SUMMER DAZE ° you . kth

prologue

"Do you remember the 
forest god we met that 
afternoon?"

12 YEARS AGO.
4月27日

I held your hand as we stumbled through gnarled roots and protruding branches that seemed to have grown for the sole purpose of snagging fabric and tangling hair. It was an ill-conceived game of hide and seek within a maze of evergreen, and when we ran deeper and deeper into the forest to find that perfect spot to hide our fragile bodies, the chatter of humanity dwindled and drowned behind the call of cicadas. 

But you found me, as you always did, and you said with a trembling voice, "We'll definitely get out of here." I wiped away the tears clinging onto my cheeks and a soft hum of agreement left my lips when I saw how hard you were trying to hide your fears from the five year old me. 

We walked, we ran, we tripped and the day drew on, unrelenting to our plight. The bright azure sky faded into the ominous purple of dusk, and the only light that illuminated our path was your smile, forced and shaky, but determined nonetheless to make me feel safe. 

"Are you lost?" Came a voice from behind us. We turned in unison, and there stood a young male in his teens, garbed casually in a white shirt and blue jeans. His fingers were stuffed into his pockets and he examined us, two children pitiable and forlorn. His eyes, a bright caramel gilded with whirls of golden, softened with worry and he took our hands and led us deeper. 

The two of us stepped within the shadows with the strange boy and he showed us a path, barely visible to our blurry eyes. It was only the broken twigs and crushed leaves beneath our scuffed rain boots that adorned wet dirt like a carpet that stretched to our escape. 

You looked at me and your smile faded into a sob. Relief poured out from you through tears and loud cries. Your mask you had so expertly donned, shattered into porcelain tiles, and you shed your titanium armor as you threw behind the role of 'hero'. We didn't even think twice as to whether the man had lied, whether we were truly safe, or whether we would stray off and stumble once more, but we didn't care.

"Don't cry." The stranger frowned and knelt in front of the two of us.

"Shall I grant each of you a wish?" He asked, a warm smile curving onto his lips as his beautiful eyes landed on me, then to you. 

The five year old me had naivete assembled in pearly white bones and curiosity threaded through tired sinews. Skepticism had eluded the both of us, even though you were always the one preaching caution when we played. 

"I wish to be with Taehyung forever!" I chimed and curled my fingers around yours, squeezing it softly. The stranger had pulled us out of the labyrinth of pines and cedars, but it was you who held me together as I unravelled. 

You grinned, pulling your pink lips into that wide smile you so often did when you were too happy to hide behind your fake maturity. Of course, I already saw you crying many times before, so it was cute that you believed your heroic disguise still worked. 

"If you say that, then I wish that I can protect Yeonji forever." You laughed, and I was surprised yet again by your voice, far too seasoned and thoughtful to belong within a six year old's lungs. 

Back then when we had been lost in that forest, was the first time I fell in love with you. 

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( author's notes ) i need help. why am i writing a short story /CRIES. anyway, this is a short story with only 10 chapters overall (well, 1 prologue, 8 chapters and 1 epilogue.) AND I'M DONE WRITING IT LOL. it's going to be 20% fluff, 30% sentimental and 50% idk-wtf-i'm-doing. 

it may be a bit slow at first, but please bear with me till the end. thank you for reading!