ᴄʜᴀsɪɴɢ ʀᴀɪɴʙᴏᴡ

~17. Exist on this earth

Unrequited Love - Ari Posner, Amin Bhatia

In a room equipped with a few chairs and nothing, it was a bit dark, only a few lights by two of the one doors in a dimly lit area were on. Jungkook sat in one of the chairs smiling timidly at the small screen. The little white light coming from the GoPro camera screen was illuminating his black eyes.

Hearing a noise by the door, he pulled his hand down and whipped his neck around. "Can I come in?" A blonde and younger-looking boy asked, his hands folded behind his back as his knees bucked to launch himself ahead.

"Come in, Frans," Jungkook smiled, jutting him in towards the chairs. "You don't require my permission for entry anywhere here."

Frans grinned, his silver septum ring shining as he stepped directly under the light. "What were you watching?" He asked without meaning to pry.

Jungkook laughed as he watched him slipping from the chair before he balanced himself. The 19-year-old was too cheerful for his own good. He spread the light so luminous that it shrouded the general gloom in Jungkook's life for a while. His hand flipped to show the video that was playing without sound.

Frans leaned in, watching with utmost attention at a group of eight men standing on top of a round, rotating platform and the camera shot them while they laughed and made funny faces. His eyes were especially stuck on Jungkook, who looked much younger than his 26-year-old current self, and also much more jubilant. "Woah! When was this taken?" He asked, suddenly popping the chewing gum in his mouth.

"I was working on the senior's yearbook. This was taken during my first year of dance practise at Uni. We shot a lot of things." Jungkook let a nostalgic smile consume him. "These are my seniors."

Before Frans could focus on others, the screen blackened and another video started playing. This was too without sound, and black and white. Frans jaws unhinged as he admired both the muse and the director of the clip. There was a man who was laughing and walking on a terrace, his ensemble looked white, or at least Frans imagined it to be. The air was the man's friend as it glided with him, giving more power to him, whisking his hair in just a way to capture anyone in the allure of it. "This one's retro. Is it an old clip?"

"Will you believe it if I said that this man walks and talks on the same earth at the same time as we do?" Jungkook asked, his smile bleak, sad even.

"No way! Dude!" Another bubble and then pop. "How could you possibly shoot this and didn't fall in love with him?" Wide eyes looked at Jungkook and then Frans' mouth stopped chewing. "You did." He said slowly, gaze turning to the ground. "This is Jimin. Isn't he? I - I am sorry. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Jungkook ruffled Frans' hair roughly with his fingers, the made-up smile returning to save the boy from his despondency. "Don't worry about it, kid. It's been a long time. Six years long."

Frans looked up hesitantly, his eyes teary. Jungkook hugged him. When he was brought into the facility, he wasn't more than eighteen. Jungkook became fond of him instantly, talking to him, knowing that his story wasn't much different from his own, and sharing his special snacks with him, but he always made sure their equation remained secretive. He didn't want the teenager to suffer because of his special treatment.  

Frans nodded, hugging Jungkook back and staying in his arms for a moment. "When do you leave?" His voice was small.

"In two weeks," Jungkook pulled away and dug in his pocket to find anything.