.
Taehyung never really had high expectations for his life. He always thought there's no point in shooting for the stars if you didn't have enough resources to get there. So, as he always did, he settled for less.
Just like any other kid, he once dreamed of making his parents beam with pride. Maybe he didn't have a dream of his own, but he wanted to gift his parents a reason to be proud. Took him a minute to figure out that achieving that meant erasing every part of himself that made him who he was. So he quit. Call it selfish, but he didn't lose any sleep over it.
He is always in awe when he sees someone who has dreams and goals in their life. He loves to listen to them talk about their passion.
In some cases they talk about how they had to give up on their dreams and it was okay too.
He remembers the time when Hoseok had cried to him whilst talking about how he had to give up on his dreams due to familial issues. Hobi was always a strong person and still is. The only time he cried was when he was talking about his dreams.
Hearing someone talk about their passion must be one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking things ever.
He was now sitting beside Jungkook while the rest were taking turns to capture pictures in front of the beautiful waterfalls in front of them.
"No pictures?" He broke the silence.
"Not interested," Jungkook replied. Taehyung had never once heard the boy say that he was interested in something.
"What are you interested in then?" Taehyung scoffed. It might have came out as rude, "I mean you don't talk much and I wanna know what's on your mind"
Jungkook faced Taehyung and smiled softly at him.
Do you ever just get a vibe that someone has a crush on you and then you are not sure if they actually do?
That was what Taehyung felt every time he was near Jungkook.
Or is he the one with a crush?
"My mind's empty and I don't have anything to say" Jungkook answered.
"There must be something you love, talk to me about it" Taehyung insisted.
Jungkook shrugged.
Taehyung wasn't one to back down. "Come on, there's gotta be something you're into. No pets, I gathered?"
Jungkook's nonchalant nod made Taehyung chuckle. He remembered how disinterested Jungkook seemed when Taehyung rambled about his pet dog.
"Movies, maybe? Or books?"
Jungkook's eyes lit up like fireworks on New Year's Eve. A new side of him Taehyung hadn't seen before.
"Actually, I read this book recently, and it's become my all-time favorite!" Jungkook's excitement was a melody Taehyung hadn't heard from him yet.
"Spill it! I'm all ears," Taehyung grinned, genuinely intrigued.
"It's called 'Song of Achilles,'" Jungkook's voice held reverence, his memory painting the words in bold strokes.
"Wait, Achilles as in the epic warrior from the Iliad?" Taehyung's astonishment peeked through.
Jungkook's eyes sparkled, a reflection of a shared discovery. "Yeah, but this book's a love story. It's not just about battles, it's about the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles. A retelling, and oh my, it's a thing of beauty."
"It wasn't just the romance – it humanized Achilles. Showed us a boy under all that armor. Inside that warrior was a child, carrying responsibilities heavier than he should have." his tone turned melancholic.
"Imagine having to bear that weight of duties. Choosing between dreams and duty," Jungkook said , a hint of sorrow tugging at his words.
A pang of empathy squeezed Taehyung's heart. "It's like walking on a tightrope between who you are and who you need to be."
Jungkook nodded, a rueful smile playing on his lips. "Exactly. But there's this one line – Achilles says to Patroclus that no hero has ever been happy. He promises to be the first – both happy and famous. That line hit me so hard."
"Bittersweet, huh?" Taehyung chimed in.
Jungkook chuckled, a sound as warm as sunshine. "Yeah, bittersweet. Oh, and there's this one scene –" he continued talking about the book and what it meant to him. The way that he interpreted each scene let Taehyung understand him more.
"Sorry for boring you with this, I'm done now" Jungkook smiled shyly once he was done.
"No! I loved listening to that" Taehyung smiled back, "you should do it more often"
Jungkook tilted his head and looked at Taehyung, confusion written all over his face, "huh?
"I mean you need to talk about the things you love more, it's beautiful"
"No it's not" Jungkook straightened his posture and got back to his cold dull self.
"Just when you were talking about the book your eyes lit up and your smile was genuine. You were excited like a kid and it was quite beautiful to watch" Taehyung said honestly and Jungkook blushed a little, "It always makes me happy to listen to people talk about what they are passionate about. You are happy to talk about it and I'm happy to listen to it. It's perfect, so I wish you do that more often"
Jungkook smiled and nodded.
"Guys everyone back to the car now! We are leaving"
______
As they kept driving Taehyung would occasionally look at Jungkook and smile and Jungkook's heart fluttered everytime. He doesn't feel uncomfortable with Taehyung anymore. They shared a moment and Taehyung learned a little about Jungkook and Jungkook had learned a little about Taehyung.
Jungkook had learned that Taehyung finds happiness in other people's happiness, which was such a beautiful thing.
Taehyung had learned that Jungkook is still a kid deep down but is weighed down by responsibilities.
Maybe they both need each other to make them realize that there's something out there that provides true happiness.
YOU ARE READING
Chasing the sunset ⛅ [Taekook / bts]
Fanfiction"You are my serotonin" Seven boys, 1 adventure and a lot of emotions, happiness and heartbreak. Seven boys hitting the road to try and find something at the end, but they might just end up finding themselves instead. Dedicated to everyone struggling...