♬ 'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
We belong to you and me ♬

- "How Deep Is Your Love" Bee Gees

30th of August 1978
Kims' Chateau, Before The Student's Night

Kim Taehyung was petrified as his eyes were fixed on the pieces of paper placed above the table in his father's office. He assumed they were photo papers of him and Jeongguk during that time when they were at the camp. There was nothing wrong with them but the fact his father seemed angry as he might've learned something about them made him stand in front of him in fear.

"I summoned you because I heard..." Mr. Kim, Matthew stated as he held his hands together. "There were rumours about you being gay and you're in a relationship with Mr. Jeon's son. Is it true?" Matthew asked, picking one of the pictures. His eyebrows were pulled down, sloping inwards, an expression that Taehyung was very familiar with.

He slowly took one of them and held them near his face. He scanned the pictures and he indeed saw those particular moments he was with Jeongguk. Another one was when he was carrying Jeongguk, bridal style, to their tent. He wasn't aware someone was taking photos of them. "Father, let me explain first—"

"So, it's true then? Kim Taehyung, you are not denying it? Don't you know being gay is being sick in the head? I told you that for how many times already yet you never listened! Your mother will be very disappointed with you," Matthew said, he almost knocked the table over as he placed his clenched hand atop it. "You know what to do, Taehyung. You don't want me getting mad."

"What do you mean? And since when loving became a sickness?" Taehyung asked this time, he was finally able to talk back. All of his life, he followed his father's orders. He tried to be the person his father wanted him to be. He quit the things he loved doing just because of him. Now, his father wants him to stop loving a person that made him feel he was perfect despite his flaws?

Matthew chuckled as he stood and strolled towards Taehyung's direction. He examined his son as he crossed his arms against his chest. "Since when did you learn to talk back? Is this what you got from..." He stopped midway his sentence as he felt disgusted saying the word. "...loving that boy, you said?"

Taehyung almost smirked. This was the first time he felt so done about his father. He was about to release a snicker as he faced him but he prevented himself. "He never was the reason why I am against your thoughts. It was you who made me feel like I am being controlled and dictated! Father, I've been very loyal to you but you never gave me a chance to become myself. I had enough of the suppressing. I felt the need to scream my feelings and claim the freedom I deserve!"

He received a punch on his stomach as his father went in front of him. Taehyung was unaware as he was distracted by his earlier thoughts that's why he found himself clutching his stomach in pain. He managed letting out a chuckle even if his father was already enraged. "You do not respond to me like that, kid!"

The door was busted open, revealing the mansion's personnel led by Celeste as they all thought they were being invaded by intruders. She immediately rushed to Taehyung who was sat on the floor. "What were you doing!?" Celeste shouted at him.

"Do not defend your child, Celeste. It is also your fault he's becoming pathetic. You tolerate him acting like a queer. For the way he dresses and the way he prefers to do the feminine hobbies than the ones I am suggesting him to do," Matthew spoke. Celeste glared at him as he helped Taehyung stand up.

"He's still your child! Why would you hurt him for being the way he wanted to be? He's not doing bad, Matt. I do not really get why you're so mad at him whenever he tries to do the things that makes him happy!" Celeste tried to defend his son. Taehyung looked at her with awe and he's in the verge of crying like a little kid.

Matthew stepped forward and harshly held Taehyung by his arm and pulled him in his direction. "I will take care of him. Let me do it before I get mad at you too. Butler John, get Celeste out of here," Matthew commanded. Taehyung let go of his grasp and ran behind his mother. He knew his father could never hurt his mother so that's the only thing he could do right now.

"Please, take Taehyung out of here. I'll talk to him," Celeste said to the maid behind of her who also helped Taehyung to stand.

"How did you get back here?" Matthew pointed as he saw the maid he remembers firing that day when she spilt hot water to Taehyung. "Did she let you go back? I told you to leave and you crawled back into our home like a goddamn leech? How much money do you want so you could leave us alone?"

"Matthew! I didn't know you could go this far by your words and embarrass yourself in front of our personnel! Will you please calm down!?" Celeste convinced him. She pushed the maids and Taehyung to go out of her husband's office, saying she will take care of the rest.

Taehyung still felt afraid for his mother. He never saw his father hurting her so he assumed he could never do it. But as they went away his father's office, he heard the muffled shouting between his mother and father. He tried to go back but the maid who was taking care of him said he shouldn't meddle anymore.

As he presses on his stomach, Taehyung felt the pain and almost fell again on the floor but the maid helped him endure until they reached his room. "Please prepare Young Master a cold compress," she asked and the other maid started moving. Taehyung was now lying on the bed. "Does it hurts a lot, Sir?"

"He really went too hard on me," Taehyung responded with a sarcastic laugh. "I feel like my insides were crushed," he continued. He tried sitting instead, thinking of leaving the house because he knew his father will get to him again if he doesn't leave. The maid who accompanied him felt like she had no words to speak.

"It would be best if you rest. It's okay to not speak," The maid said and made him lie down but Taehyung insisted on remaining seated.

"This won't make me feel better, Ma'am. Help me pack my things instead. He will come back to me once my mom gets out of his way. I knew he will hurt me again just because I was loving someone of my same sex," Taehyung let out, crystals forming in the corners of his eyes. The maid wanted to embrace him to calm him down but she couldn't.

The cold compress she asked came and requested Taehyung to raise his shirt so he could press it to himself. Her young master did it immediately after being told because he still feel the pain. He thinks his stomach was bruised. "Ma'am, I could do this but can you please pack my things? If you won't help me out then I shall do it myself. I think I could no longer stay here."

"It's not good for you to go either, Young Master. Your mother is here to protect you so you should stay," The maid explained and Taehyung wasn't even moved a bit. He put the compress to the side and he tried standing up. "Please, Young Master. Stop resisting."

"My mother will end up getting beaten too if she continues to defend me. I'd rather leave than seeing her being hurt," Taehyung said but he ended up bending his knees in pain when he stood. The maid almost cried yet he helped Taehyung back to his bed.

"Alright, Young Master. I will help you. Please stop moving around on your own," The maid presented and she indeed took Taehyung's things and clothes and placed them inside his huge bag in behalf of him. Taehyung closed his eyes as he waited for her to finish. The maid went out for a while and called for the butler. They entered Taehyung's room, assisted him to go outside and helped him get into his car.

"Thank you so much for helping me escape. I will be forever grateful for your kindness," Taehyung said to them when he was already on the driver's seat of his car.

"Please tell us where you're headed, Young Master," asked the butler but Taehyung shook his head.

"I'm so sorry, but let me be free for a while now. I will come back once I arranged my thoughts and my father accepts me for being who I am. If he doesn't, then I will forever be disappearing. Let's just hope he chooses the right thing," Taehyung said. The maid worriedly looked at him as she wanted to stop him but she couldn't.

"Young Master, just promise us one thing," she started. "Please be safe."

It took Taehyung too long to respond but he was able to show them his assuring smile. "I will be."

Jeongguk forcibly let out a smile as he walked with Mr. Kim and his father to their table. Taehyung became quiet the second his parents arrived. Although he was scared of how would his father Matthew would react, he was quick to notice how worried his mother Celeste was.

The younger called for the assistants to serve them their first meal as the party hasn't started yet. Jeongguk then excused himself and Taehyung to their parents and they went inside his room again. Before Taehyung held Jeongguk's arm, he saw his father rolling his eyes as he smirked.

"Why are you so tensed when it was your parents who arrived, Tae?" Jeongguk stated the moment they arrived at his room. Taehyung quietly sat on Jeongguk's bed and started unbuttoning his suit. The younger went near him and held his hand because he started getting worried about his lover. "Your hands are cold and trembling, love. Are you alright?" he rejoined.

Taehyung's lips formed an o-shape when he's about to speak but then he was too scared to let it out. Without a word, he hugged Jeongguk and he started sobbing on his neck. "It's alright, darling. I am here. You can trust me. I will listen to you. Do not be afraid," Jeongguk tried to calm him down.

"They knew, Ggukie. T-They knew everything. I don't know but I think they hired some men to eye on us. T-There were pictures of us during the camping a-and I don't know what's happening," Taehyung finally started. Jeongguk widened his eyes in disbelief as he faced the older. He was now a mess as stains of tears started to show on his face. 

"Let them be, Tae. I wouldn't mind what people would think about us. I started being careless about what would they say about you and me the moment you started loving me despite of my shortcomings. There was nothing wrong about our love. They were the wrong ones, trying to meddle with someone else's business rather than looking after themselves."

"But the thing is, it was my parents who were against us, Jeongguk. How could I ever go against them?" Taehyung cried. Jeongguk was confused why Taehyung was so afraid.

"But you said the moment we get ourselves into this unorthodox love, we would've risk everything to save us. Taehyung, you told me you loved me that is why I bravely stepped into this so I could be with you because I loved you too. They will eventually accept it, I think they just need time—"

"Do you think I would risk my parents for someone like—"

"For someone like me? You think I am someone who you can wager, Taehyung? Then why did you say I was your everything when in the end you would only leave me?" Jeongguk started tearing up as he said those statements. Taehyung's words stabbed him by his heart. He just cannot believe the older could say that in front of him. If he knew that Taehyung would leave him just because their parents were against their love, then he shouldn't have let himself fall deeper and be in a relationship with him.

Taehyung was left speechless in front of the love of his life. He regretted every word he said to him. He knew he had hurt Jeongguk even if he's not admitting it. Maybe a part of him was happy that Jeongguk could ruin himself a million little times for their relationship yet they weren't the same that is why he is more of saddened.

As dramatic as it would sound, Jeongguk started walking near his vanity table where a cassette player lies. He started playing a certain tape that he believes Taehyung could relate to right now. How Deep Is Your Love by Bee Gees.

♬ I know your eyes in the morning sun
I feel you touch me in the pouring rain
And the moment that you wander far from me
I wanna feel you in my arms again ♬

"You have to calm down, Tae. I'll just... go inside the library. Do not follow me," Jeongguk said, not throwing a glance at Taehyung even if he's proceeded to the library, leaving him.

♬ And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave
And it's me you need to show ♬

Taehyung cried once more as he thought of Jeongguk leaving his life and never coming back to him again. Could he possibly go on without having the thought of him? Could he continue living knowing he wasn't loved anymore by the person he considers his life?

♬ How deep is your love? ♬