UNIVERSE / BTS.

26: rewrite the stars / minjoon

REWRITE
THE STARS
( part 1 )

FOR -joonkim 💘
WORD COUNT 1.9k
OVERVIEW "you know i want you, it's not a secret i try to hide, but i can't have you, we're bound to break and my hands are tied"

∆

LONDON, 1918

THE CIRCUS WAS ALIVE with sound and music. the cheering of the crowd was deafening, the smell of popcorn and greasy treats tickled the nostrils of all who entered the circus grounds, and everything inspired a sense of wonder.

tents featuring various acts of magic and excitement were spread around; there was the hall of mirrors, where you could easily lose yourself, or the magical garden, full of exotic flowers and dancing girls who produced doves from thin air. but, in the middle of it all, was the main attraction: a huge glittering blue-and-golden big top, roof raised higher than all the others.

when you entered, at first, you'd be greeted by darkness, the only light coming from a spotlight in the middle of the roof. then you were seated, and everyone turned quiet and settled down, that was when the spectacle started. it was bafflingly beautiful, full of elegance and grace, of shimmering sequins and boys that seemingly flew through the air. everyone flocked to the acrobat tent; it was the money maker of the circus.

park jimin was one of the money makers of this tent, tumbling and jumping through the air as if he weighed nothing, clad in silk and glitter and wispy things that made him resemble a spirit. he and his two brothers, taehyung and jeongguk, were the three stars; born of the ringmaster and his wife herself, they were some of the most talented people at the circus, and the popularity of the acrobat's tent showcased that. he and his brothers, along with two other boys, put on a show nearly every night, and the public ate right out of their hands.

jimin would be lying if he said he didn't love it; he loved the attention, the compliments, the rapt eyes of the audience as he tumbled through thin air like he'd been doing since he was seven. every time he performed, it was like he was high off the sheer feeling of it. just having the audience watching him was perfect. and now he was in london, and londoners loved a circus; they flocked to the field where the performers had set up, children tugging their parents towards the big tops, and money poured in.

sunday's were off days, as everyone would be at church or having a much needed day off work, so there wasn't much sense in performing. this allowed jimin and his fellow acrobat, xu minghao, to enter the lovely city and explore, using their wages to buy food and luxuries in the heart of england. both of them spoke impeccable english - you picked it up, moving around so much - and were quite comfortably sat in a little café, with petite cups of tea and plates of cake in front of them, jimin chattering to minghao in korean.

"...god, i hope father goes easy on the new routine," the blonde boy yawned, rolling his neck before tightening his burgundy scarf. "i'm aching all over thanks to that trick he added in."

minghao nodded in agreement, sipping at his tea. jimin's father, park sogguk, was one of the greatest acrobats in the world, but, as he entered his old age, strayed to the sidelines, now choreographing jimin, jeongguk, taehyung, minghao and junhui's routines, the ones that bought the money in. he expected nothing less than perfection from his sons and the two chinese acrobats, and perfection they delivered. park taught them fairly but firmly, carefully bending them until they almost broke. jimin was sure he was more flexible at ten than most people were in their whole life.