin didn't blink for the longest time.
he found it impossible to.
it's not that he was embarrassed about starting up a conversation with his best friend's ghost in front of jay. her additional company wasn't the issue. it was his loss for words what was troubling him the most.
how would he even begin this introduction? a mere "hey, this is my girlfriend, aka the girl who helped me forgive myself for what happened to you" wouldn't be right. mentioning that she had become his best friend now wasn't so good, either.
so what was he supposed to say?
he no longer blamed himself for what happened. he no longer felt uncertain about moving on with his life. he no longer believed himself to be unworthy of love and joy. he no longer deprived himself from the wonders of life that he experienced every day alongside his beautiful girlfriend. he no longer felt helpless or deserving of pain. he no longer dwelled in bitterness.
he extended his hand out to jay and urged for her to take it again. the brunette tilted her head at his random gesture but didn't hesitate to interlace her fingers with his own.
jimin remained speechless for a moment as he stabilized his breathing and formulated the proper words inside his head. she watched him mutter some incoherences to himself before he parted his mouth.
❝taehyung,❞ he shakily started, the nostalgia radiating off of his tongue as he spoke. he briefly signaled to the girl who sat across from him and met her eyes with tender appreciation. ❝this is jay ... the remarkable angel YOU SENT to RESCUE ME.❞
~
at four-thirty in the afternoon, the school gates closed and the students' overlapping voices all settled down. the senior class gathered out on the football field, seated on black plastic chairs, all facing the built stage and podium ahead of them.
some sported the traditional blue gown, others (who were widely known as the honors students) flaunted their distinguishable white robes and were congregated at the front rows of the assembly. jay sat among these highly recognized students, her group of friends not being anywhere near her because the seating arrangement went by last name, alphabetical order.
the ceremony commenced as soon as the national anthem was chorused and the pledge of allegiance declared.
nearly every teacher stood by the elevated platform, some tearing up as they watched their former students, all grown-up, being just minutes away from their awaited graduation. the seniors all bit their fingernails, bounced their knees, or repeatedly looked around in a mixture of anxiousness and excitement.
after the designated valedictorian and salutatorian delivered their written speeches, the principal, district superintendent, and few professors lined up onstage, prepared to hand off the students' rolled-up diplomas and legitimized trophies.
one by one (honor roll first), student names were announced through the microphone.
eager relatives seated at the bleachers would express congratulating cheers and whistles when their family member would be called. jay internally prayed that her parents wouldn't blow on an air horn at the sound of her name or something, as that would shame her for life.
the first individuals, after having received their signed certificates, displayed complete and total relief once they successfully descended from the stage.
jay wished to know what that felt like. she wished to know how comforting it felt to be an official high school graduate, someone who wouldn't be required to set foot back in this place as a "student" anymore.
the trip to taehyung's grave earlier this morning had truly opened her eyes.
it served as a reminder that she was consenting to develop an even deeper relationship with mr. park. he had taken her to his secret getaway space (something he'd never done before), which stood as an indication that he wanted to take his involvement with her a step further. he was ready for more, and after spending almost her entire morning with him there, she realized she was just as ready, too.
all they needed was for this day to be fulfilled.
june 5th—senior graduation—a day many would consider being the last day of being stuck in this hell, otherwise known as high school.
but jay didn't think of it that way. she thought of today as her last day of being prohibited from freely dating her english teacher. while others rejoiced in finally being liberated from high school pressures, her mind was mainly occupied with the idea of finally enjoying her relationship in front of others.
after today, there'd be no reason to hide from the public eye. after today, there'd be no more legal restrictions against them being together. after today, he wouldn't be her teacher anymore; he'd simply be a man she used to see every other morning in her second period class. after today, she wouldn't be a high school student ... she'd be a recognized adult.
that's what she was most eager for—finally being open about her involvement with mr. park.
the short brunette walked up the short stairway of the stage after being called up, making sure to be steady in her footsteps, and subconsciously approached the man holding her diploma.
❝miss parker.❞ she met his eyes as their fingers brushed one another, and her breathing hitched at the soft sound of his murmur.
❝mr. park,❞ she acknowledged him in return, stifling a drunken smile as she moved on to the female teacher holding her trophy. she shook hands with the rest of the present staff and padded down the stage after receiving audience praise and applause.
in all honesty, for the sake of justice, jay shouldn't have been allowed to graduate. she practically cheated in literature the entire year by dating the teacher. how could anyone see that as fair?
but it didn't matter now. what's done is done, and she wasn't planning on handing back her certificate of academic completion. it was the only document that verified that she wasn't a high school student anymore, and she needed it as legal proof.
she strolled back to her seat, a giant grin tugging on the corners of her mouth—the same mouth that he had vehemently kissed and moistened and inebriated prior to arriving on school grounds—and a satisfied expression settled on her face.
this was over.
high school was over.
best part of it all? college.
he was to attend the same college as she would. different programs, of course, as he was going in for his master's degree and she was barely diving in as a freshman. but it was the same campus, nonetheless.
she imagined meeting up with him in between breaks, friskily sitting on his firm lap at an outdoors lunch table, and publicly affixing her hankering lips to his plump ones. she imagined holding hands whilst going on late night walks around the campus. she imagined running into ex-schoolmates and giggling an "oops" before carelessly embracing mr. park right in front of them.
it would be an unforgettable experience, being a university student along with him. it would be even more extraordinary to shout at the world that she was happily in love with the man who used to teach her—that she, being one of his previous pupils, thieved his heart when everybody else deemed it impossible to.
after the ceremony, the senior graduates all gathered up with their group of friends to converse about trifles or future plans that lied ahead of them, already knowing that (after high school) they wouldn't be able to hang out as much anymore.
it was the sad reality, but friendships didn't tend to last after school finished.
at most, people would stay in contact through social media or occasional video calls, but, without school tying them all together, it'd be impossible to see each other as often. it was rare and unlikely for friends to continue speaking on a daily, what with college being their new preoccupation and all.
yoongi and jay had no other choice but to remain close—because they were family and were basically stuck with one another whether they liked it or not. the (now) black-haired boy swung an arm around his cousin, and she reclined her head on his shoulder as they awaited the arrival of their friends.
❝i'm surprised you even graduated with your disappointing ass grades, yoongs,❞ jay whispered teasingly as she hugged his waist—because she was that much shorter than him.
❝oh, shut up, miss i-suck-my-teacher's-dick-for-perfect-scores. at least my grades were legit,❞ he shot back just as playfully, and the comeback was something not even jay could find a way to top. she slapped his back, though, just because his roast was too uncalled for.
mar appeared in front of them not five seconds later, holding a dozen roses with a card stuck in between them and smiling vibrantly up at the two relatives.
yoongi was about to reach out towards her to accept the bouquet she had so thoughtfully brought, but then he remembered that they weren't together anymore and that the flowers were presumably for somebody else.
after the prom dance, mar had taken the initiative to extinguish her dead-end relationship with yoongi, because she realized she had developed feelings for someone else, only to discover that he was intending to break up with her, as well. it was a mutual type of ending,—no hard feelings,—and they set on to maintain their smooth, amiable friendship.
unlike the rest of the group, mar was not a senior. she was a year younger than all of them, so she, unfortunately, did not graduate along with them. but she still attended the ceremony, just to be supportive and to ardently congratulate her new boyfriend.
❝hello again, my love.❞ the seventeen-year-old was immediately embraced from behind and raised up in the air by the exertion of her boyfriend's arms. she squealed at the feeling of his biceps flexing on either side of her breasts. he pecked her neck as a second greeting and lightly spun her around with fervent joy. mar giggled at the way he mightily enclasped her, feeling undeniably safe from being under his protective strength.
❝hi, kookie,❞ she softly replied once he set her down again, and she (very timidly) handed him the bouquet of roses that she had bought for him. jungkook's smile widened even more—if that were even possible—and took the flowers from her hands with grand admiration.
❝you didn't need to get me anything,❞ he chuckled as he carefully read the words that were written on the card in velvety cursive. ❝just a single kiss would've sufficed.❞
jungkook slowly leaned down towards her parted mouth, eyeing her with bashful desire and attempting to push his shaky lips up against hers. the boy's hot breath grazed over her lip line, their facial distance narrowing down to a mere centimeter away.
❝yah, nasties! can't you see there's children around?❞ the scolding voice (which was all too familiar to them) interrupted them from fully engaging in the planned kiss, and jungkook groaned at the girl's intrusion. ❝and right in front of yoongi, wow, you people are truly shameless.❞
mar swiftly glanced up at her ex-boyfriend, having completely forgotten about him and jay's presence, with flushed cheeks and wide eyes. she would've muttered a quick "sorry" to him, but she knew yoongi didn't really care about her moving on (since he had so effortlessly done the same).
❝ah yes. 'there's children around,' says the one who cusses every chance that she gets and contaminates little kids' ears with vulgar language,❞ yoongi snorted at emily's hypocrisy.
❝hey, i am only expanding their vocabulary. i cuss for educational purposes, aight? kissing, on the other hand, teaches kids how to be professional hoes at an early age,❞ the dark-haired girl defended herself with raised hands and pursed lips.
❝actually, i don't think i've heard emily cuss since hobi asked her out. just what did you do to our emz, hope?❞ jay tapped at her chin pensively, noticing the way yoongi tensed up at the mention of hoseok and emily's newly-established romance.
❝she's my woman now,❞ hoseok slipped an arm over her shoulders and pecked her cheek in the most enlivened way possible.
❝daddy puts me in my place,❞ emily wriggled her eyebrows at her revealed kink and slightly laughed off her joke when jay and mar's jaws dropped. ❝i'm kidding, gosh! cussing makes him unhappy, s-so i, um, don't do it anymore.❞
but cussing makes you happy, yoongi mentally asserted, frowning at his own reality.
it was truly tragic to watch the girl who had revived his spirits go off with somebody else. but he accepted her choice. he'd find someone eventually, someone with emily's cheekiness embedded with mar's admirable patience. he just needed to deal with his loneliness for a while until he found the right person.
jay eventually came to terms with each one of her friends. realizing it was time for her to part (because she had a dinner reservation with the love of her life at 7), she began muttering out her soulful adieus.
she embraced her two best friends the tightest—because they were her o.g. group and they'd been with her through her worsts—and assured them that this wasn't a lasting goodbye. she told yoongi that she'd see him later tonight at the family reunion (and whispered to him that she was proud of the way he willingly let emily go). she hugged mar with all her might and asked her to inform her of anything suspicious that mr. park did, since the girl would be taking his literature class the following year.
❝i'll walk you,❞ jungkook proposed before jay had the chance to bid him farewell. ❝i'll walk you to him.❞
their unhurried stroll took longer to end than they expected.
it wasn't awkward. on the contrary, jay found herself at peace with his cordial proximity and reflective silence. it wasn't until the familiar black cadillac reached their view that the two stopped in their tracks and faced one another.
❝i'm happy you're happy,❞ he crookedly grinned and unconsciously dove into the depth of her limpid irises.
❝i'm happy you're happy, too,❞ she whispered as she, like him, found pure serenity in the gloss of his eyes.
❝i'll never forget you, jay parker,❞ jungkook timidly placed both of his large hands on the sides of her face and pressed his soft lips to her forehead, the skin that her graduation cap had previously covered. jay closed her eyes when his lips lingered on her skin for a while, and she heaved a sigh before ultimately hugging his waist.
❝please take care of mar,❞ jay murmured into his chest, her head arching back to meet his passive stare. ❝you need each other.❞
jungkook nodded vigorously at that, fully understanding that his girlfriend—who was, in fact, his first one ever—was his sole responsibility now.
mar was pure and irreproachable, but she also needed somebody who could protect her against her own naïveté. that somebody, she had learned, was none other than jeon jungkook. the boy needed her just as direly, too, for her innocence would spoil his life with pleasure like nothing before.
jay lightly pecked his jaw once he released her cheeks and hesitantly took a step back.
mr. park was waiting for her inside his black car. he'd been watching the scene unfold from his rearview mirror, but there wasn't any swelling jealousy in his heart. he understood jay's interaction with the brown-haired boy was a simple form of reconciliation.
so, when she slipped inside his parked vehicle, he didn't find it necessary to confront her about anything. he started the engine and slowly diverged from the sidewalk without a single word.
she intertwined her left hand with his while sticking out her right hand out the window. the unruffled wind circulated around her twiddling fingers, and jay sealed her eyes shut to better enjoy the soothing sensation of the breeze against her bare skin.
mr. park briefly glanced over at her and breathed her restful image in. then, he flickered his dark eyes back to the road and halted upon reaching a red light.
the white clouds overfilled the bright blue sky above the paused automobile, above the entire city, as well, and mr. park's eyes formed into tiny crescents as he observed every beloved memory he shared with jay playing out in front of him through the windshield glass.
then, the traffic light flashed green.
stepping on the gas pedal, careful not to disturb her momentary slumber, he resumed the journey to their anticipated destiny and steered in the direction of their planned-out hopes.
⠀⠀HE invited his once lost soul to accompany him in this drawn-out ship ride known as life, to appraise his notable growth into self-assurance and sincere joie de vivre, and to relish the success of his delayed resilience. he invited jay's soul to come along and do the same. and there was absolutely no reluctance in their acceptance. in her acceptance of joining him, and in his acceptance of, despite not initially asking for it, being saved.
~
— f i n i s —
~
hello!! okay, so this story has officially ended 🤧 i am so upsetti bc i don't wanna let all these characters go, but sadly all good things must come to an end ;(
i'm not usually one to feel too proud about my works or anything bc i don't really think i'm the best writer out there, but i am proud of this story for some reason. i am aware that it was practically pointless because it had no central conflict whatsoever, like, literally random problems would arise out of nowhere and that's just messy in my opinion, but idk i myself fell in love with the plot (as well as with mr. park bc, come on, can u blame me?) and the basic love story between teacher and student :'))
it's kinda sad that it's over now but it's alright ! you're welcome to come back and reread if you really wish to lmaoo
thank you so much to everyone who made it through this seemingly-endless book ahaha i really do appreciate the amount of support i've received for this story. i honestly don't deserve any of you 🤧 thank you, boos! ilysm 😘 i want u guys to have a nice day, week, month, year, life!! please take care, and goodnight 🌙 ✌🏼💞
(final) pictures of the day:
-サラ