Lovely - TAEGYU ✔️

one

Maybe it's the sugary smell of the spray paints or how the colours blend well with one another that triggers the mild adrenaline in him. Or how it brings peace to his mind as he pours his endless imaginations, ideas and dreams onto the empty, scarred, old walls.

Drizzle of white and gold clash into a violent frenzy, forming a captivating visual illusion in his eyes. The brunette picks up a can of spray paint, shaking it before running his grip over the walls as they dust a streak of black boundaries, holding his creation in place, like a frame for paintings in art museums.

Athena. The name of the masterpiece he's working on. The Goddess of arts and crafts in Greek methodology, Athena possess all forms of art, expressing their beauty within them with her heart and soul. He bets her creations were just as beautiful as herself.

He aspires to be like her. To express his feelings and thoughts, whether dark or a mild exaggeration and turn it into something exquisite and pleasant.

He wants to be like the British street artist Banksy, and leave messages onto these walls to tell everyone that it's okay to yearn for freedom.

Freedom. The crave for freedom to be his true self. He didn't want to be chained by limitations. He wanted to go beyond.

A mere assurance and comfort, something he couldn't receive. But he'd give it to anyone, through these letters within his graffiti.

Just then, the brunette hears faint sirens growing louder and louder and he quickly finishes his last touch before shoving the cans into his backpack and pull his hoodie up to his head. He turns on his toes to make a run only to be captured frozen in the spot.

"Choi Beomgyu, you're not going anywhere!!"

Beomgyu turns his head over his shoulder, the corners of his lips curving into a cheeky smile.
"Jinyoung-hyung, what a surprise." Beomgyu greets the walking cop with a nervous smile.

He pulls out a plastic bag from his backpack and shoves them into the arms of the older.
"I got you doughnuts. Cops love doughnuts on their duties right?" Beomgyu bats his eyelashes.

Jinyoung rolls his eyes, nevertheless taking a bite from one of the doughnuts in the bag.
"For the nth time Beomgyu, I can't keep catching you like this. If it were the other cops, you'll be spending a night in jail." Jinyoung says, shooting a worried look at Beomgyu.

"I still don't get the night in jail thing. What do y'all expect us to do? Repent?" Beomgyu asks sarcastically.
"Beomgyu..."
"Sorry hyung..." Beomgyu pouts.

Jinyoung was seven years older than Beomgyu but the two became close due to their encounters during Beomgyu's graffiti nights. Jinyoung adored Beomgyu as a younger brother and loved his art work. But a cop has their allegiance to their duties, and he can't spiral away from them.

"The people in this neighbourhood are complaining about how the graffiti here is an act of 'vandalism'. There has been constant reports asking us to catch these street artists-"

"This alley is quite famous with street artists-" Beomgyu cuts the latter. "Can't I enjoy the fun too? At the end of the day, these people will stop and stare to appreciate the art on the walls." Beomgyu says.

"Beomgyu..." Jinyoung drags the end of his words and Beomgyu knew that moment he'd be receiving another lecture.
"You're a great kid but you know that I can't keep covering you every time you're in your act. The thrill of getting caught might seem fun to you but it isn't fun for us to keep on receiving complains around the clock. We've got much more serious work to do rather than catching mere street artists." Jinyoung sighs.

Beomgyu feels a slight drop in his heart and his face sullens.
"I just want to live a bit." Beomgyu says with a crushed tone.

Jinyoung reaches out to ruffle his fingers through the younger's hair, hoping to soothe him a bit of comfort. His eyes wander to Beomgyu's arm and spots the few black roses surrounding his glowing red one.

"Have you found your soulmate?" Jinyoung asks, hoping it'll relieve a bit of Beomgyu's senses by changing the topic.
And Beomgyu's grateful for that.

Beomgyu shrugs his shoulders. "I haven't but I'm hoping for a pretty girl." He says.
Jinyoung chortles and pats him on the shoulder. "Go home Beomgyu, you've got school in a few hours."
Beomgyu nods with a smile, before turning on his toes to walk back home.

As the brunette reaches his house, he quietly turns the door knob and opens the door to slip himself in. He sighs in relief before locking it again and walk up the stairs only for the lights in the living room to switch on.

"Choi Beomgyu?" A lady's voice echoes in the room and Beomgyu swears he could feel tingles down his spine like in a horror movie.
"Mom? You're awake."

"Were you out again?" She asks.
"You legit just saw me walk through the front door."
"Were you out doing graffiti?"

Beomgyu doesn't answer and lets the silence do the talking. His mom sighs, slicing through the air of peak quietness.
"You're talented, Beomgyu. Very. And it's okay to enjoy your hobbies, but there's always a limit to everything. We can't keep on receiving calls from our neighbours and random strangers complaining about your habits-"

"You sound like I'm doing drugs."

"Beside the point, there's a limitation to everything. If you can't do this for your dad and I, at least do it for yourself. Take a pause and try to behave. Take Taehyun as an example, he's a good kid and people talk nothing but nice words about him-"
"I think our conversation has ended. Goodnight mom, I'll see you in the morning." Beomgyu cuts her off before stomping up the stairs into his room.

He slams the door behind him before tossing his bag to the side and plops himself onto his soft mattress.
'Take Taehyun as an example-'

Taehyun. He fuels up just by hearing the name.
"Taehyun, Taehyun, Taehyun. For fuck sake, it's always him and never me."

+×+

He wouldn't say he rested well, after all, he returned home around 2am. But a five hour sleep is more than enough to survive a whole day at school.

"Beomgyu, you're asked to the principal's office." A girl approaches Beomgyu by the lockers and he peers down to match the girl's height.

He knows damn well how this will turn out. Without wasting any time, he walks down the hallways and turns around the corners until he reaches the principal's office.

Beomgyu knocks on the door before hearing a faint 'come in' from the other side of the door.
"Choi Beomgyu, welcome!!" The principal greets him cheerfully and Beomgyu spots the disciplinary teacher standing beside the desk.

"Good morning sir, what did I do to be summoned at this early hour of school?" Beomgyu asks in a sarcastic tone, earning an eye roll from the disciplinary teacher.

"Well, as the school's principal, of course I need to constantly look out for my students. So, Choi Beomgyu, the school's troublemaker and a third year with sUrPrisingLy splendid grades-"
"Are you mocking me?" Beomgyu raises an eyebrow.

"Anyway, you possess the criteria of a good student. However, I've had enough of the complains from the police that one of our students is committing vandalism-"

"It's called graffiti and it's art."
"Which is still vandalism."

Beomgyu rolls his eyes. "So? Is it about my merit? Need me to write a ten page apology?"
"Actually..." The disciplinary teacher, Namjoon steps in. "We're thinking of volunteering to improve your merits."

Beomgyu scoffs and eyes his teacher with a confident, cocky look plastered on his face.
"Don't want to." Beomgyu says bluntly.

"We knew you're going to say that. If you don't, then you won't be able to graduate."
The brunette's eyes widen like saucers in disbelief at the bullshit of a statement. Oh he wished he could swear right there and then.

Namjoon and the principal finds themselves smirking at Beomgyu's defeat. Namjoon then hands Beomgyu a checklist.
"You're assigned 15 hours of community service.", Namjoon informs.
"15 HOURS??!!" Beomgyu exclaims, feeling his jaw drop.

"No buts. If it'll ease you, I'll let you know the animal shelter down town is searching for volunteers. What about heading down there after school?" Namjoon persuades.

Beomgyu rebelliously clicks his tongue and snatches the checklist from Namjoon's grip.
"Fine, I will."