hyunglines(ao3)
Taehyung blinks back tears, ducking his head as he takes the album and hurriedly signs his name. "Why are you here, Jeongguk-ah?" The younger notices how Taehyung is keeping his voice low, soft so his members won't hear what they're saying.
"I had to see," Jeongguk says softly. "I had to see if you remembered me."
----
Jeongguk's earliest memory of Taehyung dates all the way back to the day they met.
Aged just five and seven, they were two innocent kids on the school playground. Taehyung was outgoing and energetic, while Jeongguk was shy and preferred to sit by himself in the sandbox. Taehyung was known for being mischievous and loved to cause trouble for the school teachers that tried endlessly to keep him in line. He would make huge messes, whether it be with craft supplies or bringing handfuls of mud and dirt into the classroom from outside. Once he captured a live frog and brought it inside to show his friends, only to be yelled at and forced to set it free outside. However, he never hurt or teased anybody. While he liked to be a pain in the ass to the teachers, Taehyung was utterly good and way too sweet to lay a hand on anyone.
The day they met, or rather, became friends, was a day that started out like all the others. But, of course, no good story comes out of normalcy.
April 2003
The students are outside at lunchtime, jumping around the playground equipment, playing various sports, or chasing each other around in a game of tag. Jeongguk's minding his own business, sitting alone in the sandbox; not quite aspiring to build any grand structures, but content with just running his small fingers through the soft grains of sand and humming fragments of American pop songs to himself.
That is, until his peace is disrupted. The small raven-haired boy starts when he feels a rock pelt him in the back, and turns his head and wide, blinking eyes to see three older boys staring down at him tauntingly. He's familiar with these boys; he doesn't know their names but is haunted by their mean faces and words almost every day. "Hey, runt, whatcha buildin'?" the tallest of the three, their leader, smirks, "A pretty castle for a princess to live in?"
Jeongguk bites his bottom lip and shakes his head, "N-No, I'm not-" He wants to explain that he wasn't building anything, he just likes being by himself, but the words seem to get caught in his throat. Fear courses through him as he sees the menacing looks on the boys' faces.
His eyes flick over to one of the boys, who's tossing stones in the air and catching them in his palm. The boy's stare is piercing, eyes cold like a wolf. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" he teases. He then stops tossing the stones and steps forward, raising his hand as if he was aiming. His cold eyes never leaving Jeongguk's, the boy fakes a throw and the three boys laugh at how the smaller boy flinches and cowers away.
"Leave him alone."
All four boys turn to see a boy with tan skin and a firm set to his jaw. Jeongguk stares up with wide eyes at his saviour, lips parted slightly in surprise. It's no secret that Jeongguk has no friends; it's no fault of his own, he's simply too shy to connect with any children his age. Which is why whenever he gets picked on, usually nobody comes to his rescue.
Until now, Jeongguk thinks as he studies the other boy. He's not much taller than Jeongguk himself, a slim frame on his young body, but he carries himself with an air of self-importance and worth that Jeongguk lacks.
The tallest bully is the first to speak. He scoffs, crossing his arms. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do, throw a frog at me? I'm not scared of you, Kim Taehyung."
The boy named Taehyung just smiles. "I'm not trying to scare anyone, Jisung. I'd be just like you if I did. Just go away and leave him alone."
Jeongguk's heart, which had been rising in hope after Taehyung had come to his aid, sinks once again when he realizes his rescue is going to be fruitless. If Taehyung isn't defending him with anything more than confidence, how could he expect Jisung and his lackeys to actually leave him be? But he's pleasantly proven wrong when Jisung just huffs and rolls his eyes.
"Whatever. He's a lame wimp anyway," mutters Jisung as he shrugs nonchalantly. The older boys all turn and leave, kicking up dirt as they walk away, leaving Jeongguk to gape in awe. He lifts his head to look up at Taehyung, who's crouching down to sit on the edge of the sandbox with him.
"You okay?" Taehyung's voice is gentle, caring.
"Y-Yeah," Jeongguk mumbles, shy now that the attention is all on him again. "Thanks," he adds quietly as his gaze drops to fixate on his sand-covered shoes.
Taehyung grins, a charming rectangular smile gracing his face. "No problem. They're dumb bullies who don't know how to mind their own business. I'm Taehyung, but you can call me TaeTae. That's what my mom calls me."
"My name's Jeongguk..." the younger answers. "My mom calls me Ggukkie."
Taehyung beams brightly. "Wanna be friends?"
Jeongguk looks up, sees true genuineness shining in the older boy's eyes, and allows himself to smile back.
And that was the start of a ten-year long friendship.
