Jungkook does not remember the exact time and date he first met Taehyung. But knows it was a rainy day, and somehow he had a big umbrella while running outside the apartment complex his parents had just moved in. And back then, he didn't know the big deal of living there. But when he stumbled upon a boy taller than him whose smile was so bright Jungkook had thought the rain clouds had disappeared and the sun had come back, only then that young Jungkook realized how fortunate his life was, and still is.

"I came to Seoul to study. I'm living with my mom, my dad's working 2 or 3 jobs. I don't know. I haven't seen him for a while now," Young Taehyung said. "I'm Taehyung, and you?"

"Jungkook..."

"Nice to meet you, Jungkook. Do you live here?"

Young Taehyung nodded at the apartment complex. For some reason, Jungkook was embarrassed to admit. So instead, he said,

"No."

"Ahh, that's sad." Young Taehyung pouted a little to himself. "My mom said there's a swimming pool inside and warm sauna rooms. I thought of how nice it would be to live in there."

Even then, young Jungkook was perplexed at the way young Taehyung spoke. It was as though there was an adult spirit trapped in that tiny body. The way he talked about things sounded so sad and distant, like he was talking about things that were there but at the same time were very far far away.

"Your umbrella looks so big," young Taehyung's comment pulled young Jungkook out of his thoughts. "Can I go in there too?"

Jungkook nodded slowly, and when Taehyung stepped up to stand beside him, their shoulders brushing slightly against each other, he felt it, then. It was short and simple, and unforgettable. He felt light and his stomach twisted into a knot as he felt warm on his cheeks and ears. And as the both of them strolled around the neighborhood sharing one umbrella, Jungkook knew he'd want Taehyung to walk beside him for a very long time after this. He couldn't expect forever—because he was too young back then to know what forever was, but he knew one thing; he was sure of it:

Kim Taehyung is his.

When Jungkook met Taehyung again, it was a few weeks later and the first day of winter. Snow had started falling lightly along the road, and Taehyung was outside with barely enough layers to keep him warm. Jungkook watched him from afar, at first, watched how Taehyung ran around the playground gathering little snow and making a tiny snowman. It felt like hours had passed by before Jungkook approached. The two of them play together until Taehyung's mother came and took him home. Jungkook watched him until he was out of sight, all the while waving until his wrist was sore.

Their play dates turned into regular meet-ups, and then they became best friends who went to middle school together. Jungkook learned so much about Taehyung's life, how he lived in a rented room with his parents because they wanted to come to Seoul to get better jobs. Taehyung had no siblings, therefore, he got lonely when his parents were at work. Most of the time, he spent his days by himself. But now that he had Jungkook, his best friend, he wasn't so lonely anymore. 

Taehyung had invited Jungkook over a few times, and the two would spend hours reading manga that Jungkook bought. And then Jungkook would fall asleep in the middle of doing his school work while Taehyung cooked for his parents. Jungkook only left when Taehyung's parents returned.

Their friendship stayed like that until high school. Not once had Jungkook reciprocated the invitation to his own house. It wasn't that he didn't trust Taehyung enough to bring him over, but to Jungkook, somehow his true origin made him feel too unsuitable for Taehyung. Thus, whenever he was asked, he just said that his house was messy or that his parents were renovating the place. Taehyung always accepted the excuses, and in times, he learned to stop asking.

When Taehyung graduated high school, his parents decided to move back to their hometown while leaving him to live in his college dorm. Jungkook saw the chance and he couldn't let it pass by. He offered Taehyung a place to stay, saying that his parents bought it from a friend in need and the place was too nice to leave unoccupied. At first, Taehyung rejected. But then when Jungkook said he'd be there with him, that Taehyung wasn't a freeloader as he himself believed, the latter learned to accept the offer. That was why Jungkook suddenly felt like he could do anything. Well, who could blame him? He had the love of his life living literally under his roof 24/7 while the other one had no idea who he really was.

There will come a day when the curtain falls. But for now, Jungkook enjoys what he can.

-

"I went to Japan for 2 days and Taehyung's got a boyfriend?" Yoongi grimaces as he plops down on the couch, slamming Jungkook's unnecessary long legs and causing him well-deserved pain in the process.

"Don't act like you weren't there when I told you about the plan," Jungkook rolls his eyes as he sits up, glancing back at the door of his office to make sure it's locked. "You and Hoseok are some drama queens, I must say. As soon as the news broke, he wouldn't stop sending me screenshots of, and I quote, 'cute comments about the couple of the century!!! Kyaaaaa~!' Ugh, I hate him."

"Direct your unjustified hate somewhere else, young man." Yoongi chuckles. "I was there but I wasn't told about any rush to get Taehyung a public boyfriend. I thought there'll be more time."

"Well, so did I."

"And I thought they'd let me be the paparazzi!"

Jungkook's face falls, eyes replace with a new-found urge to murder.

"You're a pain in the , you know that?"

"Nah, Jimin never mentions."

Jungkook groans, only to be overwhelmed by Yoongi's burst of laughter.

-

"Why are you wearing a turtleneck in this weather??" Jimin quest