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2020. kth - 23. jjk - 18.
Taehyung was up at night once again. His body still hadn't gotten accustomed to the new timezone so he was still suffering from jet lag. He was working on a project that he had decided to test out as a hobby, it involved contacting talented artists to set up an exhibition to promote self-love. It was something he just wanted to do, there was no other intention behind it.
He raised his mug to his lips, hoping to drink some more tea, but frowned once he realised it was empty. With ah heavy sigh, he lay aside his computer and stood up, making his way to the kitchen. As he boiled some more water, his eyes flickered over to the clock. It was 3AM.
The boy rolled his neck, cracking the sides, and then massaged his left shoulder, feeling a little stiff from sitting for so long.
His eyes travelled to look out the window, and his orbs widened upon seeing the light on in one of the Jeons' windows. In fact, now that Taehyung was paying attention, he heard the faint thumping of a bass coming from the house.
Was Jeongguk home?
Taehyung gnawed at his bottom lip. He's been wanting to meet the younger ever since he came back, ever since he heard what had happened.
Should he... go now?
A beeping sound went off to signal that the water had finished boiling, Taehyung poured it out into his mug but he stopped halfway. It was nagging his brain too much.
Taehyung sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his two fingers.
Next thing he knew he was standing outside the Jeons' house, knocking at the door.
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Taehyung's heart was hammering at his ribcage as he waited for someone to answer the door. His breathing hitched when he saw a figure moving from inside the window, and he thinks his stomach dropped when he saw the wooden frame opening.
Taehyung had to take a step back to avoid being hit by the door, he gulped as a male dressed in black apparel on the other side.
It...
It was Jeongguk.
Taehyung stared at the person in front of him.
It was Jeongguk... but was it?
He recognised the soft slope of his nose, the big round shape of his almond eyes, the small set of plush lips.
But...
It didn't look like Jeongguk at all.
The man in front of him had dead eyes, hollow, empty. His hair was grown out instead of a fresh bowl cut. All traces of baby fat was gone, replaced with a chiselled face structure and a sharp jawline.
But the biggest difference was probably... the fact that this man was taller than him. Bigger than him.
Jeongguk no longer had his scrawny frame, he was no longer short and small. His thin arms had turned into well-built muscle, and his shoulders had broadened out.
Their height difference was probably only a centimetre or so, but it was such a huge change from when Jeongguk was a little thirteen-year-old who only reached Taehyung's chin.
Then there was something else, a tattoo. A face tattoo. Located underneath his left eye, letters had been carved into his skin, spelling out 'King'.
And a lip piercing?
Subconsciously, Taehyung's feet shuffled back a little.
"Hyung?" Jeongguk's voice.... It was raspy, deep. He had lost his little squeak and something rumbled in Taehyung's chest as he heard it. "Hey, it's been a while." Jeongguk nonchalantly spoke, his expression was dull. He didn't look the slightest bit surprised to see the other, not even at 3 in the fucking morning.
The crisp smell of weed was radiating off the tall figure, making Taehyung scrunch up his nose in distaste. He was already missing the sweet smell of freshly picked flowers and the strong hint of lemon.
Yet sadly Taehyung barely even remembers what that scent smelled like, his memories being clouded with a thick puff coming out of the stick latched between Jeongguk's lips.
Taehyung coughs when he accidentally inhales the majority of it, hitting his chest and then covering his mouth using his forearm. Jeongguk's dilated and red eyes simply stare at him blankly.
That consistent dead look in his eyes.
Taehyung was having trouble believing the adorable small boy with shimmering big eyes he once knew has turned into... this.
A stoner. Jeon Jeongguk had become a fucking stoner.
The lights were out in his eyes, only reflecting the flickering flame that came from the end of his joint. In fact, the only thing Taehyung could recognise in the man in front of him was the small scar imprinted at the top of his cheekbone.
"J-Jeongguk? Is that really you?" The older asks, unsure.
"What? M'not your little Kookie anymore?" A lazy smile, that doesn't quite reach his eyes, graces Jeongguk's lips.
"Y-you..." Taehyung couldn't find words, his eyes were enlarged into spectacles as he couldn't stop staring up at the figure in front of him. "You've... grown."
A hoarse chuckle cracked through Jeongguk's throat, he raised his joint back to his lips, inhaling deeply before letting it fall back to his side. He closes his eyes, then slowly opens them again, blowing out the leftover smoke through his nose. It was only then when Taehyung noticed Jeongguk's tatted hands—one covered in a full-body roaring tiger—the older eyed it cautiously.
Jeongguk's always been more of a butterfly than a tiger. But maybe Seokjin was right, maybe Jeongguk had changed.
After all, Jeongguk had become a hardcore drug user.
He could tell by the way the younger's eyes were blown wide, it wasn't just the weed, this guy was on something else. But he's done it enough to make it appear as if he's sober.
"Mhm. I have." Jeongguk's eyes were so hooded it almost looked as if they were shut.
"Are you... How are you?" Taehyung thickly swallowed as he felt his throat run dry, he shifted on his feet as he felt himself starting to sweat. This was so uncomfortable.
Jeongguk's eyes blinked ever-so-slowly, almost resembling that annoying sloth from Zootopia, as if he was processing the question in his own sweet time.
"Mhm."
Taehyung wanted to scream—he almost groaned in frustration. This is what he hated. Talking to people who weren't sober while he was, was probably the most annoying thing Taehyung experienced on-the-daily at university.
Taehyung's ears suddenly perked up at the loud rock music coming from inside the house, and some other voices.
"Who's at the door, J?" Someone asked from behind Jeongguk. The younger turned around to peek into the interior.
"S'no one, guys." He partially slurred to whoever he was talking to.
Ouch. No one?
Jeongguk then faced Taehyung once again, his face back to being expressionless as he took another hit from his joint .
"You should probably go." The younger said, and Taehyung couldn't help but wince at the slight pang he felt in his heart.
"Yeah. Okay." The older muttered. Taehyung was about to return back to his house, but stopped in his steps to see that Jeongguk was still looking at him. "But I'm coming tomorrow. I'll come back when you're more... aware."
Jeongguk simply took one more long drag of his joint, making Taehyung sigh as he walked back home, feeling the cold stare of younger digging into his skull.
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Taehyung stayed true to his word and returned to visit Jeongguk the next day, but the younger male wasn't there.
Taehyung was annoyed. Not only had he been pushed out of his house yesterday, but now the other was ignoring him knowing that Taehyung was planning on dropping by.
He huffed and turned back around, only to collide with a hard chest and the strong scent of maurijiana infiltrating his senses. Taehyung stumbled back, clutching his head as a small 'ow' escaped his lips. He peered up at what he had bumped into, eyes widening at the sight of the male that he had been looking for.
"Jeongguk?" The younger's name rolled off his tongue effortlessly, but it was so difficult for him to call the large figure him the name that belonged to an innocent child.
The eighteen-year old cocked a smirk, eyes shimmering with a hint of amusement.
His red, bloodshot, dilated, eyes still as stoic as ever.
"Are you high, again?" Taehyung couldn't help but ask, it was only nine in the morning. Less than six hours ago, Jeongguk was also high. And on other drugs.
Was this kid for real?
Jeongguk's smirk dropped, expression once again dull.
"Is that what you came here to say?" He asked, looking slightly annoyed as he walked past the other. Taehyung's gaze followed him, mouth a little agape as he was quite baffled by the other. Jeongguk went straight past him and opened the door to his house, which wasn't even locked.
"N-No I—" Taehyung stuttered, he was completely taken aback by Jeongguk's behaviour. Was everything that Seokjin said, true? Taehyung quickly shook his head to get rid of that thought. He had already decided to make his own judgement of Jeongguk's character, instead of listening to the words of others. But with his impression so far, it wasn't looking too good. The older took a deep breath, exhaling out his frustration before clearing his head. "I just wanted to talk... I missed you, y'know?"
Jeongguk halted in his steps.
"Don't lie, Hyung. I don't appreciate liars." Taehyung gulped at the younger's stern and hoarse voice, heart palpating erratically. Why was he feeling so intimidated?
"What? You didn't miss me?" Taehyung questioned, trying to sound a little playful. He was trying to ease the tension in the conversation, he didn't like how how he felt like he was talking to a total stranger.
Jeongguk looked at him over his shoulder, one hand still on the door knob, frame standing in the entrance to the warmth of the interior.
"You know I did."
After that Jeongguk let the door softly close behind him, leaving Taehyung standing on the porch.
A relieved smile crawled onto his lips, feeling a little assured that Jeongguk hadn't completely changed.