SHOOT YOUR SHOT ;; TAEKOOK

2

This was strange.

He didn't have a profile. And Taehyung didn't mean it in the sense of "he hasn't bothered to fill it in."

There was simply... nothing.

There was no way to return to his page because there was no connection. He didn't have a page on his profile. He didn't have a username or a screen name.

Taehyung couldn't even find a return email address, thank God. It was completely empty. Nothing, not even a 'user unknown'.

Taehyung was on the verge of dismissing it, but the subject line of his email drew his attention.

'A rarity, if I ever saw one.'

Taehyung opened it with a frown and a smidgeon of curiosity.

And holy crap on a cracker! He was confronted with more than hundred typed words.

When you compare it to all the other messages Taehyung had received, it looked as if he'd written an entire scripture.

Taehyung skimmed through the passages quickly and couldn't find any 'daddy's little boy' remarks, a 'come take a ride on my...', or even a 'YOU'RE FREAKIN' HOT, DAMN!'

It had been a long and exhausting two weeks.

Was Taehyung going to get some relief? Was it possible that somewhere out there, lurking... there was a man worth conversing with?

A man who could write a sentence without using genitalia-related words? He'd be the first to confess that he was sceptical after his brief and fairly restricted experience on this site.

To: babybear

Sent: August 12

Time: 10:05

Dear Taehyung.

You may have just reaffirmed my faith in people. There isn't a single sentence concerning 'wants,' 'demands,' or even 'expectations.' If I may use a metaphor, this is a breath of fresh air. Are you even real?

If I find out that I answered to some pre-teen computer geek who is using his parent's vacant basement, I will be utterly devastated.

To be honest, I believe yours is the first... genuine profile I've ever had the pleasure of reading. And I have no doubt that I am, in all likelihood, sifting through the many, many emails in your inbox right now.

My name is Jungkook, and I'm thirty two years old.

Before sharing which of the two cities I live in, I'd much rather know your preferences for institutions.

Taehyung, would you rather the Big Apple or the Emerald City? Please don't be hesitant to respond in either direction; after all, I might be tempted to make an immediate move...

I'm intrigued by your mention of being passionate for classic literature; can I assume you want to pursue a degree in this field? Or are you planning to surprise me (again) by telling me you've applied to study Psychology?

I must admit that I have a rather large book collection, despite the fact that I rarely find the time to read any of them. It seems like there are never enough hours in the day for most of my hobbies these days. Work keeps me extremely busy, and it's sadly taking a toll on my free time. When the world isn't kicking me around like a workhorse, I enjoy travelling, music and sailing.

You don't seem to be impressed by talk of materialism, so perhaps a more... academic approach would be more appropriate?

I attended two Ivy League colleges, earning a bachelor's degree at the first and a master's degree in architecture at the second. I was an intern at a small firm shortly after finishing my final degree and swiftly worked my way up the ranks.

At this point in my life, I'm in a really comfortable position, so it's safe to say that all of my hard work has paid off. However, I would wholeheartedly welcome a few more off-days.

I can absolutely sympathise with your situation, Taehyung, having worked long and hard for scholarships to further my own studies many years ago. That is not meant to come across as patronising, but rather as understanding.

It's never easy, navigating the never-ending U-turns that life throws at you, and it certainly doesn't get any simpler the older you get.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Consider this older man... genuinely intrigued.

Yours,

Jungkook.

p.s. It just seems right that you should have a picture to go with the words.

Jesus Christ, was he an intellectual. Surely not, right?

Taehyung scrolled down, giddy with anticipation to see him.

And...

He fell from his chair.

No. There's no way. This was a joke, of course. It has to be that way.

His comment of the geeky, basement nerd popped into Taehyung's mind, and he assumed that was the case here.

Someone was playing a joke on him. Someone had taken a random photograph from an old GQ magazine and sat with a dictionary in hand, making oneself sound far too fantastic to be true.

People aren't always so fortunate. Taehyung had never been so fortunate in his life.

He was... he was.. was....

Jungkook was a gorgeous man. 'Handsome' wasn't quite enough to describe him. No. This man, with this sight staring him down from above, was beautiful.

And there Taehyung was, sprawled on the floor, picking stale cheerios out of his hair from this morning's breakfast, because bringing the bowl downstairs this morning was obviously too much trouble, and fate plainly wished for him to dump the bowl over himself later in the day when he had another 'accident.'

If Taehyung could catch a glance of Jungkook McBeauty Personified in his current state, he had a feeling he'd take that email back in a flash.

Is it even natural to look like that? Is there some unknown deity who has a limited group of people created from a very exceptional, highly select gene pool of pure Godliness?

Jungkook was ethereal in appearance. That couldn't possibly be natural. And he'd gotten in contact with him?

Maybe he's blind.

Hmm. That made perfect sense. Yes. It had to be that. Jungkook couldn't possibly have perfect vision.

A blind man who was possibly feeling isolated from society and in need of some comfort.

From a male of eighteen years old...?

The concept was immediately dismissed by Taehyung.

Couldn't he take a break from his feverish hunt for a way to make this gorgeous, blind man feel better?

If Jungkook was a real man, Taehyung meant, and not some eleven-year-old in an old basement.

Taehyung hauled himself back up and pressed reply, sitting back into his chair and temporarily forgetting about his cheerio hair.

Taehyung also typed in the following title to cover his tracks:

'If you're a pre-teen computer geek who's taking advantage of his parents' empty basement, shame on you and off to bed! It's past midnight.'

Right. That sorted it.