One day we'll see each other again.

And that day will be the day I truly accept that you were a part of my life. That you were more than a footnote. You were more than a paragraph, more than a page. You were more than a chapter. You were an entire book in the series of my life.

One day...

❈❈❈

The earliest memory Jungkook has are of two figures walking away from him, leaving him behind, rejecting him. That hazy memory has since set the tone for his entire life. Growing up in the foster system was not the easiest of things to experience. Moving from group home to group home, never truly fitting in with either of them. Jungkook would run away himself or his foster parents would ultimately decide that they didn't want him anymore, that he didn't fit their image, that he didn't live up to their expectations. They would reject him. Then he had aged out of the foster system and was left to fend for himself. He would apply for jobs but they'd all reject him. He'd tried to make money off his art but it was never good enough and his clients would all reject him. Every relationship he's ever been in had all failed and ended in rejection. Schools he would apply to, friends he attempted to make, money he had tried to earn. Rejection.

At some point, Jungkook had stopped trying. What's the point if everything I ever do just ends in...?

And it was when he was at his lowest point that he had struck gold. That he was acknowledged, rewarded, given a chance, and accepted. His scholarship to Blue Feather University. The school of art. Where anyone can shine. Cliche, sure, but maybe that's what's so appealing about it.

Now, here Jungkook sits on a park bench waiting nervously for his photographer to arrive. The sky above is a watercolour wash of electric blue, the fluffy clouds blobs of acrylic paint. The trees drawn in coloured pencil, bright green leaves swaying back and forth in the light wind. The sun is blinding as it beams down unabashed. The grass is yellow under Jungkook's feet, like straw, almost. But white daisies bloom despite the unkempt field that surrounds. Birds chirp happily on thin branches and the distant sound of children laughing and shouting is calming. People walk by from time to time - their shoes crunching loudly against the gravel path - some smile or nod at Jungkook and some ignore him completely.

Jungkook tries to slow the rapid beat of his heart with a steeling breath, it doesn't do much to aid him in his anxious thinking. He and Taehyung are barely friends, just acquainted, but he'd be lying if he said there wasn't something swimming under the surface. It's subtle but loud. It whispers from behind but screams from in front. It's sweet but sour. Like the aftertaste of leftovers, lingering a little too long in the hidden corners of the mouth, in the unreachable crevices of the teeth. It's another chance to be rejected. To be left behind.

Click! "Wow. You sure look deep in thought." Jungkook snaps his head to the left to see Taehyung standing by the bench he resides on, camera up at his face, mischievous grin dancing at the tips of his mouth. Click! "This one's priceless!" He laughs at Jungkook's shocked expression before planting himself in the seat next to him. "What're you thinking so hard about?" The younger feels his mood lighten almost instantly. That suffocatingly subtle feeling stirs hot in his stomach and there's nothing he can do but sit and take it behind a neutral expression. "Nothing important." He softly replies. Taehyung's eyebrows furrow, revealing the fact that he doesn't buy what Jungkook's saying. "Alright." He says anyway.

"So, for the concept, I thought first-date vibes would be cute." The brunette begins, elaborating at the confused look on his blue-haired counterpart's face. "Like the audience is on a date with the model, you, so the pictures will be a first-person perspective of the 'date activities' Like sitting in the grass and getting food and things like that." Jungkook nods his head in understanding. He can see the photos in his mind and the idea is indeed an interesting one, but that's not what he decides to hone in on. "If you wanted to go on a date with me, you could've just said so." The words come out with a cocked head and sly grin and has Taehyung's face flushing a pretty shade of crimson as he physically recoils in embarrassment.

"That's not-! I mean... That wasn't... You know..."

"No, I'm afraid I don't know. Care to enlighten me?"

Taehyung narrows his sharp eyes at Jungkook, shoving him lightly and muttering something like "asshole." Under his breath before stomping off. "Hey!" Jungkook calls, quickly following the elder down the gravel path. "I'm sorry, that was mean." He concedes. "Where are we going?" Taehyung huffs, slowing down his pace to walk by the youngers side. "To the playground. I think a picture on the swing set will be nice." The younger nods. "Ah okay." The wind blows harsher than before, musing hair and clothes alike, but it's oddly relaxing. "I have to warn you that I might be a bit stiff in the pictures. I'm not exactly the most comfortable on camera." Jungkook informs, squinting to keep the sun out his eyes. "That's fine... I used to take a lot of— Uh.. What's the word...?"

"Candid?"

"Yeah— Candid pictures of my siblings and they never suspected a thing."

"...You really think I won't be able to notice when you shove a camera in my face?"

"Yes! Don't underestimate my abilities, Jungkook."

Jungkook's eyebrows arch ever so slightly, his dark eyes sparkle in both humour and competition.

"You willing to bet on that?"

Taehyung bites down lightly on his lower lip to suppress a smirk, his nostrils flare as he lets out a breath. He sees the challenge the younger presents to him and already knows there's no way in hell he's backing down. Despite this, however, he plays coy.

"...Depends on what you're willing to bet."

Jungkook thinks for a moment. The stakes are puppets on the strings gripped in his hands, he's able to manipulate them in any way he pleases. Should he raise them? Lower them? Place them in some sort of middle ground? The playground is in view, steadily growing closer with each 'Crunch', 'crunch', 'crunch' of their shoes beating the gravel below.

"Okay, the loser's got to buy the winner ice cream after this whole things over. Sound good?" It's their first bet, Jungkook doesn't want to scare Taehyung off.

"Perfect. Just say the word if you ever see me taking a picture of you. And don't lie."

"I won't." Taehyung doesn't look convinced. "I promise!" Jungkook chuckles. "Alright... I'll believe you."

Taehyung then glances over to Jungkook. "You dressed nice." His tone is completely genuine despite how sarcastic his actual words seem. This morning, Jungkook was uncharacteristically certain of the outfit he wanted to wear as soon as he laid his eyes upon his messy closet. A loose, white button-up tucked into tight, black jeans. A simple but effective look. With jewelry and piercings scattered here and there along with his pushed off the forehead-still faded-blue hair, it's no wonder Jungkook had caught not only Taehyung's eye but also the eye of anyone who had the fortune of passing by. Jungkook knows he looks good, he thrives in it, actually. But the human, more self-deprecating, part of his mind urges him to remain humble. "Thanks... I thought I should make an effort today, yknow? Since I'll be immortalized in your pictures I want to actually look good for once." Taehyung glances at him again before whispering something to himself that's too quiet for Jungkook to hear.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

-

"you always look good."

-

The playground is positively packed. It is a Saturday afternoon, what were they expecting? Jungkook doesn't really mind that fact as he's always found the presence of children to be both adorable and comforting. It usually means that the surrounding area is somewhat safe. However, the picture of two grown men waiting impatiently for the swing set to free up is something Jungkook never thought he'd be a part of, his face heats up in embarrassment. Taehyung looks, astonishingly, unaffected. Jungkook wishes he could share the sentiment. A little girl and boy take up the only two swings in the entire park and the parents of the children are giving Jungkook and Taehyung confused and judging looks.

Once the kids run off, Taehyung strides forwards and takes a seat on the leftmost swing, he looks up at Jungkook expectedly, either completely unaware of or deliberately ignoring the frowns and cries of the other children waiting for a turn. Jungkook hesitantly follows the elder's lead and sits upon the rightmost one. They barely swing back and forth awkwardly, almost as if they were being pushed forward by the wind alone and not by their long legs that are a little too close to the ground. So much for not being stiff, the blue-haired man thinks. Eventually, the little kids surrounding them like vultures eyeing up their prey piss off to either the slide or the monkey bars and Jungkook tries to relax. He can still feel their eyes on him, ready to swoop in and claim their seats upon the empty thrones, preparing to fight the other tiny feathery beasts to ensure victory. But Jungkook still tries to relax, he lets his highly strung shoulders fall, unclenches his tightly clamped jaw, loosens his deathly grip, tries to feel his cold posterior melt like an ice cube thrown into a hot drink. In reality, it's more like he's trying to melt said ice cube with hot breath alone, no drink in sight. It works, but it's slow. So very slow.

Talking to the handsome boy by his side might help though. Or it could make it worse. He gambles. "So... Tell me more about this competition your professor's setting up." Taehyung lights up at the prompt, and Jungkook prepares for an extremely welcomed info dump. "Oh, well basically, she's renting out the large campus hall-"

Jungkook interrupts to say "The one that the third years are throwing their party in?"

"Yeah, but this is gonna be way later on. She's renting out the hall so that all the students participating in the competition can display their photos as if at an art exhibit, so we'll need a main, eye-catching picture surrounded by smaller, complimentary ones. We need an idea and theme that shows clearly in the images and we also need a small description under each of them. The professor then said that she'll pick five students who she thinks did the best and they will be rewarded a fully paid term to this fancy school in Paris called 'Esprits Artistiques.' Apparently, the school is meant to offer an 'Irreplaceable experience.' It sounds fun and would look amazing on my resume but the main reason I'd like to go is because my dad lives in Paris." Jungkook perks up at the mention of Taehyung's father, he had been wondering why he hadn't seen him that day he spent at the brunette's house. "When was the last time you saw him?" He prompts, wanting to hear more.

Taehyung exhales through his mouth loudly, face twisting in concentration as he tries to remember. "Maybe when I was about fifteen?" He estimates. "Oh, do you still keep in contact with him?" When Taehyung doesn't answer Jungkook knows he's crossed a line. The elder is usually a completely open book so his silence is telling. Taehyung is looking away from him now. Jungkook steps back. "When is the deadline for the competition?" Taehyung smiles but he still keeps his eyes off the younger.

"In about two months. I'm hoping to get all the pictures today so I'll have a lot of time to edit them."

"Yeah, that's a good idea..."

"..."

The air is, officially, awkward. Jungkook decides. When he's about to speak up and change the subject, Taehyung beats him to it. "Well I've got all the photos I'd like on the swings so let's get off now."

"You actually took the pictures? I was literally looking at you this whole time!"

"Yes! That's what I was saying, I'm good at this! Be prepared to pay for ice cream, loser."

"Ugh, and I didn't even bring my wallet."

-

When the day is aged and the sun is low by the horizon, painting the sky pretty gradients of yellow and orange and red, Taehyung leads Jungkook to his favourite ice cream stand that: "Really runs twenty-four seven?" "Well, it's always open when I'm here, no matter how late." The stand looks quite professional with its glowing sign and glittering lights. The woman running the stand has small almond eyes, a round face and a kind smile. Her salt and peppered ponytail sways in the wind behind her head and round glasses sit heavy on the bridge of her nose. "Taehyung-ah, it's good to see you! How's your mother?" Taehyung smiles softly, bowing slightly to be polite. "She's fine, it's good to see you too." She nods in response and then her eyes flick over to Jungkook. "Alright, what can I get you and your friend here?" Jungkook's lips purse in contemplation as he decides what he'd like. He can see the ice cream machines behind the old lady and there are only a few basic flavours but he still can't really make up his mind. Luckily for him, Taehyung seems to see right through him. "Two vanilla's, please, soft serve." The woman turns to get to work and the elder glances at the younger. "Can't go wrong with classic, right?" Jungkook agrees but before he can communicate that the ice cream lady is spinning back around, placing two small cardboard cups of soft ice cream onto the counter. "Alright, that'll be 6.40, please." She says. The blue-haired man pulls a crisp tenner from his back pocket and hands it over, he doesn't have to wait long to receive his change and then he and Taehyung are walking off, trying to find a place to sit and enjoy their cold treats.

They locate a wooden table with two benches on either side and sit parallel to each other. The park is mostly deserted by now so it's almost eerily quiet, the sky has faded into a more purple hue with singed edges of red. The ice cream is cold and sweet against Jungkook's hot tongue and he saviours every bite, belatedly realizing that he had forgotten to eat breakfast this morning. "Okay." Taehyung starts, pulling his camera out from nowhere. (how does he do that?) "Now that I've proved my point and the bet is fulfilled, I want one last picture of you looking straight at the camera all cute and smiley like you were when you didn't notice, alright?" Jungkook gets hung up on the word 'cute' but nods his head dumbly anyway. Click!

"I said smiley, not terrified!"

"I told you I'm not good on camera!"

"Just smile, idiot."

Click!

"Aw, that's perfect." The brunette says, smiling down at his camera. "Can I see?" Jungkook asks, lifting himself slightly off his seat to try and take a look. Taehyung hesitates. "Uh... I don't really like showing my clients raw pictures. I'd rather you see the final edited version.." Jungkook sits back down, spooning some more ice cream into his mouth.

"Oh, so I'm a client now? I thought we were on a date, remember?"

Taehyung blinks at him. The air ripples. Crackles. Burns. Subtle, subtle, so, so subtle. Whispers, screams, wants, needs. Loud, loud, it's so, so loud.

"Yes, a fake one, don't forget." The wind blows, cold.

Jungkook huffs, looking down at his cup. The ice cream is melting at a ridiculous rate, when he takes another bite, he gets more watery soup than actual cream. "Of course, how could I forget?" He means it as a joke, but there is a bitter undertone lacing his words. Taehyung, however, doesn't seem to pick up on it.

Jungkook doesn't know what he wants, doesn't know how he wanted Taehyung to respond, doesn't know why he's having such strong feelings for someone he just met a couple of weeks ago.

What he does know is how bad rejection stings, how long it takes to heal.

He decides to play safe. Keep his heart safe. Locked away. Where it can't be broken. Where he can't be rejected.

❈❈❈

Published: 18/04/23

Word count: 2802