the girl is 'mine' [ taekook ff ]

The Soulmate Quest

The morning sun filtered through the vibrant leaves of the Seoul forest, casting dappled shadows on the ground as four friends embarked on a quest that felt more like an adventure out of a fairytale than a school project. 

Jungkook, in his sleek car, had taken the wheel, with YN sitting eager and wide-eyed in the passenger seat. 

Shin Rae, the self-proclaimed queen bee, reclined in the back beside Taehyung, the cold boy whose stoic demeanor often masked the warmth within.

"Did you guys know the myth behind love ginseng?" Shin Rae's voice broke the relative silence in the car, drawing the attention of the three boys.

Taehyung shrugged, and Jungkook shook his head, the faintest smirk playing at his lips. YN, intrigued, leaned forward, her curiosity piqued.

Shin Rae, with a dramatic flair, pulled out her phone, tapping away before reciting with a teasing lilt, "It says the first two people who touch the fresh love ginseng at the same time are meant to be soulmates."

Gasps echoed in the car, and Jungkook's thoughts drifted to YN as he stole a sideways glance at her. 

His heart raced—the idea of being soulmates was electrifying. Beside him, Taehyung felt a similar thrill, contemplating the same girl who occupied both of their thoughts.

 It was strange how they could feel this pulse of connection with her, casting shadows even amidst their supposedly carefree banter.

The forest loomed ahead, lush and inviting. As they parked and stepped out, Shin Rae's delicate demeanor seemed to dissolve into the air, and she transformed into a gleeful companion, skipping ahead of the boys. 

"Come on, boys! No competition if you don't find it first!" she teased, twirling around like a child awash in the colors of the world.

The two boys exchanged glances, a silent challenge passing between them. With a shared nod, Jungkook and Taehyung split off from the girls, determined to scour the underbrush for the elusive love ginseng.

 YN and Shin Rae stayed behind, wading through the tall grass, Shin Rae's fingers brushing against the flowers, as if she were royalty surveying her kingdom.

In the depths of the forest, surrounded by the whisper of leaves and the crunch of twigs underfoot, time felt suspended.

 Jungkook and Taehyung moved with purpose, scanning the ground for any sign of the rare plant. 

Then, at the same moment, both boys' eyes caught a glimpse of the ginseng—a vivid green, almost glowing in the shade.

"Over there!" Jungkook shouted, and instinctively, they broke into a run. The thrill of competition surged between them, their hearts racing, fueled by a mix of adrenaline and their unspoken feelings for YN.

Just as they reached the ginseng, their hands landed on it simultaneously. There was a moment of electric stillness, the world around them fading away as they both grasped the plant.

 YN and Shin Rae, who had been watching from a distance, burst out laughing at the sight—the two boys frozen in shock, their expressions a bewildered mix of disbelief and surprise.

"Look! The myth!" Shin Rae squealed, clutching YN's arm as their laughter echoed through the trees. "You guys are soulmates!"

Both boys, still holding onto the love ginseng, released a nervous chuckle. Jungkook's heart pounded in his chest as he turned towards YN, her laughter bubbling like warm sunshine.

 Taehyung, however, kept his gaze fixed on the ginseng, his expression unreadable yet holding an undeniable weight. 

The air was thick with unspoken words, and the atmosphere shifted, revealing just how delicate their friendship had become.

As they walked back towards the girls, ginseng in hand, Jungkook and Taehyung exchanged wary glances.

The girls giggled uncontrollably, as if their excitement could shake the dust off the old legends.

"Seriously, Jungkook! Don't you think it's true?" Shin Rae teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Come on! It's just a myth," Jungkook shot back, his irritation evident as he brushed aside thoughts of love ginseng as mere nonsense. 

He could never understand how his surroundings could be so captivated by such triviality.

Taehyung, standing beside him, snorted in agreement. "Yeah, who believes in that stuff anyway? Just eat your ramen, right?"

 Despite the casual bravado, there was an unspoken camaraderie between them—two bad boys united against the whimsical thoughts of romance.

As both boys dismissed the girls' chatter, Jungkook's frustration bubbled over. "It's ridiculous! Whoever believes in that is just... desperate," he exclaimed loudly, determination etched across his features. 

Without waiting for another comment, he turned on his heels and walked away, Taehyung following suit.

The moment they left, Shin Rae and YN burst into laughter, their amusement contagious. "Did you see that? They're like two peas in a pod!" YN remarked, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

Shin Rae nodded, still giggling. "It's hilarious how they completely agree on everything. Bad boys in their own little world."

As the two girls collected themselves and headed to their car, the sun set behind the horizon, casting a warm glow in the sky. 

The laughter from earlier faded into the backdrop as they drove home, the tension from the day's earlier conversations dissipating in the evening light.

Once home, they dove into their group project, brainstorming ideas with a renewed energy, bolstered by their earlier laughter. 

As the hours passed and the night deepened, the project came together seamlessly. 

Despite Jungkook's dismissive attitude towards love ginseng, YN couldn't shake the feeling that a little magic didn't hurt anyone, especially in a world where everyone seemed to be searching for something.

"Okay, we did it!" Shin Rae exclaimed triumphantly, glancing at the clock. "And it's all thanks to some silly myth that had us laughing earlier!"

Maybe there was something to be said about those myths after all, she thought, as they shared a satisfied, glimmering smile. 

The night was still young and hopes hung like stars, twinkling in an uncharted sky—a side effect, perhaps, of the love ginseng they had both jokingly claimed they didn't believe in.

tbc...