Chapter Text
There have been some important, turning moments in Taehyung’s life; moments that have marked a before and after in it. Had they gone any differently, Taehyung knows that he wouldn’t be standing where he is right now, with the life he has. One of them was when, after some persuasion and convincing from his father, Taehyung vocalized that he would be interested in studying Law at the Seoul National University. Even as he uttered those words, Taehyung knew that there wasn’t just honesty to them; deep down, even if he refused to admit it, Taehyung knew that wasn’t what he wanted. Not that it mattered, since it felt like everyone had already made the choice for him.
And it didn’t really end up mattering in the end because, even if Taehyung did try his hardest all throughout high school, even if his records and marks were almost spotless and he barely saw his friends during exams seasons, Taehyung didn’t get in. The day that the rejection email arrived in his inbox was another of those turning points, a day he’ll never forget, and not for good reasons. Two days passed before Taehyung had the courage to tell his family. Seeing the disappointment cloud his father’s semblance as Taehyung told them is not something that he will ever be able to forget. It didn’t feel like he was missing a chance to accomplish his own dreams, but it did feel like he was failing to achieve his father’s. Somehow, that was even worse.
Moving to Europe, almost on the other side of the world, was an important stepping stone for Taehyung as well. It prompted not only the biggest cultural shock of his life, but also the complete disconnection with his life from before, with the Taehyung that existed in Seoul. Taehyung now lived in the Netherlands and went by Tae, much easier for non-Korean speakers to pronounce; he hadn’t stepped foot in South Korea for the last seven years, since he left when he was eighteen, feeling like a failure and so full of shame. But things have changed now. Taehyung is twenty-five, he has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, which he likes far more than Law, and he’s proud of who he is. After getting his Master’s degree, he was able to start running his own small PR agency, working alongside rising models and TV actors. Somewhere in between all the studying and all the working, Taehyung feels like he’s found himself, and the person that he always wanted to become, even if at the time he didn’t really know.
Which is what prompts him to make another crucial decision, one that will again mark a before and after; one that he might regret, but will have consequences that he won’t be able to elude, no matter how much he tries.
He looks over his shoulder, sees the last pile of sweaters stand out in what, for the last two years, has been his wardrobe. The room looks sad as he lets his eyes wander over it, stripped of everything that once made it Taehyung’s. It doesn’t feel like his room anymore, with all of his stuff gone and packet in boxes, suitcases, bags. It looks unfamiliar and cold, and Taehyung would be lying if he didn’t admit that he’s a little sad to have to say goodbye.
At the same, as contradictory as it sounds, a part of him is excited for this. The open suitcase on top of the mattress, only half full as many of his things have already been shipped, looks like a beginning. Taehyung has plans—big plans. Plans that differ from what his family have always wanted for him, and from the life that he imagined when he was young. Plans that actually make him excited to think about, and that he genuinely feels could fulfill him.
In three long strides, Taehyung crosses the room and gets to his wardrobe, getting the pile of his sweaters. The material is soft under his hands as he takes them to the suitcase, getting a sniff of the laundry detergent that he’s been using for the last few years. He’ll miss this, too, but maybe he’ll manage to find a dupe of the scent when he’s back home, so he can at least hold on to some part of what he had here.
Home. Huh, what an odd thing to think about. Despite not having been there for so long, and even if it wasn’t the happiest place when he left, Taehyung thinks that he’ll always think of Seoul as home. He made the decision to leave, but part of his heart stayed behind, with the city that watched him grow.
Taehyung looks out the window at the pale blue skies, taking a deep breath. It’s time to say goodbye to the Netherlands. Here comes his new life.
⨳
After eleven torturously long hours on the plane, Taehyung finally gets to Incheon Airport at around nine in the evening. His stomach is growling and he’s already starting to feel his body resent the abrupt change in timezones, frowning a little. He just hopes it won’t be too hard to fall asleep tonight. He gets off his seat and picks up his hand luggage before getting aisle of the plane, unavoidably getting stuck as the passengers start to slowly pile out.
It’s a relief for him to be able to walk around a little as he waits for his other suitcase to come out. He checks his phone, sees a text from his mother who just replied to the one he sent as soon as the plane landed. We’re already here, she tells him. Taehyung smiles a little as he looks down at the screen, thinking of finally seeing his parents. He hasn’t seen his mother and sister since they came to visit him for Christmas, and now it’s June. As for his dad… well, it’s been even longer, given that he was too busy with work to travel there in December. He hasn’t seen him since last summer, so almost a whole year ago.
It feels a bit weird to be back here, but it’s not… bad, per se. Taehyung knows his way around the airport well, and so he doesn’t even bother looking at the signs once he gets the suitcase and starts heading towards the exit. He feels the tips of his fingers tingle as he approaches, biting down on his lips. He’s now in front of the door, and…
There’s always been something terribly melancholic and poetic about airport reunions. As someone who has had the luck to travel a lot during his teenage years, thanks to his family being well-off, Taehyung has experienced many of those; summer vacations with friends, going away with his mom and having his dad come pick them up when they were back. He particularly remembers being away one summer, learning English in the United States. It led to his parents and sister welcoming him at the airport, all smiley faces and agitated waves. It’s very similar to what Taehyung sees when the door opens now, only that they’re all a few years older.
Back when he was sixteen, his nine-year-old sister ran to him, attaching herself to his middle as she tried not to tear up. Taehyung had been on the verge of crying, too, crouching down to Miyoung and giving her the tightest hug. Now, Miyoung doesn’t run to him, but she smiles widely as she and his mom start walking towards Taehyung, his dad following close behind.
“Ah, my baby,” his mother says once they’re standing next to each other, going to the tips of her toes so she can hug him. Taehyung laughs a little, returning the embrace before his mother holds his head with both her hands and gives him a kiss on the cheek. “I thought this day would never come. Welcome home, Taehyung.”
“I told you it would,” Taehyung replies, unable to keep the smile off his face. He did tell her, even if at the time he wasn’t really sure if he would stick to his word. His mother knew that as well, of course, even if neither of them brought up the lack of conviction behind his words. “How’s everything been? It’s so good to see you again, mom.”
“Your sister has been keeping us busy,” she replies, as she begins to pull back. Taehyung snorts a little, giving Miyoung a pointed look. “She’s been working hard for that college admission, though.”
“I believe that,” Taehyung says, seeing his sister straight up a little. “Hug?”
Taehyung has always made sure to keep in contact with his family, even when he was away. Despite all the tension that his last year of high school generated, Taehyung has always been a family person. Maybe things with certain members of his family have been distant in recent times, but Taehyung still loves each and every one of them. He’s made sure to talk to them almost daily, with rare exceptions whenever he’s found himself without the time to have a quick call at an acceptable hour for all of them.
This year it was Miyoung’s turn to work her ass off trying to get an admission, like Taehyung did all those years ago. For that reason, Taehyung hasn’t been able to talk to her as much as he wishes he could have. Taehyung sees traces of the little girl that once hugged him so, so tightly he thought he would break after returning from America, when Miyoung launches herself in his arms.
“I missed you so much,” Miyoung mumbles, making it impossible for Taehyung to hold back a smile. “Don’t go away again for so long. I started to feel like an only child at times.”
“Oi! It’s not nice to forget about your older brother like that,” Taehyung tells her, making Miyoung laugh a little. “How’s the year been so far? Have they been pestering you?”
“Not too much. I’m surviving, let’s say,” Miyoung says, pulling back from the hug and stealing a glance at their mom as she says that. From the corner of his eye, Taehyung can see her smile. “Will be better once their focus isn’t solely on me.”
“It will pay off,” Taehyung tells her, poking the squishiest part of her cheek as she narrows her eyes at him, giving him a deadly look. Miyoung stopped liking that when she was around fourteen, but that’s not going to stop Taehyung from doing it. He swallows down then, his eyes drifting to the figure that has been standing behind his mother and sister, for the first time making eye contact. “Dad.”
“Son,” he nods, his eyes unmoving. “It’s good to see you again,” his father says, taking a step closer once Miyoung moves to the right. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, yeah. You could say that,” Taehyung replies, allowing himself to be pulled into a hug. His father pats his back once, twice; it’s affectionate, even if their relationship hasn’t been the most solid ever since his rejection email. “I’ve missed you, dad.”
“Me too, son. Me too,” he replies. The hug only lasts for a couple more seconds after that, before his dad is letting go. He reaches for one of the suitcases that are still standing next to Taehyung, the bigger one. “Come on then. We’re parked outside.”
The ride back to their house on the outskirts of Seoul is filled with chatter, mostly from Miyoung’s side. She’s sitting in the backseat next to Taehyung, chatting his ear off about everything that crosses her mind—family drama he’s missed, how the cat nex door got lost and she found him in their garage, stuff that happened in high school, who dated who. There’s a lot of stuff that was never brought up over the phone, and that Miyoung seems to be remembering all of sudden. Taehyung is bombarded with lots of names that he hasn’t heard in a while, be it teachers that he once had or friends that Miyoung has had for years. He listens as he lets his eyes wander out the window, relieved that the landscape looks pretty much the same even if everything else seems to have changed so much.
All in all, it feels good to be home, even if Taehyung’s body is starting to suffer the consequences of jetlag. When they get back to their family house, Taehyung is shocked by all the changes they made in the entrance hall, even if his mother documented every part of the process through video calls. He guesses it looks different on camera than it does in real life. Despite all the changes and the different décor, it still feels like home to Taehyung. He decides to properly explore the house in the morning, since the rest of the evening will be spent trying to survive his first family dinner in a while, and unpacking years of clothes and memories. He has a lot of boxes that have already arrived, in addition to the two suitcases he lugged through airports. He should probably start sorting through them as soon as possible.
But that can wait. For now, he’ll have dinner with his family and let himself relish in the fact that he’s back home. What a contradiction that the place he has to call home is one he hasn’t stepped foot in for seven years now. But Miyoung still trots up the stairs far faster than she should, and his mom still leaves her shoes in the same little corner as soon as she steps inside. And maybe, despite all the time he’s been away, Taehyung can get himself used to home again.
⨳
Taehyung’s first full day back at home starts with breakfast with his mom, after his father has gone to work and his sister has left for school. The two of them catch up for a little bit, huddled over the kitchen island; his mother having her coffee as Taehyung sips on his milk. He was always told that as he grew he would slowly develop a taste for coffee, but it still hasn’t happened. Not even after waking up at six every morning for work.
“You know, your father and I are both very excited that you’re back. Miyoung too, of course, but I’ve missed you the most,” she tells him, smiling behind her bright, green ceramic mug. Taehyung gives her a small smile, nudging her shoulder. “And we’re so happy you’ve decided to come back home to settle and start your own business. You know you have our unconditional support.”
“I know I have your unconditional support,” Taehyung says then, emphasis on the pronoun. His mom’s smile falters a little. “Not his. And you know that.”
“Sweetie, your dad is so proud of you,” his mom tells him, setting the mug on the surface of the table.
Taehyung can’t help but sigh. They’ve gone over this a million times, but Taehyung is still not convinced. He doesn’t think he will ever be convinced of this. “He would be prouder if I had done things the way he planned. He wanted someone to take over the Law firm; he wanted a Kim, his son. And now that’s not going to happen, and I know he resents me for it.”
“He doesn’t resent you, Taehyung-ah,” his mother tells him, a gentle but stern expression on her face as she covers his hand with hers, much smaller. Taehyung stays silent, not knowing what to say. “It’s true your dad had… different plans in mind for your future, which wasn’t right for him to do. But now he’s come to terms with the fact that things have gone differently for you, and you’ve found your own path. He’s proud of you for it, especially since you’ve made such a name for yourself.”
“Then he should tell me,” Taehyung says, almost in a mumble. He’s looking down at their linked hands now, but he still can feel his mom’s gaze on him. “He has yet to, you know? Not even on my graduation day.”
“I’m so sorry, Taehyung. You know your father is not the best at showing affection through words,” she says, followed by a sigh. Taehyung knows, but that doesn’t stop it from hurting. He’s not going to argue, though; it’s not fair for him to unload all of this on his poor mom. “He loves you.”
“I know. And I love him,” he says, meeting his mother’s eyes again. That seems to cheer her up a little, a little smile making its way to her lips. “Enough of all of this, though. I can’t wait to see the offices in person. I’ve already asked all of my employees to meet me there tomorrow.”
Wanting to have some work done before getting to Seoul, Taehyung had been looking for offices for his agency with the help of his mom and the internet. He didn’t trust just the pictures posted online, since they usually make things look far better than they actually are, but he does trust his mother’s judgement. A deal was closed less than a month ago, and now his mom has the key for them so he can start working as soon as possible. Today, he’ll give himself a free day to recover from the lengthy flight and the time difference, but after that he needs to get to work.
His attempt to change the topic works, and so his mom starts telling him all about the office and how much better it looks in person than in pictures. Taehyung watches with a fond smile as his mom gesticulates excitedly and talks to him, almost as excited as he is himself. He tucks a black strand of hair behind her ear with nimble fingers, grateful smile on her face.
The two of them can’t stay there chatting forever, and so eventually they leave and properly get dressed into something that isn’t pajamas. It’s then, when his mom is busy doing god knows what, that Taehyung starts his mission to walk around his childhood home and spot everything that might have changed. A few pictures hanging by the staircase have been replaced, after Miyoung accidentally knocked down one of a matching set of three with a ball. The corridor upstairs has been repainted, now lighter, creamier color than the one before. There are new pictures framed in the living room; Taehyung recognizes one of himself and Miyoung standing together with the Eiffel Tower in the background, taken last summer in Paris. He’s looking at that, a grin on his face, when another frame resting on the shelf catches his attention.
The smile slowly melts off Taehyung’s face as he takes in what he sees. It’s been so many years and he’s changed so much, but there’s no doubt that it’s… well, him. Taehyung takes the frame in his hand, the picture inside depicting his father and another man; a young man, almost a boy. They’re both smiley, dressed in suits, and in the background Taehyung recognizes his dad’s office at work, back at the law firm. He clenches his jaw, looking at the other man and his sharp jawline, the round bright eyes, the slope of his nose. He looks much older now, much more mature, but Taehyung doesn’t have a doubt. That, right there, is Jeon Jeongguk.
“Mom?” Taehyung calls, taking a step back and walking to the entrance of the living room, heading towards the hall. When he gets no answer, he calls again, “Mom, can you come here for a second?”
“What is it, Taehyung?” she calls, appearing at the top of the staircase. Before she has time to start walking down, Taehyung starts climbing the marble steps. “What do you have there?”
“What’s this?” Taehyung asks, handing her the frame once she’s within reach. His mother hums, taking the frame in her hands, taking a look. Her eyebrows raise when she looks at the picture.
“Well, that… That’s Jeongguk. Don’t you recognize him?” she asks, handing back the frame and giving him an inquiring look.
“I do recognize him. Which is why I’m asking,” Taehyung says, confused. “Why is there a picture of him framed in our living room? And why is he posing with dad?”
“Oh—well, of course you wouldn’t know,” his mom says, almost more to herself than to Taehyung. Taehyung arches one eyebrow. “You did mention that you and Jeongguk stopped being friends eventually, and obviously, this is a very recent thing.”
“What’s a very recent thing?” Taehyung asks, feeling a little bit more lost the more that his mother speaks. None of this makes sense to him, not at all.
“Ah, Taehyung. Jeongguk…” she says, trailing off. “He works for your dad now. At the firm.”
Now it’s time for Taehyung’s eyebrows to raise in shock. His voice sounds a little more high-pitched and strained than usual when he asks, “Jeongguk is what?”
There is a reason for his shock, and the reason is that Taehyung knew Jeongguk. Taehyung knew Jeongguk well, and never once did Jeongguk express any interest in his father’s firm, or in law itself. Jeongguk was more interested in the arts, photography and cinematography being two of his passions even since the two of them met. Never, not once, did he mention law. So now, what the fuck is he doing working for Taehyung’s dad’s firm?
“You’ll have to ask your father for more details on this over dinner. I know the story, but he can explain it better than me,” his mother says, taking one step back. Taehyung holds back the urge to jut his lips out in a pout. “I think it’s better if you discuss it with him. You know your dad was looking for a young, fresh lawyer, so…”
Yeah, the spot that was supposed to be mine, Taehyung thinks. He’s surprised that he’s so bitter, considering he’s far happier doing what he’s doing now than he would have been as a lawyer. He can’t help but feel like his father replaced him with his high school best friend. And that’s fucked up.
“I’ll ask later,” Taehyung says, with a sigh. “Thanks, mom.”
“Anytime,” she replies, before disappearing out of sight.
Taehyung sighs once again and starts walking down the stairs, getting back to the living room and leaving the picture right where he found it. He’s baffled. He’s baffled and shocked right now. But mostly, he’s full of questions that he can’t wait to find an answer to. Although, a part of him is dreading whatever answer he’ll receive.
⨳
“Do you have chewing gum?” Taehyung asks Jeongguk, who is sitting on the floor, playing a game on Taehyung’s iPad.
They were meant to do homework together, but it can wait for a while—maybe fifteen minutes. Or one hour. Jeongguk seems rather entertained, and Taehyung wouldn’t like to interrupt.
“Yeah, it’s in my bag,” Jeongguk replies, distractedly. He doesn’t raise his eyes from the screen, his fingers rapidly tapping over the screen as he keeps playing. “Can you get it? I’m busy with this.”
“Yeah, let me get it,” Taehyung replies, getting off the bed and walking to where Jeongguk left his school bag in the corner of the room.
When Taehyung drags the bag closer to him he notices how heavy it is, but he doesn’t think much of it at first—Jeongguk is two years younger than him, so he doesn’t know what they’re doing in class. Maybe he has a lot of textbooks to take home today, who knows.
He opens the zipper and starts digging inside for the gum, touching blindly with his hand. He takes Jeongguk’s pencil case outside of the backpack, trying to get things out of the way. When he fishes inside the bag again, his fingers touch something that makes him frown.
“What’s this?” he asks, earning himself an inquisitive hum from Jeongguk. When he doesn’t reply, Taehyung reaches inside and pulls the object out from the bag, surprised by what the finds, “A camera?”
Jeongguk’s reaction is immediate after Taehyung says that. “Oh, crap,” he says, leaving the iPad on top of the carpet and starting to crawl his way to Taehyung. “Yeah, uh—yeah. A camera.”
“Is this yours?” Taehyung asks, looking down at it. He’s not looking at Jeongguk, but he can still see him nod from the corner of his eye. “You didn’t tell me you had a professional camera. Since when?”
“Since September. I asked my parents for it for my birthday,” Jeongguk explains, sitting cross-legged next to Taehyung. He doesn’t try to take it away from Taehyung’s hands, but he still says, “Be careful with it, please.”
“Of course I’ll be careful, silly,” Taehyung says. Jeongguk doesn’t seem to relax next to him, shoulders still tense. “Why did you get it? I didn’t know you liked photography.”
“I—well, I’ve taken an interest in it recently,” Jeongguk tells him, Taehyung humming in reply. “It’s stupid.”
“It’s not stupid! I’m sure you’re good,” Taehyung tells him, giving Jeongguk a smile and a fleeting look. Jeongguk is looking down at the camera, blushing furiously. He’s embarrassed, Taehyung can tell. “Can I see the pictures?”
“I, uh—” Jeongguk starts, interrupting himself. “I’m not really sure. You probably won’t even like them...”
“Pleaseeee,” Taehyung insists, bumping his shoulder against Jeongguk’s. “I’m your best friend. I deserve to see them.”
Jeongguk seems hesitant, but after a couple of seconds of Taehyung giving him puppy eyes, he agrees. “Fine. Let me turn it on for you,” he says, taking the camera from Taehyung’s hands and fumbling with the buttons. He watches with curious eyes as Jeongguk presses some more buttons, the gallery appearing on the small screen then. Taehyung can see a picture of some scenery then, a mountain with snow at the top.
“Maybe you can take pictures of me some time,” Taehyung suggests as he takes the camera back, smiling cheekily at Jeongguk.
“Yeah, maybe. We’ll see,” Jeongguk says, still shy. He does his best to huff out a laugh as he reaches up with his hand to scratch the back of his head, which is how Taehyung can tell he’s still very much shy.
Taehyung smiles softly at him, taking in the dusty pink that covers Jeongguk’s cheeks. He lets himself stare for a fraction of a second, and then returns his attention back to the images displayed on the screen of the camera.
⨳
“Dad, I have a question,” Taehyung announces that night over dinner, when the four of them are sitting at the table. He’s sitting across from his sister, with his dad to his right and his mom to his left. Upon hearing him, his father hums as he reaches for his napkin, inviting him to continue. “Does Jeongguk work for you now?”
“Ah, Jeongguk,” his dad replies, a smile instantly spreading across his face as he says that. Taehyung tries his best to keep a poker face, not showing the skepticism that he feels upon his dad’s unexpected reaction. “He does. As soon as he graduated, he applied for an internship with the firm, and upon recognizing his name from when the two of you were friends, I took him on. His hard-work and ambition are remarkable, so as soon as his internship was complete, I offered him a permanent spot in the firm.”
“Wow, that’s—shocking to say the least. Didn’t expect that of him,” Taehyung says, still having a lot of questions. “You two seem to get on really way.”
“What can I say? I always liked Jeongguk, even when he used to hang around the house,” he says. Jeongguk always got along with his parents, yeah, but it was never anything too… excessive. They were polite, cordial. That’s it. “Upon getting to know him, I have come to trust him and his instinct for this job. I think of him as my successor in the firm, despite being very new at it. He has a knack for it, a good brain on him.”
Something about those words feel like a slap to Taehyung’s face, having to lower his eyes, looking down at his food. He clears his throat, adds, “I never knew he was interested in law. He never mentioned it.”
“Must have been a change of heart after you left then,” his father replies. “I’m glad he discovered that new passion of his. He’s a brilliant civil lawyer—ruthless when he needs to be, but also human enough to connect with people. He got into your dream college, did you know that? As you failed to do so.”
What hurts the most is hearing him say those last words so casually, as if kicking Taehyung down just came naturally to him.
Taehyung tenses up then, feeling his sister’s eyes lift from her own plate to check for his reaction. Taehyung’s lips part, but before he says anything he might regret he forces himself to calm down, take a deep breath. When he does speak, he says, “Dad, that’s a jab.”
“Not as much a jab as it is a fact,” his father replies. Taehyung swallows down again, feeling his stomach close up and his appetite vanish. At this point, seven years later, he thought they were over this. Looks like they’re not.
The atmosphere at the dinner table changes after that. Things are… quieter, more tense. Taehyung doesn’t feel like speaking much—most of what he has to talk about these days is related to his work, to the agency, and after what his father has just said he doesn’t want to discuss the topic. Bringing it up might cause him to make another unnecessary remark that might dampen his mood even more, and he’s… not ready for that. Tomorrow he has a big day ahead of him and he doesn’t need anyone ruining it.
Once they’re all finished he excuses himself from the table, taking his plate, cutlery and glass with him to the kitchen. His sister mumbles a rushed apology and leaves as well, following Taehyung and taking her own dish. The two of them load the dishwasher in silence, and when Taehyung turns around to leave, Miyoung asks, “Can I go to your room?”
“Yeah—of course you can,” Taehyung says, watching a small smile spread on his sister’s face. “Everything okay?”
“With me, yeah,” she says, as the two of them head to the staircase and start climbing up it. “How about you, though? Are you okay?”
Taehyung takes a deep breath, saying, “I’m fine. I’m used to it. It’s always going to be this way, so…”
“You don’t deserve that,” Miyoung says, Taehyung just shrugging his shoulders as they finally reach the first floor. “He’ll come around eventually. And then, you better make him apologize a lot before you forgive him.”
Taehyung laughs at that, shaking his head as he pushes the door to his room open. “You know I’m not like that. And I’m not angry at him or anything. I’m just that used to it.”
“But he makes you upset,” she points out, walking inside and heading towards the bed. She turns around and, before sitting down on the edge of the mattress, says, “I take it you’re surprised about Jeongguk.”
“Really surprised, yeah,” Taehyung admits, following his sister and sitting on the bed next to her. “They seem weirdly close, too. That’s… well, it’s unexpected given he knew about mine and dad’s relationship not being perfect.”
“Jeongguk’s around here a lot. Dad seems to trust him and he’s always coming over for dinner,” Miyoung explains. Taehyung nods; his father always brought people from work over for dinner, so this isn’t a surprise. “He’s nice. He says he’ll always see me as a kid, which isn’t that nice. All of my friends have crushes on him.”
“And you?” Taehyung asks, arching one eyebrow at her.
“Please, I went through that phase when I was eight years old. Jeongguk is old news for me,” she jokes around, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. Taehyung laughs at that, shaking his head. “Are you… are you mad about Jeongguk being around?”
Taehyung takes one second to reply, because he honestly doesn’t know. There’s something about all of this that… well, doesn’t sit well with him. On one side, there’s Jeongguk deciding on a path that Taehyung had no idea he’d take, which makes him wonder how much more he didn’t know about his best friend. Then, there’s the fact that his father seems far happier to be around Jeongguk than around him, his own son. Jeongguk is living the life that Taehyung was meant to have—Law at SNU, working at his dad’s firm, having him be proud of him, doting. Taehyung can’t help but feel a little humiliated, knowing that not only did someone else take his spot, but that it was none other than his best friend.
He’s… sad, but he’s not mad.
“I’m not,” Taehyung says, watching Miyoung nod. “I’m glad dad found his successor. It couldn’t have been me, and it’s definitely not going to be you, future doctor Kim.”
Miyoung laughs at that, letting herself flop back onto the bed with a sigh. Taehyung smiles tight-lipped, trying to keep all thoughts about Jeongguk, his dad and the stupid law firm away from his mind. The more he thinks about them, the more he’ll obsess. It’s a never-ending cycle, one he doesn’t need, much less right now.
Tomorrow. It’s a big day tomorrow. And he won’t let anyone—not Jeongguk, not his father—dampen that for him.
⨳
Taehyung drives to the office the following morning in his mother’s car, the keys safely tucked away in his pocket. He can’t deny that he’s a little nervous to meet everyone—he’s been conducting interviews over Skype, and right now he’s pretty confident on the team that he’s built for himself. Most of them are young people, similar in age to him. After the interviews, Taehyung knows that the reason why they’re applying to a brand-new agency is because hierarchy and their little experience in comparison to older people make it hard for them to progress in already-established companies. That lack of experience doesn’t worry Taehyung too much—he’s confident in the people he’s picked, and he’s excited to chip away at his new employees, unearthing their talents and strengths. The people he chose all possessed ambition and seemed excitable in a way that could take his agency in a more youthful, bubbly direction, with fresh, young talent. He has their curriculums, knows about their results during their exams and whatever internships they’ve taken. It’s a young team, but one he believes in.
He’s more worried about being able to do the boss role, to be fair. He had his own PR agency in the Netherlands, yeah, but it wasn’t anything as ambitious as this. He worked with a friend from class and they represented a couple of models; it made enough for him to pay his rent and expenses without his parents’ help, but that’s it. This project is much bigger, and it’s one that once again he is financing with his parents’ wealth. He doesn’t let himself think about the possibility of it not working out, though, because that’s not going to happen. Just like he conducted interviews for employees, he conducted interviews for potential clients as well. Of course, there are no big names yet. His agency hasn’t even started yet. But that’s about to change.
He forces all of these thoughts out of his head when he finally reaches the office, lucky enough to have found a spot right next to the building. He parks, turns the engine off and takes a deep breath. He’s got this under control. He can do this. And with that, he pulls the door open and gets to the street.
He’s the first one to arrive, as it was to be expected—there’s still twenty minutes until his employees are bound to arrive. It gives him enough time to work around, become familiar with the headquarters of his new agency. His mom was right: it looks even better in person. There are two separate offices, one for himself and one for the account manager. The rest of his employees have individual desks in the main office space, a luminous and open space that he hopes everyone will be happy with.
He and his mom did a great job with this, even if he had to do so from afar. Taehyung bites down on his bottom lip and heads towards the break room and the bathrooms, making sure that everything is perfect, ready for his employees. As it was to be expected, his mom took care of… well, absolutely everything. Taehyung won’t ever be able to thank her enough for all the work and time she has put into this place, all the while taking care of her own work and their family.
After that, all he has left to do is wait until everyone arrives. Luckily for him, his employees all seem to be timely, so everyone arrives within minutes of each other. Taehyung greets all of them warmly and with smiles as wide as he can manage, allowing them all to introduce themselves before he starts showing them around. Much to his relief, they all seem to be reacting positively, which lifts a heavy weight off his shoulders. There’s nothing worse than hating the place where you work; Taehyung went through that when he did his own unpaid internship.
After showing them all around, Taehyung gathers them all in the main office area and addresses everyone once again.
“We’ll be starting on Monday, at nine in the morning. Everyone was on time here today, so let’s keep up the punctuality,” he says, earning himself a few smiles from the small crowd in front of him. He heads to the desktop behind him, connected to a projector, and with his hand, gestures to the image projected on the wall by his left. “I think it’s only fair I introduce you all to our clients already, though. We’re only getting started now and as you can see we’re a small team, so we won’t be representing a lot of people as of now. Daehyun—would you mind shutting the blinds, please?”
“Of course, Mr. Kim,” the guy replies, reaching to his right and shutting the blinds of the window behind him. The room doesn’t go completely dark, but enough for the image projected on the wall to become clear.
“Just call me Taehyung. Bit of a cliché thing to say, but Mr. Kim is my dad,” he replies, making a couple of the employees laugh lightly. As he opens one of the files in the USB he’s attached to the computer, he says, “So… let’s see. I’m not sure how familiar you are with the Korean hip-hop scene, but that’s where our first client will be taking us. His name is Jung Hoseok and he’s a solo rapper. He comes from a small entertainment company and has had a very surprisingly successful debut, so his management is looking for someone to handle PR for them.”
There are murmurs between the employees after that, Taehyung looking to see the picture projected. He had never heard of Hoseok before, but the truth is that he had become disconnected from the music here while he was abroad. A couple of his employees seem to recognize him, a couple of them looking at the wall with bright eyes.
“Next up, we have Ha Sooyoung,” Taehyung announces, the picture changing to one of a young girl. “She’s a beauty and lifestyle blogger who does some modelling on the side. She’s been building a brand for herself and thinks it would be wise to let professionals handle her public relations from now on, so that’s where we step in.”
“She’s so pretty,” Taehyung hears a girl, Eunae, whisper. He smiles, but makes no comment on it.
“Then we have… Bohyun, he’s an actor. He’s about to debut with his first leading role in a drama next month,” Taehyung indicates, before switching to the last picture. “And lastly, Jihee. She’s a model as well, and has been gaining a lot of popularity after some very successful campaigns. You might recognize her since there are pictures of her advertising contact lenses plastered all over Seoul.” There’s the rumble of low laughter, Taehyung smiling before he adds, “Any questions?”
“Yeah, me,” a girl called Mina says, raising her hand. “Is there anything we should do over the weekend to prepare?”
“You’re all free. I’ll prepare whatever is needed and tell you all what you need to do when Monday comes, so no worries until then. Seize your last weekend of freedom,” he says. Mina nods, grinning a little. “Anything else?” No one says anything after that, so Taehyung adds, “Great, then. Jimin—I would like to speak to you for a second, but everyone else may leave now. See you on Monday and have a nice weekend!”
The crowd starts dissipating then, all of them walking to the door and leaving as one guy stays behind. Taehyung turns the projector and the desktop off before approaching Jimin, his account manager. From his curriculum, Taehyung knows that Jimin is the same age as him and has a very impressive resumé, having worked in the local headquarter for the multinational company Edelman. His appearance is much less intimidating than his curriculum, though—he’s a bit shorter than Taehyung, has plush lips turned into a kind grin and the brightest eye-smile Taehyung has seen.
“Did you need me for anything, Mr—” he stops himself before even finishing. “Taehyung.”
“Much better,” Taehyung says, the two of them sharing a grin. “I wanted to give you the keys, both for the headquarters as a whole and for your personal office,” Taehyung says, handing him a set of keys.
“Oh! Thank you,” Jimin says, taking them and putting the set in his own pocket. “I was actually gonna ask if it was okay for me to come a bit earlier on Monday to bring my stuff, but this solves that…”
“You can come any time. I’ll probably be here at around eight-thirty since I have some stuff I need to bring along, too,” Taehyung says. “I was surprised when I saw how impressive your resumé is for someone so young. I’m really happy to have you on board with us.”
“Ah, please. I’m happy you’ve given me this chance. This is probably higher than I could have ever gotten at my old job before becoming forty, so it’s me who has to thank you,” Jimin says, tilting his head to the right. “I’m so excited to start working with you. Plus, you seem like a far better boss than the ones I had back at Edelman, so…”
Taehyung laughs at that, shaking his head a little. “Actually, one of my goals is to never become the asshole boss I had back when I did my first internship. I’m aiming to have a happy workplace. Well, as happy as one can be at work, you know,” Taehyung says.
“That’s good to hear. I’ll keep you on your toes, make sure you don’t end up becoming a tyrant along the way,” Jimin says, again making Taehyung let out a low chuckle. “I was wondering, since it’s lunchtime—would you like to grab something to eat? Maybe it would be a good idea to get to know each other a bit beforehand.”
“That actually sounds great, yeah,” Taehyung agrees, with a nod. He gestures towards the door with his arms, saying, “After you.”
Despite trying to be approachable and close to his employees, Taehyung also tried his best to put a respectful distance between himself and them in that first meeting. That will seems to disappear when he and Jimin are left alone, both walking to a restaurant only two streets ago. They do indeed try to get to know each other a little bit over the course of lunch, starting to feel more like two people becoming friends rather than boss and subordinate. Taehyung finds out Jimin is from Busan but moved here, to Seoul, for college; in exchange, Taehyung tells him about how he went to study abroad.
“And how come you’re back here now?” Jimin asks, one of his cheeks squished against his palm. “I mean—you said you were doing fine in the Netherlands, right? Why the sudden change?”
“I don’t know. I guess that I ended up missing it here, despite how much I wanted to be away when I left. Home is where the heart is, huh?” Taehyung says, shrugging his shoulders.
“Nostalgia does to a person. I personally miss the sea every single day. But going back to Busan is far easier than coming back to Seoul from Europe,” Jimin points out.
“I could have come back, honestly. Even if it was to visit. I never did when I was away, and fuck, it was seven years,” Taehyung confesses, getting an aghast look from Jimin. “But I didn’t feel ready back then. Not until this year, when I realized that I could finally be the person who I wanted to be. It’s a bit complicated to explain—far too sad for our second conversation over lunch.”
Jimin snorts at that, covering his mouth with his palm before saying, “It’s fine, no pressure. Certain things shouldn’t be brought up at least until we’ve known each other for what, I don’t know, a week.”
All in all, Taehyung and Jimin hit it off well. They stay talking in the restaurant long after they’ve finished their food, until they feel like they’ve probably overstayed their welcome there. Jimin walks him to the car, and the two of them agree to meet over the weekend for drinks—Taehyung hasn’t been doing well at keeping in touch with people from his younger years, so he needs a friend in Seoul. And Jimin, right now, is looking like the perfect friend.
The two of them part ways, and Taehyung then starts driving home. That went well, if you ask him—even better than he was anticipating. Taehyung has a feeling that things are going well for him at last. It was about time he got some good luck on his side.
⨳
Loyal to their word, Taehyung and Jimin end up meeting over the weekend for a drink. Saturday night finds them both in a bar that Jimin suggested, since after so many years away, Taehyung isn’t familiar with the Seoul night scene. The bar is lovely, though—they’re sitting at a low table, each one of them having a cocktail. There’s soft music playing in the background and the lights are dimmed, giving it an intimate atmosphere that Taehyung really appreciates. He leans back against his seat and lets himself enjoy Jimin’s company, conversation flowing easily between the two of them.
Taehyung is sitting facing the entrance of the bar, opposite Jimin. Like this, he can see the people who enter the place, even if he doesn’t pay much attention to them. That is, until he sees a very familiar face walk past the tall glass window, his heartbeat stopping for a second.
He doesn’t know what he’d rather—for him to walk past the door or for him to turn left, entering the bar. He’s unsure, and he’s still hesitant on whether it’s a blessing or a curse when he comes in, accompanied by a blonde guy who is a bit shorter than him, both dressed in expensive-looking yet casual clothes. He takes a step closer, and yes, there’s no doubt about it now. That’s definitely Jeongguk.
Taehyung straightens up in his seat then. He’s right across from him, so Jeongguk is for sure going to see him. Seeing no point in trying to pretend he didn’t see them, Taehyung lets his eyes wander to Jeongguk’s face. It’s then that he looks to the left a little, his eyes falling on Taehyung’s as he approaches, making eye contact. Taehyung is about to raise his arm and wave, smile and maybe stand up to greet Jeongguk with a hug, but then—
Jeongguk walks past him without giving him more than a glance, no glisten of recognition or familiarity in his eyes. He walks past Taehyung as one would walk past a stranger on the street, without even looking like he’s giving a second thought about who he might be.
What a fucking prick.
“You okay there?” Jimin asks, bringing Taehyung back to reality. Only then does he realize he’s been ignoring what Jimin was telling him, feeling a pang of guilt. “Who was that?”
Taehyung is about to reply that the guy who just walked past them and didn’t even stop to greet him, was his best friend for years. But the truth is that Jimin doesn’t need to know all the intricate and stupid details of his sad life, not yet. Taehyung doesn’t feel like telling him or anyone, because this, in all honesty, feels like a stab wound. Knowing that his best friend either forgot about him or pretended to not recognize him.
“Just someone I knew from high school,” Taehyung says, which isn’t entirely a lie. At some point, Jeongguk was his best friend. But now? Well, now they’re not anything. Just two people who happened to know each other at some point in their lives, but that’s long gone now. Now they’re different people, and they definitely aren’t best friends.
“And he didn’t even say hi? What a fucking asshole,” Jimin says, making Taehyung laugh as he takes a sip of his cocktail, almost choking on it.
If he didn’t remember him, then it doesn’t matter. And if he purposefully ignored, then, well… he honestly doesn’t deserve to have Taehyung think about it anymore.
⨳
“I’m telling you, Seokjin,” Taehyung talks into the phone, squeezing it against his cheek and shoulder as he taps the code in for getting the door open. He’s coming back from doing some shopping so the amount of bags he’s carrying makes it hard for him to get the door open. “I was at a bar yesterday with a friend from work and I saw him. And he didn’t even say hi to me. Years of friendship, for what? For him to not even greet me?”
“Maybe he didn’t recognize you, Tae. You’ve changed quite a lot,” Seokjin tells him. Taehyung scoffs.
“I really haven’t,” he says, pushing the door open with his foot and holding the phone with his left hand again. It’s either sacrificing the blood circulation of the fingers in his right hand or dealing with a neckache for days for trying to hold the phone up, so he’ll go with the first. “Maybe he’s just an asshole. Are you even friends with him still?”
“Well, yes,” Seokjin confesses. Taehyung grumbles. “Jeongguk wouldn’t do that. You know him.”
“I knew him,” Taehyung corrects. He can practically hear Seokjin rolling his eyes at him. “And I’m not so sure about that. He’s already snatched my dad from me, so…”
“Snatched your—Tae, what are you talking about?” Seokjin asks, sounding confused.
Taehyung huffs, walking towards the living room to greet his family before taking his shopping to his room. The lights are on, so someone must be in there for sure. “I need to go now, but I’ll fill you in soon. You’ll see how he’s a bitch.”
“Sure thing, Tae,” Seokjin says, sounding not very convinced. “Take care, yeah? We must meet up soon.”
“For sure,” Taehyung replies. “Talk later, hyung.”
Taehyung hangs up then, sighing before making his way to the living room. Seems like no one can see the evil surrounding Jeongguk other than him, huh? It’s fine. He will manage to make others see.
“I’m home!” he announces, about to step in.
“Come here, Taehyung,” his mom calls. “You’ll be delighted to see who’s in here.”
And that intrigues Taehyung, it really does. He hurries towards the living room, now carrying bags in both his hands, with high expectations of who’s visiting. He was already smiling, hoping to maybe see his grandparents who came to visit from Daegu upon hearing he was back in Seoul. However, the smile slowly starts to melt off his face as soon as he walks into the living room and sees who really is there.
Because that’s not his grandparents. That, sitting on his couch, right next to his dad’s armchair, is the last person he wants to see right now. He’s already looking in the direction of the door with a small, very practiced smile. The same person from the picture, the same person from yesterday.
“So it really was you at the bar yesterday then. I couldn’t believe my eyes,” he says. Taehyung clenches his jaw.
“Long time no see, Jeongguk.”