My Destiny | Taekook

Chapter 5: Bros being Bros

Friday night
Song: First Love

Ah shit. What time is it?

Yoongi fumbled for the digital clock placed on the bedside table. Instead, he switched on the lamp which gave off light that nearly blinded his eyes. Yoongi slammed his hand on the button, switching the lamp off. Goddamn, curse this artificial sun. Thomas Edison was a light wielder... why didn't he just use his powers instead of inventing the light bulb? Yoongi reached for the clock and grabbed it this time. It was nine o'clock. Oh. I missed the meeting. Too bad, I guess. Yoongi shrugged, pulling an eye mask back over his face as he got ready to go back to sleep. Seconds passed and he decided that he wanted- no, needed supper.

Yoongi's stomach decided to make it difficult for him. In addition to craving for food at all times, it was feeling rather queasy that day. Yoongi stumbled, taking a moment to regain his balance as he walked down the staircase. He stole a few snacks from the kitchen. Noticing that the study room had its lights on, and given that his father was away on a business trip, Yoongi deduced that his brother was up working late again.

"You should sleep more. I heard that sleeping too little kills you," Yoongi said, walking into the study room. As he had anticipated, his brother was hunched over a stack of papers, a pen in hand as he furiously scribbled away. In the study room, bookshelves towered, filled to the brim with publications of all ages.

"And I heard that sleeping too much kills you," Jungkook said matter-of-factly.

"Mm, sounds lovely. At least I'll die doing something I love," Yoongi snorted. "Looks like our father assigned you work to do while he's away," he observed, dragging a finger along the edge of the wooden table, rubbing off a layer of dust. Jungkook never bothered to clean the study room and reserved it for only work-related matters that were delegated by their father.

"Yes. He wants me to prepare to take over the company." Jungkook said that sentence in a neutral stance, with no hint of positivity or negativity in his tone. But Yoongi knew, from the nights that they had spent talking to each other, that Jungkook never wanted to take over the company. Despite what Jungkook thought or wanted, it was an obligation that he was required to take. Yoongi was older than Jungkook, but because he was not the biological son of Jungkook's father, Jungkook was the heir to the Jeon Corporations. And a prisoner of his life.

The topic of work dampened the mood of the room. Yoongi flopped into one of the chairs. He grimaced, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Are you feeling better, by the way?"

"How courteous of you. No, not really. I've never been this sick before, but I think I have an explanation," Yoongi sighed, closing his eyes shut.

"And that is?"

"I'm pregnant," Yoongi deadpanned.

Jungkook spun around on his wheely chair, which made a squeak against the wooden floor. He placed both elbows on the two sides of the armrests, crossing his fingers and propping his chin on his hands. "And I'm Justin Seagull."

Yoongi snorted.

~

Finally having convinced Jungkook that work could wait, the two brothers were sprawled on the sofa in the living room. The jokes made in the study room had successfully lightened the mood by several degrees, which set them off for another of their late night chats.

"You aren't joining the tournament? I know it's your first year, but trust me, it'd be an easy win for you," Yoongi drawled. With a snap of his fingers, a black cloud blasted into the space beside them, slowly forming into a somewhat recognisable shape of what seemed to be a mini-ring. A furl of smoke shifted into vague shapes of human beings standing at opposite ends inside the ring of smoke. The "human beings" danced around the ring, firing tufts of smoke at each other until one eventually dissipated into empty air.

"Okay. Thanks for showing off," Jungkook scoffed, exaggeratedly yawning.

"Hey. I was showing you, quite brilliantly by the way, how the tournament works," Yoongi fumed, snapping again so that the remaining furls of darkness dissipated too. "Participate, would you? It'd be fun to add in a little brother rivalry in the tournament," Yoongi insisted, carelessly waving a hand. Jungkook replied, "I'll think about it. You should work on the shape of human beings. They looked like penguins."

"Ah, perfect. I was modelling your body shape," Yoongi said with a smug smile. He rested the back of his head on his palms. Jungkook straightened up on the sofa and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Feeling cranky these days?"

"It's hard not to feel cranky when you're sick," Yoongi grumbled.

"Is that so? Why don't you play the piano?"

"What?"

"I almost miss the annoying tune of the song that you used to practise. Plus it'd probably make you feel happier," Jungkook remarked, glancing at the grand piano moulded in the corner of the living room. The adjective "grand" did little justice to the black piano that stood mighty against the plain white walls. The piano, however, remained voiceless for a long time and gathered dust on its keys which once produced melodic symphonies.

Yoongi gathered himself up onto his feet. He threw a snack packet in Jungkook's direction, telling him to help himself. Yoongi moseyed towards the piano, each step more sure than the next. By the time his fingers reached the piano, he was hesitating to sit on the piano bench. Yoongi sat down, regardless. His fingers were stiff on the piano keys. It had been a long time since he last played. Why? He had gotten so busy that he forgot the joys of life. Yoongi took a deep, anticipative breath. But when he started playing, it was as though he struck home.

The familiarity of playing the piano came rushing back to Yoongi. His fingers fluttered lightly over the piano in legato, running in a fluid motion. The melody bore a sentimental sadness that reverberated through the space around them. Every key was played with musing; the sounds were decidedly soft, harmonising into a mellifluous tune. With its sweet ending came the silent contemplation of its musician.

~

"Who was it dedicated to?" Jungkook asked as Yoongi sat back down on the sofa. Yoongi did not respond. Instead, he muttered a reply that was not quite one, "Its title is 'My First Love'."

"A lover..?" Jungkook guessed, feeling rather amused. How did Yoongi have a heart to love anyone?

"It's dedicated to myself."

"... That's pretty narcissistic."

"In reference to music."

"Oh? What exactly do you think about first love?"

Yoongi hummed, "Good question, and it's interesting that you ask. To me, first love is a myth. It is a mirage that we created either to reason with or to refuse destined fate." Pensive, Jungkook crossed a leg over the other. He expressed agreement with Yoongi's claim.

"It's getting really late now. We should both sleep," Yoongi stretched his arms, back aching from having slept all day.

"It's strange to say this, but I'm grateful to have you," Jungkook said quietly. Yoongi froze, flummoxed. Then he said with the slightest wink of a smile, "We are both rather stoical people. But yes, I appreciate that you make life a little less boring. Thank you for existing, too."

"Sorry, I didn't quite get that."

"I'm not going to repeat my thanks, Jungkook," Yoongi ridiculed, leisurely making his way back to his bedroom upstairs.

"Work on the form of those human beings!"