It’s okay come on when I say one two three forget it
Erase all sad memories
Hold my hand and smile

Hoping for more good days
If you believe what I say then one two three

(2! 3! BTS)

26-year old Taehyung gapes in awe as he takes in the city.

It's...really big.

It sounded stupid in his head, but that's the only thing that he could think of. 

It's only been months since he got discharged from his military assignment. Part of him is still dazed with those two years of fulfilling his service to the country; it was hard and enjoyable at the same time. The military became so engrained in his reality, he forgot that he had a life outside the barracks.

So when he came back, he was weirded out. 

Before the military, Taehyung decided he'd get a new job once he got discharged. Something not related to coffee or the farm; in fact, there was a time in the military when he decided he wanted to be a rapper. But when his superiors made fun of him, he scraped that idea off.

When he returned home, his mother immediately asked him if he planned to help out at his grandfather's farm or be a barista again.

That's how he ended up with a desk job, but this time it's in the city.

After the life in the military, the 26-year old figured he needed a change of scenery. When an offer came from Seoul, he grabbed it first chance and announced his move to his mother. 

It was fortunate his Namjoon hyung was already in the city; otherwise, his mother might've refused -- thinking Taehyung would would not survive.

She's partly right. 

On his first night, he almost burned down his apartment. It's not that he never used an electric stove; it's just that he's not good with such things. 

And now, here he is -- out and about. 

"Don't act like a tourist, Tae. You might get mugged in the morning."

Taehyung rolls his eyes as he walks by the busy streets. He knows his Namjoon hyung is just looking out for him, but he was seriously tempted to bring up that one time Namjoon almost burned down his apartment as well. 

Today is his first day at work and to ensure he wouldn't be late, he left his place extra early. He wants to make a good impression.

"Okay...which street do I go to again?" he wonders outloud, taking out his phone to tap the directions. He scolds himself for not taking a screenshot of the map last night; now he has to rely on written directions. 

Taehyung makes a right.

"Oh I have to catch a bus," he remembers. He spots a nearby stop and sees that a bus just pulled up and is about to leave.

Oh my god.

Without warning, he scrambles for the bus.

"HEY WAIT FOR ME!" he screams, running like an idiot in the middle of the big city. He does not mind the stop sign either; Taehyung keeps his eyes focused ahead, screaming for the bus not to leave. Bystanders were weirded, annoyed, and amused at the sight of a grown man running like a child in the middle of the street. He doesn't care though; he'll be late.

"HEY!" he yells again. 

He's about to reach the leaving bus when he collides into a stranger.

"OUCH!"

Taehyung falls to the ground, his glasses falling off him as well. He lands on the cement first, causing an unpleasant jolt of pain.

Ahh damnit, he curses in his head. Apart from the pain he felt, he hears the bus leaving. He's also sure that he might have ripped a part of his then-pristine white shirt (now it isn't, with all those sediments clinging on his clothes).

Why can't people in the city look at where they are going? he complains as he paws the ground for his glasses, Aisht, no wonder Namjoon hyung says I should stop, look and listen always. Where are my glasses?

Finally, he sees them and wipes them off using the hem of his shirt. Taehyung stands up and brushes the dirt off his pants, his eyes on the stranger who was still on the ground, rubbing his sore arms. While part of him is pissed at the stranger for blocking his way, Taehyung's good manners get the best of him.

"I'm sorry," he says, "I was in a hurry."

The stranger stands up, mumbling as he did. Taehyung suspects he's not pleased with what happened and might complain loudly (like any city native). He sees the stranger run a hand through his vivid pink hair (which reminded Tae of cherry blossoms) and heave a sigh. Eventually, the stranger turns around to face him and Taehyung braces himself for the prissy city attitude. 

Except he doesn't meet it. 

Tae's bad eyesight could not decipher the stranger's face very well, but there's something familiar about it -- strange too. He doesn't say anything; despite his blurred vision. Taehyung is sure the guy (A girl? I can't tell) is just staring at him in silence. Deciding someone needed to break the ice (Are city people this weird? God), the rural boy puts ihs glasses on to formally apologize. 

Opposite him is no stranger. 

It's his best friend, Park Jimin.

Taehyung's heart caught in his chest. He's staring at his best friend after four years of nothing.

"Taehyung-ah?" he asks.

What the hell?

The younger boy adjusts his glasses, trying to see if the light was playing a trick on him. Without a doubt, however, this pink-haired boy he just bumped into is Jimin. 

Jimin who's hair is no longer brown. His hair reminds Taehyung of the cherry blossoms he loved during the spring season. He also notices the changes in his former best friend's physique: he's still shorter than Taehyung, but he got taller. He's still well-built but paler. Beside him sits a neon green duffel bag stuffed with clothes, probably for dancing. 

It's Jimin.

For a moment, Taehyung forgets about his orientation or the fact that his bottom hurts really bad. His big eyes widen at the sight of the one boy he loved. 

"It's you," is all he says. 

The look on Jimin's face says that he too is shocked to see Taehyung. 

"Wow," he replies, "You're...here."

"You're..." Taehyung racks his brain for something to say. "Pink."

Jimin laughs -- it's a sound Taehyung has not heard in a long time. He touches his hair, looking shy all of a sudden. 

"Yeah, I dyed it for a performance," he says sheepishly, then he eyes Taehyung with equal interest, "Wow, you've grown taller." He looks up and smiles. "And you also dyed your hair huh?"

"I figured it's a nice Welcome Back to Reality reminder since my enlistment."

"Oh you've done your service already?"

"Yeah. It was fun."

Silence.

Taehyung is too astounded, it feels like a dream. Is he really seeing Jimin? He doesn't know how to feel; he feels like vomitting, palipitating, dying, and nothing all at once.

An alarm breaks the silence.

Aisht, what the hell? he thinks, annoyed at the sound. It takes Tae a second (and Jimin's pointed stare at his pocket) to realize it's his phone, reminding him of the orientation.

Oh damn.

He scrambles for his phone, tucked inside his pockets and silences it. He almost drops it in the process, causing Jimin to smile again. Quickly, Taehyung silences his alarm before facing his best friend again. 

How long has it been?

"I...I'm sorry to cut this short," he finally says, "But I have an orientation to attend and I think the next bus is coming."

"Oh, really? I'm sorry for getting in your way, Tae," replies Jimin; he bends down to get his fallen duffel bag, "I...I'm actually headed to practice right now." He smiles. "I guess...I'll see you around?"

Taehyung's brain started sending signals he can't understand. The shock of seeing Jimin again after a number of years caused his brain to go haywire, albeit it still tries to talk to him. But he remains frozen on his spot.

Jimin seems like he's waiting for the younger boy to say something, but when nothing came out, he just smiles again and waves his hand goodbye. 

"See you."

The sight of Jimin's retreating back brings Taehyung back to life.

"WAIT!"

He hollers like an idiot for the nth time. Fortunately, it catches Jimin's attention. 

"I....I need..."

"What?"

Taehyung catches his breath. "We should exchange numbers," he says, "How can we see each other around if you don't have my number?"

Jimin's eyes crinkle again as he smiles for the nth time. "That does make sense," he replies, taking out his phone, "Okay, put yours in mine. Give me your phone." 

Taehyung stares at his former friend's phone in awe. "Wow, you got an expensive looking phone."

"It's not that expensive."

"Mine got shy just by looking at it."

Jimin laughs as he gently snatches Taehyung's phone and hands the other his. The boys place their numbers, saving it on each other's phone books. Once they finished, Taehyung hands out the phone back to his best friend, who does the same. 

"Well...this has been...something," comments Jimin, "I'll...call you?"

"You sure?"

"Let's see who calls first, then."

Underneath the pile of pink, Taehyung's heart stops at the sight of Jimin's shy smile. They simply nod at each other before Taehyung excuses himself to go his way. He sees the next bus and immediately runs, not just because he has to, but because he needs to distract himself. 

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