✔️ 𝐈𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 | 𝐓𝐚𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐮𝐤

Chapter Eight.

Jeongguk

Jeongguk went home that evening with a perpetual smile on his face. Yoongi had offered to pick him up in his car, but he wanted to walk. There was something breathtaking about watching the sun set over the skyscrapers of the busy city, and Jeongguk wanted to appreciate it.

After locking up the parlor, Jeongguk shoved his hands in his pockets and began the 20-minute walk to his shared apartment.

Even though the sun was setting, the city was still bustling with people. New faces appeared at every turn, each going to their own destination. A mother was pushing her child in a stroller, talking hurriedly on the phone. A group of high-school girls were traveling in a clique, whispering to each other behind their hands about the most attractive stranger on the street. A young couple stopped in the midst of all the rushing people, sharing a moment in one of the most private places they knew of.

Large crowds were so intimate; everyone was so absorbed by their own life that they barely stopped to notice anyone else.

Jeongguk continued to walk, and as he did, numerous scents and sounds greeted him. To him, the scent of the city was always something different. Whiffs of gasoline, street food, the occasional breeze of perfume, and many other miscellaneous scents entered Jeongguk's nose. The sounds of the city, however, were beautifully predictable; the honking of cars, the chatter of pedestrians, the shouting of street vendors, and the squealing of old car brakes.

Every sound, scent, and sight belonged to itself, and Jeongguk could not describe how much he loved Seoul. The ethereal city continued to live on, night and day, and Jeongguk never wanted to go anywhere else.

—

With the quick flash of a small, jet black lighter, and the end of the cigarette sparking to life, Jeongguk inhaled deeply.

He tucked the lighter away in his pocket before sticking the end of the cigarette in his mouth, throwing a sideways look at the door to his apartment as he took a deep drag. A light smoke cloud billowed from his parted lips as he returned his gaze to the city.

He had returned home ten minutes ago, and to his misfortune, he had walked in on Yoongi and his 'boyfriend' yet again. Yoongi had yelled at him to leave, so Jeongguk grabbed the pack of cigarettes that was sitting on the kitchen table and hustled out of the small apartment.

Jeongguk didn't particularly enjoy smoking, and he had only done it a few times, but it seemed like a perfect night to do so. He hated the taste and the smell of it, yet there was something so cliche and romantic about it all. He was a tattoo artist in Korea's most populous city, doing his best to get through university, and his mind was constantly buzzing with thoughts of his forbidden gay lover.

He stood there for awhile more, and when the sun had completely set, Jeongguk put out the cigarette and rolled it between his fingers as he turned around, exhaling the last bit of smoke out of his nose. He stepped forward, listening intently for any sounds coming from inside the apartment. When he heard nothing, he knocked.

"Come in," Yoongi's voice came. Jeongguk used his key to unlock the door and stepped inside the apartment. He allowed the door to shut behind him as he curiously peered into the small living-room space.

Yoongi was sitting on the couch, leaning back with his legs crossed. He was wearing a pair of black boxers and a t-shirt, whistling quietly to himself. When he noticed Jeongguk, he gave a small
smile.