Destination Wedding

10

It didn't take long for Jeongguk to locate Taehyung after walking down a cobblestone path leading to the beachfront. The beach was fairly quiet, perhaps because it was a travel day for most tourists departing from or arriving to the island.

Taehyung had his wire-rimmed Ray-Bans strapped over his eyes which were cast upward towards the sun. He was leaning back on his palms, legs outstretched in the warm sand.

Jeongguk called his name, bringing the older to look over his shoulder, granting him a shy but earnest smile. Hmm... Maybe he wants to be alone.

Jeongguk slowed his steps. "Do you want some time to yourself? I can leave you alone. We were just wondering where you were... wanted to make sure you're okay."

Taehyung shook his head and waved Jeongguk over. "No, I'm good. Feel free to join me. It's pretty unbelievable out here." Jeongguk settled down and could instantly see what he meant. The sky was unbelievably blue. Not a cloud in it. Endless were the rolling green hills and beach mounds, decorated with various resorts low to the landscape, sprinkled with winding pathways and palm trees. It was nice and warm, but not uncomfortably hot. Just the right amount of salty breeze, soothing their travel-fatigued bodies along with the warm sand beneath them.

"It really is. I've never been on Oahu. It's really breathtaking," Jeongguk paused for a moment, internally debating how personal to get with Taehyung. "Are you okay?" Short and to the point.

Taehyung took a deep breath in and let his shoulders slump with his exhale. "Yeah, I'm okay, Jeongguk-ah. Don't worry about it. We're all here to enjoy ourselves."

"I am enjoying myself," Jeongguk said frankly.

Taehyung looked his way, unsure of what exactly to make of the younger's statement. He overthought. Is Jeongguk enjoying himself because he's unbothered with my current pathetic state, my problems?  Why should he be bothered? We're not close. Or did Jeongguk mean that he's enjoying himself right now? Being with me? Yeah, no. Get a grip Taehyung.

Jungkook kept his eyes out to the ocean and smiled. "I mean, it's good to be with you." Oh.

Jeongguk continued, not noticing the older's lips twitch upward. "You really miss him?"

Taehyung waved one of his hands in dismissal. "Ah, it's nothing. I won't make you suffer the details of my trainwreck K-drama love life."

"I'm not suffering." Taehyung smirked again as Jeongguk nudged him to continue.

"I mean, the first few months I missed him a lot. It was pretty unbearable. It hadn't yet occurred to me that we would ever even break up. And we were just so immersed in each other's lives. We lived together. We worked together at the same advertising agency. We had a lot of the same friends. When everything happened, I felt like I was being kicked off the island but I had no way to leave."

Jeongguk nodded in understanding. "God, that sounds pretty miserable. Alienating, I'm sure."

Taehyung started wiping his sandy palms over his short-clad thighs. "Yeah, right. Exactly. That's why I decided to move. I felt like I couldn't breathe in Seoul."

Jeongguk hummed and considered this for a moment. "Did it help? Moving?"

Taehyung hadn't really been asked this by any of his inner circle, and it gave him pause. After forming his thoughts, he answered. "In a way, yeah. But I'm realizing a lot of sacrifice came with it. It's lonely."

Jeongguk pursed his lips, thinking. "Does that make you miss him more? The loneliness?"

It's sweet how he is willing to talk this through with me, at least until I've completely annoyed the shit out of him with my boo-hooing and he leaves, Taehyung thought. "Honestly, the more I think about it, I'm not sure I really miss him all that much anymore. Seeing him is just like... upsetting. Like salting the wound I guess. I miss Jimin though, and I miss my family."