After a matter of hours, the uproar of banter settles to slow slurs and snores from some. Hoseok still sits upright in his seat, shoulders forcibly stretched straight as he tapped his fingers on the wooden table. Beside him Jungkook props his elbows on the table, resting his head in the palm of his hand. Across the bar, Yoongi and Seokjin are playing darts.

 “Now that we’re alone I wanted to talk to you.” Hoseok swallows hard, desperately trying not to garble his words. Not that Jungkook could even tell with his rash like blush extending down his neck and onto his chest. He half-smiles when Hoseok looks at him.

 “What is it?” Jungkook hics between his words.

 “You’re craving a little freedom, ain’t ya?”

 Jungkook attempts to process what Hoseok asks, but his true intentions overcome his rationale.

 “Of co-course.”

 Hoseok pulls a rolled poster from his back pocket. He smoothes out the curled ends with his hands so that the message can be seen fully:

VOLUNTARY AND WILLING MEN NEEDED: SERVE YOUR COUNTRY— SERVE YOUR KING.

 Jungkook struggles to make out the meaning as he traces it with his fingers as he read it aloud.

 “S-Ser-ve… Coun-try… Your k-king?”

 “It’s the Royal Army Jungkook!”

 “I’m not joining the damn Army.”

 “No, I’m not saying you actually join the army. I’m simply suggesting that you tell your parents that you are.”

 “So I lie to them?”

 “One white lie and you’re free to go.”

 “No way, It can’t be that easy.”

 “Listen, everyone in the army has to live on base, and the closest one is miles away. This means your parents legally can’t keep you home and you’ll be far enough away that they’ll never see you by chance. Then boom! you can do whatever the hell you want.”

 “And you’re sure about this?”

 “Why not? It’s perfect! What could go wrong?”

—

 “Last call for drinks! And if you ain’t drinking you best be leaving!”

 Hoseok leans in Jungkook’s direction, gently nudging him with his elbow. Jungkook fumbles about in his seat as he is awoken from a sleeping spell. 

 “Come on,” Hoseok says, sliding out of the booth. He extends his hand out to Jungkook who peers at it like its the first time he’s seen one. When Jungkook’s reaction is too slow, Hoseok takes it upon himself to interlock their hands and jerk Jungkook onto his feet. Jungkook’s leg can hardly hold his weight, his knees inverting, knees caps knocking.

 Hoseok catches Jungkook before he has the chance to fall, his arms wrap tight around the boy, ensuring his security. Jungkook nuzzled his face into the cloth of his Hoseok’s shirt, breathing in the scent of musk and sweat.

 “Jungkook? You okay? Are you going to be able to walk?”

 Jungkook giggles, but it is muted by his lips on fabric.

 “Where are we walking?”

 Hoseok rolls his eyes as he realizes now it will be a more laborious task than expected.

 “Hey, Yoongi!” Yoongi stops reorganizing the darts back into their container as he hears his name, “can you help me out real quick?

 Yoongi leaves the other men to finish cleaning up as he half jogs to where Jungkook and Hoseok stood.

 “Can you help me get him on my back? I don’t think he’ll be able to walk home at this rate.”

 Yoongi complies, taking Jungkook into his control, despite the boy being much larger than himself. Yoongi staggers with Jungkook’s dead what until he’s positioned the latter behind Hoseok’s bent back.

 “I’m gonna let him go now, are you ready?”

 “Ready.”

 Hoseok feels Jungkook’s chest flop onto his back, his arms falling limp at the side. Hoseok takes his arms and wraps them under Jungkook’s thighs, pulling upward until he’s in a comfortable enough position to be carried.

  “Are you sure that you can carry him all the way there? It’s quite a long walk al by yourself. Do you want me to come with you?”

 “He’s not even supposed to be out in the first place, I think it’s better if I just go by myself especially since I have to now put him into bed without his parents or any of the guards finding out.”

 “Suit yourself. Best of luck.”

 “Thanks, I’ll need it.”

—

 After about a mile of walking, Hoseok feels his back begin to cave under the weight of Jungkook. God, I knew you had grown a lot in the last few years, but I didn’t think you were this heavy, he mumbled to himself. Every other minute, Hoseok found himself Jerking Jungkook as he began slipping down.

 “Wake up will you! I feel like I’m doing all the work here.”

Jungkook’s head bobbles atop Hoseok’s shoulder as they walk on a treacherous rock path. 

 “Jeon Jungkook!”

 Hoseok hears a grumble from behind him which he hopes is Jungkook coming to his senses.

 “I hope you’re awake, we’re almost there.”

 “Where are we going Hoseok?” Jungkook manages to mumble.

 “Home, you drunkard. This’ll teach me to invite you out for a drink.”

 “I told you I don’t know how to drink!”

 “And it’ll be my fault that you decided to start chugging your drink.”

 “I had fun Hoseok. You know I don’t get many opportunities to do this kind of thing, you know. To just let loose and act my age? Act like I don’t have to be worrying about what anyone thinks?”

 Hoseok listens silently as Jungkook spills his thoughts. While they are drunk words, they still hold weight.

 “You know, I think I might actually take your advice even if it means lying to my parents. I think I want to do it, will you help me?”

 Hoseok pauses before answering: “you know I always will.”

—

 Hoseok reaches the gates of Jeon Manor at a quarter to three am. At this hour, it seemed as though the entire world stood still. Once inside, Hoseok became hyper-aware of his every move; from the way his foot crushed the ground below him, how loud his breathing was.

 “How do we get inside without alerting anyone?”

 Jungkook wasn’t in his right mind to give a logical answer as it seems he said the first thing that came to mind. Yet it still seemed correct.

 “Go through the kitchen, the back staircase will lead to the corridor where my room is.”

 “I hope you’re right.” Hoseok whispered, proceeding forward into the garden.

 It wasn’t as difficult as he thought, opening the doorways while maintaining Jungkook’s position. Thankfully the door didn’t creak as he swung it open. The real struggle came when attempting to navigate the unfamiliar space in the dark. Hoseok kept one hand under Jungkook’s leg, the other to prevent any unwanted accidents. After a few minutes of navigating, Hoseok was able to locate a dimly lit staircase. He thought to stop and ask Jungkook for verification, but he figured he would be too loud and or argumentative that it wouldn’t be the best idea. Each step took longer than expected due to the additional weight, but as Hoseok neared the end, he let out a sigh of relief. But just as he felt a sense of assurance, then came the task of differentiating the unmarked rooms.

 “Which room is yours?”

 “My initials. Look for my initials.”

 Hoseok looks closely as best as he can at the door in question, after some inspections he finds a door with gold inscriptions writer in Hanja lettering. Hoseok turns the knob on the door and enters the room. Even as children, Hoseok had never been in Jungkook’s space. It was simple in design, unlike the rest of the house, which was decorated ornately.

 At the center of the room, was Jungkook’s bed. There, he laid the boy on his back with a loud oomph from the mattress. Hoseok could finally straighten his back and wipe his sweat. His shirt was drenched, he pulled it from his body, flapping it in the air to dry it out as much as he could.

 Jungkook twisted on the bed, grumbling with his hands on his head.

 “Hoseok? Is that you?”

 “Jesus, How drunk are you? You keep walking up and falling asleep.”

 “You made it” Jungkook smiles wryly.

 “Yeah and with little help from your .”

 Hoseok slides the rear window open, causing the curtain to flutter out of place.

 “Thank you, Hoseok.” 

 He straddles himself onto the window, carefully securing his footing in a vine growing alongside the house.

 “Anytime, Brother.”

 And in an instance Hoseok was gone, leaving an open window and a wave of silence.

—

 Morning comes with a hell of a headache and the alarming sound of curtains being pulled. Jungkook rolls onto his stomach, smothering his face into the pillow.

 “Too early.”

 “It’s the same hour you wake every day, Young Master.”

 “It’s not like I ever have any important business to attend to, why can’t I just lay in bed for the day?”

 “We have company this afternoon.”

 Jungkook jolts up into a sitting position.

 “We’re what!?”

—

 Jungkook trots down the stairs, rolling up the sleeves of his white poet shirt. He bypasses the staff in the kitchen, preparing breakfast and heads straight outside. Jungkook’s mother sits fanning herself with one hand as she thumbs through a book.

 “Mother. What’s this I hear about the company? Since when does anyone come to visit us?”

 “Darling, we spoke about this already. Potential ladies.”

 “You invited her here!?

 “You told us you would consider marriage. This is just to help further your decision.”

 “Mother! I didn’t want to marry her in the first place! Now you have me meeting her with that very intention? I’m not ready for that type of commitment.”

   “I’ve already spoken to her about your unease, but she’s confident she can convince you otherwise.”

 “Mother! You’re not listening to me.”

 Jungkook looks about, anxiously anticipating a strange woman to walk through the gates. He bites his lips for a moment but soon enough lets the words spill out.

 “I CANT MARRY HER BECAUSE I’M JOINING THE ARMY!”

 The Duchess almost drops her tea in her lap but catches the cup with her other hand.

 “You’re doing what!”

  Jungkook exits promptly before his mother can react further. He ducks back into his home and once he’s out of sight, runs his hand through his black curls, tugging them from the root. Idiot.

—

 While Jungkook retreats to his room once more, a fair lady joins the Duchess in the garden. She holds a small umbrella over her head, shielding her face from view.

 “Lady Mina, I’m sorry Jungkook has fallen ill suddenly and can not be present today, I swear the heat is getting to his head.

 Mina sits in the chair adjacent to the Duchess, carefully smoothing out her dress as she descended.

 “That’s a shame, I was really keen on meeting him.”

“We’ll arrange something another time when my son is in his right mind.”

 “While I’m here, let’s discuss the plans for further development.”

—

 Jungkook spends the rest of the day pacing his room frantically.

 “Maybe I should have waited. Now, what will happen? Will Father be furious at me? Did I just ruin my chances of getting out? Damn it!”

 He stops cold in his tracks when A knock at his door is heard. Behind it emerges his father looking sullen.

 “Son.”

 “Father.”

 The Duke sighs, closing Jungkook’s door and fully stepping into the room.

 “What’s this about you joining the army? Your mother was so hysterical after Lady Mina left that I thought I’d heard her wrong.”

 “You didn’t hear wrong, Papa.”

 “Why this? Why, all of a sudden?”

 “I was thinking about what you were saying regarding our family’s social status. During my rumination last, I thought long and hard about what I could do, and then it hit me. If I served in the army and did well, the King would think highly of my family and perhaps even invite us into his court.”

 “But...the army? of all things, the army?”

 “Exactly Papa, the Army.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until you next time!