IT'S BEEN A WHILE | VKOOK

5 | Deja Vu

Taehyung's POV

Ding dong.

The doorbell sounded, followed by a series of hurried knocks. I rose to open the door.

I was greeted by a perky brunette boy. "C'mon Tae, you don't want to miss our flight!" He said, running out the door.

I chased after him, my baggage weighing me down. "Jimin, wait!" I yelled, half laughing as we raced through the streets.

I caught my breath as we stumbled into the bus stop. My mother followed shortly, rolling her suitcase to a halt.

Soon we boarded the bus, making small talk with Jimin, enjoying his soft giggles and humour. I listened to the low hum of the engine as the city blurred past, glimpses of neon signs and stuffy alleys. Jimin was in a shallow slumber. His eyes were closed and his lips were parted slightly, his ash brown hair disheveled and swept to the side.

"Turn right at Daegu Airport." The GPS said.

Jimin's eyes fluttered open as he woke with a start.

The bus doors opened with a creak and tourists filed out, my mother up front.

He gave a grin before offering his hand and hopping off the bus.

"Ready, buddy?" He said groggily.

"Ready, hyung." I said.

──────

It was 11 in the morning by the time we boarded we boarded the plane to Busan. The sky was pure azure as we flew by, a blanket of clouds nestled below us. Jimin was curled in a ball in the seat next to me, his phone pressed to his face, every once in awhile letting a chuckle escape his lips. I sighed, resting my head on the window sill once more. I tried recalling Busan, my old apartment, my friends, my family, my father. Thinking of him left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

Hypocrite. Drunk. Lunatic. Maniac.

I felt myself drift off, engulfed in darkness as my eyes drooped downwards.

──────

The intercom crackled to life, a static voice filling the aircraft.

"We will be arriving in Gimhae International Airport, Busan shortly. Please ensure that you have collected all belongings from the overhead compartments before landing. Thank you."

"Nghh," I groaned, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"Chim, what time is it?" I croaked.

"2:35pm, why?" He replied.

"Nothing. Just sleepy."

I adjusted my neck pillow, watching the dappled sunlight filter in through the window. I could see the nostalgic streets of Busan, minuscule figures strolling leisurely through the wide roads, basking in the lazy sunshine. The city I once knew grew nearer, the half-familiar airport coming into view. Jimin winced as we landed, the tires screeching painfully to a stop.

"Welcome home, Tae." He said.

I grimaced in response. Busan. The city of bad memories.

"Come on Taehyung, you're holding up the line. If you want to get back to school tomorrow we have to get home early." My mother said.

Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention, I'll be going back to my old school tomorrow with Jimin. Love that for me.

──────

The large clock had struck had struck 5:52pm as we endured the vast baggage claim line. We worked our way through the crowd, uttering the occasional "excuse me", "coming through", or "for God's sake Jimin you garden gnome that's my foot." He punched me playfully, pushing me away.

Then I stopped in my tracks, expression going slack. My bag trembled in my grasp as I stared intensely into the crowd, eyes fixated on one spot.

"Taehyung?" Jimin urged shaking my shoulder fervently.

The crowd parted momentarily, but that was enough for me. The way he stood, as if trying to merge with the atmosphere. The way he held his stance, poised and even. He was mounted on his tiptoes, scanning the throng of people. He locked eyes with me for a split second. His cool facade slipped away, his eyes dilated to the size of coins. My first instinct was to run.

It was Jeon Jungkook.

woo foreshadowing~

Q: Should I update more or less?

- J💜