The King Likes Men

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Day six since Jungkook's noodles tasted like Jin-hyung's. One day till the Q&A with the queen. But most importantly, funeral day.

His makeup done, Taehyung smooths out his black suit, fixes his tie and glances at himself in the mirror.

The others in the room were also dressed in black, candidates, stylists. It gave the atmosphere inside a very eerie feel to it. 

"How you holding up?" someone asks behind him, placing a hand to Tae's shoulder. It was that one guy, Jin's friend Jaehwan.

Taehyung hasn't really interacted with the other candidates, minus Jimin and Hoseok, but today almost every candidate has come up and given their condolence.

"I think by now, I've reached that one stage of grief." He looks a Jaehwan through the mirror. "You know, the last one."

"Acceptance?" 

"Yeah." Acceptance. 

Jaehwan pats him on the shoulder. "You'll be fine," he assures him. "Things just take time is all."

Personally, Taehyung had thought his journey to acceptance took quite a long time, but still he didn't want to argue. 

He looks back in the mirror. So that they wouldn't stand out in the funeral all the candidates had their hair dyed black. Taehyung felt he was in dire need of a haircut but Sung-kyung had insisted that he looked good with long hair, especially since Tae's hair grew longer towards the back, making it seem like a mullet.

The door slams open in that moment, Adora coming in with the camera crew.

"Are we all ready?" she asks the stylists, "We're about to begin soon." She turns to the cameraman, "Yeonjun-ssi, please get ready to record."

Those sitting stand, they form a line. Taehyung is told to be at the front.

"Yeonjun-ssi please focus on Kim Taehyung-ssi the most. Taehyung-ssi, please pretend as if the camera isn't there."

Taehyung frowns. They were even trying to make this a spectacle.

He puts on his most expressionless face. He wouldn't let them make a spectacle of him on the day of his brother's funeral.

Guided outside, the candidates walked till they made it to Geunjeongjeon Hall, where they were to await till the coffin arrived.

The coffin had been taken out of Changdeokgung Palace at promptly eight in the morning and was to be carried throughout various streets of Seoul till it arrived back at Gyeongbokgung Palace. On it's way people could join in by marching behind the cars or watching from the sidelines, others chose to stay at home and watch it live through their televisions.

Candidates were to wait at Gyeongbokgung Palace at the courtyard of the main hall. They lined up in front of the throne room building and all stood tall as the coffin was about to arrive any minute.

"Psh," someone says close enough for Taehyung to hear, "This is so stupid."

All candidates turn their heads. Unlike the others, Shin Donghyuk was lazily standing there with his arms crossed and a tic in his jaw. "What?" he spats when he notices the stare of the others. "It's not like he was a martyr or anything. This whole funeral is overrated. Too over the top for just normal person's death."

Taehyung is ready to pounce the guy, but Jaehwan places his arm in front of him to stop him.

"Yah," Choi Junhong says, shoving the guy with his elbow. "Show some respect will you?"

"Why should I?" Donghyuk asks, "He was nothing great."

Jackson snorts. "Wow, what hit you in the ass? Jealous much?" Donghyuk glares at him. Jackson isn't fazed. "What? Would you rather it be you in that coffin?"