Because To Me, You're One Of A Kind I VKook I ✔ I Re-writing

Chapter Eleven: Ultramarine Blue

Jungkook's Pov

"Auntie?"

Before we knew it, Taehyung and I were seated on the floor with my aunt on the couch in front of us. I look at my aunt as I analyze her. She was wearing blue jeans and a white sweater while holding a black suitcase. So that's what my aunt looks like.

My aunt turned to us suddenly and caught us by surprise. She lifted up the pillow on the couch and was about to throw it at us before I raised my hand and stopped her. "No, don't! You know, I don't like violence. " My aunt lowered her arm and went back to crossing her arms and legs. She turned to Taehyung. "Tell me who you are." Taehyung smiled back, showing his teeth and straighten his back. "I'm his classmate." My aunt raised her left eyebrow, smirking as she turned to look at me. "I see. A friend? " Taehyung nodded at her as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder before I pushed him off and quickly crawled toward my aunt. "We aren't friends, see? We have the same school uniform. "I say while pointing at both our uniforms at the same time. Taehyung cut me off. "I'm not only his classmate, I'm his..."

"Jungkook doesn't have friends, kid. So tell me just who you are. " My aunt cut him off as well, glaring at him like I've never seen before. "Wait, I take it back. We're friends. He's a close friend of mine, "I answered in a state of panic. "He's the closest friend I've had." I continued with an awkward smile following. My aunt looked back at Taehyung and I a couple of times before finally landing her brown eyes on me. "See? Wasn't it the right choice to move schools? You finally got yourself a friend. " Taehyung made eye contact with her and looked away while rubbing the back of his head. "I heard you're a TV show director." He started. "Yeah, one of my shows is 'Hunter for the Truth' that airs at night." My aunt replied right away with a proud smile on her face.

Taehyung stood up after nodding slightly at her answer. He placed his right hand on the top of my head as I looked up at him. "I, Kim Taehyung, Jungkook's closet friend, shall get going now." He bowed his head and picked up his bag near me. My aunt nodded when he stood straight again, "Alright, get going, your parents will be worried." Taehyung nodded and looked at me. I looked back at him, raising my eyebrows. He nudged my thigh with his feet.

"Jungkook."

"Hm?"

"Aren't you going to walk me out?"

My aunt giggled, catching our attention. "I see you're not that close. You must be the only one who thinks so."

"Right. Well, then I'll see him out. See you for dinner auntie. "

"Don't take too long, I'm hungry." I nodded back at her and smiled as an answer.

Third Pov

Taehyung and Jungkook walk down the streets of the apartment complex down to the bus stop. "You seem overly active today, Jungkook," Taehyung started after pulling Jungkook close to him by his waist. He continued, "Are you excited that your aunt is back?" Jungkook only smiled before reminding Taehyung of something. "Your mask." Taehyung's eyes widened as he let go of Jungkook's waist and covered his face. "Oh no, I forgot it. Are you okay? "

"It's been off for a while now. I'm okay." Jungkook calmed him, touching his shoulder along the way. "You got me worried there Jungkook." Taehyung smiled and brushed through Jungkook's hair at the back of his head. "Hey, my hair." Jungkook scolded and swatted Taehyung's hand away. Jungkook made eye contact with Taehyung and saw the smile on his face. His heart was out of control and he was fluttering, especially after the incident before his aunt interrupted. Jungkook looked away and put his hand in his pockets, much to Taehyung's surprise. Jungkook looked up from the floor and analysed his surroundings. "Taehyung, I can still see colors," Jungkook faced Taehyung. "Decoloring hasn't happened." The side of Taehyung's mouth spread out into a wide smile, showing his teeth and the happiness clearly visible in his eyes. "Really? You must have grown accustomed to it. Your feelings towards me led you to get used to it. " Jungkook rolled his eyes and looked away. Jungkook noticed a bright sign in front of him and pointed at it, Taehyung's gaze following after. "That sign over there, is blue." He pointed at a stop sign opposite the road while Taehyung smiled at him. "That's yellow." Jungkook turned to face Taehyung for reassurance and got just that.

Jungkook noticed a rather brighter color than usual behind Taehyung as it read 'Open' and 'Close'. He pointed at the sign and asked, "What color is that?" Taehyung looked at the sign and smiled back at Jungkook. "That's neon."

"Neon?"

"Mhm, fluorescent versions of primary colors," He pointed at the sign and faced it. "That's the fluorescent version of the color blue, which then makes it neon blue." Jungkook stared at the sign, processing what Taehyung explained. Taehyung pointed at another sign, "What's that color?"

"Well, yellow?" Jungkook said, in a questioning tone. Taehyung nodded at him, showing that he was correct, and gently pulled Jungkook to the seat at the bus stop. Jungkook noticed a sign on the glass walls of the seating area. "Ultramarine Blue" was written on the poster, while under the wording was a Muslim woman praying. Taehyung noticed and laid his head on Jungkook's shoulder. "Ultramarine Blue was a very expensive color back in the day when the color was first created. European countries had to import lazurite to make it, "Jungkook turned his head to Taehyung with a curious face. Taehyung continued, "Being made of lazurite that was imported overseas, gave it the name ultramarine." As Taehyung speaks, Jungkook listens in amazement. He never knew colors would be this interesting. "Before artificial dye-making became common, the color was loved for its bright blue pigment. In today's currency, it would cost $15,000 per kilogram. " Taehyung went on, smiling at Jungkook when he said the last bit of his speech. "What? How much? " Taehyung nodded before continuing. "Due to its high price, nobles watched over painters to check if they were using it correctly." Jungkook interrupted, "Well, it sure does look expensive." Taehyung nodded and observed the poster. "In this poster, color was only used to paint the Virgin Mary's clothes." Taehyung ended his long speech with a sigh. He turned around and laid down on Jungkook's lap while pointing out another poster in front of him. "See that?" Jungkook looked at the poster and observed it. It was more like a painting than a poster, was what came to Jungkook's mind. It was a woman in a gorgeous gown holding an umbrella over a child on a sunny and windy day. "The sky isn't clear or blue, because they couldn't waste the paint. However, lapis is no longer expensive. " Jungkook looked down at the male on his lap, feeling that he had heard that name before.

"Lapis lazuli?"

"That's lazurite in Latin. Quite a large amount was needed to mix the ultramarine color, but it was only expensive because it needed to be extracted and shipped from Afghanistan. These days, it's hardly considered a gem. Just a mineral. "

Taehyung got up and sat comfortably next to Jungkook, his hands placed on his thighs. "I have one at home. Want to see it?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Then come over sometime."

Jungkook noticed the large vehicle approaching the bus stop. "Taehyung, your bus is here." He says as he pulls Taehyung up from his seat. Taehyung couldn't care less as he was stoked to hear that Jungkook would come over one day. Before leaving, Taehyung pointed at Jungkook, "It's a promise, alright?" Jungkook didn't do much and just smiled as Taehyung entered the bus and waved at Jungkook through the stained glass window.

However, right when Taehyung was out of sight, Jungkook's world went back to its usual state, gray. Jungkook panicked as he witnessed the loss of colors in his world. He witnessed as the 'Ultramarine Blue' turned into dolphin gray. He witnessed green, blue, pink, yellow, and red turned gray. It was like getting happiness sucked out of his world. Jungkook dropped to his knees, despair swept over him and he felt listless.

Without Kim Taehyung, it was like getting abandoned in a lifeless world. He needed to get out of there.

Jungkook's Pov

"He's your probe, isn't he?"

It was the first thing my aunt said as I entered the kitchen.

"What?"

"Jungkook, Kim Taehyung, is your probe, right?"