Audio Chapter 4

       Jungkook was early. Legitimately early for school. Not waltzing through the gates ten minutes early- but, he still had half an hour until the first bell rang, early. Not something he normally allowed to happen, but his mind was elsewhere at the moment, and such menial parts of his usual routine seemed to take a backseat to his current thoughts.

       Leaning against the brick wall of the main building, he sent a half-hearted reply to one of his friends about missing yesterday's practice in favor of school work because he- quote- 'didn't want to flunk out just yet.'

       Lost in his thoughts, he continued to stare blankly at the screen of his device as his fingers brought up app after app and subsequently exited them. He recalled hanging out with Taehyung yesterday and even how sweet Taehyung's parents were, and he even took the time to analyze their dream for the hundredth time- but it seemed to be on its own continuous loop.

       Unaware of the time passing or the other students milling about, Jungkook continued to stare at the device in his hand before running his fingers through his hair and mumbling under his breath, "All of this thinking is going to land me in the loony bin."

       "Makes two of us," Taehyung’s breathless voice brought him out of his thoughts, and the sudden words had Jungkook snapping his gaze up at the other. Despite location and situation, he found himself giving the other a small smile while his hand seemed to have a life of its own as it pocketed the device and nodded at Taehyung. The pause gave the other long enough to formulate his next statement, “But I think I might have something for the final blow to make it official.”

       "Then you came just in time. I was wondering if I'd have to go in that wonderful white jacket alone or not." He attempted to joke, not quite caring if it landed flat. Nonetheless, the mention of a final blow though had Jungkook's ears perking up. "I didn't know that there had to be a final blow... but you have my attention, to say the least." Pushing off the wall to stand up straight, he shouldered his bag and hesitated a moment before succumbing to his curiosity, "So, Taehyung, what do you have that will get me that coveted jacket?"

       A soft laugh spilled from his lips, and Taehyung’s squared shoulders fell. There was still a good fifteen minutes before class started. He began the walk to the doors slowly, and Jungkook joined. "It's real," Taehyung spoke with his eyes forward mostly but spared a glance at Jungkook to gauge his expression, and then continued after a pause. Jungkook felt his breath catch.

       "I have a cousin in the states who's researching our lineage for her PhD in Joseon period Korean history, so I emailed her yesterday night after you left, about whether there was an actual Yi Seung-yoon." He took in a deep breath before puffing his cheeks, letting the air out slowly.

       "Turns out there is. She didn't have a whole lot about him, but...it seems to line up. Yi Seung-yoon, crown prince. The estimated time he was alive cross checked with that book they were talking about too. Interestingly enough, he never ascended the throne because of his own wishes, and when his dad, the king died he let his son ascend and apparently ruled from behind the scenes. There's not a whole lot about him other than that he has a lot of literature to his name- poems and some novellas in Hangul and Japanese."

       The words seeming to be blow after blow as he listened to Taehyung, his eyes widening slightly as the details and stories were vaguely retold. Taehyung seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing. "There are stories... that the reason he never actually took the throne was because he became a recluse since he was seventeen-ish…used to be the nation's darling till his lover, a servant, was found and killed." His voice was soft, eyes lowered in sadness. "There are even rumors that some of the literary works that are believed to be by Seung-yoon is about this person, and some might even be by that person before they were…"

       "W-wait..." the word stumbled from Jungkook’s lips before he could think about it, he stopped and glanced around before grabbing Taehyung's wrist and dragging him past the doors and around the building, to an area that looked almost like a small garden, letting silence fall between them as he used the opportunity to actually think over what the other said before turning to face the older one again.

       "His lover was found and killed?" He paused and looked at Taehyung, taking a breath before continuing, "I know that people say to be careful about blind faith in rumors and myths and such, but... Taehyung, what if... I mean… it makes sense. If you were Seung-yoon, and your lover was torn away from you and murdered for no reason other than existing... and you could do nothing to stop it, what would you do?"

       Jungkook couldn't keep the myriad of emotions from his face- a side of him that he only let certain people see, and how Taehyung fell into that category was beyond him- there was slight confusion and hurt for the young couple from his dream, but at the same time there was a sense of melancholy and some hope as he felt that they were gaining pieces to an incomplete puzzle that had been dropped into their laps.

       "You saw and felt what he did, right? You might be able to tell better than anyone with a historical degree if what we experienced was a glimpse of real history." He trailed off, his mind seeming to have gone in twelve different directions as he looked at the elder with wide eyes, not quite knowing himself just how much he let his guard down with Taehyung.

       Jungkook watched Taehyung processed the words, eyes fluttering and brows creasing as he gave it thought. His gaze was shaky when interested on Jungkook for a bit, and the other let out a stuttered breath before he spoke up.

       “I don’t know,” he admitted quietly, pausing before speaking up again. “I would... go away for a while because you can’t deal with that with people watching you all the time.” For a moment, Jungkook remembered Taehyung mentioning that Seung-yoon never seemed completely at ease. “I would do what I could to keep…Yejun alive. Write about him. Try to find every last thing he owned and treasure it. Refuse to let anyone into that world.”

       As Jungkook watched, Taehyung straightened up slightly, seemingly having understood something that previously evaded him. “Refusing the throne wasn’t an act of rebellion; it was to keep the sanctity of Yejun’s memories. If he took the throne, Seung-yoon probably felt that it would be like giving up Yejun, because he gave up the throne in his mind a long time ago for Yejun. He didn’t want to reverse that. Seung-yoon had a responsibility to the country, but he found a way to honor that without compromising what was left of him.” He turned to Jungkook contemplatively before leading the way to a bench at the side of the small garden, “His dad probably knew that getting rid of Yejun permanently was the only way, because Seung-yoon would go to hell and back to escape with him if there was any chance.”

       Jungkook watched as Taehyung thought it out, listening intently to the words the elder spoke, he sat down beside the other after a bit. "Myths and stories all have a hint of truth to them... but there's nothing stronger than love." Jungkook spoke quietly, not elaborating on who had told him that or why, he leaned his elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands together in an attempt to reign in his wreck of emotions.

       "In trying to preserve his lineage, the king got rid of Yejun. And Yejun knew that if they were caught, the king would do just that." Jungkook exhaled heavily as he looked over at Taehyung. "It's a cliché as hell love story, but it's a true one. Yejun didn't care if he died because Seung-yoon understood him and treated him like an equal, and somewhere between their first greeting and their continuous meet ups under t