Once Upon A Time, Jungkook

14. Ridding Horses (1.0)

Today was my birthday!

I'm finally 18!

"Happy birthday, Taehyung" my mom said and kissed me on the cheek. "You're already eighteen!"

I'm eighteen.

Eighteen and there's no miracle.

I get up from bed, brush my teeth, get dressed and go to school. Everything stayed the same.

And despite all that, the weather today is beautiful. More beautiful that any other day. The cold and fresh air is full of the flower scent. It makes my cheeks pink and with an excited heart - I walk to school.

Is there anything else new about this day?

At school, I sit through all of my classes. After them - I take a walk at a park with Jungkook. He congratulates me and we continue as if today is any other day.

And in the evening?

In the evening I get a motorcycle. An absolutely new motorcycle!

Without waiting for another second to pass by - me and Jungkook take a good look at it. We look at the tires and touch all the steel parts.

Jungkook tells me that the motorcycle is a very good one. Way more modern and better than his. Also - way more expensive.

I don't care about any of that, though.

The thing that I'm most excited for - is that now, we both can ride around together. Just the two of us. Now we can fly through the streets like birds, who are free. To places that we desire.

"So...wanna test it out?" he asks me.

"Let's go!" I tell him happily. A boxy smile on my face.

And so we go.

The dust from the road flies everywhere. The evening's setting sun shines brightly. The grass smells fresh, like it would smell after rain.

It's my birthday!

For a minute - it actually seems like I was born today. At this amazing hour. As if I opened my eyes and saw a whole new world around me.

Faster, faster to the horizont. To freedom.

Let's go faster!

In just a blink of an eye - the city stays far away behind us and in front of us - there's just empty fields of grass.

I am so happy!

I love life!
Life is amazing!

We stop in a remote area, some kilometers away from the main road.

The city is visible from here. It's below our feet (something similar as the pic above). Just like when me and Jungkook went out for a drive together. Just like...

Just like the day we first kissed.

Jungkook takes off his helmet and his black hair looks amazing with the sun shining on it. He wipes off the sweat from his forehead and walks a little further, then - lays down in the grass, on his back.

We both lay next to each other in the grass and stay silent. Jungkook isn't looking at me. I can see that his eyes are focused on the clouds above us.

He takes his phone out, turns it horizontally and holds his breath for a second. The clouds above move slowly.

Jungkook's outreached arm slowly follows them. And then - he presses the photo button on his phone.

"Have you ever noticed how beautiful the clouds are?"

"Yeah"

"Those two, over there, look like two horses...look at it, it's amazing!" Jungkook's eyes go wide and there's a spark in those beautiful, dark eyes.

For the first time - I see Jungkook enjoying such a silly thing.

He doesn't have time for that. He's constantly tired from all those workouts. His wish is to grow up and get into a football team or become a boxer and....and Jungkook is enjoying the clouds?

That's something new.

Above our heads, the birds fly and chirp while the fresh grass smells like spring. The burnt ground smells from the sun.

It's warm and I feel like this is the most beautiful spring ever. The most beautiful one in my whole life.

So what if there's a month and a half until the exams? So what that I quit the piano lessons and that there's nothing that I can achieve now? So what that there's a bunch of problems?

The most beautiful spring is in front of my eyes, as of now. I'm already eighteen. The spring's sun is creasing my face lovingly. I'm with the most amazing man that this world has. A man that I have fallen in love with.

I don't care about anything this spring. Not a thing. And I feel good about that.

"Have you ever ridden a horse?" I ask Jungkook and can almosy picture him doing so.

"Where would I do that? Of course not" he answers, surprised. "I have never tried. I haven't even seen a horse from up close. But I would like that. I would really like it"

I close my eyes and put my hands under my head. I can still vaguely see the cloud horses passing by. Everything is merging into one.

This moment is so magical that from the excitement - my heart beats fast. I start to get tears in my eyes but I refuse to let them fall.

Then - my vision darkens and I open my eyes.

Jungkook is looking at me, from above me.

He smiles and so do I. This is truly magical.

"Can I give you your birthday present?"

"I would never forgive you if you didn't"

And once again - his lips touch mine but this time - I kiss back.