LOST STARS

Chapter 19

The emptiness, sudden void, was felt by Taehyung as soon as he stepped out. He kept looking back as he walked, but the absence of Jungkook loomed bigger and bigger every time he turned. Giving himself a small smile and thinking JUngkook was in a happier and safer place, he walked to the bus stop back.

Taehyung's feet were scuffed this time as he didn't bother that much about mud and dirt. The smiles and lightness accompanying him earlier were gone. He had not taken time to process his dad's passing away as well, as Jungkook was in the middle of that entire whirlwind. Emotions started weighing down on his shoulders. Finding a worn down bench on the road side, he slumped into it as he waited for the bus. His eyes traced the monotonous patterns on the road and its cracks. The world seemed dull, his hands absolutely still in his lap as there was no one he had to tell anything to. His mind replayed the entire two day's events and suddenly it all seemed so distant, as if they belonged to someone else, not him.

It must have been about an hour before a bus took a turn and came into view. The mechanical movements as Taehyung stood were startling. The original spring in his step was missing. As the driver nodded, Taehyung climbed aboard, and he responded to the driver with a half-hearted smile. He sat in a window seat, resting his cheek against the glass. The bus started to move, and the paddy fields started to become a blur.

Suddenly, a movement caught his eye. A figure was running through the paddy field he just walked out of. It was Jungkook, his face contorted with emotions and discomfort as he stepped into muck while running here." Aehyun...Aehyun" he said as loudly as he could, repeatedly, but again, Taehyung must not have heard before climbing the bus. Taehyung's heart clenched; even though he didn't hear the cries, he could see the desperation etched on Jungkook's face.

The bus kept moving away and Jungkook's figure grew smaller. Suddenly, Taehyung snapped into motion. A mix of frustration and concern felt like a pit in his stomach. He banged on the window loudly, gesturing for the driver to stop, his own body mirroring the urgency on Jungkook's face. The bus came to a halt, and Taehyung ran out and even stumbled on the steps.

His heart was pounding, but there was also frustration building up inside. His hands flew to his head, fingers threading his hair; he was ready to pull them out. Jungkook came and stood face-to-face before him, breathless from the chase., but his eyes were wide and pleading. Taehyung's arms fell to his sides as he locked eyes with Jungkook, demanding answers.

When silence prevailed for moments, Taehyung, with deliberate movements, pointed back towards Hoseok's village, the message clear in all this tension. But Jungkook shook his head with an equally deliberate motion. "No. No. No," his expression said louder than the voice. There was no doubt, even for Taehyung, about what Jungkook said.

Taehyung was tired of this fight, even before it started. His shoulders slumped. It was a silent surrender to the truth - that was clear from a while back, but neither of them had brought it up. Jungkook belonged with him. Taehyung pulled the shirt out of his bag again, tied it once more to his waist and Jungkook held the hem on his own this time. They sat and waited for the next bus in silence. The destination was still unclear in Taehyung's mind, except for the fact that he couldn't go to Boseong again now.

He did pay a visit as discreetly as possible. He needed some more stuff from the house. Along with his clothes, he packed his balloon pump and his father's last set of clothes that still had a faint scent of Sunghun. He also packed some more essentials, a couple of utensils, and cutlery from the kitchen and dining area. While doing all that, he found Jungkook's diary that he had torn the page from, which too went into his metal suitcase.

Locking his house, not knowing for long, he took a moment to say a silent goodbye to it. Jungkook, holding the shirt hem, and Taehyung, carrying a haversack and a suitcase, they tiptoed to the railway station. After going through the timetable for trains, he bought two tickets with the last few cents left in his pocket. It was a goods train once again, but it had the cheapest tickets.

Together, Taehyung and Jungkook ventured into the unknown. Taehyung showed a ticket to Jungkook, and it was as if he asked if the other one would come away with him. Jungkook offered a silent nod of approval. And in that moment, they became a family, not by blood or rituals, but bound by something stronger than the need for sound or speech or conversations - a connection forged by heart and understood by heart.

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Taehyung and Jungkook boarded the first available bus in the middle of the night. Jungkook, who was never comfortable with loud noises or lights, was at ease holding the hem of Taehyung's shirt. His destination was still unknown, as he asked for the last stop. Both took a seat, as shown by the assistant on the bus.

It was a small ride. It took Taehyung about 4 hours as he saw in the wristwatch, which was one of the things he made sure to take from his house in Boseong. His father's wristwatch, which Sunghoon took great pride in. Jungkook's grandfather had gifted it to him on Taehyung's birth. As for the rest of the stuff in the house, he was very sure, confident even that Jimin would never let it go to trash. Jimin would keep it carefully.

As he got down, with Jungkook in tow, he started to look around to see where he was. That is when he saw the board " Gwangju ". On the way here, on the bus, they met a set of people who were essentially performers. And they were in Gwangju for a wedding performance.

Now the group had 2 more people: Taehyung and Jungkook. Taehyung thought it would be just easier to stay with a crown. ANd Jungkook, well, Jungkook was Jungkook. Absorbed by the colors and patterns of their clothes, jewelry,, and other decorations. He looked as if he had just found heaven.

As usual, the bus seat where he sat had origami birds left behind. Usually, he had a habit of mindlessly making and leaving one wherever he went. It was always one swan. This time, it was a set of two swans.

The next three days were spent having fun, dancing, eating sweets, and dressing up. Taehyung helped the troupe with preparations and earned their meals. Jungkook was on his own with the people who were giving the final touches to costumes.

"Okay, this isn't too bad. I can do this. Jungkook also looks so happy. This is good." Taehyung nodded and thought as he slept on the third night away from home, away from Boseong.

The morning sun was quite high in the sky when Taehyung woke up. He had slept sitting outside a cabin because of tiredness. There was another member of the troupe, a dancer, who was sitting with his back against the cabin wall and sleeping. As Taehyung smiled at the new life shaping up, something caught his eye. It sends a shiver down his spine and chills up his nerves. There was a newspaper there. On the first page, it had a huge poster of a MISSING PERSON with Jungkook's photograph and LOOK OUT NOTICE for the kidnapper with Taehyung's name and Photograph.

He needed to move NOW. NOW NOW NOW. He needed to leave immediately with Jungkook before anyone could spot them.

"Now where the hell is Jungkook?" Taehyung muttered mentally and sprung to his feet.