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^{A/N: To understand what the hell's happening at the end, you need to read the yoonmin side of this (titled "you are my sunshine, my only sunshine" in case aff ed up the link again)}

For Taehyung, making his parents proud was his sole purpose in life.

As the son of a well-known merchant, he was expected to be as respectable, as witty, as dashing, as intelligent as his wonderful father, and it was no problem, for Taehyung was witty, dashing, and intelligent as boys his age could come. He loved to read and he loved to study, seeking the help of learned men to aid him in his scholarly endeavors. He was popular among the ladies his age, and succeeding the family line was no problem for him when the time came.

He loved his parents dearly that he would dedicate his entire life for them, even to the point of ignoring his own wishes, but he didn't have to worry, for that day was yet to come.

It was on one of his weekly rides to town with his father when Taehyung met him.

His father was busy resolving an issue with one of their suppliers, and Taehyung had been left outside to tend the horses. Taehyung was petting his white mare when it happened.

In front of the establishment next to theirs, a fist fight had started between two boys around Taehyung's age. One of them was incredibly big and burly, and the other was the same size as Taehyung, albeit just a little on the muscular side. Taehyung felt sorry for the smaller kid. Without thinking, he grabbed a rock from where he stood and chucked it at the two boys. It hit the smaller kid on the head, and he dropped to his knees limply.

“Oh, no!” Taehyung was on his feet in an instant, feeling the guilt creeping up his insides.

The big burly kid was laughing, lumbering off and giving Taehyung a thumbs-up (to which Taehyung responded with a glare). He knelt by the smaller kid, pulling him up and hissing at the bloody mess on the side of his head.

“Uhm, are you alright?” Taehyung asked, slapping the kid gently awake.

The kid grumbled a little before jerking upwards, a hand shooting up to his head. He winced when his fingers made contact with the wound.

“You've got a bad aim, sir.” The kid said, voice higher than Taehyung's.

Taehyung grinned sheepishly. “Forgive me, I was really trying to hit the other one.”

The kid shrugged, grinning at Taehyung. His teeth stood out in his smile, and Taehyung just stared at him. “It's okay. Have I seen you around, sir?”

“Y-you don't have to call me sir, I think we're the same age. Call me Taehyung.”

The boy smiled, softer this time. “My name's Jeon Jungkook.”

After the rock incident, Taehyung found Jungkook practically everywhere. The boy was always around the vicinity of his house, and Taehyung thought that the kid might be stalking him. If it wasn't for his father engaging Jungkook in a conversation, he would have called the officials on the boy.

When his father came back in the house, Taehyung dropped his books and approached his father, peeking over his shoulder and watching Jungkook's retreating figure as he exited the yard.

“Father, who was that boy? I've been seeing him everywhere.” Taehyung whispered, squinting suspiciously as if Jungkook could hear him.

Taehyung's father reached out and ruffled his hair, an adoring smile on his face. “That's Jeon Jungkook, son of the wine maker next door. Don't you remember? You used to play with him when you were kids, and then you just decided to lock yourself in the house with your books.”

“Oh.” Taehyung scrunched his nose in thought, remembering a runny nosed kid crying when he tripped.

“He's a good kid, like you. Maybe you should go with him to their winery one of these days?”

“No, thank you. I need to brush up on my Chinese alphabet.”

Taehyung's father huffed a little, shaking his head as Taehyung ran off. “Live a little, Taehyung. You're still young.”

The next time Taehyung saw Jungkook, it was through the window in his room.

Taehyung was on his knees in front of his table, poring over a book about economics when he heard a thud from behind him. He turned around, and his eyes widened at the small basket sitting on his windowsill. He shuffled over, pulling his robes over his legs so he wouldn't step on them, and exhaled in awe at the contents of the basket. Fresh fruits of differing sizes and colors beamed up at him, and he felt his mouth water at how delicious they looked. A cough echoed from beside his window, and he peeked out to see Jungkook leaning against the wall, a smile on his face.

“Hello.” He started, voice as soft as ever.

Taehyung blinked at him. “Is this from you?”

Jungkook pushed himself off the wall, already walking away.

“You're always bent over your books and brushes. Learn to enjoy life a little, yes?” He shrugged at the basket. “They're fresh.”

Taehyung looked down at the basket, smiling a little. Jungkook was gone before he could say his thanks.

The next time he saw Jungkook, it was still through the window in his room.

Taehyung was on his back, limbs spread out and staring at the ceiling. He was resting his eyes from a day of studying, when in the corner of his eyes, he saw something shoot through his window. He scrambled into a sitting position, staring at the triangular package. He crawled over, and uncovered it. It was a rice ball, already growing cold, but it still looked delicious. Taehyung found himself grinning as he leaned out, catching Jungkook sneaking away quietly.

“Just so you know, my family doesn't starve me. But thank you for the rice ball, Jungkook.”

Jungkook froze mid-step, before turning back to Taehyung and smiling, and something about his smile struck Taehyung so deeply, he found himself inhaling sharply. Jungkook remained in his spot, hands shoved into his robes as he looked up at Taehyung.

“Did you enjoy the fruits?” He asked, voice soft and airy in the evening breeze.

Taehyung pulled himself over the window, his legs dangling outside. “I did, thank you. Say, Jungkook, would you come closer?”

Jungkook approached him, a curious look on his face. “What is it?”

“Do you remember playing with me when we were kids?”

Jungkook's face flushed darker in the night, and Taehyung leaned closer slightly, peering at his face. “Uhm, yes, I suppose so.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

Jungkook cocked an eyebrow at him. “I didn't know you forgot.”

Taehyung shrugged, taking a bite out of his rice ball. “I’ve been focusing on my studies so much, I didn't realize I was forgetting happy things.”

“Doesn't matter. You can just make new ones.”

And when Jungkook laughed, Taehyung found himself oddly mesmerized.

This went on for weeks, every day.

Taehyung, unconsciously, started studying by the window, first bringing his books with him and eventually moving the table beside it. Jungkook was always leaning on the wall, but eventually, he was pulling himself up onto the windowsill, sitting on it and talking to Taehyung as Taehyung studied. Taehyung's father would always check in on them, teasing Jungkook about skipping chores. Taehyung's mother would bring them snacks, and would sometimes even stay to talk with the boys. It went on for weeks.

When the cherry blossoms were starting to bloom, Taehyung realized that the blushing, fast heartrate, and tongue-tied moments he experienced with Jungkook was nowhere near friendship.

“Taehyung, are you in there?”

Taehyung remained quiet, staring at his closed window and fighting the urge to just throw it open and welcome Jungkook in. It had been a week of ignoring the boy, and it was taking a toll on Taehyung, as well. He couldn't focus on his studies, not when he could hear the sadness and dejection in Jungkook’s voice when he came every day to look for him, but he couldn't give in to his feelings. He didn't know what to do, who to talk to, because the moment he opened his mouth about it, someone would definitely react violently.

He was a man, Jungkook was a man, and it wasn't the proper thing to do.

His door suddenly slid open, and he looked up from under his sheets to see Jungkook standing in the doorway. He looked worried, and behind him, one of the maids in their house cowered in a corner. Jungkook had probably threatened the poor girl to let him in.

“Taehyung, are you alright? Do you feel sick? Talk to me.” Jungkook’s words tumbled out of his mouth in a worried rush, and he knelt down beside Taehyung, a hand pressing on his forehead.

Taehyung just looked at him, mind blank as his heart swelled with longing. It felt nice having Jungkook worry over him, having Jungkook in such a state of panic just because he hadn't been talking to him in a week. It felt nice, and the feeling numbed Taehyung's senses. In the next moments, Jungkook froze as he heard Taehyung's whispered confession.

“I like you, Jungkook.”

Jungkook scrambled to his feet, and ran away.

“Father, what if…what if I were to do something improper…? Something not expected of me…what would you do?”

Taehyung leaned forward, hugging his knees as his father slowly sat down in front of him. It had been three days since his confession, and Jungkook hasn't shown hide nor hair in those three days. Taehyung's father had noticed the change in both Jungkook and Taehyung, and had decided to talk to his son. He sighed tiredly, running a hand over his balding head as he looked at Taehyung.

“You're my son, Taehyung. I love you, and no matter what you do, I will always be on your side. Keep that in mind.”

Taehyung nodded, hugging his knees closer to his chest as he looked at his open window. “That's nice, father.”

“…when I met your mother, she was the daughter of a nobleman, and I was but a lowly farmer. We made it work.”

Taehyung whipped his head around, and saw the knowing smile of his father. He felt himself tearing up. “Father, you…”

“Love is never about being proper, or improper. Moral, or immoral. It's about being who you are, and loving the person for who he is no matter the circumstances. It's about giving up anything and everything for each other.” He looked out the window, and smiled softly.

Taehyung was about to cry, was about to say something else because oh my dear, father knows and he still loves me, but a knock emanated from outside his window, and Taehyung got the shock of his life when a voice came wafting into his room along with the cherry blossom petals.

“Taehyung, can we talk?”

It was Jungkook.

When Taehyung’s father closed the door behind him, Taehyung shakily pulled himself up, inching closer to the window. Jungkook was standing right outside, his head tilted up as he waited for Taehyung. Taehyung peeked out, and when their eyes met, Taehyung felt the wind get knocked out of him. Jungkook gulped visibly, the tips of his ears turning pink like the blossoms around him.

“I…I'm sorry I ran away. That was rude of me.”

Taehyung remained quiet, hands on the edge of his windowsill and knuckles turning white at how hard he gripped the edge. His hair hung over his face as he hunched over the windowsill, looking at Jungkook.

“I suppose I wasn’t…prepared that you would—that my…feelings would ever be reciprocated, and it caught me off-guard and—

Taehyung's ears rang, and his brain held on to the word reciprocated. “Wait, wait, could you say that again?”

But Jungkook didn't stop, waving his hands around wildly as he explained, cheeks starting to grow red. “And, and, and I didn't come back because I was scared that you'd hate me for running away but I realized that you didn't deserve what I did and—

“Jeon Jungkook, be quiet.” Taehyung said loudly, and Jungkook stopped.

“…I'm sorry.” He muttered again, and Taehyung shook his head, his heart pounding loudly in his ears.

“Do you…do you like me, too?” He whispered softly, afraid that anything louder would break the moment.

Jungkook’s cheeks flushed darker, but he nodded anyways, hair bouncing.

Wordlessly, Taehyung reached both hands out, tilted Jungkook's face towards him, and leaned out the window as he kissed the boy, Jungkook instinctively reaching out to stop Taehyung from falling out the window. Under the watchful eyes of the cherry blossom tree, they shared their first kiss, a second, a third, and a fourth.

“Run away with me, Taehyung.”

Taehyung almost messed up his Chinese alphabet exercise, but he carefully placed his brush down before looking at Jungkook with a raised eyebrow, the younger boy sitting on the windowsill and looking resolute about his idea. Taehyung smiled, reaching out and patting Jungkook's cheek.

“That's nice, Jungkook.”

Jungkook frowned at him. “I'm serious. Let's go, let's live somewhere hidden, somewhere we can be us, somewhere we don't have to hide.”

Taehyung looked at him, and then at his books. He looked at Jungkook again. “I…but my parents.”

Jungkook exhaled deeply, shoulders sagging. “I know, you love them, and you want to make them proud. I know, I'm sorry.”

Jungkook jumped off the windowsill, leaving without a goodbye. Taehyung’s chest felt heavy all of a sudden.

That night, Taehyung couldn't sleep. Jungkook’s words haunted him, and as he tossed and turned in his bed, his father's words shone like a candlelight suddenly being lit in the dark.

“Love isn't about being proper, or improper. Moral, or immoral. It's about giving up anything and everything for each other.”

Taehyung shot up like a bullet, sneaking out through his window and heading to Jungkook's house right next to theirs. He knocked on it softly, and after a few beats, Jungkook was peeking out, hair mussed and face puffy from sleep. Taehyung reached up, took hold of Jungkook's cheeks, and kissed him, whispering against his lips.

“Let's run away.”

They agreed to meet by the cherry blossom tree near the river.

Taehyung didn't say anything to his parents, but somehow, it seemed like they knew. When he woke up, the house was empty. A large pack of food and supplies was waiting by his door, and he felt a wave of sadness hit him. He didn't know when he'd see parents again. As if in salute to his ever-loving parents, Taehyung slipped into the hanbok robes his mother had personally made for him—a beautiful mix of navy blue embroidered silk and cream colored cotton. He hefted the pack onto his back, stepped out of the house through the back door, and locked it shut.

Perhaps it was karma already biting him for choosing to run away and leaving his parents behind, but Taehyung still didn't like it.

It was the same big guy that Jungkook had been fighting with the day they met. Taehyung was cornered, just outside their village border. His travel pack hung heavily on his back, and in the horizon, if he squinted hard enough, he could see the cherry blossom tree he was supposed to go to, beautiful and majestic. It was starting to lose the pretty pink petals. Underneath its canopy, he could see someone sitting down, back against the trunk. Jungkook.

“Aren't you Merchant Kim's son, Taehyung? Thanks for throwing that rock, by the way.” The man said, and Taehyung waved his hand dismissively.

“Look, okay, you're welcome, but I don't have time for this. I need to go somewhere—

“Meeting up with Jeon, right?”

Taehyung felt his heart skip a beat in panic. The man knew, and Taehyung didn't know how.

“That's…that's not true.”

“I heard you two last night. Two men? It's so unusual and…disgusting. Really, we have no need for scum like you.”

Taehyung felt his blood boil, but he had no chance of winning a fight against a guy twice his size, so he planned on swallowing it all until the man in front of him whistled, and two other boys emerged from behind the trees. Taehyung felt his knees go weak.

“Boys, take him.”

They dragged him through the woods, his pack falling off his shoulders in a crumpled heap. He tried to stand up, to struggle free, but the guys holding his arms twisted them if he resisted just a tiny bit. They walked for a long time, dragging Taehyung along, until they reached the lake where the river ended. They dumped Taehyung by the edge.

“What do you want?” Taehyung gritted out, because he can't do this, he's not supposed to be here, Jungkook was waiting for him.

“We want you out.” The big guy said, and Taehyung frowned.

“I'm leaving the village. Isn't that out enough?”

In response, the three of them lunged forward, grabbing Taehyung by the arms and neck, and he screamed, but his scream was cut short as he was dunked under the lake, the water filling his mouth and nose, cold and unforgiving.

Under the watchful eyes of the cherry blossom trees, Taehyung drowned. The pink petals rained around them, settling peacefully on the raging surface of the lake, mocking him. Taehyung fought back, thrashing his limbs wildly because no, god, no, this can't be happening, I can't die now, Jungkook is waiting, he's waiting for me, please somebody help me.

But no matter how much he begged and pleaded, nobody came, and in a matter of seconds, he wondered why he could suddenly see his own body floating in the lake, face contorted in pain and anguish and looking so lifeless and oh.

“I'm dead.” Taehyung whispered into the water, watching as the bubbles escaped from his lips, popping against the surface. “I'm dead.”

Taehyung watched in sadness as Jimin turned into foam, leaving Yoongi behind. He watched as Yoongi started disappearing, his figure getting pulled back to the spot where he jumped. Taehyung was going to be alone again. Against his better judgement, he followed, swimming slowly to see where his friend would go.

As he arrived at the place where Yoongi first appeared, he felt like someone slapped him, because he may have forgotten everything, he may have forgotten his own story, and he may have forgotten the thing that's holding him back, but that face—it was a face he would never forget. He didn't know who it was or if he was even important in Taehyung's previous life, but Taehyung remembered him and his name. He would never forget that face.

He watched in silent shock as a boy dove into the waters, wrapping an arm around the middle of Yoongi's body and dragging him upwards and into safety. He pushed Yoongi up first, lingering in the water for a few more beats. He looked around, his gaze lingering on the spot where Taehyung was, before looking away and finally resurfacing. Taehyung could only stare at him, could only stare at the boy that had plagued his thoughts for the past eternity, could only stare at the boy who seemed to be important to him and yet, Taehyung couldn't exactly point out why. He could only stare at the boy.

The boy—Jeon Jungkook.