Body And Soul

38. Flavors of Summer

"I think this is pretty close to what I'm looking for," said Taehyung as he stood beside Jungkook in the department store.

After having returned from Jungkook's mother's place, they decided to start slowly setting the wheels into motion when it came to confronting Taehyung's parents. They had briefed Laylin on the ride back about the recent revelation to get her on board too. They would need all the help they could get. Part one of the plan had to be purchased here and all Taehyung had to figure out was the correct shade.

"You should ask Laylin," teased Jungkook as he shot her a look; his eyes the only visible part of him currently as he had to wear a disguise to keep from being spotted. "She loved you when your hair was that color."

Standing in front of a display in the haircare aisle titled "Flavors of Summer", Taehyung currently held a box for blue hair dye in his hand. He turned to look at Laylin standing near Jungkook who currently seemed to be trying to hide behind him. He couldn't hide the grin that was springing across his face.

"Do you think this looks like it is the same color as what my hair once was?"

"I do," said Laylin as she tried to fight the blush off her cheeks, shooting the chuckling Jungkook a look.

"Alright. Then we're getting it. This is sure to tick my mother off."

"Why would dying your hair blue tick your mother off? You had blue hair for a while. It even ended up on an album cover," said Laylin.

"Yeah. It almost didn't though. You should have seen the fit my mother had when she couldn't get me an appointment to dye my hair a different color before the shoot. Ever since then, she told me to keep my hair a natural shade. I always listened to what she wanted me to do because I thought she knew best. Now I realize that I need to not worry about whatever image she is wanting me to have and worry about the image I want instead."

Taehyung placed the blue hair dye box into the cart with a smile on his face as he looked over at Jungkook.

"I hope you know it's thanks to you," Taehyung continued. "I never had the courage before, but after seeing you stand up to them, I realized it was something that I should have done myself a long time ago."

"It was nothing," said Jungkook, thankful that the mask was hiding the blush spreading across his face. Ever since he found out Taehyung might be his brother, he took every comment Taehyung said even more to heart.

"How do you feel about your hair getting dyed?" asked Taehyung as his eyes went back to the display. "Are you okay if I dye it?"

"Are you planning to make it blue too?" asked Jungkook. "I mean, I don't care."

"I was thinking pink," said Taehyung as he pulled the pink hair dye box that was next to the blue one. "Then we can be the cotton candy boys."

Jungkook chuckled, noticing that Taehyung had - in fact - taken both boxes that had been under the 'cotton candy' section of the "Flavors of Summer" display.

"I've never dyed my hair - let alone dyed it pink - but lets do it. Besides, I assume it's part of your plan anyway."

"That it is," said Taehyung. "This is the first part. The second part is turning the album the label wants into our album."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I want every last song on this new album to feature the two of us."

Taehyung could see the shock on Jungkook's face even with the mask and couldn't help but to laugh.

"But I can't sing," said Jungkook.

"You can," said Taehyung. "I know you can. Don't you remember me singing a little while ago? You have the voice. You just lack the confidence for some reason."

"I just knew I could never compare to someone like you," said Jungkook so suddenly and honestly that he surprised himself. "I heard your voice constantly floating through the apartment from Laylin's music player and it was then that I realized my only audience would ever be the shower head."

"Jungkook, you can sing," said Laylin as she turned to look at him. "I remember you singing to yourself the time you took care of me when I was sick. You thought I was asleep, but I remember just laying awake and listening to you singing. Your singing relaxed me."

Jungkook fought another blush at Laylin's words. He had never realized that she liked his voice before. All he heard all the time in the apartment was Taehyung's name. He heard it so much he felt like he would never measure up to him.

"This plan will work," reassured Taehyung. "We dye our hair, finish this album together, and then when I have my debut for it and we step onto the stage together, in comes the chaos!"

"That's great, but I thought Jimin was worried about some executive from the label coming to monitor the process. What are we going to do about him?"

"I'm sure Jimin and Hobi will help us take care of the situation," said Taehyung. "They are my friends and they owe me one anyway for all the grief they put you through still."

Just as they were about to move out of the aisle, Laylin moved to yank a box off the shelf. Jungkook caught her, pausing with the cart as she came over to put the box in her hands in it.

"What are you doing?"

"If you two are dying your hair, I may as well do the same," she replied. "I decided on the lime of the 'lemon lime' flavor of summer."

Jungkook chuckled which caused Laylin to blush as she elbowed him in the side.

"Quit it."

"I just can't picture you with bright green hair," he said.

"And I can't picture you looking like a blueberry, but here we are," she said with a laugh.

Taehyung - who had walked a little ways down the main aisle before realizing neither of them were following - turned to look back at them. He was happy that they had finally had their moment and seemed to be even stronger than before. In the midst of all this chaos, there deserved to be glimmers of hope; savourable like a flavor of summer.