remember me | kth

une

; la rencontre, an encounter
—

— MOONLIGHT ILLUMINATED the diamond ring in Taehyung's palm.

The Parisian alleys looked different at night time. Usually bustling with locals selling fresh fruit and flowers, dragging carts from the harbor or opening their businesses for the day, the cold silence was stark and frightening in comparison. Vintage book stores and home owned cafes lined the passages, dark and vacant due to the late hour. Taehyung had noticed his reflection in the windows as he stumbled past - in his best coat, no less - the blackness behind obscuring any transparency and providing a chilling reminder of his current predicament as he watched his own form heave against the vibrant orange but peeling paint of the small two bedroom apartment complex on the corner.

Taehyung's legs felt weak and he let them buckle, his weight sliding down until his backside rested against the freezing cobblestone. It was cold enough for a jacket in the evening, the summer sun's glorious warmth dissipating like clockwork as night time swept the small French village he found himself in. Even so, beads of sweat laced his hairline, testament to the hatred that scolded every fiber of his being. It felt like he was burning alive.

A plane trip somewhere remote seemed like a good idea to begin with. An opportunity to think things through without the burden of his status following him - or rather people. Here, nobody knew him. Taehyung was confident his idol status was unknown - after all, the phone signal was horrible and stable internet connections were few and far between. He highly doubted any of the few hundred inhabitants would recognize his face from a magazine or a music video. The only music Taehyung had heard during his time here was soft spoken French symphonies, classical opera sometimes, but definitely none of the energetic pop tracks his band was known for.

His band was part of the reason he had packed a bag and jumped on the next plane out of the country. Not his band members per se but rather the responsibility his status required of him. If young Taehyung had known of the great success he would achieve after debut, no doubt he would have been thrilled. Singing, dancing, performing - they were all a part of him, his greatest love and his greatest passion. He had worked diligently, training on no sleep and practicing until his vocal chords were raw with overuse. But now he was here, he wished he was anywhere else.

It is a misconception, he decided, that we could ever be satisfied. He had fame, he had a decent fortune and adoring fans. He had what some would describe as everything, what young Taehyung considered necessary to a life filled with happiness. Most would assume he must want for nothing; that was true to an extent, as he was fortunate enough to not want for anything materialistic, owning a room filled with clothes, two cars and an apartment with enough rooms to house at least two large families comfortably. That didn't stop him wanting, though.

Taehyung stared at the small, velvet box that he twisted nervously between his freezing fingers. He had a girlfriend, too. Soon to be fiance, once he inevitably had to return home for promotions or an obligation listed in his schedule. It was as if his whole life had been mapped out years in advance. Apparently, his company decided marriage was next on the agenda, probably to boost the album sales that had begun to dip as of late.

He loved Joy, he did. Taehyung had been ecstatic when she started returning his shy smiles and longing glances at award shows and music events. He was overjoyed when she agreed to let him take her out for coffee - a small gesture uncommon in an idol's busy schedule but appreciated none the less, an opportunity to spend time listening to her sweet voice and inhaling her vanilla perfume he was desperate for among their hectic conflicting obligations.

Things seemed to move quickly after that, him moving out of the dorm he shared with his band members to buy a place for them to share. A few months after that they adopted a dog and by then it seemed as though the relationship was serious, enough for his company to encourage him to ask for her preferences and size when it came to wedding rings.