Yoongi

The guest house of the estate was getting a deep cleaning done. An important government officer from Seoul was visiting the town of Boseong for the holidays. This officer was a very important contact for the Jeon family, and the son-in-law of the house, Kang, wouldn't leave any stone unturned to impress someone for his benefit.

As a result, they received an offer from the Jeon Estate to stay at the best guest house in the city. It was a crisp, chilly October morning in 1988, and the entire hilly area was covered in a cold fog blanket. Only the horn of an approaching train with a steam engine broke the silence. Trains - still a symbol of eliteness, the mode of transport used only by people with money, power, or both. It used to bring in some watchers, coming to watch a marvel of trains coming from big cities, especially Seoul.

A beautiful figure emerged from the Air-conditioned boogies, dressed in a long coat and brimmed hat, his face hardly visible, obscured by the dancing moonlight. He soon turned and helped two other people disembark from the train, all this while looking for someone. As they moved toward the car the hosts had sent, he asked for their assistance in getting the luggage as soon as he could place the Jeon's Estate help.

The boy and his parents soon headed to Boseong. It was a car ride of approximately 90 minutes. They had traveled from Seoul to Boseong. The two cities could not have been more different in terms of pace; Seoul was noisy and full of cars, while Boseon was peaceful and green. The boy was Min Yoongi, a 23-year-old who had just finished his studies and was about to start as an assistant professor of ethics at the same university he studied at in Seoul.

The young, vivacious, exceptionally beautiful, and newly engaged, Min Yoongi, was just 23 years old, but he was more mature than any of his classmates. A mature old soul, some might say. He lived and hustled through his everyday life, especially gaining the degree in his course with flying colors to gain the position of youngest Assistant Professor of Social and Business Ethics.

He could use this break because he had not taken one in the previous five years. He worked too hard for his own good. Yoongi’s dad was a high-ranking government official and someone Yoongi always tried to emulate. Yoongi’s mom, however, was born and spent her early years in Boseong. Their family moved to Seoul in the early 1950s and rarely came back. 

Yoongi was in the final year of his studies when he was attached to Dr. Kang Hwan for his final dissertation. Regular visits to his house meant Yoongi bumping again and again into Dr. Hwan’s daughter - Jinho.  Yoongi was a 21/22-year-old young man with a captivating face that radiated both youthfulness and maturity. And despite his age, Yoongi possessed a level of wisdom and poise that exceeded his appearance. 

His endearing gummy smile lit up the room, reflecting his joyful and childlike innocence. Yoongi carried himself with charm and grace, effortlessly garnering the admiration of those around him. While he was not one for public displays of affection, his ethical values shone through in every interaction, making him a truly admirable individual.

So we definitely couldn't blame Jinho for being smitten. Right from the moment she saw Yoongi.

Yoongi had his life journey laid out in front of him, and the next step after starting work-life was marriage. Jinho was perfect in every way. The important thing for Yoongi was to find someone with whom he could hold a conversation for more than 30 minutes, and Jinho never disappointed him. By the end of the year, Yoongi's father gave his approval right away, and before they knew it, they had become engaged—or, as one might say, betrothed.

It was a small car ride to the estate but it had been a long, tiring train ride. Yoongi stretched his neck out of the window, trying to take in all the freshness the air had to offer and all the green his eyes could see. They were crossing the market and the odd combination of serenity even in a marketplace caught Yoongi’s attention.

“Can we stop here for a bit, Mom?” Yoongi asked, turning towards his mom in the passenger seat.

“Um, let's do that, I also need to pick up an essential grocery item or two for the guest house. 20 minutes, okay?” Yoongi’s mom smiled back.

Taehyung was walking through the crowd, a rainbow of balloons dancing above his head. Children pointed and tugged at their parents' sleeves. Taehyung’s smile, was his silent language that spoke volumes, enticing the town square with his silent charm. Coins clinked into his palm, hands gesturing thanks, always moving, a dance of zest with a hint of commerce.

Yoongi's suit stood immediately in contrast to the casual air of the market. Precision marked every aspect of him, from the knot of his tie to the shine on his polished shoes. He looked around the square with purpose, but something halted his steps—a pop of vibrant colors in the form of balloons against the backdrop of the monotony of everyone around.

The stall drew nearer, and Yoongi's gaze lingered on a boy. The boy's silent laughter echoed in the tilt of his head, his smile reaching his eyes. Curiosity got the better of Yoongi, it felt like a pull by the enigma before him. His feet carried him closer, crossing an invisible threshold into someone’s world, a place where he, known to be a man of words and discourses, would find himself absolutely at his wit’s end, his strongest weapon, logic, rendered unnecessary.

Taehyung noticed the approach, the suit was an outlier among his usual clientele. Interest sparked behind his bright eyes as well. He plucked a balloon from the bunch above him, the string taut between his fingers and extended it towards the figure in the suit, the corners of his lips curving upward in playful conspiracy. Offering it up as both a greeting and a challenge, he waited.

Yoongi accepted the gesture with a nod, a simple acknowledgment that bridged two worlds. INTRIGUE. That was what Yoongi felt. It didn't take him long to put two and two together about the boy’s mutism and possibly deafness too, as he saw people using gestures with him instead of words. Then why, at this moment, did he not feel the same as he did for others with similar conditions? Why did he not feel sympathetic or pitiful this time? He perceived and understood better than most mortal humans, but still, this didn't fit into his perceptions. It just didn't add up.

Yoongi's eyes locked onto Taehyung’s, an electric current jumping across the space between them. It was that mischievous shimmer in the boy’s gaze that captured Yoongi—unexpected and delightful.

The world around them blurred into irrelevance. The buzz of the square faded into the background. Taehyung's heart skipped, taken by the attentive interest in Yoongi's face, by the unknown warmth pooling oddly in his chest.

Taehyung accepted the coin from Yoongi as he reached out and gave him the balloon, their fingers lightly touching. One spark. A gasp followed. Taehyung felt his heart racing. A light flickered in the depths of Yoongi's eyes, indicating life beyond his composed and fine exterior.

Whatever had just transpired, this money exchange was more than just a regular or simple transaction for Taehyung. It was the way Yoongi’s eyes had held Taehyung’s gaze, with a tilt of the head, as if he were intently trying to listen to Taehyung, with no words spoken. 

And this was the first time, for the bubbling Taehyung, that he felt a pull, a deep desire to dive into Yoongi’s eyes and unravel the stories in him. All he could do was stand there, dumbfounded, his world tilting at its axis.

Yoongi, on the other hand, stood with a string of balloons wrapped around his finger. In amusement, he gave it a gentle tug, seeing it bob and smiling endearingly. With that, the corners of his mouth also turned upward, a soft chuckle slipping through his lips.

Taehyung watched it with the greatest pleasure. The smile was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. As Yoongi’s smile broadened, more and more of his gums showed through the lips, and Taehyung was gone—for the smile, the eyes, the man.

“It looks good on you.” Taehyung gestured, pointing at his smile, his hands carefully moving around the air between them. Arching his eyebrows as a tease, he smiled his brightest smile at the man before him, clad in the invisible armour or a facade, Taehyung felt.

Yoongi raised an eyebrow in response, his humor clear in his demeanor. “I think I should involve this in my lectures as well.” Yoongi tried to mouth slowly while gesturing to the best of his ability, pointing to the balloon dancing on his fingertips.

Taehyung stopped him midway, gesturing back, “Don’t try and move your hands too much. Speak very slowly; I can understand looking at the lips.” He wanted to say beautiful lips but he was not sure Yoongi would understand.

Yoongi nodded and started to move away. Something immediately took over Taehyung and he tied all the balloons to his bicycle. In a few long strides, he was there, face-to-face with Yoongi, saying nothing. Yoongi looked at him with a childlike smile and a questioning look.

“What?” Yoongi asked with a head raise.

“Nothing,” Taehyung said while shaking his head. But did not move. Yoongi watched with intense attention as Taehyung gestured for him to stay there and ran back to a small shop near where his bicycle was standing. He was gesturing and asking for a pen and paper. Scribbling something, he quickly folded it and ran to his bicycle. Inflating another golden-colored balloon.

Unconsciously, Yoongi’s lips curled again into a smile. It’s been long, so so long since Yoongi smiled like this—freely and to himself.

Taehyung’s eyes caught Yoongi’s again. Something transpired in the look—wordless yet heavy. Taehyung pointed to the golden color of the balloon and Yoongi’s cheek as if saying he chose the balloon to match the buyer's skin. He extended the note to Yoongi and Yoongi opened to read it. It revealed a date, time, and venue. It was an offer of sorts, an invitation to meet again, and Yoongi’s hands trembled.

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