LOST STARS

Chapter 11.

Notes:

There is a small time skip somewhere during the chapter. Keep an eye out for the same. :)

The ride back to the guest house was full of smiles and silence. The absolute silence of words as well as minds. Hearts singing their own tunes, but content and happy.

As Yoongi started to climb the stairs back to the first floor, He saw his mom, standing at the top of the stairs, looking very intently at Yoongi and then at Taehyung. The look of concern was clearly looming large on her face.

Yongi only bowed and went up to his room. Taehyung also bowed and rode away, leaving her alone there to weigh the consequences of what she saw and what she knew (and didn't need to see)

Taehyung sat on the edge of an old park bench and moved his fingers back and forth over the string of a single red balloon that hadn't been sold yet that day. The breeze made the balloon move back and forth, like his anxious heartbeat. He saw Yoongi's face, with the curve of his glasses framing intense eyes. This made his chest flutter, and fidgeting didn't help. Being able to forget about their kiss was impossible for him, and the way his stomach turned was also very strange for Taehyung.

Each idea he had in his head was more risky than the last. They were ways to break the silence between them and say what he couldn't say. His lively thoughts were like a whirlwind, filling him with a storm of possibilities.

**************

Jimin came into view on the horizon. The sound of his easy-going steps and the jingling of his keys in his chest pocket let you know that he was coming. The tardiness of a shopkeeper at the end of the day showed on his face, and his pockets hinted at hidden cents and pennies from the Boseong market square. When he got close, his smile was like a beacon—warm and bright, like sunlight shining through autumn leaves.

Jimin and Taehyung have been operating from the same locations in Boseong Market, where Jimin's dad had a brick-and-mortar shop, which Jimin eventually took over. Taehyung, of course, had found a safe spot to park his bicycle and operate out of. Thus, they have been there, shoulder to shoulder for more than a decade now.

"Ah, Aehyun," Jimin said as he closed the gap between them. His eyes lit up with friendship. Something about him made you feel at ease and at home, like the smell of old books or the feel of worn-out fabric. Aehyun was always amazed at how Jimin seemed to effortlessly find solutions. It was like every step he took was a planned move towards a solution.

The store owner sat down next to Taehyung, and their shoulders lightly touched. He leaned in, which was a silent invitation to share the storm that was going on in Taheyung's mind. When Jimin was around, it was like a key turning in a lock. He was ready to tell him his deepest secrets.

Taehyung's fingers moved carelessly along the balloon's string, twirling it gracefully. He kept looking at the horizon, and thoughts of Yoongi filled his mind.

**************

"Yoongi, who was that boy?" His mother finally asked around morning tea time. Dad was busy, as he had gone out for a walk.

"Which boy?" Yoongi muttered without making eye contact.

"You know which boy." There was a stern response from his mother.

"Aehyun," Yoongi answered with a smile, looking out of the window as he sipped his tea. The clouds outside seemed to mirror his mind.

"You know, when I was your age, I went to a boarding school, in Ilsan. There was a boy who worked in the school canteen. I really liked him. He couldn't talk, and so he would listen to me for hours. At a point, I remember wanting to elope with him..." His mother started narrating and Yoongi immediately knew what she was doing.

"Mom, money isn't everything. I didn't even know what love felt like." Yoongi started to say as a response.

"And now you do. Without words? What about the words you told Jinho—words of an ardent believer in ethics? Words that you told her father. What about commitment?"

Yoongi didn't have the answer to this. If he didn't honor his own words, how on earth would he earn out of teaching people about ethics and commitment?

*****

"Hi, Aehyun. Got a problem?" There was silence until Jimin spoke in a low voice that was meant only for Taehyung. Standing next to him on the bench, their knees almost touching. He looked worried for his friend.

The balloon swayed as if caught in a sudden breeze, and Taehyung's hands stopped moving. He looked at Jimin for a moment and then looked away, struggling with the urge to spill his heart out. He felt his secret like a silent stone in a still pond.

Jimin leaned in, wrinkles creasing around his eyes. His friend Aehyun's hesitation was clear to him as an open book from the look on his face. He stayed there and waited, calm and patient.

Deep breaths raised and lowered the young man's chest, revealing his inner turmoil in his brow furrow. The question, "Should he reveal it to Jimin or not," was eating away at his resolve.

Looking back at Jimin, Taehyung's eyes held a plea in them. Every beat of his heart felt like a drum roll leading up to a big choice.

Raindrops fell on the loose pebblestones that made the walkway in the park. Taehyung and Jimin stood huddled under the tree, sheltering themselves from the sudden downpour. Their heads stayed glued together and bent over the notepad in Jimin's hands, ink shining in the light of the lamp and water droplets.

Jimin's hands moved gracefully as he wrote whatever Taehyung could emote. As he closed the letter, he looked at Taehyung for a reaction. Taehyung held one hand over his chest as he extended his hand for the letter. The letter was complete, in a sense, it was. He folded it carefully, tucking it close to his heart and inside his jacket pocket. He started walking away after waving goodbye to Jimin with a heart full of gratitude. The raindrops made his thick black hair stick to his forehead as he sat on the bicycle, he rode with one hand as the other hand held the battered umbrella, saving them—him and the letter—from the lashes of rain.

Respected Yoongi's dad,

Life is a beautiful journey. Who knows what it has in store for us?

But I know this, Your son loves me.

And I love him a lot. A lot. And when there is so much love,

Why don't we become a family? Yes? Please allow me to love your son.

Our life would be a perfect fairy tale.

And we will have our Happily ever after.

Please say yes.

Your Sincerely, Aehyun

AN:- Its gona be a bit Emotional in next episode