When you are a child, people often ask you the question ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’


Taehyung always answered right away, firmly and excitedly – ‘A farmer! Just like grandpa! My hero!’


All his relatives had cooed at his impulsive and honest answer.


Taehyung’s grandparents were really happy, they always have been and he wanted to be like them.


When his parents had to leave for the big city to make more money, Taehyung wasn’t upset.


He got to spend more time with his grandparents and they even let him handle some important tasks like water some plants or feed the little chicks that he loved playing with.


Taehyung had a blissful life, a wonderful childhood.


He was a carefree child that chased butterflies in the morning, played with all the animals in the farm until noon, helped with some chores with a huge smile on his face and had the best meals ever, because his grandma was a total goddess in the kitchen.


Taehyung wasn’t really good at cooking, he liked making pancakes, but other than that…


One night he saw a star fall from the sky, he stared at it in amazement for a few seconds before he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes to make a wish.


He wished to marry someone who would make him happy just like his grandpa always made his grandma smile and radiate happiness.


Oh and he made another tiny, little wish.



‘Please… let that person be a good cook.’







When Taehyung turned 7, he had to start attending school and his parents took him to the capital with them.


At first, the little boy could only think about his grandparents’ lovely farm, the cheerful laughter that made everything around look much more alive and his strawberry field, oh… how much he loved it.


He still wanted to be a farmer, but he wanted to grow strawberries.


They were his favorite fruit ever.


However, the more accustomed he got to living in Seoul, the further he got from his joyful dream to own a farm in a village near Daegu.


He focused on school and making new friends, he thought that the latter would be quite the task, because he’s never really had any friends except for the animals in the farm, but surprisingly, he did a good job at getting close to people, those around his age and even a little bit older or younger.


Taehyung’s life changed completely a few weeks before his 9th birthday.


He was walking around the shops with his mother, they had to buy some decorations for their apartment for the upcoming holidays. Taehyung got giddy every time he looked at the calendar and saw that Christmas got closer and closer.


He adored the holiday.


No, not because of the presents.


But because his grandparents always visited them on Christmas and brought fresh vegetables and fruits from their garden at the farm.


For Taehyung, spending time with his loved ones was the biggest treasure and it was far better than any present he had ever received.


But as he was standing at a queue with his mother, a man approached them.


He introduced himself as the owner of the shop and had said that he needed a child for a Christmas photoshoot and that the moment he saw Taehyung toying with some green, sparkly, garlands, he knew that the boy was fit for the job.


Taehyung’s mother had been very reluctant and Taehyung himself didn’t know what the elderly man was so enthusiastic about, but in the end Taehyung’s mother had taken him to a place that the boy wasn’t very fond of, at least at first.


It was a bit dark, Taehyung couldn’t see much and he was taken to a smaller room, where he was given a set of clothes – green, comfy pants and a red sweater with a Rudolf on it, a pair of shiny shoes and he was ready to go.


When he returned to the big room where his mother was, the darkness was replaced by an enchanting set filled with all kinds of toys, lights were shimmering and decorations raised the Christmas spirit.


Taehyung’s mother had explained to him that the kind lady, who was holding a camera, was going to take a few pictures of him, while he played with the toys.


Taehyung didn’t understand why someone would want to take photos of him, while he was holding a giant teddy bear and struggled to move it from place to place, but it was fun and he even got some treats during the breaks.


He didn’t need a break, not at all, he could spend the whole day here, but some people had to fix his hair and his clothes and then he was given time to enjoy his glass of milk and choco biscuits.


He glanced at his mother a few times and she seemed proud of him, so Taheyung gave her a bright smile.



That was the beginning.



The start of something that transformed Taehyung’s life completely.







When the new year rolled in, Taehyung started getting offers for more and more photoshoots.


It turns out that his first photoshoot had been a very successful one, because the shop was very popular and a lot of people had seen his photos.


Even his classmates told him that they had seen his face on posters here and there.
 

People had called Taehyung a natural, just tell him what the photoshoot was about and he would strike you a pose and his expressions… they were from another world.


One second he could be smiling and on the next he could look angry or even to be crying.


Everybody was amazed, including Taheyung’s parents.


Back then, the boy still couldn’t get what was so special about him, why people literally lined up to take photos of him.


He had no idea what it meant to be famous or to not be able to go out or worry that everyone would recognize you wherever you went.


Fame came with sacrifices and Taehyung learnt that the hard way.


When you are a celebrity, such thing as personal life simply doesn’t exist.


As a public figure, the public has to know every single thing about you.



Sometimes Taehyung dreamt of a strawberry field with butterflies floating around and he wondered…



If he hadn’t made the wrong choice as a child.







When Taehyung was 11, he got his first role in a drama.


It was a very minor one – he played a friend of one of the main characters, but it was a rather short drama and it mostly revolved around that other child’s family, so Taehyung didn’t have many scenes or lines.


But Taheyung had loved the feeling of being on set, of being surrounded by some many people not just for a few hours, but to actually have the chance to get to know them better and to bond with them.


It was much different than being a model and Taehyung liked that too, but his heart thumped loudly in his chest whenever he had to film a scene, modeling was exciting – yes.


But was it Taehyung’s dream?


Not really.


Being an actor however… that actually made Taehyung believe that all the sacrifices would be worth it.


Taehyung was used to being sleep-deprived, sometimes he had to travel long distances