♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

"Thank you all for joining us for the Spring Recital. We hope you had a great time tonight!" Hoseok smiles as he signals parents through the double doors and Taehyung bows them off. He can hear bickering in the distance and he almost instantly recognizes Kihyun's voice, much to his dismay. With a frown in his forehead he sees the younger emerge from the hallway with his giant of a brother tailing close behind, strongly resembling a kicked puppy.

"I told you not to use that entrance hyung," Kihyun wags a finger at his brother, and from the outside looking in it was hard to tell who the hyung was. "You spilled water all over the floor. I could've gotten in a lot of trouble!"

"I'm sorry Hyunnie. This school is really big...it's really hard not to get lost." Despite being yelled at, Wonho still wears an embarrassed smile that somehow hits Tae right in the heart. He walks over to the pair and tries to get them to quiet down before the parents notice the commotion. "Kihyun it's okay. It's just a bucket of water...I walk into the janitor's closet all the time!"

Tae doesn't at all, but he wants to comfort Wonho in any way possible, which puzzles him.

Kihyun  in his frown and turns toward his brother, who is still smiling down at him. He extends the roses towards Kihyun and he gladly accepts. "You were amazing tonight."

"Not as good as Taehyung. I don't think I'll ever be that good." Kihyun has a look of blind admiration on his face as he gazes at Taehyung. Wonho smirks slightly before tugging on his little brother's collar and beginning to drag him off. "Well we should be getting home. It's getting pretty late, say bye to your friends Kihyun~" Wonho smiles and waves while his brother protests to stop being spoken to like a child. Taehyung watches the two of them walk towards the exit as Wonho digs in his pocket for his car keys. He drops something in the process--a flyer of some sort--which Tae hurries to return to him before they leave. Kihyun has long since speed-walked ahead of his older brother, which makes Taehyung nervous for calling out to the older man. He glances at it briefly, noticing the elegant letters on the flyer.

'Lee Wonho presents: Painting Under the Stars.'

"Wonho, wait!" Wonho stops almost immediately, turning to Taehyung with a gentle expression on his face. Taehyung hands him the flyer and awkwardly steps backwards when Wonho blinks back at him. "You dropped this. It looked super important, so.."

"Oh! It's for my showcase," Wonho lights up before curling the small card back into Taehyung's palm to his confusion. "do you like art? I'd love for you and your friends to come tomorrow night! Invite them all, it'll be great."

"U-Uh...well I--" Taehyung is blushing; he's flattered Wonho is even inviting him somewhere let alone even speaking to him. Wonho seems to have gotten the wrong idea from his silence, his face falling. "I'm not a creep or anything, if that's what you're thinking. I'm only twenty-four." Wonho laughs when Taehyung launches into an embarrassed frenzy of stuttering nonsense. "I'm just kidding. Hope to see you there!"

And just like that, Wonho is waving at a steaming high-schooler with his heart falling out of his chest.

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

"Dad called for you today." Yugyeom plops on the couch as Jungkook gets dressed for his internship, all buttoned up with a crisp bow-tie sealing the deal. "So?"

"Stop it," Yugyeom looks irritated as he flips through various cooking channels. "You complain that he doesn't try, but when he does you aren't receptive. What is he supposed to do?"

Jungkook frowns. He knows he's being unreasonable, but sitting down for dinner with his father isn't the most exciting thing he could be doing on a Monday night after work. He isn't looking forward to it at all and he expects to hear the broken record his father plays each time. With his therapist and his brother echoing in his head, Jungkook decides to appease his father once more.

"Fine. I'll go after I get back from the hospital."

Yugyeom smiles and ruffles his hair. "Have a great first day. Don't kill anybody!" He nudges his brother before running out the door with an apple in his mouth, freezing when he sees Taehyung in front of his house across the street. He has a bad case of bed-head and his eyes have barely opened to the cruel sunlight. He drags a bag of trash behind his Pororo bedroom slippers as he approaches the mailbox. It's especially cold in the morning, yet he has no coat on and his chest is exposed in his saggy silk striped pajamas. Tae rubs at his chest and his neck making sleepy smacking noises with his mouth, and Jungkook clearly has somewhere to go but his eyes are locked on the boy across the street, with the y messy hair and the cute bloated face. Jungkook catches himself staring and swallows hard when Taehyung glances at him sleepily and drags himself back in the house, presumably back to bed.

Jungkook has to ask himself why he couldn't just begin walking to the train station, but he ejects the question as soon as he checks his watch.

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

"Did you call your sister?" Soyeon is chopping vegetables in the kitchen when Taehyung drifts back in after taking out the trash. "We talked all night yesterday. She even fell asleep on the phone." His mother softens, relieved Taehyung actually listens when she talks. "You should surprise her today. Bring her the spare ribs I made."

Taehyung's face distorts and he's prepared to whine. "But Mom! It's so far, and I have a thing to go to tonight.."

"Then go early. I'd do it but my work schedule is crazy."

Taehyung pouts and dips his head in his cereal bowl, groaning. He adores his sister, but sometimes it's hard being the oldest. "Okay."

"My son is so perfect," Soyeon pats him on the head, wiping butter across a slice of toast for him. "all the other moms would be so jealous~"

He grins slightly before his phone vibrates in his pocket. He squints at his screen curiously.

hoseok-my-faceu: Principal wants to talk to u tomorrow. Says it's important?

cupoftae: ok, hope I'm not in trouble..

cupoftae: btw do you and min wanna go to an art show with me?

Taehyung sees the small ellipses indicating Hoseok is typing after five minutes.

hoseok-my-faceu: I can't :c Jin wants movie night but I love youuu

cupoftae: :( what about minnie?

hoseok-my-faceu: probably getting impregnated by yoongi looool

hoseok-my-faceu: kidding but no he's organizing the master-list for the event next week

Taehyung's heart drops when he realizes both of his best friends are rented out for the night. He doesn't want to show up to such a classy event alone, and he's panicking already because Wonho is expecting him to be there. The principal looking for him also alarms him--he'd sent an email the moment he heard Jeni and Jungkook arguing. He'd promised not to say anything, to not meddle in Jungkook's life. However, this was no longer about Jungkook. Taehyung hasn't said a word to him in eons and he isn't obsessed anymore. This was about someone being blackmailed with money involved, territory even Tae himself didn't dare cross. If he were to sit back and watch it all unfold, he'd be just as bad as Jeni.

So he crosses his fingers, and hopes he can manage to not be Kim Taehyung for a night.

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

Jungkook seems like a natural. He's already well acquainted (and loved) by several of the older nurses and doctors, and he hasn't been treated like a coffee gopher once, which is refreshing. After four hours of retrieving IV bags, clean syringes, speaking to patients and preventing several screaming pregnant women from killing him, he's exhausted. He has one final task before he can go home, yet the doctor tells him this one is the most important.

They walk into the pediatric ward and children run up and down in their gowns, some playing airplane with each other and some playing with blocks and Legos. They come across room 106, and the doctor knocks before a cheerful voice tells him to come in. Jungkook is met with a pretty pink sight--in fact the entire room is covered in pink. Dolls lay across the floor among tea cups filled with water, and in the bed full of flamingo pillows lays a little girl with the widest, brightest smile he's ever seen. An IV drip is connected to her arm, yet she seems so happy to see them it's almost as if she can't feel it.

It's when he sees this girl, that Jungkook remembers why he wants to care for children so badly.

"This is Yoona," the doctor pulls up a chair for Jungkook to sit by her bedside."She's our only Cystic Fibrosis patient in the ward, but she's also our sweetest. Yoona, this is Jungkook. He's our new friend here at Younghwa; he's studying to be a doctor just like me."

Yoona peers into Jungkook's face as he sits by her bedside, coming so close he can almost feel her breath. "You're a very handsome oppa." She giggles and clutches her teddy bear tightly. "I hope you'll be my doctor one day too."

Jungkook smiles back at her, beyond flattered by her compliment. "It would be my honor, princess." Jungkook bows to her, feigning a knight bowing to his princess and earns the laugh he was expecting. The mood seems to darken when the doctor finishes preparing her syringe, and she seems used to it; her face falls when she sees the needle. "Yoona, it's medicine time."

She sighs and releases her teddy bear to Jungkook's care before the doctor turns to Jungkook. "Could you sing to her? It helps calm her down."

Jungkook is taken aback, not really expecting the question. He takes her hand and she wraps hers around his willingly before the syringe goes in and Jungkook tells her to look only into his eyes. "I said it's alright, oh yeah~one day it'll be a good day, for sure. You won't be alone, always~I'll be by your side, we'll be okay." Before Jungkook can even get to the next verse, it's done. Her eyes never stop twinkling, she's captivated by Jungkook within five minutes of knowing him and it shows.

"Thanks Jungkook. Yoona you did great!" The doctor writes something on a clipboard and nods to Jungkook. "You were amazing too, Jungkook. You're done for the day, you can go home now. I'm sure you're pooped."

"You're leaving already? Doctor Lee, please bring him back soon.." Yoona eyes look sad and lonely, and Jungkook glances at the time before turning to Yoona.

"I think I can stay for another hour." His warm smile resurrects her joy. "You're the nicest doctor ever. Do you think we could get married when I grow up?" The doctor laughs and quickly makes an exit as Jungkook stutters for an answer. "If you don't mind a big old man like me, then of course!" He gets another laugh out of her, careful not to make her laugh to much lest she go into a coughing fit.

Jungkook rises from the chair and adjusts her pillows, scanning her table of toys and a pile of coloring books that seems to extend to the ceiling. He picks one up and flips through it, noticing every single picture has been colored. K.T is scribbled on the very last page, and he places it back where he found it, chuckling. "You've been busy! You sure like to draw, don't you?"

"I love it. I can draw anything from my imagination, and make it real. There's nowhere I can't go, and nothing I can't see," Yoona clutches her blanket as she speaks, and Jungkook declares her as one of the most passionate eight-year-olds he's ever spoken to. "My daddy brings a lot of them so I never get bored."

Jungkook plops down next to her and rest his elbow on the unoccupied space in her bed, looking at her with envy. "Your daddy sounds so nice! I'm so jealous~"

She pats him on the head soothingly, her small hands not doing much justice. "Is your daddy not nice? Are you fighting with your daddy?"

"My daddy is..." Jungkook trails off, not knowing how to explain something like this to a child. "Me and my daddy aren't too happy with each other right now."

Her small hand finds its way to Jungkook and it's so fragile and pure. "The girl in the next room is my best friend, Hyerin. She doesn't have a daddy--I'm sure she wishes she had one like you--you only get one daddy Jungkook-oppa. Please make up with yours."

Her words hit Jungkook hard, harder than he'd ever allow a child to hit him. Before he can reply to her, she clutches her chest and point to her nebulizer. Alarmed, Jungkook quickly grabs the tool and assembles it, but there's no saline solution inside. He runs out of the room to get a nurse, who accompanies him to the room to fill the machine. Jungkook panics when he realizes that she's stopped coughing and there's no noise coming from inside of her room. He bursts inside, beyond shocked when he opens the door.

Jungkook recognizes the shaggy bed-head immediately. Taehyung is standing next to Yoona's bed, rubbing her back and soothing her while she wraps arms tightly around his neck, sound asleep. Taehyung runs a gentle hand over her hair as she clings to him, and he sings as he places her back in her bed and covers her to her chin. Her coloring book supply has been replenished, and a container of spare ribs sits on her table.

"Taehyung? What are you doing here?" Jungkook is beyond confused, trying to catch his breath.

"Visiting my sister."

Jungkook's breath hitches in his throat, and he almost collapses on the floor.

"Taehyung, make sure you leave her enzymes next to the food." The casual tone the nurse speaks to Tae in confirms that he comes here frequently. The nurse realizes she isn't needed, and bows to the boys before taking her leave. Jungkook feels like an idiot, not realizing the initials in the coloring book belonged to Taehyung.

Once she's settled in, Taehyung slides his coat on and kisses her on the cheek, whispering to her. "I love you." Jungkook's heart jumps as he clears his throat. Taehyung walks right past Jungkook without saying a single word, and Jungkook bites his lip before piping up. "You're just gonna leave?"

"Visiting hours are over," Taehyung barely looks over his shoulder, barely acknowledges Jungkook's existence, barely answers his question. "When she has a coughing fit, you can pat her back to encourage the mucus to loosen." Taehyung grabs the door handle and closes the door on a dumbfounded Jungkook, eager to get to his outing without an inch of tardiness.

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

Jungkook strolls out of the hospital with his bag on bouncing against his hip, unable to get the image of Taehyung out of his head. He isn't used to seeing Taehyung so loving and so nurturing. He held his little sister as if she would break, and at that moment he looked like the only person in the world she trusted with her life. Jungkook feels his heart growing again the more he thinks about it, and he tries to shake it out of him quickly.

His cell phone rings and he picks up abruptly, his father's voice coming from the phone. "Jungkook? Are we still meeting for dinner? I'm at The Chateau, it's about five minutes from Younghwa. I can send a car for you." Jungkook hesitates to answer before he sighs and decides to give it a rest. "Yeah, sure. I'll be here."

He can feel the smile in his father's voice before he hangs up the phone, and a car arrives in a matter of minutes. The ride to the restaurant is short, and Jungkook regrets not walking and enjoying the sunset. He enters the restaurant and bows to the hostess, feeling completely out of place in such an upscale environment. Upon seeing his father he reluctantly walks to the table and takes a seat. The joy in his father's eyes is shocking to see, considering Jungkook hasn't seen him smile for much of his life. "Thank you for coming Jungkook. I was afraid you'd keep rejecting my calls." Jungkook nods awkwardly, glancing around the restaurant as his glass is filled with spring water.

"Your mother told me about the new program you got accepted into. That's even better than SNU. I'm so proud of you."

Jungkook scoffs, sensing the conversation descending. "Is that the only reason you brought me here? To drone on and one about my school and career choices?"

"No, not at all. I brought you here to apologize," Jungkook looks up from his salad, his eyes growing more attentive.

"Some days alone in that big hotel room all alone have given me time to think. I haven't been a father to you at all, Jungkook. Even when you were younger, I never let you be who you wanted to be. Then I wondered why we had no relationship..it's because I never allowed you to feel normal feelings, like happiness, sadness, vulnerability...I thought ruling with an iron fist would shape you, and I ended up destroying you instead. I wish I could have been there for you more often. Took you fishing, took you to baseball games...most importantly I should have let you cry. I should have taught you it was okay to let your emotion run free and to wear your heart on your sleeve sometimes. You're a man now, and I was way too late in raising you, but I just want to be a father to you now. It's all that matters to me."

Jungkook could choke on the pecans in his salad right now, but they're much too expensive and fancy. He quickly takes a swig of his water and clears his mind before looking back at his father. "You mean that? What about the company?"

"Jeon Inc. can be Shin Inc. If that's not your passion, I don't want you there. Besides, Dr. Jeon suits you best." Jungkook can see the sincerity in his eyes and the tears are welling up in his eyes before he can stop it. It's at this point that Jungkook realizes his father has changed--the old father that would yell at him to wipe his tears was nowhere to be found--instead, his father gets up from the table. He opens his arms wide, smiling down at his son. "Jungkook-ah, I'm going to do my best to be here for you and support your every feat. You're the best son I could have ever asked for."

Jungkook is learning already to wear his heart on his sleeve, because he's a complete mess of tears and smiles as he hugs his father for the very first time in his life.

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

Taehyung is fixing his tie and his dress shoes are much too tight, and he wears a black shirt in case any gochujang stains are eager to attack him tonight.

It's just Wonho, but I'm going alone and he wanted me to bring friends...

Kihyun will be there, so it's fine.

As Taehyung approaches the venue, he sees a giant line of people out of the door and down the block. Taehyung could piss himself right then and there. He wants to go home already, because Wonho made this thing sound like it was small and super local. Does his breath stink? Is there food on his face? He doesn't even remember, he just doesn't want to be there anymore.

Oh my god, I forgot to put on deodorant!!

Oh god, oh jeez--

"Taehyung! Taehyung, over here!"  Tae turns to the voice bellowing his name from the venue entrance. Wonho is hanging out of the door, waving and grinning at the boy. Everyone in the line turns and looks at the person he's yelling to, scoffing when it's a measly high-school boy who looks like he doesn't even appreciate fine arts. He makes robotic movements towards the entrance, the sweat soaking his shirt up. "He's with me." Wonho whispers to the bouncer and takes Taehyung's hand, leading him into the starlit dome. There are paintings everywhere and important people standing about, all mingling and drinking wine as they admire different sculptures and beautifully crafted pieces. "Wonho, this is unreal..." Taehyung can still see despite the entire dome being dark, entirely lit by the moon and stars in the sky. Wonho just smiles that gentle smile he always wears, leading Taehyung to his table. A 'Reserved for Party of Kim Taehyung' sign sits atop the table, and Tae feels like he isn't worthy at all.

"I'm glad you like it. Kihyun was supposed to be here an hour ago, though I don't know where he is..." Wonho looks a bit dejected, but he perks up again. "Dinner is at 8, so you've got about an hour. You can walk around and look at some of my pieces if you'd like. I have to go show some guests around, but I'll be back soon!" Wonho disappears before Taehyung can stutter out a reply, and he sighs. How can one person be so talented? He can't begin to fathom some of these pieces being created by someone of Wonho's stature.

When Taehyung first laid eyes on Wonho, he assumed he was a personal trainer. He's certainly built like one--his body is lean, chiseled and healthy-looking--Taehyung doesn't know why he's visualizing his new friend's brother's body in his head right now, but he needs to knock that off quickly. He decides to go and explore the art covering the walls. Some are abstract pieces, one being various parts of the face deconstructed and covered in watercolor. Another is a piece that depicts a woman with hair made of butterfly wings. Wonho's art is so breathtaking that Taehyung gets lost in every work, and he's almost late getting back to the table when Wonho on the mic snaps him out of his thoughts.

"Thank you all so much for celebrating this night with me. I appreciate every last one of you coming, and although I don't look the best tonight, you all look so perfect." Wonho cheeses as the crowd laughs at his modesty, and he removes his apron smeared with acrylic paints. "Please! Eat food, drink wine and be merry. The night is still young! Thank you for taking the time to admire my work!" He bows before coming off the mic, and Taehyung applauds enthusiastically. He's surprised when Wonho returns with a plate of appetizers and two glasses of champagne, and Taehyung regrets coming alone because Wonho is way too kind. This is something the catering staff should be doing; Wonho is an angel and Tae certainly isn't used to it.

"I'm sorry, do you not drink? I could get you some juice or something."

"N-No! This is perfectly fine," Taehyung sips the bitter concoction, and it fades to a sweet taste. He'll be damned if he sat at such a formal event sipping apple juice in front of such a handsome man and all these adults. "Are you enjoying yourself? I'm sorry about about Kihyun.."

Taehyung is blushing again and he just can't manage to be within a foot of the older man, staring down into his champagne glass nervously. Tae feels like an -- it's so obvious that Kihyun likes him, all signs point to him and here he is with his brother. He needs to say something, but his heart is beating so fast he can't even get it out.

"I'm having a great time, thank you so much for inviting me," Taehyung finally take a deep breath, looking up at Wonho's joyous expression. "b-but I...Wonho.."

Wonho's face changes, and his eyes are focused and curious. "Yes? Is something wrong?"

"No I just...this is just inappropriate," Taehyung stares back down at his lap, trying not to break his own fingers from fiddling with them so much. "Kihyun really likes me and he doesn't know that I know, and here I am having dinner with his older brother and I just think--"

Tae would have continued his speech, if Wonho hadn't burst out laughing while he was talking. Tae can barely get a word in because the bouts of laughing keep restarting. "I'm sorry, please excuse me. I'm not laughing at you I swear."

He wants to die, he's so embarrassed and he knew what he said was stupid but it needed to be said.

"Does it seem like I was too intimate when we first met? I suppose I should've been more formal when I introduced myself, then. Let me try again." Wonho clears his throat extending a hand across the table. "My name is Lee Wonho," he places his chin in his palm with a gentle smile on his red lips.

"your secret admirer. The pleasure is all mine."

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

I hope this update wasn't too late for you all! If you don't see an update by the end of this week please be patient--I've got finals and things are so chaotic! But I really do hope you liked this chapter, leave awesome comments! I always read them and they are such a joy to receive!

Catch you in the next one! xoxo