You first approached me about a month into my first year at graduate school. I was sitting outside, minding my own business, when this little boy about my age came up to me and asked if he could sit with me. You were timid, but you looked so hopeful.

How could I say no?

I moved over, and you sat. You looked at me, straight in the eyes. Like you were peeling away all my walls and examining every corner of me. Me, my past, my mistakes, my regrets. You tilted your head.

“You look sad,” you said thoughtfully. “You look like a person who has a lot of regrets.” You smiled ruefully. “You remind me of my friend back at home. Your eyes are like his. Full of shadows and regrets.” You were odd, but still. I looked at you. Really looked at you. Into your warm chocolate brown eyes, sweet, yet not perfectly sweet. Tainted sweet.

“You look like an innocent who lost his innocence,” I replied. “Your eyes are full of hope and dreams and regrets and pain.” I broke eye contact and looked at the students milling around the campus. “You look like someone I once knew,” I said.

“I’m Taehyung,” you said.

“Jungkook,” I replied. You repeated my name. I nodded. “That’s me.” You grinned at me.

You had such a nice smile. Even if your eyes were tainted, even if your past was tainted, your smile wasn’t. It was pure and innocent. 

Just like Jieun.