12th March

'Please, just stop looking at me.'

All that he had enjoyed, the fun Jungkook had had with Taehyung, it had all shattered, right there, on his lap, the moment he heard the name 'Ethan' come out of Taehyung's mouth. It brought back bitter memories of when he still liked Ethan. After all, it was a regretful, ominous phase of his life.

Ethan never talked to Jungkook at school after the incident. He didn't even dare make eye-contact with him. And then, after he finished school, he simply left. Jungkook had no news of him, no texts, no calls and life just went on. But there he was, sitting three seats away on the opposite side of the table, glaring at Jungkook every now and then.

Jungkook would try to keep himself engaged with his food while talking to Taehyung right beside him, but the non-existent burning sensation of Ethan's stare growing onto Jungkook's face was highly unpleasant. Did he want to talk to him? Was something about him disturbing Ethan? Did he still find Jungkook unethically wrong in his doings? Whatever it was, Jungkook did not know.

Taehyung wasn't any stranger to uncomfortable situations, he sensed the awkward rift between the two the moment he introduced them to each other. Jungkook had repulsed shifty movements and he avoided Ethan's gaze. While Ethan was just expressionless, looking at Jungkook as if he wanted to ask him something, or maybe even stuff a chicken leg down his throat, Taehyung couldn't tell, Ethan had always been a confusing person to read.

After dinner, Jungkook was ready to leave. As much as he wanted to stay by Taehyung until dessert, he was more concerned that Ethan might come up to him to talk. Jungkook didn't want to create a scene of any sort, especially after Yoongi got to know about Ethan's presence at the festival. Yoongi insisted he could go talk to Ethan to back off, but Jungkook told him not to.

"Just calm yourself, Jungkook." Yoongi told him as the two stood at the head of the table, while Taehyung and Jimin worked something out. "If you just give me the permission, I can just go and-"

"You don't need to, Yoongi." Jungkook replied. "And I am calm."

"Are you?"

Jungkook rolled his tongue and avoided eye-contact. "Yeah, okay, I don't know. But it's infuriating, Yoongi! That guy was awfully rude to me when he found out! I understand that it can be a bit confusing in the first go, but we were together for a year after that!" Jungkook held up a finger to exaggerate his words with hand movements. "And never once did he ever think of apologizing! Now, he's here and staring at me like he wants something from me! How am I supposed to stay calm?" he took a deep breath in frustration. "I just want to go back from here. The atmosphere is ruined."

Yoongi folded his arms. "Well, first, how about you tone down your amazing dance moves. You're grabbing unnecessary attention."

Jungkook frowned in dismay. "Those weren't dance moves."

"Okay, we got you your bandannas." Jimin's voice came from behind Jungkook. "It's time for war!" his voice sounded like he was extremely excited about this 'war'.

"Jimin, do not, for the last time, say it like that." Taehyung came by his side. "We are not going to war."

"Oh, it's a war, Taehyung." he eyed him with great determination to overthrow him in the 'war'.

"Wait- what's this 'war' about?" Yoongi interrupted the two. "And why did you get bandanas for us, Jimin?" he looked down at the red and blue cloth in Jimin's hands.

"Oh, right." Jimin sighed and gave Taehyung a pinched look. "We didn't tell them."

Taehyung sighed and took the blue coloured cloth pieces from Jimin and handed one to Jungkook while he kept one for himself. "It's for our game of 'Capture the flag'."

"At night?" Jungkook rubbed the cloth in between his fingers.

"That's the fun bit about it!" Taehyung got excited. "The dark makes it better!"

Taehyung and Jungkook were together in one team with six others. Yoongi and Jimin were in the opposing team, which somehow also included Ethan. Jungkook just wanted to leave, but seeing Taehyung so excited about the game, he didn't have the heart to tell him that he wanted to go. It'd break Jungkook's heart to see Taehyung sulk, especially when he was so enthusiastic to tell him all about their night version of 'capture the flag'.

So, Jungkook held it in and decided that he would try not to get near Ethan, and maybe just protect their team's flag as a defender.

"Okay-" the team's leader huddled the blue team in a circle by their team's base and laid out a plan. "So, I want Taehyung and his friend to be our attacking unit to the west." she pointed at Jungkook. "You both are fast and much closer to the flag, so most of our hopes are on you. You'll have a unit in front to inform you of your course and bam!" she clapped her hands together. "We'll capture the flag. Mind you- If I don't get the flag....none of you will be feasting on the Kim family's desserts!"

The crowd gasped out and then put on a determined face.

Jungkook slowly raised his hand. "Can I be the defender for our flag? I'm new to all of this and I don't even know this place's routes. I just don't want to mess up the team's efforts."

The leader smiled. "Just trust me. I don't hand out positions randomly. I trust my instincts and they have never been wrong. Taehyung can teach you the ropes! Right, Taehyung?"

"Yeah!" Taehyung looked at Jungkook fondly. "We have a map, I'll get you accustomed to the area right away! I've got your back on this!"

"Thanks." Jungkook said in an uncertain voice. He could never say no to Taehyung.

During their ten minute prep time before the 'war' began, Taehyung ran the rules of the game over with Jungkook and gave him a few tactics on how they could win. Each team had to secure the opposing team's flag and return with it to the bonfire back at the festival. Along with that, each team had to earn points by stealing the other team's bandannas. Once the cloth came off, that member had no part in the game, they were as good as dead meat, or so as Taehyung described.

He warned Jungkook about Jimin, who held the record for winning every time, no matter what team he was in. He would swipe away bandannas at an astounding speed and the victim wouldn't even notice. And just by Jungkook's beginner's luck, he was facing Jimin's team. So, Jungkook had to take extra precautions.

Taehyung also versed the map to Jungkook, who got the hang of it pretty quickly. He taught him a few morse-code tips that would help in communicating with the rest of the team so that they could pass messages and signals without alerting their enemy.

"You guys really do take this game seriously to call the opponent team our 'enemy'." Jungkook stabbed their team's flag post into the ground.

"Yeah, we do." Taehyung flattened the majestic royal blue flag. "You know, I've been playing this game since I was twelve. I was initially not allowed to, because they didn't want a small kid lost in the woods, but it worked out in the end."

"Have you ever won?"

"Yes." Taehyung replied and then broke out into a small chuckle. "But that was when Jimin was on the team."

Jungkook smiled back at him. "By the way, do you think I'll be okay? I'm really nervous. What if I mess it up?"

"Jungkook, you won't mess up. I'm here with you! Besides, this is just a game. If we mess up, it's alright."

"But that woman said that the team won't get desserts if we don't win."

"Oh!" Taehyung chuckled out softly. "She was just kidding! It was to boost the team's motivation. We haven't exactly got the brightest of the bunch."

"Chop chop, guys!!" the team's leader clapped her hands and called the group together. "Just two more minutes and they'll beat the drums!"

Everyone in the circle nodded their heads and looked around at each other with their eyes filled fiery determination for the Kim family desserts.

Two minutes passed and the sound of the heavy drums echoed through the woods.

"Damn." Jungkook said in a whisper as they walked on their trail. "This is like a movie."

Taehyung poised a look. "Wait till you actually get in there."

Two people walked at a distance in front of Taehyung and Jungkook, hiding behind trunks of trees and small bushes, walking quietly and cautiously, so that they didn't make any noise.

The unit ahead communicated with them using bird sounds in morse, Jungkook was a bit confused at first but got the hang of it pretty quickly. Taehyung was pretty impressed by his way of adapting to the new set of rules, though he was a bit clumsy and messed up the coded messages a few times, but Taehyung couldn't help but admire his determination for the game.

The only reason Jungkook was focused on the game was because he did not want to lose the game now that he and Taehyung had been given the duty to retrieve the flag for their team. Losing to Taehyung at the festival stall games was acceptable for him because he found it cute when Taehyung concentrated to paint those hearts on his face with such care. Another reason for why he was determined to get the flag was that he wanted to defeat Ethan and leave the festivities.

All of a sudden, Taehyung's hand rested on Jungkook's chest, blocking his path from letting him move any further.

Jungkook looked down at his broad hand. "What-"

"SHH!" he whispered. "They are close." he crouched down and hid himself and Jungkook behind a big fat tree's trunk.

Taehyung's back pressed against the bark and tried to hear any unfamiliar noises. There were a few rustles and every time he heard something, Taehyung would clench onto Jungkook's sweater and pull him closer to himself.

Once the small sounds stopped. Taehyung peeped from the corner of the tree and then sat back by Jungkook. He cupped his hands around his mouth and hooted, just like an owl. Jungkook found that hot for some reason.

After Taehyung received a message back, he whispered to Jungkook. "It's time to split."

Jungkook snapped to reality and nodded his head, gulping nervously. "Yeah." he nodded and got up slowly.

"Just remember, you and unit-A will distract. While I -"

"While you get the flag."

"Yes." Taehyung nodded. "You remember the route, yes?"

"Yes."

Taehyung put on a smile and glanced at Jungkook's bandanna. "Why in the world did you tie it on top of your hair?" he pulled the bandanna off and tied it again, plucking Jungkook's long flicks from underneath so that they fell on top of the blue cloth on his forehead. "Much better."

"Y-yea."

'First, you touched my chest and now you're caressing my hair.' Jungkook really couldn't believe that man's audacity. 'You're just planning to kill me, aren't you Kim Taehyung?'

Annoyed by his affectionate and nervous feelings of love and lust bubbling in his fast-beating heart for Taehyung, Jungkook pushed his thoughts aside and focused on more important issues.

Just as they planned, Jungkook took the path of distracting the enemy, alongside unit-A, while Taehyung got the flag.

All on his own, Jungkook's job was to clear a path out for Taehyung so that he could run without any obstruction, back to the bonfire when he had gotten the flag.

No one found him, but he did find someone to hunt a red bandanna off of.

The tall man stood idle, literally doing nothing. Jungkook crept up to the tree by which he stood, and waited for the right time to strike for the cloth.

'Come on, Jungkook.' he breathed in heavily. 'All you have to do is get the red piece of cloth.'

Jungkook stalled his pounce for quite a long while because he was nervous he would miss, but the man didn't even move an inch.

'He must really love this spot to stand here without moving at all.'

Jungkook gave up stalling and stalking and went for the leap, missing the target by an inch and ending up in front of the man.

When Jungkook had a good look at him, he wished he never pounced and that he should have left the festival when he had the chance.

The short-haired guy whose bandanna Jungkook had just tried to score had a bold red flag behind him. He was their flag's defender.

"Ethan." Jungkook called out his name.

"Jungkook." Ethan said his name.

The two of them stood awkwardly in front of each other for a while, averting their eyes from the other's. Jungkook had no idea what to do, he just tried to keep his attention on the flag post behind Ethan. The flag wasn't in the allocated spot for their team.

"Did you guys cheat?" Jungkook didn't even think twice before he asked that.

"What?" Ethan made a disgusted face. "No? Wait, why would we?"

"The flag is in the wrong position." Jungkook pointed at the red drape behind Ethan. "You guys changed the location of the flag. Isn't that against the rules?"

Ethan scrunched up his brows in confusion. "What are you talking about? This is our flag's spot!" he pointed at the ground.

Jungkook looked around perplexed. "Wait, that's the great pine." he spotted the unusually huge lone pine tree amongst the other evergreens. "This is your base."

'Shit!' Jungkook said to himself. 'Taehyung was supposed to be here! How in the world did I even reach here?'

"Right...Yes, it is." Ethan nodded. "I presume you're here to get the flag."

"No-I mean, yes."

He folded his arms and gave him a bored look. "You lost your way, didn't you?"

"No." Jungkook shook his head excessively.

"Nope. You definitely lost your way. You're not the one capturing our flag, right?"

Jungkook gave a fake smile. "I never said that was true."

Ethan chuckled with a small sneer. "You haven't changed, Jungkook." he said while taking a few steps towards him.

"What makes you say that?"

Ethan chuckled yet again and folded his arms. Then, his smirk faded. "Wait- but you're not still that, are you?"

"What?" Jungkook scowled. "What do you mean?"

"You know, the last time we talked-"

"Six or seven years ago?"

"Yeah...." Ethan was embarrassed, maybe even a bit ashamed. "I'm talking about that phase you had. Did you sort everything out?"

"Phase?" Jungkook asked.

"You know....the photo-"

"Yeah-" Jungkook started to sound a bit stern. "I know what you're talking about. But we're playing capture the flag here, I don't see the need to speak about this right now."

"I've been wanting to ask about this all night!" he took another step closer. His face had a small smile and concerned brows. "I just wanted to apologise to you."

Jungkook's frown softened and his eyebrows lost the crude tension they were piling up.

"I understand-" Ethan said. "I understand.... you must have gone through a lot, it must have been hard for you."

Jungkook was amazed, never did he ever imagine that Ethan would be apologising to him. Forget that, he understood his situation.

But Jungkook celebrated too early.

"It must have been really hard to tackle through a phase like that." Ethan's voice was so full of sympathy but it reeked of ominous obscurity, something that Jungkook was not paying attention to. "But it must have been really hard to differentiate between what was right and wrong, no?"

"Excuse me-" Jungkook's warm heartfelt feelings oozing out for Ethan and his apology, snapped back. "What?" at that very moment, Jungkook also noticed a small rustle in the bushes far behind Ethan. When he looked properly, he saw Taehyung peeping out like a little hamster.

Jungkook quickly turned his gaze back to Ethan and acted like he saw nothing.

"What I'm trying to say is, you were clearly confused about those feelings you had for me back then! I should not have run away from you. I should have helped you understand what was right! With a friend, I'm sure you could have ended that misery much more easily."

"Misery?" Jungkook hissed. His eyes fell on the bush again. He and Taehyung made eye-contact.

'Stay put.' Taehyung mouthed.

"Yes!" Ethan exclaimed. His face was bursting out in smiles. Those eyes that Jungkook once found so beautiful, were just two rude staring orifices of disappointment. "You were clearly confused back then. You must have seen something, or someone had a bad influence on you! Was it that awful tutor of yours? Daejung, was it?"

That was it, Jungkook had had enough. "Wow-" he huffed blankly, eyeing Ethan with his wide doe eyes, giving him the look of worthlessness. "-you are the one who hasn't changed at all! And here I was, thinking that you had finally understood and supported me for who I was! But no....I was wrong." Jungkook took a step towards him and stared right into his empty expressionless eyes. "I didn't live a life of misery. I wasn't confused. I just needed someone who could understand me. Someone who I could open up to. But all you ever thought was that I am not normal!"

Jungkook eyed at the bush again, where Taehyung pointed at himself and then at the flag.

"I never had any bad influence on me, Ethan." Jungkook looked at Ethan again. "This is just who I am. And honestly, I knew you were a jerk, but I never thought you'd take it to the extent of narrowing your already prim and bleak personality, to a bare fucking minimum."

Ethan's mouth gapped slightly. His face full of disgust and surprise, he didn't know which to show.

"Wait-" Ethan noticed Jungkook glancing at the bushes. "Why do you keep looking there-" he turned to look behind him.

Jungkook saw the open window and whipped Ethan's bandanna from his head.

"HAH!" Jungkook smiled, his heart pounding in sheer excitement as he saw Taehyung pop out from the bushes and grab the flag from the post. "Now, you can't move!" he pointed at Ethan, waving around the red cloth in his hands.

Ethan was frozen, baffled at how he got tricked so easily. He started to fidget in his spot, trying to think of what to do. Then as the frustration got to his brain, he cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a howl.

Taehyung and Jungkook were celebrating their victory, smiling their widest and hopping about in joy. But when the howl was sounded for, Taehyung stopped abruptly and his face stooped.

"Oh no." he murmured.

"What's wrong?" Jungkook asked.

"He's calling for his team."

"So? We have the flag now."

"We got the flag, but they can still steal it back!"

"WHAT??" Jungkook's eyes widened in panic. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Taehyung spaced out for a bit, looking at the ground. "And we haven't caught Jimin yet."

They heard a rustle from the bushes. Their heads turned to the sound, and then to each other. Taehyung rolled up the flag, tucked in under his right arm and held Jungkook's hand. "Shall we run?" he asked him with a teasing smirk spread on his face.

"Let's run." Jungkook lowered his voice in reply.

They ran, hand in hand, through the woods, laughing as they tried to keep their pace steady. They tripped here and there because their strides didn't match, but they wouldn't let go of the each other's hand. They intended to run without letting go.

"Come on!!!" Taehyung cried out happily as the soft orange-yellow light from the bonfire and the sound of the music clarified in quality. "We're almost there!!"

Jungkook had forgotten all about his little riff-raff with Ethan, all his attention was focused on holding onto Taehyung's hand and running as though his life depended on it. His breathing and heart rate were all over the place, so he just hoped he wasn't gripping too hard.

They burst out of the thicket and gasped out heavily.

"WE DID IT!" Taehyung huffily announced and waved the crimson-red flag to the people singing around the bonfire.

They stopped singing and looked at each other's shocked faces, and then started hooting and cheering for the blue team.

Jungkook was utterly confused with the chaos, but he was so lost in the moment, his face formed a smile. He looked at Taehyung, he was doing little jumps of victory, waving the flag about even though he was literally out of breath. He looked so happy and intoxicated by the excitement, Jungkook wanted to grab his face and give him a little peck. But of course, Jungkook contained himself, like he always did.

Taehyung looked back at him and giggled, wriggling the flag to Jungkook. "We won!!" he exclaimed. "We defeated Jimin!!"

Taehyung grabbed Jungkook by the shoulders and pulled him into a big hug, squeezing him into his arms.

Jungkook's arms were hanging in the air, uncertain of whether he should hug him back or not because he didn't want Taehyung to feel his nervous heart racing.

"I am so happy you played!" Taehyung said. Jungkook's ears flushed red, they began to heat up because of Taehyung's shallow husky voice nestled itself in his ears. "You were our lucky charm."

Hearing Taehyung call him a lucky charm softened his heart and he smiled out a little. Jungkook wrapped his arms around Taehyung and snuggled against his soft hair.

Slowly, the rest of the people came out of the forest. The blue team started to celebrate with Taehyung and Jungkook and came together for a big group hug.

"ALL OF YOU GET THE KIM FAMILY DESSERT!" their leader cried out.

Jungkook couldn't help but laugh. 

As they broke out from the hug and walked away for dessert, Jungkook noticed Ethan looking at him.

Ethan took his chance and walked up to Jungkook. "Your team played well. You managed to trick me."

"Yeah." Jungkook replied bluntly. "Thanks."

"Was all that part of your cover?" Ethan's voice had a hint of hope in it. "You've gotten out of that phase haven't you?"

Jungkook frowned. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What is wrong with you?"

Ethan's face gloomed. "Wait, so that wasn't an act?"

"No! It wasn't!" Jungkook spread his hands. "You know, I was in a really good mood until you came along today. It's my life, Ethan. I am bisexual and that is who I am. You have no right over it." he turned to leave but Ethan grabbed his wrist.

"Wait!" his voice sounded desperate. "I don't want this to be like last time."

Jungkook snatched his hand away and gritted his jaw. "What the hell do you mean?"

"We can make this right, Jungkook. I'll help you get over it, to take the right path, the normal one! And you'll get over this phase of-"

"It's not a phase, Ethan!" he interrupted. "I like both men and women! And you have no right to tell me what I should do with my life!"

"But Jungkook, you as a guy, liking another man- it's not normal.....it's disgusting."

Jungkook clenched his fists, his eyes were a bit teary, but he dare not cry. "You are disgusting, Ethan." Jungkook said in a low voice. "You are the one in the wrong." saying that Jungkook turned around and left. 

He didn't want to stay there anymore. He had gone through a roller-coaster of emotions and his mind was messed up with coaxing thoughts about how he could take Ethan's life without getting caught. He could not handle staying at the festival for a minute longer and quietly vanished without letting anyone notice.....except one.

>Initially, this chapter was actually pretty long. About 10 thousand or so words. 

>Dynamite is bloody amazing.

>'Cup of milk, let's rock and roll.'