- 🌹 -

"Kookie!  Are you ready?" Taehyung knocked at Jungkook's door, biting his lip in excitement.  "I'm too impatient!  I wanna see what you're wearing already!"

"Give me two seconds!" Jungkook yelled through the door.

"ONE!  TWO!" Taehyung joked.  "Alright, it's been two sec-"

Suddenly, the door swung open.  Taehyung's jaw dropped, completely unprepared.  He knew without a doubt Jungkook would look good, but not THIS good.  He was wearing a red silk dress shirt with a black suit.  His hair slightly ruffled for the bad-boy effect.  Extremely sexy.  Completely a different vibe from his usual cuteness.  Taehyung knew Jungkook looked good in yellow the last time he went shopping with him as Jin.  But now he's starting to think maybe red was Jungkook's color.

Jungkook giggled at Taehyung's whipped expression as he complimented.  "You look nice, hyung."

"T-thanks.  You too." Taehyung stuttered, automatically letting his arm out for Jungkook to hold on.  "Shall we go, dear?"

The younger laughed at Taehyung goofy tone, nodding his head before grabbing onto the older's arm as they got in the Uber car.

- 🌹 -

As soon as the boys arrived at the fancy diner, they were met with a line of students leading up to a photobooth.

The two smiled as they recognized the people in the photo booth at the moment.  It was Jin and Namjoon!

Jin was too distracted by Namjoon's lips to realize the cameraman snapping pics.

Next was Yoongi and Hoseok. Yoongi couldn't help but flashed a gummy smile at Hoseok. The second he did, the camera flashed.

Jimin stared at the couples as he was the next in line.  Feeling bad for Jimin, Taehyung called the rest of the guys out.  "Hey, let's try to make Jimin laugh in his picture."

Immediately, Hoseok started pulling faces, making weird sounds.  Jimin still kept a straight face.  Namjoon crossed his eyes and Jin attempted to rap about how dumb Namjoon looks.  Jin also burst out a bunch of dad jokes.  Meanwhile, Jungkook decided to give Suga a piggyback ride as he wiggled his butt.  Jimin bit his lip from giving out.  Finally, Taehyung reenacted a romantic drama scene with himself.  Finally, Jimin burst out laughing.

FLASH!

"Y'all, hurry up. We need a full squad picture!" Namjoon yelled, dragging Jungkook and Taehyung in the group picture.

To some weird coincidence, all the people in the supposed "squad" were the boys Taehyung switched identities with.

Casually, Jin blurted out.  "Dude, I had this exact dream of all seven of us. Except we were like some sort of kpop band or something."

"Why the hell would you dream that?!" Yoongi furrowed his eyebrows.

Ignoring the sulky older's response, J-Hope yelled, "Everybody say chee-"

"Oh ma gawd, I would totally be the rapper!" Taehyung blurted.  "You go, Tae!" Jungkook hyped the boy up.  "And I'd totally be the hot sexy visual of the group!"  Hoseok joked along.  Yoongi, who just heard what the redhead said, got triggered and was screaming in agony... right next to Jimin's ear. Jimin cringed as he gripped onto Jin for dear life while the older tried his best to keep his smile candid for the picture. Namjoon on the other hand, who is already 99% done with the boys, tried his best to fake a laugh and think about crabs and how the Latin word for "crab" is related to the word "cancer". Sad meme.  But that didn't stop him from looking flawless on camera.

FLASH!

And that was basically how the group picture ended up looking.

To be honest, Taehyung remembered the prom being a lot shorter than he'd hoped.  There wasn't much he remembered from that day either.  Maybe it was because he had too much fun.  Maybe it was because he drank too much.  Or.... maybe it was because of the fact that he never got to see Jungkook ever since...

Either way, he wished the night was endless... but even good moments have endings too.

- 🌹 -

[Five years later...]

Taehyung casually walked out of the grocery store on a winter day, his arms heavy carrying the grocery bags while his hands organized the cash in his wallet.  His eyes noticed something sticking out of one of the wallet pockets.  Pulling the paper out that seemed to be stuck deep in the flap, he realized it was a polaroid picture.  

A smile grew from his lips as he recognized the image.  It was from the special day of high school prom.  He chuckled at himself, remembering how he took a long journey trying to chase after a boy, trying to impress him in every way that isn't himself.  And yet, in the end, it was his own mixed and complex personality that Jungkook loved.  His thumb brushed against the image of Jungkook's adorable face, reminiscing the short yet valuable time he had spent with the boy at the prom.  The boy that taught him to love himself.

Taehyung squinted at the sunset shining brightly, slightly blinding him.  He then saw the silhouette of a boy walk past him at that moment.

He would've missed it from the blinding of the sun, but Taehyung turned his head just in case... just in case it was who he thought it was.

"Jungkook?" Taehyung blurted out.  Chest pounding in shock.

There stood a boy with the familiar face of Jungkook.  His hair was dark and long, covering parts of his face.  The boy was dressed in dark tech aesthetic with his cargo pants and chunky shoes.  He was almost unrecognizable from his high school self.  Yet, Taehyung could tell from his eyes, his innocent doe eyes.  It was the same boy five years ago.  The same boy whom he took to the prom and danced together.  The love of his life.

"Taehyung?" Jungkook's iconic bright smile flashed on his face as he ran his hands through his long hair.  Gosh, Jungkook had a full glow up.  

Jungkook's angelic and familiar voice warmed the older's chest instantly, memories flowing in his head.  He stuttered.  "I-It's been so long, Kookie.  How have you been?"

The younger rusted his hair shyly before bringing Taehyung into a hug.  "Good!  Oh gosh, we should get a drink and catch up!"

Taehyung nodded, forgetting that he was holding bags of groceries as he entered a nearby cafe with the younger.

The two caught up with each other, finding out that their lives had completely changed in the span of five years.  Jungkook was now a pop artist, who just recently gotten famous from his new album.  Taehyung on the other hand, became a scenery photographer.  They both seemed to be on a strong and steady path.  The boys chatted and laughed for what seemed to be hours, talking about the past and the present.

Suddenly, Jungkook's eyes soften, face turning serious.  "I can't believe we lost contact of each other after graduation."

The older smiled bitterly, remembering why they had separated from each other's lives.  "Well, we had our own paths to go for university.  You seemed successful as a singer.  And I guess I'm not doing too bad as a photographer."

The younger sighed.  "True.  I'm happy to see that we're both doing well."

"Well, to be honest with you, I wouldn't be where I am without you." Taehyung admitted, cheering his cup of tea to Jungkook's banana milk frappuccino.  "I wouldn't have had the confidence turning in my photography folio if you never taught me to love myself."

"I'm glad I inspired you to love yourself."  Jungkook grinned.  He eyed Taehyung with his iconic doe round eyes, slightly teary.  "Just wished I had spent those times with you."

Taehyung's heart melted at that point.  A bitter stab at his chest.  All the things they could've done in their early twenties.  If only they made sweet memories together at the time... Taehyung shook his head.  "It's not too late to.. y'know.  Start dating now." Taehyung suggested shyly.

Jungkook's eyes sparkled in surprise.  "You wanna date me?"

"Yeah." The older shrugged, suddenly hesitant about what Jungkook feels.  It's been a really long time since they've seen each other.  What if Jungkook has another crush?  What if he changed his mind about him?  "Uhm... If you still would like to after five years."

The younger cocked his eyebrow.  "It's a bit too late if you ask me."

"So no...?" Taehyung's heart sank a little from that comment.

Jungkook burst out laughing, punching Taehyung lightly on the shoulder.  "Silly.  Of course I wanna date you."

"R-really, Kookie?"

The younger rolled his eyes, pulling Taehyung close by the collar.  The boy tilted his head, feeling his lips press against Jungkook's.  Damn, the younger had gotten a lot more daring and wild.  He felt a warm fire spark in his chest from the kiss.  He'd always liked the smell of Jungkook, fresh laundry and vanilla.  Never did he expect to smell the boy's scent again, welcoming him with full arms.  His arms slipped to Jungkook's small waist, holding him close.  Naturally, Jungkook played with Taehyung's hair until his lips couldn't help but smile.

The two pulled away from the kiss, eyeing each other lovingly.  Taehyung could've sworn it was a dream, dating his high school crush.  He thought he wouldn't get to see the boy ever again.  But fate led him back to his lover.  The boy changed his life for the better.

You might be wondering what happened to Taehyung's mysterious powers.  To be frank with you, Taehyung wasn't sure his ability to switch identities still exist.  But that didn't matter to him anymore.  For he never had the urge to become someone else ever since.  At this moment, he wanted to be no one but himself.

True lovers don't belong in each other's hearts. They belong in their own.

Love yourself.  And people will start to love you, too.

I purple you, Army.

- 🌹 -