MY MERBOY || TK

CHAPTER 32: Peeking Out From its Cocoon

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Jeongguk walked around the city, looking for someone. It was impossible not to follow his movement along the streets, a presence that made female eyes follow him with lust and interest. They seemed to swoon at the way his muscles bulged as he walked. However, there was no acknowledgment of useless stares from the raven-head, and he continued to search.

It was a few minutes past noon, yet no sight of the merman in disguise. About to leave through the southern gate, his eyes were surprised to see the scene before him.

Taehyung, in the company of his two brothers-in-arms, Hoseok and Jimin, were conversing in a friendly and comforting manner while climbing the stairs. By crossing his arms and taking a solid stance, he dispelled his wild thoughts and gained the attention of the trio. 

"Where have you gone?" Jeongguk's voice was firm and low, castigating the male in the middle. He raised his eyebrow at the other's conduct. "I and mum have been worried about the fact that you left-- without a word."

"I see. There is no need to worry about me, I can handle myself." Taehyung spoke unbothered.

Jeongguk frowned at his words. "At the very least leave a note or something! I barely managed to calm Mum down. And--" The raven-head visibly deflated, his expression softening. "I've been roaming the entire town to find you.." He stepped closer to Taehyung. "I missed you.." he said softly, making Taehyung blush and draw back slightly.

"You-- Uh-- I-It has barely been half a day since you saw me." He grumbled, his fingers pinching the backs of Hoseok and Jimin, who were grinning like evil gremlins. Giggles filled the air as the two jolted away.

"But--"

He cleared his throat and walked past Jeongguk, patting his warm bread cheeks as he walked ahead. Jeongguk watched his figure until it disappeared when he turned. He turned around, and glanced suspiciously at his smiley friends.

"What were you two doing with him..?" The middle of his brows creased in concern.

Jimin, standing straight and fixing his hair and clothes, extended his hand, much to the confusion of Jeongguk. "Good afternoon, my name is Jimin, Taehyung's best friend." He winked.

"Wha--"

"Hey! I'm his best friend!" Hoseok whined. Jimin's smile fell, turning to the older. "No, I'm his best friend!"

"Nope, I'm his best friend. You should be something else." Hoseok commanded, to which Jimin stomped his foot pouting. "Fine then! If not a best friend.. then I would be.." Jimin looked up, thinking hard about his position beside Taehyung, getting an idea, Jimin beamed. "Then I'm his soulmate!"

"Enough." Jeongguk grumbled, whining at his older brothers. "Tell me what you were doing with Taehyung. How long have you been together? Were you with him at dawn? Where did you see him?"

While looking at Hoseok, Jimin grinned sinisterly and hopped closer to Jeongguk, placing his arm around the gruff man's shoulder. "Welll~" he started, his hand on his chin seeming as if in thought. "We had.. a deep talk." He concluded.

"A deep.. talk?" Jeongguk repeated, his thoughts confused and even a little.. jealous?

Hoseok clapped, his bright smile shining. "Ah yes.. a deep talk. We talked for hoouurss. We learned a lot about each other and especially Taehyung. Such a charming fellow he is." He added the last sentence dramatically, his hands on his heart as he showed an expression of daydreaming.

"Hobi.." Jeongguk warned. "Oh wow! Would you look at the time? I didn't even realize it was already noon from all the getting to know each other thing.. well-! Got to go!" Right before Jeongguk could say anything more, Hoseok bolted out of there. Angrily, he turned to Jimin, only to discover he had already left.

His eyebrows twitched in annoyance. He screamed their names.

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Jeongguk suddenly opened the door with a bang as Taehyung was eating brunch, startingling Min next to it. While Mira peeked from upstairs, having no idea what was going on, the blue-head paid no mind to the stomping heading for the kitchen.

"What did they say?" Jeongguk immediately asked as he entered the room.

Taehyung swallowed his food before speaking calmly. "What do you mean?"

"Those two like to blabber all sorts of nonsense, and I don't doubt they did not prattle silly things to you. Whatever they say, don't take it too seriously."

"You should really put more trust in your friends, Jeongguk." Looking up at the young man, Taehyung tucked his hair behind his ear. A pout began to form on the other's lips. "In fact, I quite like them."

Jeongguk was confused, he tilted his head and asked. "What..? You do?"

"Why yes. Though they are.. ridiculously childish and full of boisterous noise, they are a pair that intrigue me." He said with a slight smirk that Jeongguk didn't notice. "Plus, they have a bunch of stories to tell."

"Yeah well like I said, they like to rattle on. Could never really get them to stop much." Jeongguk commented, plopping on the seat beside the older. "We would always get in trouble whenever gossip gets around, since those two are always the first ones to know."

"Really? Then that incident where you were found asleep up high, stuck on the side of the mountain must be true." A hint of tease slipped through his words.

"Knowing them, it is most probably-- " It wasn't long until Jeongguk stopped midway to analyze Taehyung's words, trying to ascertain whether or not what he heard was right. "W-What did you say?"

"Then again, your snoring is a gift. If not for it, they wouldn't have found you until the next day." He stood, let the water rise in his jar and enclose his utensils for a moment, then shaped an orb of water, the bits of crumbs swimming inside. Walking out of the room, Taehyung extended his arm, opened a window and tossed the orb out.

Jeongguk stared at Taehyung who without another word left the room, his mouth agape and his mind a mess. Did those two really yap their mouths? Knowing who Taehyung was to him?

He gripped his hair and groaned, slamming his head against the table. "Out of all things.. why did it have to be that?!" He let out a cry, banging his fists against the table. "Augh! This is so embarrassing..!"

In the kitchen, Taehyung heard the other grumbling frustratedly at himself as he stood behind the doorway. He giggled silently before going up to his room. Crashing down on bed head first, he got comfy and sighed relaxed.

Humming to himself, he closed his eyes as his train of thought went back to when he and Jeongguk were younger. Oh, only if they were children forever, then they wouldn't have to face the difficulties that life throws at them when older.

"Don't cry while I'm somewhere else. Don't frown, smile. Don't be alone, be with friends or visit my mum. Don't go far, stay here so I can find you. Don't--"

"That's a lot of don'ts!"

"Miss me lots, alright?"

"Of course!"

Even after the years that had passed, he was still here. He could have gone to another continent, to another nation, but he stayed. Taehyung turned and lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, imagining them as the stars he would admire when they came out of hiding. Remembering each and every one of his little messages he'd say out loud, believing the winds could bring them to Jeongguk. How silly I was. Taehyung said with a small smile.

"Good things come to those who wait, huh.." he mumbled, recalling all that Jimin and Hoseok had said earlier. His attention was distracted, not noticing when a tiny sprout peeked outside of its cocoon.

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