Daegu was a mess.
A hot but beautiful mess.
Yoongi weaved his way through the bustling crowd, shaking his head slightly at the excited, bubbling twenty two-year-olds. It was hard for him not overhear their incessant chatters amidst the congested streets, muttering quick apologies every time he accidentally bumped into someone. During hectic times, it was better to remain home until an announcement was made but seeing as this could be Yoongi's last day in Daegu, he felt obligated to bask in his hometown's beauty— beauty he may never see again. Even with the streets ten times busier than normal, chaos ensuing from any direction he turned, Yoongi could still drink in Daegu's breathtaking allure.
It made sense that today everything would be chaotic. It was always like this when August twenty-first came around. August twenty-first, the day that marked one of the most important, if not the most important day of the year.
The Perfect Match Ceremony.
Parents of twenty-two-year-olds were readying themselves for the inevitable goodbyes, taking them to places that in a few years would be nothing but distant memory as the younger generation took a step into their new lives. Parents, wishing their children luck, praying to their respective gods that their children get Matched on the first try, praying that they don't have to suffer humiliation.
Yoongi jogged up the familiar pathway, the wind threading easily through his hair. He let out a small smile at the sound of the chirping birds, somewhat envying them. To them, this was a regular day. For Yoongi, it was a life-altering day, one that would determine his roles for the rest of his life. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment as he breathed out, letting Daegu's nature embody him with its reassuring embrace.
"Yoongi, there you are!"
Yoongi's eyes slowly opened, coming face to face with his mother. He smiled, watching her smile back— though her tired expression expressed anything but.
"For a second I thought you had run away." She joked, her arms wrapping tightly around Yoongi. He stilled for a moment before melting into the embrace, knowing this could be the last embrace he would ever get from his mother.
"I wouldn't run away Mother," Yoongi murmured into her ear, "I wouldn't risk you and Father's life like that."
Yoongi's mother chuckled softly. "I know Yoongi. I was just messing with you." Releasing him from her embrace, she placed a hand on his shoulder, while the other one ran through his hair, her dainty, delicate fingers brushing his hair to the side. "The announcement will be given soon. Go get changed into formal attire. You dress to impress after all."
He nodded, plastering a smile on his face in attempts to hide the distaste that had run through his body. At his forced smile, his mother frowned, seeing right through Yoongi's façade.
"Yoongi, I know this is your second year going to the ceremony, but trust me, it will be okay." She smiled reassuringly. "You will get your Perfect Match."
"I don't want one." He mumbled, casting his gaze to the pathway. "I want to stay with you and Father. I don't want to leave you two alone."
"The government will be sending us money once we are unable to work. Your father and I will be okay, I promise you. Go change. You'll leave in a few—"
"All eligible candidates for the two hundred twenty-second Perfect Match Ceremony, please report to your designated trains at this time. The trains will leave in exactly twenty minutes. Eligible candidates not in the trains by the time they leave will be punished and tried for treason."
Yoongi's mother's eyes widened in alarm. In seconds, Yoongi was pushed inside the house, ushered into his room. Yoongi shook his head at his mother's panic, quickly changing into the already laid out clothes. He paused, looking at himself briefly in the mirror. Once he decided he looked adequate, he looked around his room one last time.
"Yoongi!"
"I'm coming!" Yoongi called out, bolting out of the room. His mother stood outside the front door, tears in her eyes. She hugged Yoongi one last time, pressing a kiss on his cheek."Tell Father I love him for me. Maybe I'll be back again."
She smiled, knowing that the probability of her son coming back a second time was slim to none. Still, she indulged his hopes, whispering, "Of course."
"All eligible candidates for the two hundred twenty-second Perfect Match Ceremony please report to your trains immediately. The trains will depart to the Capitol in ten minutes."
"Now go, don't miss your train."
Yoongi nodded, hugging her tightly before sprinting away, his mother watching him with tears streaming down her face. After he had fully disappeared out of sight, she walked back into her house, sinking herself into the couch as she changed the channel to the live viewing of the Perfect Match Ceremony.
Maybe this year he'll be lucky.
🌟
The officer tapped on her glasses, a faint blue light emitting from them. She scanned Yoongi from head to toe, her eyes flickering around her glasses as she read the information that had appeared in her lenses.
"Min Yoongi from Daegu," her brows furrowed. "Male. One hundred seventy-seven centimeters. Twenty three years old. Second year here Mister Min?"
Yoongi nodded, his lips pursing slightly at the reminder.
"Welcome back to Perfect Match. I'm sure this year will turn out much better for you." She stated, smiling at him warmly. "Follow me, Mister Min. You'll be in the front this year, along with all second years."
"The Perfect Match Ceremony will begin shortly. Candidates, please find your seats at this time."
Candidates from all over Korea sat in their assigned seats. First years, full of excitement and anticipation, unable to stop squirming in their seats. As the officer led Yoongi to the front rows, all he could see were the same hopeful expressions, the beaming smiles, the incessant clapping. He turned away at the sight, forcing his gaze at the back of the officer's head. Once he was directed to his seat, Yoongi smiled wanly, thanking the officer.
The rows for the second years weren't full. Most candidates found their perfect match their first year. However, there were those select few who weren't as lucky and were forced to suffer humiliation in front of millions, only to come back the following year and possibly begin the process all over again.
Wild applause emerged from the crowd, accompanied by loud cheers as the President made his way onto the stage. He waved at everyone, flashing his signature bunny smile as he took the stage for the first time.
"Welcome to the two hundred, twenty second Perfect Match Ceremony," President Jeon smiled wider. "I am sure you are all excited as much as I am to find out who your perfect match will be. First timers, welcome to your first and hopefully your last perfect match ceremony. For returning members, welcome back! We are glad to have you back. Hopefully, this year will turn out different for you."
It was astonishing that President Jeon Jungkook had captured the country's heart the way he had, despite only being twenty years old. He was the youngest leader to ever rule Korea, his parents assassinated when he was eighteen, forcing Jungkook to step up and begin his rule over the country.
No questions asked.
"I am not of age yet but once the time comes, even I will have a chance to find my perfect match. As tradition states, we will start with the second years," He smiled once more. "Ahn Sanghee."
The girl's face appeared on the screen, displaying her information for everyone to see. The algorithm would then run through all available candidates before finding her most compatible— if it did. If not, it would cross out the person's name, before skipping to the next person. All Perfect Matches were final. According to them, the algorithm could do no wrong. The algorithm was never wrong. Never.
It was engineered too perfect for that.
The second years' matching passed relatively quickly, each one finding luck that they didn't have the previous year. The relief was clear on their faces as they went up the stage to meet their Perfect Match, their soulmate, their one and only and with the help of the government, build a new life together for the rest of their lives.
"Min Yoongi."
Yoongi's breath caught in his chest as he looked towards the screen, heart beating wildly in anticipation. Part of him was wishing to get matched so he wouldn't have to endure another ridicule but part of still clung to the hope of staying with his parents another year. To make matter worse, the algorithm passed through every female Yoongi could see and with each passing second, he would find himself losing hope.
After what seemed like an eternity, the algorithm finally stopped, landing on one person. At the sight, Yoongi's eyes widened, disbelief washing his face as his eyes flickered from the screen to President Jeon. Even President Jeon looked taken aback, momentarily losing his composure. In seconds, he straightened himself out, proving the impossible.
"Jung Hoseok."
a/n: so i ended up changing ages. i chose 22 bc thinking about it, that's when most get out of college and have a degree. that way, i could also make jungkook older and the timeline would make more sense for his character arc bc as i was rereading, i was making my calculations and i was like hold up— the ages aren't making sense.
sorry to those who were reading perfect match before the unpublishing. i'll get it back up asap, i promise. i hope this was a tad bit better than the original at least. i would like to think so.