#01: Like any movie

It only takes a deep breathe in and a beautiful, cosy home to convince Taehyung that he’s going to love it here. The said male has been reluctant about the idea of moving back to South Korea for way too many reasons, but it’s been almost seventy years since they were last here, so Yugyeom thinks, it’s probably about time that they return to their roots.

After all, seventy years had passed, lands had changed, and buildings and skyscrapers had probably dominated the once green fields. There’s nothing to remind them of what used to be a bitter experience for both of them. So really, what else can go wrong for their wish to return?

It takes a lot of convincing to melt the elder male’s stubbornness, said male is still feeling grumpy about it, complaining that it’s the worst idea Yugyeom had ever suggested until he’d breathed in the air of Seoul, an odd mix of Korean food and industrial smell, and listened to the refreshing sounds of their mother tongue language buzzing around them. It boils something inside them, sends a different sort of comfort for both Taehyung and Yugyeom, only then realising how much they miss all of these until they finally get to experience them again.

“God, I didn’t know I miss the smell of spicy rice cakes and kimchi this much until I actually smell them,” Yugyeom breaks the entranced spell that has settled over them, nudging the elder to walk when he notices a middle age woman is peering her head over the fence of her house, frowning at having two strangers loitering just outside her gate. Taehyung nods frantically, striding heavily in disappointment when the smell from the house gets further and further away before it totally disappears.

“We should go eat now,” Taehyung suddenly decides, tugging unto Yugyeom’s sleeve as he halts their walk and pull the other the exact way they’d come from. The latter chuckles as he pulls the elder male back.

“Hyung, the shops aren’t even open yet. We should meet up with Mark first, he’s been waiting for us,”

Taehyung pouts a little reluctantly but still lets the younger drag him along.

“Kimchii can wait, hyung. We have all the time to venture on a food trip after we’ve settled in,” Yugyeom reasons, smiling when he feels Taehyung eases into the walk willingly after that.

Another ten minutes of getting lost and finding their way to their rendezvous point, they finally spot an auburn-haired male standing just in front of a building.

“Mark hyung!” Yugyeom calls out loudly, waving an eager hand as they rushes past another building and approaches said male. Mark waves back with an equally wide grin stretching over his face.

“Yugyeomie! Taehyungie!” He calls back, squeezing each of them in a firm hug before letting go.

“We haven’t seen you for ages, hyung!” Taehyung almost yells afterwards, excitement taking over him upon seeing said male.

“Well, it has been 3 years since I left, after all.” Mark answers, still smiling.

“And it seems Seoul is doing you good, yeah hyung?” Yugyeom grins. “You’ve bulked up even more since last time I saw you, and damn, you dyed your hair! Since when did you old thwart knows how to do that?” He teases and only gets a punch on his shoulder blade after that.

“You’re lucky I miss you enough not to high kick your arse, Yugyeomie,” Mark jabs, glaring playfully and snorts afterward.

“Anyway, it’s already dawn, and I’m sure our Taehyungie here is excited to see your new home,” Mark grins, ushering them to follow. The said male almost skips his way as he trudges from behind.

“Yes! New home! I always love venturing into new homes!” Taehyung cheers, that boxy grin taking over his feature.

“And I’m sure you’re going to love it, Tae,” Mark says as he leads their way into the apartment building and eventually to their unit.

Mark’s words proved to be genuine when Taehyung actually sets foot into their new place. The size is spacious enough to fit a family of four, having three bedrooms with their own attached bathrooms and a huge kitchen that connects to the living area. The interior itself screams cosy as it’s well designed, accented with hints of Korea yet still shows it’s own way of modernization. Taehyung loves it, and so does Yugyeom.

It’s after they had done marveling over their new home and had chosen their own bedrooms does Mark finally speaks up.

“You guys should freshen up a little. College starts at 9, but I think you guys will need to be there earlier since it’s your first day. I’ll be coming with you guys to show you around first, but then I’ll have to leave you guys to amend the rest by yourself because I have to go to my part-time job. Sorry,” He explains and Taehyung thinks, Mark doesn’t really need to apologise when he’s already done a lot more than what he should be doing.

“Hey, don’t be sorry. In fact, we should be thanking you for helping us so much when you don’t really have to.” Yugyeom pouts a little and smiles when Mark shakes his head, briefly mumbling something along ‘I don’t really mind’.

Just when Yugyeom is about to leave and head for his own room, Taehyung stops him as he tugs the hem of the former’s shirt.

“I’m nervous,” he almost whispers then, biting down on his lips. Yugyeom smiles at that, has to wonder if Taehyung really is older than him because sometimes, he just doesn’t act like one, especially at times like this.

“Hey, don’t think too much about it, Tae. I think we all feel the same way every time we move to new places. In fact, I’m surprised we haven’t gotten used to that with the amount of migrations we’ve been doing all these decades,” Yugyeom jokes, tries to bring out that grin he’s come to love. But the anxiety doesn’t immediately leave, may have lessened a little, but it’s still there so he voices it out.

“What if my new classmates don’t like me?” he asks in his husky, low voice.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, Tae. You’re loveable— weird, but loveable so I’m sure everybody will be crowding you soon enough,” The younger tries to convince, brushes a strand of hair behind Taehyung’s ear.

“Yep, and I told a friend of mine to befriend you. He’s in a similar course as you, so don’t worry, okay?” Mark interrupts after a long moment of silence.

“Does your friend, uh, know about, well— you know?” Taehyung almost winces when he sees the fleeting change of Mark’s expression at his question.

“He doesn’t, don’t worry. I only told him that you’re a relative from far.”

“So I’ll have to be careful around him?” Taehyung asks.

“Well, you can tell him if you want, he’s a trustworthy man, I can tell you that but I think, it’d be best to… wait a little. Or, um,” Mark stumbles with his words, hesitant but Taehyung can read him, can understand what he means by that even without it being said out loud.

Or don’t at all— he hears the unspoken words. So Taehyung just nods once and smiles weakly.

“I understand, hyung. I don’t think I’ll be telling about us to anyone any soon.” Taehyung replies, tries to force out a brief laugh, tries to lighten the atmosphere even if only a little.

“I – I’m sorry, Taehyung-ah. I didn’t mean to offend you if that’s what you feel, but he’s, he’s a mortal, I’m just worried for him if he’s suddenly thrown into your world. You know what could happen if, if—“ Mark swallows past a lump, struggles to say what he’s been worried of. Taehyung doesn’t blame him for feeling so, but it still hurts to know, to actually see the fear in the way Mark’s frowning— even if it’s only barely there.

“I know, hyung.” He sends another smile, wants to convince the other that he understands, “You don’t have to worry, no offense actually taken. We understand what you’re worried about. We don’t want a repeat of what happened to you too, so,” He tells the other, relief comes for a brief moment when he sees the frown disappears.

“Thank you, Tae.” Mark says, a smile returning albeit a little forced if he’s to say.

“So now, freshen up and we’ll leave?” Yugyeom finally says, breaking the tense.

“Yeah, freshen up, and we’ll leave.” Taehyung repeats, already feeling a little exhausted as memories and guilt fleet by once again.

It doesn’t take them all that long to reach their university, takes probably only around ten to fifteen minutes by feet. Taehyung really has to give extra points to both Yugyeom and Mark for finding them a beautiful home located in an extremely convenient place even. Mark has been kindly pointing them several amenities and places to go if ever they need anything. But Taehyung barely listens to any of those because those are Yugyeom’s jobs.

He’s more towards watching, observing their surrounding, taking in anything and everything that they’ve been missing the past seventy years they’ve been away.

God, he really misses home. And now he’s back in his birthplace, his origin and he wants to take everything in.

He watches the trees, the buildings, the streets, the people, the stores, the sky, the rising sun— watches just about everything that he can lay his eyes on.

He barely realizes that he’s reached their university, barely notices that he’s walked ahead of his friends who’s been wrapped in a conversation that Taehyung doesn’t bother listening to. He’s just too absorbed, too astounded and too mesmerized to see the incoming figure, to hear the faint, unfamiliar shout of “yah, wait up!”

A harsh bump into a sturdy figure knocks Taehyung out of his reverie as he tumbles back, almost planting himself unto the solid ground if a hand hadn’t grabbed his own, halting his downfall.

Taehyung can already feel his heart rate picking up from the unexpected tiny incident, breathing out heavily as soon as the same hand pulls him to stand properly.

“Oh god! I’m so so sorry! You okay? Hurt anywhere?” A voice asks, sounds frantic too.

“I’m fine, I’m good. Yeah, thanks,” he almost only huffs out his thanks then, still a little breathless over his mini heart attack.

“Yah! You both okay?” He hears a different voice says this time. The stranger then releases his clutch afterwards, replies a brief “we’re good,” and Taehyung finally looks up to look at the guy he’d bumped into.

And Taehyung’s taken aback, a little mesmerized even because the two males in front of him were gorgeous, probably beyond gorgeous even. It’s almost as if they’re like— like him. But that’s impossible, yeah, impossible.

Taehyung is still in his own trance, staring at the two strangers when one of them asks.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I think I rammed into you pretty hard,” The male with plump, rosy lips and squish-able cheeks speaks, concern evident in the way he’s frowning and scanning him from head to toes. Taehyung has to blink his eyes several times to pull him out of his own spell before he manages to answer.

“Y-yeah, I’m unharmed. Don’t worry. You kinda rammed into me and still managed to save me too, so, no harm’s done.” He flashes a polite smile and Taehyung can’t help falling back into his previous trance when said male chuckles at his answer.

“Yah, how many times do I have to tell you not to run, Park Jimin? You’ve bumped into three people only in the span of thirty minutes! You could’ve killed one of them!” The other male grunts and complains, frowns at said male while the other only grins, no remorse whatsoever lacing the stretch of his lips. Taehyung watches the other male, pale skin, slanted eyes rimmed with dark kohl, thin lips, blonde hair and small—perfect.

And Taehyung has to admit— he rarely sees another one like him, rarely recognizes one even if there’s any other, but if he were to meet one, he’s sure that most of them would be looking like them, beautiful and gorgeous creatures. After all, both Yugyeom and him are nothing less than gorgeous as well, a fact that they’ve come to admit after a decade of hearing humans complimenting them so.

“I can’t help it!” Said Park Jimin pouts a little and Taehyung just watches their interactions with an amused smile, “It’s my birthday, and a birthday boy can run all he wants, okay,” He whines, the other grunts another time, and Taehyung can’t help the chuckle that escaped him. Both males turned to him and he can already places the faint shade of red over Park Jimin’s skin.

“Sorry about this guy, it’s his birthday, and has been this excited since a week ago, so yeah, hence the running like bull and crashing into others like one too,”

“Yah! How dare you call me a bull on my birthday?!”

“Oh, so I can call you one if it’s not your birthday?”

“No! You’re supposed to be nice to me all the time!”

“But your birthday is not everyday, Park Jimin.”

“Like you’re being nice to me on my birthday,” he laments with another pout.

“I will be, if you stop running around and act like a freaking child on a sugar rush,”

“Fine. Be nice.” Jimin grunts, glaring and the other is already smiling softly, and Taehyung can almost feel the radiating warmth from the latter.

“Okay, sorry again, for the drift. Uh, by the way, I’m Min Yoongi, and this is Park Jimin. I don’t think we’ve seen you around before. New student?” he asks politely and Taehyung nods his head.

“Yes, um, I, we just transferred here today,” Taehyung bites down on his lips when he sees Yoongi’s brows rising even slightly, but if he thinks it’s strange to be transferring now of all the time, he doesn’t comment on it and Taehyung’s thankful for it.

“Uh, right, it’s nice to meet you both. I should leave now, I still need to settle some administration stuffs,” He excuses himself, smiling at them as he starts retreating. Park Jimin seems to be asking something when another voice loudly interrupts.

“Wait, we didn’t get your nam—“

“Jimin-hyung! Yoongi-hyung!” He hears the voice, that familiar voice that he barely remembers now. He blinks his eyes, cranes his neck a little to look past the two males in front of him—only to feel so many emotions assaulting him when he sees him approaching amongst several others.

Taehyung feels it, feels his chest squeezing, air almost knocked out of his lungs, heart pounding against the cage of his ribs harshly as he watches him. He blinks again, rubs his eyes, and blinks once again just to be sure, just to be certain that he hasn’t been dreaming nor was he hallucinating because it’s him and that’s not possible.

“Jeongguk,” he almost whispers the name out breathlessly, doesn’t even make any effort to see if both Jimin and Yoongi has heard him, had missed the way they’re looking at him a little strangely now.

Instead, Taehyung can’t help but just watches as Jungkook approaches with his friends, adorning that tiny, adorable frown on his face as he looks past Taehyung to glare at the other males. He watches the familiar way Jeongguk walks, the same way he’d frown when Taehyung and Yugyeom used to prank him, the way he’d tenderly smile when he’s more fond than actually angry.

He looks and behaves just a little too similar as him, as if the approaching male is Jeon Jeongguk himself, but that’s just impossible. Taehyung’s wrong. He must be wrong, because he—Jeon Jeongguk died almost 70 years ago. He would know, he would remember – oh, he awfully still remembers it.

So when he sees this man, him, his Jeongguk over there, walking just yards away from him – smiling, laughing, breathing and living his life so well, he just can’t believe it. He looks so well, just looks so—so Jeongguk.

And his chest constricts, his heart swells and his lungs unable to breath.

Taehyung just can suddenly remember it all too well now.

“Taehyung, I’m sorry,” he heard the other male spoke, face drenched in tears and eyes drooping low. “I’m sorry.” He sobbed harder. But Taehyung just couldn’t speak. Not yet. Not when he still failed to process what he’d just heard.

“Yugyeom, you – you’re joking, right? This must be a prank you guys are pulling on me again, right? You’re joking.” Taehyung shook his head. His face was still dry, he couldn’t cry. He refused to cry because crying meant that he’s—that Jungkook really—

“Taehyung, I’m not joking. I can’t, we can’t joke about anything like this. We know you, we know how much you—, I’m sorry, Tae. I’m sorry.” Yugyeom all but wailed, cried and sobbed, but Taehyung, he just, just couldn’t cry.

“But that can’t be, Yugyeom,” Taehyung stepped closer and held the other male’s shoulders, grip steel and painful. He could feel his tremble, his body shaking in his hands. He could feel reality looming in. No.

“Tae, please. Don’t make me say it again,” Yugyeom wiped his on-going tears.

“No.” Taehyung shook his head again.

“Tae, please.”

“No!” He yelled louder. Why couldn’t Yugyeom understand that he didn’t want to play along with his stupid prank?

“Tae, I’m not lying! He’s really – Jeongguk really—“

“Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! You’re ing lying and I will friggin’ kill you if you—“

“Jeon Jungkook is dead, Taehyung!! He’s dead! He died in that stupid ing war! He died! He left us!”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP! You’re ing lying! Jeongguk promised me he would come back! He told me to wait for him! He promised!” Taehyung felt coldness seeping through the skin of his face. He was crying. No, Taehyung can’t cry because crying meant Jeongguk really was—

“Taehyung, please –“

“Why are you doing this to me? Stop lying to me and just ing end this stupid prank, Yugyeom. Please, don’t do this to me. Just, please,” He begged, already dropping lithe on the ground.

“I’m sorry, Taehyung. I’m so sorry. Jeongguk left. We lost him.”

Taehyung honestly feels awful. The memories keep assaulting him as he watches him from the shrinking distance. His tears, his long dried up tears that he thinks he’s no longer capable of producing just keeps on streaming down, drenching his face and clouding his vision. No, he shouldn’t cry. He wouldn’t be able to look at his Jungkook if he cries. He wipes those tears away harshly.

Why is he still so far away?

Why won’t he just be close to him already?

Why won’t he notice him?

Taehyung walks just a little bit closer. Closer. And closer. Because he misses him. He wants to see Jeongguk's face a little closer, wants to burn his look once again in his now slightly hazy memory. Taehyung blinks his eyes slowly and steps even closer, unaware the way they’re already watching him cautiously, warily, like Taehyung is an unwelcomed stranger. But he’s not. Taehyung’s not a stranger. He knows Jeongguk like the back of his hand, he knows him better than he knows himself.

Taehyung stops, stands in front of the said male and stares back into those deep ocean eyes that are already watching him. He wants to drown himself there, wants to keep those eyes for himself.

He misses him so very bad.

He tries to reach a hand— he wants to touch Jeongguk's face, wants to feel him on his skin again, needs to prove that he’s real, that he’s there but he doesn’t need to, because Jeongguk's fingers are already clutching unto his wrist, stopping him from touching him.

And the touch burns his skin, it burns but it’s also warm—just warm enough to tell Taehyung that Jeongguk is real. He’s alive.

“What do you want?” Suddenly he hears that voice asks – oh god, how he misses that voice – but it sounds too cold and too distant, unlike the way he remembers him. He sounds familiar but too different all the same. It’s a strange feeling, but he ignores it anyway.

Taehyung flutters his eyes confused at the other. It’s me, Taehyung, don’t you remember? He wants to say, but there’s something clogging his throat. Even swallowing seems to be difficult with how close and how real Jungkook looks. The male probably notices the way Taehyung’s lips are parting, like he wants to say something but he just can’t, the way it keeps gaping at the other, so he takes it to himself to say something else.

“Do I know you?” Jungkook asks again and oh god, Taehyung can already feel something broken in his chest.

“J – Jeongguk?” Taehyung finally calls out, but it only comes out barely a whisper. He sees him frowning at the name that left his mouth.

“That’s my name,” he narrows his eyes at him before he looks over to his friends with a startled, confused look. “How do you know my name?” He asks again as he eyes Taehyung warily.

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung calls again. The name feels so surreal on his tongue. He hasn’t said his name for almost seven decades. It feels foreign, but it soothes something inside him, almost as if it’s filling something that’s always been there.

“Will you answer my questions or will you just keep staring at me like that?”

And Taehyung stares.

“Okay, you’re being downright creepy right now.” Jeongguk comments with a scowl and shoves the hand away.

“Hey, you’re being rude, Gukkie,” He hears Jimin says and it snaps Taehyung out of his daze, his reverie.

“I’m being rude?” He scoffs at the other and glares at Taehyung. “I’m not the one being a total creep and tried to touch someone’s face when they’re strangers,”

Strangers. The word stings Taehyung a lot more than he wants it to.

“Stranger,” Taehyung says lowly, shifting his eyes from Jungkook and then to the others surrounding them. “Stranger,” he repeats again and drops his hand to his side.

“, Jeongguk! What the hell?! You made him cry!”

“I – I don’t know! It wasn’t my fault! He’s already like that when he comes to me!”

Taehyung scoffs unmuted. He wants to laugh at himself. He wipes the tears off of his face, shakes his head and takes a step back.

Stupid, just so very stupid. Of course they’re strangers. Jeongguk died 70 years ago. There’s no way that Jeongguk would still be alive. This isn’t his Jeongguk, he never is.

“Hey –“ he hears one of them say. Taehyung absentmindedly breathes out a muted chuckle as he looks at them. Funny, he thinks, ironic even. To think that he’s even thought that nothing could’ve gone wrong for their decision to return to their birthplace after ing seven decades. He just wants to laugh at himself, at his fate but he only shakes his head then, draws a hand up as he looks back.

“Sorry. I’m sorry,” Taehyung wipes the tears away with the hem of his sleeve, “I was stupid. I – I mistook you for someone else.” He tells them and takes another step back. He needs to go.

“But you said his name –“ another one interferes; inching closer as he tries to hold onto Taehyung’s swaying body. The latter shakes his head again.

“No, I’m just mistaken. Don’t—“

“Tae!” He hears a familiar voice shouts out his name. No, god no. He turns around horridly and widens his eyes when he sees a tall figure approaching him fast.

“Tae, where have you been?! We have to hurry or we’re going to be—“

The voice stops talking.

“Yugyeom-ah –“

“Jeongguk?” Yugyeom says after a long while, just as surprised as he did. The rest of them pinch their eyebrows together when they hear the name again.

"Yugyeom," Taehyung calls, "he's – he's not Jeongguk, not Jeongguk. Let's just leave okay?"

"But he's clearly—"

"No, Yugyeom, he's not, he’s not our Jeongguk,” Taehyung hisses and shakes his head sternly, “We're new here, remember?" He presses on the word, tries to force a smile on his thin lips.

"But—" Taehyung steps closer and squeezes his shoulder. "Gyeom-ah, they're just strangers," He says it flatly, as though he’s reminding both of them of something and Yugyeom only blinks his eyes before he reluctantly nods his head, although his eyes never really left the said, puzzled male. Taehyung tries to shoot his best, polite smile.

"We should go. We're late for class, isn't that what you were saying just now?" He says before turning back to the clump of fairly confused students.

"Y—yeah, we should go. I'm sorry, I must have mistaken you for someone else. Sorry," Yugyeom apologises, his voice strained. Jungkook is still frowning then.

"We’re sorry about that. Let's go, Yugyeom-ah," Taehyung says with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. He wants to leave so badly, wants to peel himself off of those curious, wary stares, but it seems fate still has something else in store for them when Mark comes through.

“Yah! It’s your first day and you’re already making troubles for me, you brats—“ He hears Mark grunts, doesn’t even notice that he’s been trying to keep up with Yugyeom just a while ago.

“Oh? So you both already met then? Great, easy work for me,” Mark smiles suddenly, and Taehyung frowns, watches the elder male taking another few steps as he stands between them and the other group.

“Tae, remember the friend I told you about this morning?” Mark begins and god, Taehyung can already see where this is going. “Chimchim, remember the relative I told you yesterday?” And Jimin nods his head, still oblivious.

Mark smiles and pats both Taehyung and Jimin’s shoulders.

“Great, so Taehyung, meet Park Jimin, and Chimchim, meet Kim Taehyung and Kim Yugyeom.” He introduces and Taehyung already feels a stone dropping heavy on him.

“And while we’re at it, I guess, I’ll tell you guys too,” Mark turns to the rest of the group, oblivious to the strained atmosphere between them.

“Taehyung and Yugyeom are my relatives, just transferred here. So guys, do me a favor and help them through?”

“Your… relatives?” He hears one of them asks speculatively, the said male has ridiculously broad shoulders and ridiculously good-looking features too.

Mark falters a little at the question but Yugyeom is quick to help.

“Yeah, yes. We’re his relatives from far. We lived abroad so you probably haven’t seen or heard about us.”

“I see, uh, nice to meet you both, I guess?” another male says, a pair of deep dimples drawn as he smiles at them.

“Yeah, nice to meet you guys. We apologise for earlier. Um, I guess, we’ll be going now then,” Yugyeom says, smiles back and reaches for Taehyung’s hand. They’re just about to turn and leave when someone calls.

“Uh, Taehyung?” He already knows it belongs to Jimin before he even sees him. Taehyung turns again and look at said male.

“I’ll see you around in class? I’ll guide you around.” He suggests, doesn’t appreciate the way Jeongguk is already frowning and clutching unto Jimin’s arm then, muttering something akin to “hyung, you don’t have to”. It isn’t Jimin who flicks a finger over Jungkook’s forehead then, Taehyung realises it later when Jungkook whines at Yoongi, a soft “why’d you do that?” comes out as he rubs the sore spot.

Taehyung bites on his bottom lips then, a little hesitant about the whole thing— not because of the offer, but more because of the one who offers them. He thinks it’d be best if he rejects, best not to get involved with the guy who is obviously a friend of someone he wishes to avoid from thereon, but then he feels Yugyeom squeezes his hand just so softly as if telling him something, and he finds him say the exact opposite of what he initially wants to.

“Yeah, sure. See you around, Jimin,” Taehyung says with a smile, nudges Yugyeom to walk with him when he sees Jimin smiling back.

“See you soon, Taehyung!” He hears Jimin shouts, Mark staying behind probably to talk with them.

They walk in silence as he lets Yugyeom lead them to the administration office.

He’s not Jeongguk. Jeongguk is dead. He tries to tell himself, his mind repeating those words like it’s a mantra that will ease the strange churn in the pit of his stomach.

But it doesn’t.

Not at all.