Fading Away | Taekook

31 - Wine

Taehyung falls backward onto the ground, spreading his arms and breathing fast. The other three men follow suit. It's nearly four in the afternoon, and they're close to finishing today's work; the men are exhausted and covered in dirt.

Taehyung feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and sees Jin's name on the caller ID. "Hyung!", Jin's voice comes from the other end: "Tete, there's a man here wanting to talk to you. His name is Park something. Seems rich, so come back quickly!" Without waiting for a response, Jin hangs up.

Deciding to wrap up early, Taehyung gathers all the men into his car to head back to the farm. Along the way, he wonders if it's Jimin with his expensive blonde hair—the only Park he knows. Perhaps it's a new client. But if it's Jimin... something serious must have happened for him to travel from Seoul to see Taehyung. With that thought, the farmer presses harder on the accelerator.

As he approaches the house, Taehyung spots a tall figure on the porch. Too tall to be Jimin. He adjusts his glasses but still doesn't recognize the man.

Taehyung parks and bids farewell to each coworker, exchanging typical dad jokes with the older men who have become like family from working together for so long.

Now closer, he recognizes the man: Bogum. Bogum? What's he doing here? This is unexpected. And Jin didn't even invite him inside—how polite.

Looking at Bogum, Taehyung feels self-conscious. The man is impeccably dressed as always: perfectly fitted trousers, a black dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and meticulously styled hair. Bogum greets Taehyung with a warm smile.

Bogum's perspective isn't as graceful. Taehyung wears a dirty jumpsuit covered in soil, a large hat concealing most of his face and a face mask. Quite the contrast.

"When I saw 'farmer' on your profile, I thought you were a farmer's son. But it seems you really work in the fields!" Bogum extends his hand to Taehyung, who shakes it.

"If only I were a snob heir, I manage everything here alone," he offers a shy smile and directs both of them to his house. He tells Bogum to go inside while he removes his dirty clothes and boots.

Bogum leaves his shoes near the door and ventures into the living room—a simple house with sturdy, old wooden furniture that's rarely seen nowadays.

Everything is neatly organized and clean, and the wonderful scent of mint from outside still lingers indoors.

Shortly after, Taehyung enters the room, now without his work jumpsuit, revealing what he wears underneath: sport pants and a long-sleeved UV shirt that accentuates his body. Taehyung had invested in more suitable clothing for working under the sun to even out his uneven tan.

Bogum stops eyeing the farmer's curvy physique when he realizes Taehyung is looking back at him. Right. "So you're as much of an entrepreneur as I am, perhaps even more since you own your own business."

Taehyung gestures for him to sit on the couch, and Bogum complies. The farmer settles into a nearby armchair. "Well, kinda. But the size of my farm is almost nothing compared to the empire that is Bangtan Enterprise. Would you like something to drink? Water, tea, coffee?"

"Not for now, thank you. I apologize for showing up suddenly at your farm. I'm on my way to Daegu for a convention, and since I have a job to offer you, I took the opportunity to do it in person."

"I confess I thought it was Jimin when they told me a 'Park' was waiting for me. No problem."

"Oh, you know my brother? Did you meet through modeling work?" Bogum leans back on the couch, continuing to observe Taehyung. "I know him—I met him through Jungkook. They're neighbors and great friends. I already consider Jimin a precious friend of mine too."