[ O2. starting ]
— worthy of you / plested
the car ride to their lodging is expected to take half an hour, leaving plenty of time for small talk and getting to know each other. jeongguk feels more at ease now, taehyung thinks, after those two glasses of red wine during dinner.
within the first ten minutes, taehyung learns that jeongguk shares his love for animals, children, and music. they have more in common than he'd expect; their similarities seem to transcend their age gap. he learns that jeongguk has a dog of his own back his parents' place named gureum and that he took the lead role in his high school's musical and that he has a passion for drawing and has half-completed sketchbooks filled with sketches that pique his inspiration.
"i didn't know you liked drawing! you have to show me one of your sketchbooks one day." taehyung says as the car stops at a red light, gazing at jeongguk's dimly lit figure sitting in the seat beside him. "i don't know exactly if we'll meet again, but. if we meet again, do show me."
"of course. i mean, we'll see each other around, right? korea is so small." jeongguk replies, offering a hopeful smile. taehyung doesn't have the heart to break it to him that the odds of them meeting again are slim to none.
"yeah. we will."
they fall into a comfortable silence, the only sounds surrounding them are the sounds of the engine running and muffled chatter of couples on the streets. taehyung glances at the expiration: 9 hours, 42 minutes, 02 seconds. too short for someone he truly wanted to befriend.
twenty minutes later, the car slows to a stop in front of their accommodation. this house, like hundreds of others, host couples for a single night due to it's small size. taehyung's second relationship was here; a mere 24 hours with a beautiful woman named ahin. he remembers their little rendezvous at one of these houses, the way her fingers ran up his chest and the way her lips tasted like cherries as they tried to make the most of their 24 hours.
taehyung hasn't seen her since. not that taehyung ever really missed her; it was simply something the System tossed at him for 24 hours in order to find someone that would be his forever.
"jeongguk, we're here." taehyung says, opening the car door. "...jeongguk?"
he finds jeongguk asleep, head slumped against the window and lips pursed, exposing a pair of bunny-like teeth. he remembers jeongguk's confession during dinner of how deeply exhausted he was, and taehyung smiles to himself. taehyung is once again surprised at how adorable he finds jeongguk, even if he's doing nothing more than sleeping.
taehyung reaches out gently, giving the younger a shake. "jeongguk, we're here."
a pair of sleepy eyes open slowly, jeongguk rising from his slumped position and yawning. "oh. sorry. i didn't mean to fall asleep, i'm just..."
"...tired? c'mon, take a look at the place! then you can sleep peacefully under the softest blankets i've ever felt. " taehyung encourages, letting jeongguk follow him towards the door. with their presence at the front step, the door automatically opens.
minimally furnished yet utterly modern, their accommodation looks like something that came out of a home magazine. warm lamps illuminate the walls, creating a yellow cast that immediately welcomes them home. soft piano music plays from the speakers overhead, enhancing the cozy atmosphere.
"this is beautiful." jeongguk says in awe, wide eyes taking every inch of the room. taehyung beams at him, nodding. "wish i could live here every day."
"you will. the ones for long relationships are equally as beautiful, and more spacious."
jeongguk heads towards the bedroom, staring at the large king sized bed adorned with pillows. he let's out a mhmm then nods. "we can share. it's quite big."
"only if you're 10,000% okay with it."
"i am. truly." jeongguk says, sincerity written all over. "just like you have, we've all got to take steps, right? starting with relationship one."
